Antiquitopia

Though not directly discussing the Bible or ancient texts more generally, there was a review article in the Chronicler of Higher education discussing " When Literature was Dangerous ."  The example used there is James Joyce's Ulysses, which used to be banned in the U.S. and England until the 1930s.  In the U.S. today, however, when very little is actually censured, there appears to be very little dangers in reading and writing.  At the same time, when anything goes, does anything matter?  Individual institutions may issue a ban, but there is no force behind it like there used to be.  Whereas writers in other, more totalitarian states, often risk imprisonment and execution for their work.  Where nothing goes, does everything matter? This, ultimately, raises a different issue than usually addressed in our dusty discussions of what something meant in antiquity or even how it has been received later.  It is not even limited to questions of cui bono ? Tha...

I just finished teaching Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice , and so this excerpt from W.H. Auden's "Letter to Lord Byron" caught my attention: There is one other author in my pack: For some time I debated which to write to. Which would least likely send my letter back? But I decided that I'd give a fright to Jane Austen if I wrote when I'd no right to, And share in her contempt the dreadful fates Of Crawford, Musgrove, and of Mr Yates. Then she's a novelist. I don't know whether You will agree, but novel writing is A higher art than poetry altogether In my opinion, and success implies Both finer character and faculties. Perhaps that's why real novels are as rare As winter thunder or a polar bear. The average poet by comparison Is unobservant, immature, and lazy. You must admit, when all is said and done, His sense of other people's very hazy, His moral judgments are too often crazy, A slick and easy...