By the by, based on Waiting for the Barbarians and Disgrace, I think Coetzee is one of the best damn novelists I've ever read. A friend of mine had him for an MA thesis supervisor at U of Cape Town. Said he was one intimidating motherfucker, but extremely helpful in a challenging way.

And judging from "Landscape with Rowers" he's got a knack for poetry as well, at least as a translator.

I'm not surprised. I heard him interviewed a short while back by Eleanor Wachtel, and the way he spoke, it was as though each word was measured, weighed, and interrogated before it was granted passage out of his mouth. Small wonder he rarely grants audiences.

I wanted to jump in to comment not so much on Coetzee (who I've yet to read) but on Coady's column.

Killer, I don't think that Coady was implying that "serious readers of literature only nit-pick when they critically engage." I took her comment about nit-picking to be a not atypical reaction to studying books in an academic setting. "Nit-picking" is not necessarily what "serious readers" do, but is often what one feels compelled to do in certain discussions. Alternatively, this comment may just reflect a certain insecurity on Coady's part about participating in such discussions away from the relative security of a column. ( Incidentally, I've met Coady and she's a very nice person, though meeting her inclines me towards the insecurity thesis.)

On the other hand, I do agree that Coady's column is "reflective of much that is wrong with "book chat" today." As I mentioned, I've met Coady and every single "Vancouver writer" she quotes is either a friend or acquaintance of hers. This happens in Canadian literary circles a lot; a small group with relatively large power adopt some writer or aesthetic position and praise him or her or it endlessly in print. Then they quote each other as evidence of the prevasiveness of this writer's or position's appeal. You get the impression that there's a groundswell of learned opinion, when really all it is is five or six people who met over coffee and realized that they all enjoyed the same brand of cough syrup.

Yes, I was in a bad mood. I'm sure Coady is a nice person, but I stand by much of what I said.

I like to build things from wood. I have a tablesaw and some clamps and a knack for picturing what the thing will look like in the end. I am just starting to "get" that when real woodworkers, carpenters or professional craftsfolk spot the flaws in one of my pieces (and my pieces are not bad, if I do say so myself) that they are not nit picking or insisting there must be fault, but rather engaging critically with something that is very important to them. It is a good thing to always strive for the better. I want to build a boat. There are many reasons it should be as well built as possible.

On the other hand, I much prefer to show my work to my wife, or my friends, who don't so much care about woodworking and so understand that what I'm looking for is a little uncritical praise for the effort and idea itself.

These to me are two levels of criticism -- level one, helpful, nurturing praise; level two, serious criticism -- that can be applied across all disciplines and endeavours. With books, I simply have no time for the level of uncritical praise and nurturing of the creative drive. I understand that it is a necessary level, but I write professionally and need a critical environment in order to stay sharp.

I am thoroughly disappointed that a Canadian writer and cultural commentator would make a public point of her unwillingness to move beyond level one, and I'm willing to admit that I'm probably just still mad at Jan Zwicky at this point.

As for Coetzee, I don't need to argue for his importance. The Swedes have put forward a strong case for him. So, he's important and I like him. That doesn't make me smarter or more serious than someone who has no time for him, and to suggest so, even as benignly as Coady did, strikes me as intellectually weak.

and can someone please explain to me why some of our names have stars after them and some, mine for instance, never have a star. I'm starting to get a complex here.

Edited by author 12-11-2003 11:05 AM
Killer, you get a star when you sign in as a registered user. This gives you a password so that no one else can use your name.

Killer, I'm still mad at Zwicky, too :)

I like your point about the two levels of appraisal. In many ways, it means more to me, is more of an accomplishment, when a layman likes something I've written, especially if that layman is not already a friend or blood relative. That said, professional criticism, nitpicking as it were, has a lot to do with my stuff being good enough to appeal to that layman.

killer, I don't at all disagree with what you said--whoops, too much use of litotes there--I mean I agree wholeheartedly with what you said. On the other hand, I still think that you're reading too much (now that's an ironic phrase in the context of this discussion)into Coady's comments, but no matter.

As for Coady being a nice person, that's just a comment I make any time she is being discussed--I didn't mean it to temper your objections. I've met Coady several times, once at a writing workshop (she obviously was the mentor, I a student) and regardless of what it may say about her reluctance to nit-pick, her constructive, polite (and frankly, authoritative)comments were far more helpful to me than the puzzling arrogance of the workshop participants. (True Story: One participant buttonholed me after a session and vehemently insisted I follow his advice since "[he] had been writing for 5 years and had a story published.")

The PWAC National Office is closed the week of December 22 to 26. I will be back in the office Monday, December 29th, but will also be away on January 1st.
Have a happy and safe holiday.

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"...writers are not acts of god; they come out of specific communities and are the individual points where those communities have become articulate." -- Northrop Frye

Like Oasis With The Beatles...

It's my considered opinion that there are lesser talents that could have been ripped off - er-hem - heavily borrowed from.



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"Coetzee seems ill at ease with people, as if fearing he will be tricked into falseness by a casual remark or exchange. He was also reluctant to tolerate the overwrought meanings others might seek to find in his work."

I'd love to chat with him but would be loathe to interview him. Why does his personality come as a surprise to people? Haven't they read his books?



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A friend of mine did his MA thesis under Coetzee at U of Cape Town. He said the man is no less guarded in private conversation. Also said that he was an incredible thesis supervisor.

Can't... stand... or... speak... at... normal... rate...

Must. Not. Hyperventilate... gasp gasp gasp... World. Atilt. Mind. Askew. Life. Spinning. Out. Of. Control... New Coetzee novel, Slow Man, panned. I plan to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why? He's a genius.


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