[lit-ideas] Re: why can't the english (professors) learn how to speak?
- From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:45:04 +0900
The increasing need for catnaps between bursts of energy. The melancholy
acceptance that most of the books on my shelves will never be read again.
But, I still say to the light of my life, the best is yet to be.
Happy holidays to all,
John
On Sunday, December 23, 2012, David Ritchie wrote:
>
> On Dec 21, 2012, at 9:12 PM, John Wager wrote:
>
>
> Having said all of that, I must say I'm impressed by quite a few British
> books being written for a general public in which fairly dry subjects are
> written about in intelligent and engaging ways.
>
> But these seem to all be written by slightly more senior faculty, whose
> reputations with jargon is already well-established. Heaven forbid someone
> attempt a popular book before one's reputation is made in "serious"
> journals or books.
>
> In my own case, what drew me to my advisor for the dissertation was partly
> the "style" of his own writing; it was elegant and effective. He actually
> despised the "jargonistic" approach to philosophy, so much so that he had
> stopped attending APA meetings, which also meant he was of very little use
> to me in making connections for my first job. Ah, well.
>
>
>
> Thanks to John. These are issues which bother me, also folk on this list,
> all of whom seem united on what becomes more and more an old-fashioned
> issue: clarity. We, academics who are still in harness, sit through
> meetings in which the language and the declared goal seem to diverge,
> listen to presentations that are stuffed with blither; we agree that we
> will declare objectives and measure with rubrics and (personal note) I
> wonder whether there is still room for a clear sentence or two. It is as
> if we are all lost on a ring road somewhere in France and the signpost says
> "Toutes Directions" and somehow we think that's fine and we are getting
> somewhere. If you want to feel old, bring Orwell's name up, or Graves'
> "Reader Over Your Shoulder."
>
> What else makes you people feel the years passing?
>
> Grump away. 'tis the season.
>
> David Ritchie,
> ignoring the Mayans, hoping to publish something good soon from
> Portland, Oregon
>
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
jlm@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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