Your candidate won, congratulations. It remains to be seen what kind of neoliberal/populist/progressive confection will characterize the Biden restoration.
I do feel that the corona zeitgeist is exemplified by your advice that ordinary parents should let their businesses fail, and sell everything they own, rather than go to work and risk orphaning their kids by dying of Covid (a very low-probability event); while you and your friends forge ahead with a new cosmopolitan, globalist venture.
This is the real Great Reset. Not exactly a plot to enslave humanity; but rather, the privileged stratum of information society enjoying and extending their privileges, while the masses are told to sacrifice.
From a truly global perspective, “current events” should be viewed in close proximity to culture and the arts.
Many/most of the people who would be interested in your newsletter are probably either bilingual or multilingual. Why not present the culture and arts articles written in various languages?
For example, If I were putting together a global newsletter, I might be inclined to have ALL poetry reviews written in French. I would post regular commentary on poetry by some brilliant French-speaker who is eminently qualified to comment on poetry. It seems to me that formal French academic style— enhanced by the vocabulary and phraseology of the language— is a suitable tongue to discuss the subtle and complex ideas associated with poetry.
That’s the general idea, at least. Consider including commentary on contemporary dance written in Russian. Or, German to comment on architecture. Italian can be used to discuss film... and the list goes on.
If you want to (primarily) offer the English-speaking world a global perspective, doing so using an array of important contemporary languages would seem to make sense.
It would have snob appeal. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But, most importantly, you could have a lot of fun doing this! You could keep the whole thing lighthearted, but insightful.
Set your sights high. And don’t patronize your readers by talking down to them. Those of us who have always respected/loved your writing and your opinions are representative of your “target market,” as it were.
The folks who are going to really like your newsletter are not poorly-educated bourgeois simpletons. Instead, your readers are probably people who are unusually bright, lively, very intelligent, and very well-educated.
I’m sure some of your devotees are duller than this ideal/idealized picture of your target market. And some of your readers are probably just stray or random people with modest minds. But, for the most part, I am sure that your most eager readers are a rare and nicely refined group of people.
I often find myself wondering what various dead literary figures might think about current events in certain parts of the world that they are familiar with. For instance, what would Arthur Rimbaud make of recent news out of Ethiopia? Imagine writing such a piece in Rimbaud’s tone of voice and emphasizing his unique perspective on life. One could have a LOT OF FUN writing such an article— and actually offer serious insights that one wouldn’t be able to offer otherwise.
What would Samuel Johnson have to say about Brexit? I wonder what Edmund Spencer might have to say about, say, a gay prime minister in Ireland? I would imagine that the long-deceased author of the Fairy Queen, writing in extravagant Elizabethan English, might be able to say things about contemporary Ireland that are both funny and surprisingly meaningful. It would be interesting to hear from Allen Ginsberg on the subject of Donald Trump!
You should include in your new newsletter a regular feature: Dead Perspectives!
Your candidate won, congratulations. It remains to be seen what kind of neoliberal/populist/progressive confection will characterize the Biden restoration.
I do feel that the corona zeitgeist is exemplified by your advice that ordinary parents should let their businesses fail, and sell everything they own, rather than go to work and risk orphaning their kids by dying of Covid (a very low-probability event); while you and your friends forge ahead with a new cosmopolitan, globalist venture.
This is the real Great Reset. Not exactly a plot to enslave humanity; but rather, the privileged stratum of information society enjoying and extending their privileges, while the masses are told to sacrifice.
From a truly global perspective, “current events” should be viewed in close proximity to culture and the arts.
Many/most of the people who would be interested in your newsletter are probably either bilingual or multilingual. Why not present the culture and arts articles written in various languages?
For example, If I were putting together a global newsletter, I might be inclined to have ALL poetry reviews written in French. I would post regular commentary on poetry by some brilliant French-speaker who is eminently qualified to comment on poetry. It seems to me that formal French academic style— enhanced by the vocabulary and phraseology of the language— is a suitable tongue to discuss the subtle and complex ideas associated with poetry.
That’s the general idea, at least. Consider including commentary on contemporary dance written in Russian. Or, German to comment on architecture. Italian can be used to discuss film... and the list goes on.
If you want to (primarily) offer the English-speaking world a global perspective, doing so using an array of important contemporary languages would seem to make sense.
It would have snob appeal. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But, most importantly, you could have a lot of fun doing this! You could keep the whole thing lighthearted, but insightful.
Set your sights high. And don’t patronize your readers by talking down to them. Those of us who have always respected/loved your writing and your opinions are representative of your “target market,” as it were.
The folks who are going to really like your newsletter are not poorly-educated bourgeois simpletons. Instead, your readers are probably people who are unusually bright, lively, very intelligent, and very well-educated.
I’m sure some of your devotees are duller than this ideal/idealized picture of your target market. And some of your readers are probably just stray or random people with modest minds. But, for the most part, I am sure that your most eager readers are a rare and nicely refined group of people.
I often find myself wondering what various dead literary figures might think about current events in certain parts of the world that they are familiar with. For instance, what would Arthur Rimbaud make of recent news out of Ethiopia? Imagine writing such a piece in Rimbaud’s tone of voice and emphasizing his unique perspective on life. One could have a LOT OF FUN writing such an article— and actually offer serious insights that one wouldn’t be able to offer otherwise.
What would Samuel Johnson have to say about Brexit? I wonder what Edmund Spencer might have to say about, say, a gay prime minister in Ireland? I would imagine that the long-deceased author of the Fairy Queen, writing in extravagant Elizabethan English, might be able to say things about contemporary Ireland that are both funny and surprisingly meaningful. It would be interesting to hear from Allen Ginsberg on the subject of Donald Trump!
You should include in your new newsletter a regular feature: Dead Perspectives!
I hate trying to write French on my iPhone!
Typos!!! That should be “Etre realiste- exiger ce qui est impossible!”
I sent Fred Cole some off-the-cuff ideas about your new project. I asked him to forward them to you.
Etre realists— exigencies ce qui sat impossible!
I sent Fred Cole some off-the-cuff ideas about your new project. I asked him to forward them to you.
I knewvyou were fine, having discovered the perfect cafe wherein dwelt the most sublime cup of coffee. Savor it! Cheers, John