Monthly Archives: August 2009

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE—THE PASSAGE OF TIME (COMMENT).

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Philip

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE—THE PASSAGE OF TIME (COMMENT). Dick Weisfelder is correct in identifying the generational difference in the response to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. When I read it, Salinger was considered a very important writer. There was … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE—A GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCE? (COMMENT).

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Philip

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE—A GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCE? (COMMENT). Nick and Dick Weisfelder have been commenting on THE CATCHER IN THE RYE here. Nick commented that even at the age of 14, he found the book “juvenile, unrealistic, frustrating, and pointless.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 2 Comments

BASKETBALL AND PIANO MUSIC.

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Philip

BASKETBALL AND PIANO MUSIC. Some time after Van Cliburn had burst upon the American musical scene by winning a major Russian piano competition, he gave a concert in Kansas City at the same time that a major basketball tournament was … Continue reading →

Posted in Basketball, Sports | Leave a comment

BALLET AND BASEBALL.

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Philip

BALLET AND BASEBALL. Mary Jane remembers Phil Rizzuto talking excitedly about the ballet. His wife Cora had taken him. Rizzuto was especially impressed by Nureyev and raved about what Nureyev could have done if he had become an outfielder. During … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Sports | Leave a comment

BALLET TRAINING FOR ATHLETES.

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Philip

BALLET TRAINING FOR ATHLETES. The Wall Street Journal reports here that the Minnesota Twins have signed Max Kepler-Rozycik, the sixteen-year old son of two professional ballet dancers, with an $800,000 bonus. One of the advantages that the ballet background gives … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Football, Sports | Leave a comment

HOW SALINGER AND HEMINGWAY ARE ELITISTS.

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Philip

HOW SALINGER AND HEMINGWAY ARE ELITISTS. Mary McCarthy, in her essay “J.D. Salinger’s Closed Circuit,” pointed out: “Like Hemingway, Salinger sees the world in terms of allies and enemies … ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ … is based on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 5 Comments

ARTHUR MILLER—ELITIST.

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Philip

ARTHUR MILLER—ELITIST. I think it can be hard for a gifted writer not to look down on people of lesser ability. I want to juxtapose two sentences from a single paragraph in Morris Dickstein’s review of Christopher Bigby’s biography of … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

TARANTULAS AND ANGEL FOOD CAKES REVISITED.

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Philip

TARANTULAS AND ANGEL FOOD CAKES REVISITED. I posted here on Raymond Chandler’s observation in FAREWELL, MY LOVELY that Moose Malloy walking in an ordinary Los Angeles neighborhood was as out of place as a tarantula on a piece of angel … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

THE GUILTY VICARAGE.

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Philip

THE GUILTY VICARAGE. Auden loved detective stories and wrote a famous analysis of detective stories to explain what he acknowledged was an addiction. The title of the article, “The Guilty Vicarage”, suggests the religious view that Auden has of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 1 Comment

SCANDINAVIAN CRIME NOVELS—TRANQUILITY OR BLEAKNESS?

Posted on August 16, 2009 by Philip

SCANDINAVIAN CRIME NOVELS—TRANQUILITY OR BLEAKNESS? Dick and Chris Weisfelder called my attention to this article asking why Scandinavians write great crime novels. Dick and Chris had just visited Ystad, population 17,000, a fishing village where Henning Mankell’s crimes take place. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment