Comments on: Emerson on The Tragic http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/ the agony and ecstasy of a reading life Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:53:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: youwhoeveryouare http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/#comment-42417 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:22:01 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1988#comment-42417 I am fascinated with the number of book blogs you list, do agree that the death of the book seems overstated not despite the number of blogs out there but because of them. Emerson offers no easy solution for the proliferation of talk and thought we associate with technology. It can be overwhelming, but as I notice in your own posting, books are overwhleming too. And Emerson is very concerned about what he names in “American Scholar” the “bookworm.” So I see here, in all these blogs, tensions between reading and living that are not new to social media and are relevant to Emerson’s thinking. That is something I would like to dig into a bit more. I look forward to reading further, checking back, asking questions.

It is great to find fans of Emerson–great to know that he is not just of interest to academics. I have a chapter on him in my book in which I compare his method of thinking and writing to photography–I suppose it might be thought of as a kind of nineteeth century analogy for blogging.
http://press.umsystem.edu/spring2008/meehan.htm

cheers.
p.s. my “learningmetonymy” blog is a bit more of an archive for notes and work in progress. I have a blog that I use with and for a writing class I teach where I (and my students) provide more readerly discussion of books. Frankenstein, by the way, is one of them–so you might be interested to browse there. http://comppost.wordpress.com/

]]> By: emerson: blog « Emerson’s School: Work in Progress http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/#comment-42403 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:04:21 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1988#comment-42403 [...] emerson: blog Posted November 10, 2008 Filed under: Emerson, digital humanities, to do | Tags: blog | Idea: noticing the number of book blogs out there (i linked my way to one through an Emerson tag: http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/ [...]

]]> By: Stefanie http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/#comment-42320 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:01:59 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1988#comment-42320 Linda, thank you! You are so kind!

Litlove, it did turn out to be a good one to go out on. I was a little worried until I began reading. I can’t claim great knowledge of Greek tragedy either (working on it though!) but Fate is huge and when each side thinks they are right it is because they believe they have Fate (or the Oracle) on their side. You’ve got Emerson’s idea of compensation down pretty good! I’m a little hesitant to agree with Emerson too that reason is the greatest solace. I’m sure it was for him but I’m not sure it is the same for everyone.

Dorothy, I thought that an interesting point too and had to think about it for a little while before deciding that he may be right. If only attaining tranquility weren’t so hard! But I suppose the struggle is part of the journey. And thanks! I am sad to be through Emerson but looking forward to being done with Clarissa!

]]> By: Dorothy W. http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/#comment-42317 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:32:11 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1988#comment-42317 His point about tragedy being in the eye of the observer is an interesting one — we don’t always experience what people think we are experiencing or what they think we should. And yes, tranquility — what a goal to strive for!

Congrats on finishing with the Emerson project — that’s quite impressive! And I’m looking forward to hearing how Clarissa is coming along :)

]]> By: Litlove http://somanybooksblog.com/2008/11/02/emerson-on-the-tragic/#comment-42315 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:51:02 +0000 http://somanybooks.wordpress.com/?p=1988#comment-42315 Well that was a good one to go out on! Interesting take on tragedy, which seems Buddhist in conception to me. After all, Greek tragedy occurs when both protagonists in a battle have right (or reason) on their side, doesn’t it? (knowledge of the Greeks dodgy here) It’s also quite a modern reading of it, as psychologists are apt to emphasise the complexity of life that is, they insist, rarely just tragic. Often there are unexpected compensations or mixed feelings. I’m not sure I wholly agree that reason is the greatest solace, but I guess that for Emerson he finds huge compensation in it, as others might find compensation in religion, or love, or something else.

Goodbye to Monday mornings with Emerson’s thought for the day! Hello to Clarissa!

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