Russell Cruse
  • Home
  • The Rothko Room
    • Writing The Rothko Room
    • The Rothko Room Characters
    • The Council
    • The Real Rothko Room
    • Rothko Room Covers
    • The Rothko Room Music
    • The Rothko Room Puzzles
    • Locations in The Rothko Room
    • Waifs & Strays >
      • Churchill
      • The Origin of The Council
      • The First Meeting of The Council
  • Books
    • Head Count
    • The Circling Song
  • Weblog
  • Comments
  • Ukulele Stuff
  • Weblog Selections

What do you know? You only wrote it...

23/11/2011

3 Comments

 
I once heard a story about Andy Warhol.  It concerned a number of paintings, which appeared on the art scene and which critics all agreed were amongst the finest pieces he’d ever produced.  When Warhol himself saw them, so the story goes, he claimed he’d never set eyes on them before and they were nothing to do with him.  The critics, however, were undaunted and claimed that Warhol was either being mischievous or that he was simply mistaken and the paintings remain, to this day, attributed to the artist.

Now, on the one hand, you have to admire their balls; but on the other, you have to say. ‘What the f***!’

I recalled this tale when a family member recently received a comment on a dissertation, which served as a reminder (if one were needed) that, in certain respects, academia has a great way to go before it can be admitted into the real world.  Now, I know academics have long felt like a breed apart and I have to say, I have heard of this sort of thing elsewhere – particularly in music - but it, nevertheless, brings one up short.  Having decided to research the works of a well-respected American author, the student made contact with said author and asked if they would assist by answering a number of questions.   The author graciously agreed and the student received a number of short, yet thoughtful and informative replies, which were duly referenced in the dissertation.

Back came the comment from the assessor, that the student was taking the author too much at their word and that, whatever the author thought, the real motives behind the work were not as the author believed but what critics of the works had already shown and wondered that the student had not realised this to be the case. 

Humility has never been much of a concern for academics but one wonders, on hearing stories like this, the extent to which arrogance is an essential feature of their job descriptions. 

3 Comments
Rob
23/11/2011 06:16:29 am

Russell:

The affliction you speak about affects politicians and clergypersons as well; though I must admit, having been imprisoned in academe for a spell, those who run the asylum are, indeed, nuts.

Reply
Mike Church link
3/12/2011 02:52:26 pm

Another delightful anecdote, Russell. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.

Reply
Reggie
4/12/2011 05:15:00 pm

I have, thankfully, not had much contact with the academic world. I'm blue collar through and through, not through choice but by circumstance.
The only intense interaction I ever had with the aforementioned subculture was after I first left the army.
A bunch, (four actually) of very well read but ageing students had run out of grants and all had applied to work part time in the camp we guarded.
A more arrogant, lilly livered, insecure pile of dog shit I have never met in my ENTIRE life. Ego centric to the point of psychotic, they shirked every task given to them unless threatened with physical violence and were constantly sick.
I realise the job was only a step to better things for them but their constant meandering laziness and hypochondria made life for the rest of us a lot harder as we had to cover for them.
All four were eventually thrown out or left, thank the heavens.
This is not a diatribe against the academia in general, I just wanted to point out that these people are the scum that go on to run schools, firms, countries even.
Students? Pah!!
So, there you have it, my take on these people. What did Pol Pot say? "Come the revolution they'll be the first against the wall!" :-)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Follow this blog

    RSS Feed

    UK Amazon Kindle Forum's group-authors-bookshelf book montage
    UK Amazon Kindle Forum 222 members
    Somewhere else for those who hang around on the official Amazon Kindle Forum to slouch around.

    Our group-authors-bookshelf shelf



    View this group on Goodreads »

    Archives

    November 2015
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    A Clockwork Orange
    Alice Cooper
    American Literature
    Andrew Mitchell
    Anthony Burgess
    Blogging
    Book Cover
    Cover Design
    Crossword
    Eastwood
    Editing
    Emperor's New Clothes
    English
    English Language
    Films
    Frazier
    Gary Barlow
    Godfrey Bloom
    Homeless
    Homeless Man
    Homophones
    Internet Down
    John Farris
    Julian Fellowes
    Kelsey Grammer
    Language
    Left-Wing
    Literary Fiction
    Lord Mcalpine
    Mark Rothko
    Nomophilia
    Nomophobia
    Patrick O'Brian
    Pleb
    Politics
    Prejudice
    Pretentious
    Promoting Literature
    Publishing
    Raimi
    Reliance On Mobile Phones
    Richard Matheson
    Self-publishing
    Semiotics
    Spin
    Twitter
    Without The Internet
    Writing


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.