Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["Matthias Staab" <scipio2 AT gmx.de>]

Title: Percy-L Trivia

Henry,

 

10 years are a really long time... I just checked the archives to notice that I joined in Mid-September 1995. Looking back on these ten years, I notice that through Walker Percy and through the list, I discovered a number of other writers, first of all Flannery O'Connor who was and is even less known in Germany where I live than Dr Percy. I made friends with some of you co-list members - bonds which are still lively today.

 

With others, contact is more virtual. E.g. coming across the name of Jim Forest during the reading of Paul Elie's book I feel like hearing about an old acquaintance!

 

To you, Henry, my sincerest thanks for enabling all this through the years, and to all of you co-Percyites where ever you are, my best transatlantic regards!

 

Matthias Staab

scipio2 AT gmx.de
----------------------------------------------
Life is a mystery, love is a delight. Therefore, I take it as axiomatic that one should settle for nothing less than the infinite mystery and the infinite delight. In fact, I demand it. I refuse to settle for anything less. (Walker Percy)

 

 -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]Im Auftrag von Henry P. Mills
Gesendet: Sonntag, 31. Juli 2005 06:34
An: percy-l
Betreff: [percy-l] Percy-L Trivia

> Answer: what became Percy-L started as a 
>   hypermail archive launched in early August, 1995. Discussion was formalized 
>   into Percy-L one year later in August, 1996. 
>   http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy/mail-archives.html holds all the archived 
>   messages if you’re interested in a bit of semiotic archeology.
>
> If you 
>   were a member back then, I hope you will write me and let me know. Happy 10th, 
>   Percy-L!
>
> Henry Mills
>
>
>
>
> > From: "Henry P. Mills" 
> >     <wpercy2 AT ibiblio.org>
> > Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and 
> >     Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Date: 
> >     Sat, 30 Jul 2005 23:12:09 -0500
> > To: percy-l 
> >     <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Subject: Re: [percy-l] 
> >     dead
>
> > Thanks for the more than enjoyable 
> >     edification, Chuck.  We could use more of it.  I will take this as 
> >     a good moment to say Percy-L the communication channel is decidedly not 
> >     dead, nor will it be anytime soon.  It runs very stably and soundly 
> >     through the digital machineries of UNC and will remain active as long as I 
> >     have the presence and ability to sit at the keyboard.  So whether or 
> >     not there is actually any Percy “chatter” at any given point, the potential 
> >     for intersubjective connection still remains as a constant for the, at 
> >     present, 117 members subscribed. One may also always return to past 
> >     discussions when on a search for Percy by visiting the list’s archives at 
> >      <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/>, if not find and 
> >     re-invigorate subjects there to new life by returning them to new 
> >     discussion.  All things held constant, therefore, Percy-L is not dead, 
> >     nor will it be as long as 2 remain members, and we are a far piece from 
> >     there.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Henry Mills
> >
> > PS-Just as a little trivia, can 
> >     anyone say when Percy-L was launched?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > From: 
> > >       chaslow53 AT aol.com
> > > Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and 
> > >       Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > Date: 
> > >       Sat, 30 Jul 2005 22:29:15 -0400
> > > To: 
> > >       percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > Subject: Re: [percy-l] 
> > >       dead
> > >
> > >
> > > Well, it is obviously true that the list is not as active 
> > >       as it once was.  I think there are many of us (we exchange private 
> > >       e-mails from time to time, where you smarter folk can't catch us) who are 
> > >       fans of the novels and don't really have a great interest in the 
> > >       philosophy.  I'm not sure what WP would have thought of us, but there 
> > >       it is.
> > >  
> > > And even of those of us interested in the novels, 
> > >       there appear to be two groups.  The academics are ever eager to trace 
> > >       sources and influences, but the "layfolk" are more interested in using the 
> > >       novels to help answer WP's "ordinary Thursday afternoon at 4:00" 
> > >       conundrum: how is it that we can spend the morning reading philosophy and 
> > >       history and theology and fiction and walk away from it with no idea at all 
> > >       of how we are to lead our lives after lunch?
> > >  
> > > Two 
> > >       historical/literary thoughts present themselves here.
> > >  
> > > * 
> > >       William Buckley is reported to have said that he read Moby Dick at 55 and 
> > >       it changed his life.  I cannot vouch for that, either that he said it 
> > >       or that it changed his life.  I speak here as one who edifies, not 
> > >       with authority.  What I can say is that I read The Moviegoer at 52 
> > >       and it changed my life.  I am interested in an exchange of ideas, not 
> > >       necessarily restricted to that sort of reaction, of what the Percy novels 
> > >       mean in the individual lives of those who read and contemplate them. 
> > >        To the extent that the novels broaden our understanding of the "dark 
> > >       journey," they are valuable; they become even more valuable when we 
> > >       understand how they affect others as well.
> > >  
> > > * John Henry 
> > >       Newman was the author of A Grammar of Assent, The Idea of a University and 
> > >       a thousand papers on points of Church history and doctrine so austere and 
> > >       obscure that we are staggered to this day to contemplate his output. 
> > >        Yet when he was made a Cardinal, he chose as his motto something 
> > >       that showed a side of him that none of us today would associate with him: 
> > >       Cor ad cor loquitur, the heart speaks to the heart.  So, too, Walker 
> > >       Percy wrote novels whose message, whether in Binx's relationship with his 
> > >       mother or in Tom Moore's relationship with his second (Presbyterian!) wife 
> > >       or in Lancelot's pipe-clanking with is fellow inmate, could not be 
> > >       clearer: cor ad cor loquitur.  
> > >  
> > > I'm not saying that this 
> > >       should move us to sentimental essays based not on WP's novels but on 
> > >       sociological flights with only the remotest connection.  I am just 
> > >       saying that there are a lot of us who read and treasure the novels because 
> > >       of their _expression_ of what Binx experienced as "God's importunate grace" 
> > >       and discussions which are too philosophical or too technical are not going 
> > >       to grab us, because we are neither philosophers nor academics. 
> > >        That's why you don't hear from that group too very 
> > >       often.
> > >  
> > > Damn, I guess I am intent on retaining my amateur 
> > >       status!
> > >  
> > > Chuck Lowry
> > > Brooklyn, New 
> > >       York
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > An archive of all list 
> > >       discussion is available at 
> > >       https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> > >
> > > Visit the Walker Percy 
> > >       Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> >
> > --
> > An archive of all list discussion is available at 
> >     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> >
> > Visit the Walker Percy 
> >     Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy