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

[Charles Cowherd <charlescowherd AT hotmail.com>]

Just to weigh in on the Flannery O’Connor/ Paul Elie scrum.
At the seminary (Episcopal) that I attended, a professor had included the short story “The Artificial N____” in his compendium of short stories matched up to the preaching lectionary. (Flannery O’Connor fiction is VERY popular in Episcopal circles.)
A draft copy somehow was made available to my fellow students, who opposed the inclusion. There was a big townhall meeting, a student petition, eventually the professor/author agreed to remove the story.
This was about 3 years ago.
I offer that up merely as another tiny data point in whatever this particular moment is all about. I know that Walker Percy spoke on that short story specifically but cannot find it, it’s in CONVERSATIONS with WALKER PECY.
I do think that it’s a topic that we can discuss on this forum with care and concern and kindness for one another.
Also, I have been reading THE NEW YORKER all my life (“a wonderful Yankee magazine”- my Dad always would say!). Only with this article the magazine it reveal how detached it is, as a source of journalism, from the world. It reminded me of Percy’s dislike (too soft a word?) for Descartes. Instead, Percy believed we are all embodied creatures, fallen and stumbling in the world. Whereas the New Yorker writes an article with the title:  “How Racist was Flannery O’Connor?” without any source of social location of time and place.
All my best,
Charles Cowherd