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

[kevin keough <kevinkeough710 AT gmail.com>]

Well, I'm all for people speaking their minds.   That said, hurling an accusation that O'Connor is racist, is uninformed lunacy run amok.  A group has a right and responsibility to maintain integrity, good relations with others,  spreading gossip, or sharing some big agenda that has nothing to do with the group.  I'm pretty quiet here but when it comes to Percy and O'Connor  I think it's important to protect the group from trolls and contrarians. 

 And it isn't evidence of racism if the accuser gets shown to the doot with a reasonable explanation.  People, groups of all sorts are running into pretty effective trolls.  

Probably most of us are older---60 yo here-so we don't quite get when we are being punked or messed with.  Everything returns to normal after the troll is sent on his way with the Grace of God.  Next thing they'll pull no punches proving Percy was racist as they come.

Why allow some crazy disruption caused by some lunatic contaminate the group?    

Protecting sacred spaces -very different from *same spaces*   is essential.  We have no right to be overcome by trolls,  

My two cents with hope for all good things to be coming your way.

Kevin

Kevin L. Keough Psy.D.

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On Wed, Aug 5, 2020 at 11:18 PM janetcantor37--- via Percy-L <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

Yeah and Kate Smith is verboten now too. I am getting sick of this.

Janet Cantor

On Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 08:17:53 PM EDT, Charles Cowherd <charlescowherd AT hotmail.com> wrote:

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

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