Comments for BonaLibro_BonaLibro

Comment on Charlie Rose – Rep. Barney Frank by Tim Chambers

Tim Chambers — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:36:00 +0000

Hiya Richard,

Happy New Year! Good to hear from ya. Thanks for getting in touch. How’s your book doing? Will you be entering the ABNA? I’m still developing mine and will be going for it again this year.

Comment on Charlie Rose – Rep. Barney Frank by Richard Sutton

Richard Sutton — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Tim — well said. It’s us or them.

Comment on The New York Times Wouldn’t Take My Comment (for twelve hours). by Bonalibro

Bonalibro — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:10:00 +0000

They finally did take it. The nicer version is here.

Much as I agree with you regarding the Republican candidates, the base is not as stupid as you think if it hasn’t been gulled by this field. I remember campaigning in union halls with some of the Democrats I worked for, back in my consulting days. The Dems had just as hard a time appealing to the rank and file. Mostly, the members felt that they were being talked down to, and they didn’t like it, which largely explains why Fox news is able to appeal to people with its anti-intellectual elite message.

What working people want to hear are solutions to the nation’s problems that not only make sense to them and take them into account, but sound like they come from people who have a genuine commitment to them. Unfortunately, today’s Democrats, by and large, being from the 1% themselves, can’t demonstrate that commitment any better than their rivals.

Now, with the advent of McCain/Levin, it would seem that both parties have either lost their minds or simply shown their true stripes. As a recent addition to the various bi-partisan War on Terror bills, that were insane enough to begin with, one presumes it responds to the Occupy movement, and is intended to terrorize the 99% into quietly accepting their reduced status in our Plutocratic society. If those who represent a political threat to the wealthy are terminated as terrorists, then who are we?

When the Executive on its own can decide who is an enemy of the state, it becomes the enemy of the nation.

Comment on The New York Times Wouldn’t Take My Comment (for twelve hours). by Bonalibro

Bonalibro — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:21:00 +0000

I am aware that the executive claims the right in pursuing the War on Terror, but assassination was made illegal by an act of Congress years ago. Now we have a bipartisan defense bill that specifically authorizes political assassination by the executive branch, and against our own citizens. Is that not a momentous change?

Comment on The New York Times Wouldn’t Take My Comment (for twelve hours). by Dr. Dennis Loo

Dr. Dennis Loo — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Hi Tim:

Agree with your expose of the Democrats. Obama’s assassination orders, however, were issued before the Occupy Movement so the latter did not trigger the former. That’s one of the reasons I argue in my book that neoliberalism brings with it a certain perverse and odious logic and that both ruling parties in this country (and elsewhere in the world, including places where they really have social democratic parties) have adopted public order policies.

Comment on Literature Brings the Physical Past to Life – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education by TSC

TSC — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:38:27 +0000

Thank you, Mr. Recio, or is it Dr. Recio, for your comment. I rarely get a visit and fewer comments, and I am simply amazed at the response I have received to the Chronicle post. Reading for the pleasure of a story well told, a style well formed, and the insight into history and humanity has always been important to me, as well. Many of the books you mention are among my favorites also. I can remember in college memorizing Jabberwocky. It's the first poem I learned by heart. The second and last, was The Shooting of Dan McGrew. n nWhen I was in college, I had an art history professor whose only comment on most of the slides was a deeply satisfied moan. It expressed everything that needed to be said. I was happy to have shared the pleasure of looking at those paintings with him. Would that the same were true of literary critics.

Comment on Literature Brings the Physical Past to Life – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education by Dennis Recio

Dennis Recio — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:28:00 +0000

Dear Sir,r nr n I agree with your response to the piece, "Literature Brings the Physical Past to Life". Literary criticism allows us to have various opportunities to interpret the literature but it should never be a replacement for enjoying the literature itself. Too often, people who study these ideas become so accustomed to using them that reading for delight has little value. I still believe, very firmly, that a close reading of the novel, essay, short story, or poem is the best way to go. Reading to "weigh and consider" as Francis Bacon wrote in his essay, "Of Studies" is not a bad way to think about reading literature. But if I return to my personal favorites: Austen's Persuasion, Carroll's Alice books, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, Chekhov's plays, or Bronte's Wuthering Heights, I can claim, with relative ease, that these books have given me greater comfort and joy over any work by Foucault or Derrida. Whatever copies of these theorists I have remaining, they have gathered dust on a distant shelf. As for Austen and the rest, they are read and re-read and when I am dead, they will accompany me into my coffin.

Comment on Literary Fiction: Dead or Alive? by roger sakowski

roger sakowski — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:42:23 +0000

I'll be damned. I studied fine are at the Maryland Institute for a few years in the 60's. Back then the argument was "Is abstract expressionism really abstarct?" A grand time it was. Phil Katz was a guest speaker once. He made the fatal statement that Pollack was a non-objective painter. The shout "What's an object" bowed the windows. After more loud debating, it was conceded that Pollack use paint (objective stuff) on real objects (mostly canvas) and the result was yet another object. I repeat: it was a grand time.

Comment on Literary Fiction: Dead or Alive? by admin

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:55:43 +0000

Roger, r nr nA good friend of mine studied painting at the Maryland Institute years ago, where one of the famous artists told them every expression of humanity is art. Made no distinction between the work of accomplished masters and kindergarten finger paintings. If you saw that work by that eight year old child in England that someone posted a link to, it cannot make it any clearer what the difference between what the average person and raw talent can do. I don't care to read what the average person writes. Neither does the average person, which is why it's so hard for any of us to get read. Most people want what they read to be filtered for them by those who know better. When those who are supposed to know better can't distinguish between average and genius where are we. I guess that's why they've made the decision to make the slush pile public.

Comment on Literary Fiction: Dead or Alive? by roger sakowski

roger sakowski — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:29:55 +0000

I’ve been reading this fellows blog for a while. At times he’s interesting, but at others he’s thick as horse manure. The article you’re referencing is particularly thick. r nr nHis attempt to define literary fiction was just wonderful. If I understand it correctly, everything published is literary fiction simply because the author got something right… even if it wasn’t the writing. Go figure.