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

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  • From: "RHONDA MCDONNELL" <rhonda_mcdonnell AT msn.com>
  • To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [percy-l] "American Dream"
  • Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:00:39 -0700

David,

Amazing how Prufrock haunts us as we grow older (I turn 40 in August). I remember reading Prufrock in high school and thinking, "Oh, come on . . . it isn't like that, is it?" Twenty some years later, the answer is, "Yeah, it's exactly like that!"

Some advice that you haven't requested: Don't expect them to get who Rory Calhoun and Bill Holden are. Instead, show them some pictures of them or some film clips (IMBD should have the info on which films they were in--I know Calhoun's in HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE). Or give them modern day equivalents. Better yet, have them come up with the equivalents by starting with how each actor was perceived in his day.

Best of luck!

--Rhonda
. . . what people really fear is not that the bomb will fall but that the bomb will not fall . . .
--Walker Percy





From: "Beck, David A" <dabeck AT iupui.edu>
Reply-To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [percy-l] "American Dream"
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 23:56:30 -0400

Larry, Jim et al,
I think that you are both correct. University presses aren't producing
Dan Brown-like bestsellers. My hunch is that the reason the books are
so high (besides the legit reasons Larry gave) is that they expect
libraries to be their main customers. Hence they can gouge libraries
and forget the mass market.
The upside of all of this is that the amazon market place offers most
of these books at a reasonable price. My academic mentor in grad school
(the late Tony Sherrill) published a great book that also discussed
Percy (Road-Book America). It had a similiar price, but I found it in
the used marketplace of amazon for half-price (and it looked like it
had never been opened).
The problem, of course, is that the author probably won't receive any
royalties. But, if you are like me and just want the book to be read,
the internet offers some great deals. I receive such a small commission
on my books that I'd rather give them away to more people than receive
the chump change I get for each book sold.
I wrote two obscure (small press) books on Eastern Orthodoxy a decade
or so ago. I'm amazed to see that some book sellers are offering each
book at $40 or more. If someone goes via the publisher s/he can get
each book for under $12 (paperback).
Anyway, I am going to ask our university library to purchase the book,
if they haven't already ordered it. Looks good and I look forward to
reading it.
BTW, as a follow up to the last discussion I brought up (on The
Moviegoer), I'll dive into that book next week. I plan to give a big
intro, using some of the work that Karey and Rhonda provided me. I'll
have to admit, however, that I am still a little hesitant. Today we
concluded our poetry section. I thought that it would be cool to use
some song lyrics. I chose Springsteen's "Thunder Road", Counting Crows'
"Round Here" and Jakob Dylan's (the Wallflowers), "One Headlight."
2/3rds of my students weren't familiar enough with Springsteen to be
able to name ONE song he wrote/sung. They thought that Counting Crows
were from "my" generation (I'm 47!!!).
I felt so old that I thought I'd should ask for a handicap parking
sticker. I mean, I asked, didn't you guys ever "roll down the windows
and let the wind blow back your hair"?? If Springsteen is so dated, how
will they get Bill Holden and Rory Calhoun??
Sorry, I won't go on, in fear that no one here will get it either.
Feeling old in Indy ("I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers
rolled"--no, wait, "I shall wear my trousers sagging").
Time to go to bed (no mermaids sing to me).
-David



Quoting Lawrence Rhu <rhul AT gwm.sc.edu>:

> Jim--
>
> Pity indeed. I take your point without any comfort to offer. The
> crisis in humanities publishing continues, and university presses
> have had to take drastic measures to survive. Of course, these
> include such prohibitively high prices, more limited printings, fewer
> paperbacks at least vaguely in the purchasable range, etc. Still, I
> am pleased that you express some interest. Thanks.
>
> Larry
>
> Lawrence F. Rhu
> Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
> University of South Carolina
> Columbia, SC 29208
> Tel: 803 777 0144
> Fax: 803 777 9064
> Email: rhul AT sc.edu
>
>>>> JHForest AT cs.com 07/04/06 6:13 AM >>>
>>> The pleasure and satisfaction of having a new book just out have
> irresistibly combined with the easy availability of an appropriate
> listserv and a "hard
> url" to make advertising its recent publication almost effortless. As you may
> recall, I have previously mentioned the presence of Percy and especially The
> Movigoer in my book as a matter of possible interest for subscribers to this
> list. So here it is, just a click away (with my sincere apologies for the
> price). <<
>>> http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/faculty/faculty_pages/rhu/cavell.html
>
> What a fine title and inviting cover! But what a pity that it costs so much.
> I fear this will put it beyond the budget of many who might have
> wished to buy
> a copy, myself included.
>
> Jim Forest
>
> * * *
> Jim and Nancy Forest
> Kanisstraat 5 / 1811 GJ Alkmaar / The Netherlands
> tel: (31)(72) 511 2545
> Jim's e-mail: jhforest AT cs.com (alternative address: jhforest AT gmail.com)
> Nancy's e-mail: forestflier AT cs.com (alternative address:
> forestflier AT gmail.com)
> Jim and Nancy Forest web site: www.incommunion.org/forest-flier/
> Forest-Flier Editorial Services: www.incommunion.org/forest-flier/ffes/
> Jim's photo web site: www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/sets/
> Orthodox Peace Fellowship web site: www.incommunion.org
> * * *
>
> --
> 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

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