(urth) The Wizard
Craig Brewer
cnbrewer at yahoo.com
Sat Mar 10 08:27:38 PST 2012
Here's the link. Random q&a from the list a long time ago.
http://www.ansible.co.uk/cc/cc77.html
On Mar 10, 2012, at 9:49 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:
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>> craig Brewer: I forget which interview it is where Wolfe says that Silk is a
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>> member of the "Order of the Seekers of Truth and Penitence" ...
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>
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> I am not familiar with that one. I'd appreciate a link to it very much if it
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> the identity happens to come to mind. I am familiar with a Wolfe quote saying
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> that Jesus, given his scourging of the moneychangers, had bit of torturer within
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> him.
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>> My point is really that I don't quite understand the significance of the argument
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>> ...In other words, when thinking about what Severian or Silk actually experience and
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>> about their narrative arcs, does it matter whether or not this world actually had a
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>> Christ? Either way, these characters know nothing about the historical events, and
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>> that's what really matters. It's their distance from the truth (no matter which
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>> direction in time) that gives their stories a real spiritual tension and urgency.
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> I would agree. That is probably a good description of Wolfe's intentions.
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> To understand the significance of the arguments, I think you have to be cognizant
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> of the dynamics of a venue such as this. If you write a book and include an
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> insightful truism, as you have done above, each reader can nod in agreement and
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> enjoy the insight. Here, it might get a bit boring if the dialog consisted entirely
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> of such statements and dutiful affirmations from each other. That is a rather passive
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> and static form of communication.
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> When there is disagrement it becomes more active and dynamic. Various factions will
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> become inspired to delve more deeply into the text and more broadly beyond the
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> text to find support for their positions. We've seen evidence dredged from Persian
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> poety, astrophysics, avian taxonomy, occult worship, etc. Stuff I never would have
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> learned about without the debate.
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> I'm not saying there is no place for a discussion of agreement of Wolfe's brilliance
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> or news blurbs concerning his next award or a newly published review of his work. I
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> just don't think that's all this List need be restricted to. I never wish for negativity
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> but I am forced to admit the bald truth that the debates have been more helpful in
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> furthering my understanding of Gene Wolfe than the agreements.
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> In more specific terms, I have learned a lot from Dan'l, David, James, Jordon, Marc and
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> others in the last few years that would never have been explicated without the provocations
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> of Gerry Quinn. That's why I have steadfastly supported Gerry's contributions here, despite
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> the superficial appearance of antagonism.
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