From: Patri10629@aol.com
Subject: (urth) Re: the superb level of discourse here
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 04:32:47 EST


In a message dated 11/2/99 12:43:53 AM, Mitchell Bailey writes:

<< As you probably can tell, I'm not a literature scholar. I'll have to
paraphrase Sev's line on this subject: if I sometimes manage to seem a
peer of the esteemed contributors to this list, or at least one whose
company does not shame them (perplexes? annoys?) it is to a significant
extent due to that erudition to which I've been exposed here.  >>

No, I couldn't tell, and, yes, I know *exactly* what you mean. If ever there 
was a forum which enhanced and increased my pleasure with Wolfe's work, why 
humbling me, this is it. What a privilege it is to eavesdrop. Hats off to 
you, mates.

Love Mr Ansley's Oz reference.

A sidenote: Responding to my constant complaint that parades are not 
organized in response to, and full-page New York Times reviews are not 
devoted to each new Wolfe book, (and a national holiday not declared 
specifically for a masterwork like ON BLUE'S WATERS), a friend replied: "With 
those godawful covers they slap on his books they're scaring off anybody with 
half a brain who doesn't already know he's great." Comments?

Actually the cover of OBW is sort of Wolfe in a nutshell--the siren's one 
grotesque feature is hidden from view, the animal's leg's too. What? What's a 
few limbs between friends?

I must say again: We are not all lit crit/ sci fi (uh-oh I said the naughty 
word)/intellectual giants (I mean besides Mantis and Alga), nerds and 
nerdettes obsessed with minutia  (I'll forgive the geographers for the 
moment). "Minutia." Hey! Maybe That could be my name! (sorry)  Is Wolfe so 
wrenchingly good? So demanding?  Am I naive  and alone in thinking that his 
art is ultimately accessible?

best,

Patrick O'Leary


*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/