[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Twofer

Very nice, but Sartre's involvement in the French Resistance was exaggerated
to an extreme degree by him.  Of course he wasn't the only one doing that.
Anyone with the slightest claim, making a café au lait for a true member of
the resistance for example, transformed it later on into an act of heroism.


I showed my newly-purchased copy of Being and Nothingness to a member of the
"American resistance" back in the 60s.  That is, he resisted everything we
were asked to do at McDonnell Douglas.  He engaged in all-things-left-wing
and/or liberal at the time.  He raised an eyebrow and suggested the book
wasn't entirely worthless.  He was quite sure it would make an excellent
door-stop.

Lawrence

-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of David Ritchie
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2012 11:27 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Sunday Twofer



Lying on your back waiting for your last breath to come, what will you be
contemplating?
Why, the ceiling of course,
and how boring ceilings are. 
Oh look, a crack, someone call the Discovery Channel.
Art is designed chiefly to appeal to the eyes of those who are still
vertical. 
When we decorate ceilings, we choose banqueting rooms and churches, places
where gawping is somewhat infra dig.
This is wrong.
Why not put such paintings up where people can enjoy?
Eyes on the real thing, a library of canvases that tour hospital corridors?
Better, surely, than lying there wondering if it's actually light outside,
and who is doing laundry.



In another life I might have concentrated on histories of the French
Resistance, 
written light verse, 
had some published, 
three volumes I think,
gathering dust on someone's shelves: 
absolute proof of an existence,
an essence,
which had more fun than Sartre.

David Ritchie,
Portland,
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