Oct 10, 2005

Additionally Noted

by Cliopatria

James Atlas,"My Subject, Myself," New York Times, 9 October, claims that the United States has yet to produce a biographical tradition to compare with Great Britain's.

John Kelly,"A Meal Fit for a Nightmare," Washington Post, 7 October, is satire about American University's embattled president, Benjamin Ladner. If you've been following this story in the Post or at Margaret Soltan's University Diaries, you will know that President Ladner has behaved like a pig – one of those in the private, academic sector that, except for Soltan, the bloggers'"porkbusters" campaign hasn't yet reached. He's expected to be ousted in a meeting of the University's trustees today. None too soon. Should have happened yesterday. Don't let the doorknob hit you in the ...

Observer,"The Paradox That Divides Black America," The Guardian, 9 October, argues that class divisions in black America tend to obscure enormous distress among African Americans.

More Comments:

Louis N Proyect - 10/10/2005

He's a fascinating character. His bio of Saul Bellow is absolutely great. He also wrote a bio of Delmore Schwartz that is supposedly even better, although I'll probably never read it because I am not that interested in Schwartz. Apparently, Atlas's recent memoir about being some kind of middle-aged loser is not very good. He compares himself unfavorably to other men his age who have bigger apartments, cars and reputations--not necessarily in that order. For somebody who so effectively punctured Saul Bellow's middle-class pretensions and aspirations, it is surprising that Atlas would indulge in this sort of thing unless he was being ironic.