Letters to the Editor
Isabella Clark
Published Letters: 6
-
Who?
[Read the article: I was conned by JT Leroy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I missed something. He is a she, who pretended to be a he, who then wanted to be a she? Did someone think the person in the hat with the sun glasses was a he? And the he (who is a she) TRICKED celebrities into believing she was a he? And they all hung out together and listened to s/he on the phone for hours and basked in s/his neurosis for the selfless promotion of s/his well-being. Is that the gist!? And now we are going to ask self improving, deep moral questions provoking moral insights and discussion for public consideration and consumption? You silly wabbits.
-
And another thing...
[Read the article: I was conned by JT Leroy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It really isn't that we can't do some quick research to get some background on JT, (most of us probably did anyway) the concern is that the issue is so trite? The character so off the planet. Why this issue is worthy of Ms. Waldman's moral quandry puzzles me. Its so simple---star fucking.
Come on, aren't they all kind of a hoax. Maybe even the provocative Ms.Waldman is pulling our chain for fame and fortune.
And Salon, we premium subscribers deserve better stuff. Where IS Camille BTW?
-
Oh, dear...
[Read the article: Real inconvenient truths]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...she is a me-me-me addict. But its good to have her around. It puts her ideas into a perspective among all the ideas. I disagree with this howl of disdain for her. I don't want the same-old, same-old. We need an elbow in the ribs every now and then to keep our game fresh. We need that eccentric aunt who shows up every once in a while, who is so nutty we get a little gaa-gaa until she leaves. I like a stew of things. Reading her, also, offers me the opportunity to experience that little flash of gratitude to the web for giving me access to this huge world of thinkers. Alright, I know many of the readers do not believe that she is a thinker. Paglia is seriously thinking, a lot. Guaranteed.
-
Pure Suffering
[Read the article: I'm so damned judgmental!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think judging is a part of the human process and a critical skill in the evolution of survival. Now that we no longer have to make judgments about fight or flight situations with lions and tigers and cobras and marauding hordes, I think the more highly evolved and "successful" are those who are BEST at judging.
I am a person who feels cursed with judging. I follow a Buddhist practice, termed Insight Meditation (IM). One of the strategies of IM is to simply name your mind-set from moment to moment. I spend entire days watching the mind's movement. As I watch, I label the thoughts, e.g. envy, story telling, delusion, anger, judging, judging, judging. As I name these mind-sets, I try to experience the pure physical sensations of each of these mental states. Judging, for me, has one of the worst physical sensations. It is pure suffering.
When I think about it, the suffering I experience is as misguided as the unfortunate choices the person I am judging has made. We end up being in the same place! The misguided who is, say, deeply in debt, is cursed with problems . The misfortune of his/her choices are as troubling as my dark, judging mind. To be a Buddhist is to learn to let these judgmental feelings, for example, pass , as they are like are mere clouds in the sky, coming and going, endlessly. The lesson is that we are all the same, the foolish debtor is no more troubled than I, who is stuck with this "superb" skill of judging. One of the reliefs from a judging mind is to lower expectations. We are all human (flawed) in different ways. To presume that we are "good" and another is "messed up" is an sly joke.
I think Cary values judging too highly. If, as he suggests, underneath judging is really compassion, than there is, afoot, a bizarre comedy. I believe that underneath judging is only fear. Fear is what the LW needs to explore.
-
Er, who can't close the deal?
[Read the article: Obama can't close the deal ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It strikes me that this narrative about the capacity of being a closer should be directed at HRC. Her 20+ point lead in Pennsylvania was eroded by a near unknown. While she flailed and spat, he gained over 10 points on her, and he did it within her base .
If "closing the deal" meant overtaking Clinton in Pennsylvania, her "home" state, you've gotta be crazy. Senator Obama, in my book, wounded her in the vote count. The press could be touting the remarkable capacity Obama has shown, again and again, to wrestle away hundreds of thousands of votes from a candidate with the highest public recognition in the world. Obama prevented her from achieving the "big win" in Pennsylvania that everyone said was necessary. He did what he was supposed to do. He closed the deal. He burned off the whole back of her pant suit. But, now the goal post is moved again. Come ON!
-
I thought it was a little too breezy.
[Read the article: All hail Kay Ryan]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The remarkable struggle of Ryan in the face of so much rejection over an 18 year period goes unremarked. I would recommend the article in the Washington Post for those who are interested in knowing something about this brilliant poet and who appreciate a little depth in their reading. Miller seems so tired of this person she interviewed over 12 years ago, that she throws some quotes together from the MSM and calls it a day. Why did you bother? Its like a tacky celebrity story, rather than the thorough, literate review the poet deserves. I know, I know you interviewed her in 1996.