About Critique

[Todd]

I haven't seen any faults in your critical judgments, Richard. You're a teacher and do what a teacher should do. Never overstep or force anything. Guide but don't demand.

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Now I'm going to ask a technical question: Not to neglect your serious pronouncement, Todd: People are perfectly welcome to ignore me: . . . Um, The idea of so-called greatness, the Tolstoys and the Flauberts and the, well. And the sloppy writers . . . the Strindbergs and the D. H. Lawrences and the Bukowskis and the Henry Millers and the political speeches, if I can fit them in there, and the Dostoevskys and John Berrymans of the world. What most appeals to people, even the most well-read and intelligent people? The polished writers, or the wacky/possibly inane, not insane, inane writers? And this is for everybody. What do you think? We're all trying our best. But what inspires you more? The straight or the crooked? I'll base the rest of my life on the overwhelming answer.

I don't carve them up that way between polished and insane. I think I like my content to be at a bit of a slant. I don't like all great writers but those I do like show me something about being human. For instance, I find Dostoyevsky a bit hard to get through--probably because of how writing has changed in the last hundred years. I do have moments with him though where I gain great insight about people. 

“The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.”

That said, I tend to like the quirky. One modern writer I find myself connecting with is Jonathan Lethem. He's sort of a modern Philip K Dick--especially if you read his Ode to Dick--"Gun With Occassional Music".

I'm the same way with poets. I like a mix of the greats and the odd. It's more a matter of taste I guess.