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Jan 23, 2023Liked by John Pistelli

Great! I was also very taken by the Merve Emre piece. Very interesting what you're saying - how bizarre it is that aesthetic judgments are verboten in the academy. Something that definitely bothered me as an undergrad; I think you're right that it's symptomatic of a larger issue.

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I've read much of Harold Bloom--so prolific and powerful. Going up against him and to great interest and controversy is Cynthia Ozick in _Art and Ardor_, particularly her essay "Literature as idol: Harold Bloom"—fascinating. I'm wondering if you've read her?

I'm also going to send you a personal message from my personal email: <mltabor@me.com>. New idea coming ...

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A minor novel by the great Charles Williams was titled "The Greater Trumps", which means the same, but there's no reason to let that stop you

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It’s always seemed strange to me that university professors in literature and the humanities are expected to (at least pretend to) contribute “original research” to justify their positions. What sort of church demands that every parish priest be also a theologian? [*grumble-something-something* about the legacy of the German research university...]

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