Unethical, Immoral. Cruel and crude and unconscionable.
Randy Souther
Oehling, Rick
What an eloquent and thoughtful reply! Maslin has been notorious for decades for making everything personal, that is how she made "a name for herself."
My grandmother used to say that houseguests are like fish -- they start to stink after a few days. Well, the same is true of Maslin's review and I think she'll come to regret publishing it. Especially if she reads reasoned replies like Randy's. Her attack just makes me want to read the memoir even more. Bestway to clear the air of the stink of Marlin, I mean, Maslin.
Rick
________________________________________
From: tonecl...@googlegroups.com [tonecl...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Randy Souther [tinma...@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 11:20 AM
To: tonecl...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [JCO:997] Unethical, Immoral. Cruel and crude and unconscionable.
Thoughts on Janet Maslin's hatchet-job of Joyce Carol Oates.
Randy
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Adva Weinerman
is the topic of your discussion and perhaps pass over again the first mail
which I may have missed?
Kind regards and thanks,
Adva
בברכה, אדוה
050-2508617
09-7442327
Oehling, Rick
Randy Souther has published a reply to Janet Maslin's NYT review of Oates' memoir of widowhood. Randy's essay can be found on Celestial Timepiece. I am going to read the original Maslin review later today but Randy is careful to address its major points (and errors) in detail in his reply.
Rick
________________________________________
From: tonecl...@googlegroups.com [tonecl...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Adva Weinerman [adva...@netvision.net.il]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 1:23 PM
To: tonecl...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [JCO:999] Unethical, Immoral. Cruel and crude and unconscionable.
Adva Weinerman
Adva
Carol Kean
V L Bucci
personal in this group, as we are small and have been communicating for some
years. I myself am mourning the loss of my 23-yr-old son who passed after a
long illness five months ago. I am still in the 'keeping myself alive'
stage, and if it were possible I've no doubt I would consider conceiving
another child as soon as possible. As regards Ms Maslin's uncionscionable
attack on JCO's manner of grieving: my therapist tells me, "don't let anyone
tell you how to do it."
Ginny Bucci
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Oehling, Rick" <oehl...@uww.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 2:09 PM
To: <tonecl...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [JCO:998] Unethical, Immoral. Cruel and crude and
P S Bonas
I read Maslin's review of Widow and Randy's response to her review.
Maslin's review does seem bizzarre. Working in the field of psychotherapy, I can say that everyone grieves differently from eachother and grieves differently for each loss. So to judge negatively how someone has grieved is without basis and when used, as was in Maslin' review, it ends up coming across as a cheap shot. Another shot of Maslin's was her insinuation that Oates rode on the coat-tails of Didion's lucrative success with her book about grief and loss. I dont know if Oates' did that or not, but I do offer up that Oates writes and writing is also her work. Who wouldnt ask for a raise at work?? Who wouldnt tap into a market that could provide more compensation??
And on the other hand, I think where Maslin might be coming from is that a book about a widow's memoir that neglects to mention that the widow remarried during the timeline of the story makes the rest of the story seem suspect. It makes the reader feel duped. But that's only if you believe that what Oates' is wriring about is her own real and true experience.
In her published Journal, Oates' said that journal writing is for self. Widow is not a journal. Oates also commented that after writing Do With Me What You Will that she would never offer herself, her feelings again; that is was not worth it. Oates revealed that she believes that one would not wish to write about the person one is, but rather that a novelist values surprise, nuisance and paradox. She writes for others. Oates has minimal appreciation for romantic poets becuase she is not impressed with the self-absorption that comes through in their works.
From the moment that I heard that Widow was out, I knew that if I read it I'd be reading a novel from from one of the most extraordinary master fiction writers.
Peggy