I’ll Be Your Mirror: Maya Deren‘s mirror that reflects nothing.
“It’s easy to write a negative review of a Tom Wolfe novel; hundreds of people do it every few years. First, out of the thousands of sociological details Wolfe gets right, you pick out some he gets wrong (thus establishing your superior hipness). You mention that he obsesses over the superficial details of life while you ignore his moral intent (thus hinting at your own superior depth). Then you graciously allow that many of Wolfe’s scenes are hilarious, while lamenting that his characters are not fully developed. Then you call it a day.”
‘Moral Suicide,’ à la Wolfe, by David Brooks, The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2004.
2 replies on “Replace “Tom Wolfe” with “David Brooks” and “Novel” with “Non-Fiction Pop Sociology Tome” and Then Call it a Day”
Hey, the Center for Jewish History in NYC showed a few of Deren’s films last night.
Unfortunately — as always — Brooks was Nowhere To Be Seen.
genius – am anxiously awaiting Brooks’ comeuppance, or at least for conventional wisdom to note his inability to progress beyond self-serving, inaccurate social observation.