This brave new world of information access via the Internet has evolved to the next level with news of this startling development. Fraters Libertas is to be used as primary source material for academic research.
It's true. A dedicated young scholar named Dean has been sentenced to compose a research paper on alleged writer Carol Bly. She's the local author of such grain worshipping classics as "My Lord Bag of Rice." And, according to reports, in the field of self-help victim identity fantasy therapy prose construction, she's some sort of god.
Bly is also the author of the following bon mot, tossed from her precious, sheltered literary perch, directly in the face of we, the people. It's regarding the bankruptcy and closing of Ruminator Books in St Paul:
If America hadn't gone totally junk culture, totally commercial, bookstores like Ruminator wouldn't have any trouble at all," Bly added. "David [Unowsky] would have done just fine at the tail end of the 19th century. You can't sell Shakespeare to someone who comes in looking for a discount paperback copy of 'Reagan's OK, You're OK.' "
To which I was forced to reply, in defense of my beloved country:
I guess I can understand Carol Bly's hostility to success. Her latest page turner is called "My Lord Bag of Rice". Nice title, sounds like a profile of a cult devoted to worshipping Uncle Ben. Which would be a far more interesting topic than what Ms. Bly actually penned:
eleven exquisitely observed stories about sharp-eyed characters who stand a little apart from their peers, nurturing a hardy sense of self-worth in a mostly mediocre world.
Ugh. I just about lapsed into a coma cutting and pasting that description, I can't imagine the torture of actually trying to read that awful crap. But, believe it or not, Carol Bly is an author whose books the Ruminator carried. Carried them right to its grave. Or did Carol Bly and her kind carry the Ruminator to its grave?
Which brings us back to young scholar Dean. Thanks to his college course curricula, he has to endure the torture of reading Carol Bly books. (Where's that Geneva Convention when you need it?) In his tireless research of her, he did some Googling and there on the top of page 5 for 'Carol Bly' he discovered the above FL analysis. Which turned out to be an oasis of sanity for Dean:
I was looking for information on Carol Bly because I have to do a critical research paper on her. I found your comment on her fun and a tension release.
It is so hard to write a 2,000 plus word essay on things that make my skin crawl. I like what you said that you can't read that crap. I can't either. She is an arrogant, self-centered, holier-than-thou, thumb sucking Liberal.
Her books are so caught up in herself and yet the reviewers think she is so unselfish and a great writer, with such good insight, and on and on. Her focus is on man hating and rescuing women, to me it sounds more and more like she is a lesbian. (SP note - with those qualifications, to me it sounds like she could be a candidate to be Minneapolis's new fire chief.)
Bly gives lectures on college campuses and speaks her views which have nothing to do with the field of literature. In a draft of my paper, I mentioned Bly has gone into liberal political opinions that I don't agree with. My teacher said that this had no place in my paper because she has a right to her opinion. Well I do to and that is mine! But I know for the grade I have to go with the flow.
I certainly empathize with Dean. I don't know what school he's attending, but the conservative dissidents at the U of MN used to refer to the Political Science department as Political Silence. And the English department was far worse than Poli Sci ever was, in terms of forced group think and political indoctrination.
But Dean's right, for now he should do what he needs to do to pass the class. After college, he can start blogging and begin to experience some real intellectual freedom.
Scholars of America and other seekers of truth, if you'd like to read more about Ruminator Books and Carol Bly's insidious role in its demise, check out this other fine blog post. And please send along any footnote citations my way. I just love to be footnoted.
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