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"It seems to be the quality that makes any book, music, painting worthwhile is life, just that. Books, music, painting are not life, can never be as full, rich, complex, surprising or beautiful, but the best of them can catch an echo of that, can turn you back to look out that window, go out the door aware that you've been enriched, that you have been in the company of something alive that has caused you to realise once again how astonishing life is, and you leave books, gallery or concert hall with that illumination, which feels I'm going to say holy, by which I mean human raptness."
"You knew, you knew the Commandments, had learned them out of the missal-thin pages of the green Catechism, where, in a genius move of utter simplicity God had set the high bar for Christianity by saying Love your neighbor like yourself, and you read that and looked over at your neighbor, Patrick Plunkett picking his nose and pressing the pickings on the underside of your desk, and by virtue of nothing more than carnal reality that the purpose of human beings was to love, just that, and though you knew it, though it was maybe the only given in the ceaseless search for purpose, the evidence of the perplex of love was all around you, so that though there were weddings and white dresses and roses, though every song was a love-song, there were black eyes and bitter words and crying babies too, and every heart got broken sometime, yet, and yet, and yet still again, because you couldn't deny it, because, if anything was, it was fundament, it was in the first intention, part of the first motion when the first key was wound and the whole clockwork of man and woman was first set going, love was where everyone was trying to get to."
Originally Posted by Noah Rothman - The Rise of the New Puritans
From page 35:
Reading and writing might not be everyone's idea of a good time, but we can assume that you find a measure of enjoyment in the consumption of literature. After all, you're doing that right now.
From p 243
They are imbued with an unquestioned belief in their (political progressives') own righteousness. They are confused about where culture ends and politics begins. They are convinced that America's problems are so deeply rooted that only deracinating the whole rotten structure will re solve them. This is a recipe for a totalistic political program, and it busily making totalitarians of those who subscribe to it.
This book was pretty good, but could have been improved. The premise of the book is new and original; that the modern progressivist movement bears striking similarities to the Puritanism of the late 17th Century. This argument is well supported, suggesting that modern progressives are conducting a dour war on anything that is fun. Mr. Rothman gives worthy examples, such as the war on good food, calling much of it "cultural appropriation." The war on literature is another. Progressives seem to want to dump classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn, as well as much of Shakespeare, off school libraries and maybe even store shelves.
Here are my arguments about the shortcomings. Though he mentions Covid and the lockdowns glancingly, he does not mention lockdown advocates' derision of "mani pedi withdrawal rage" or public postings such as "just gimme a mani pedi and don't tread on my lawn." Well, at least "progressive" Breed London criticized the "fun police" for having some "fun" with her over her flouting her own mask mandate (link).
Similarly totally omitted from being called out were other "progressive" Puritans such as Greta Thunberg. As a result, I am giving this book a "3." The overall problem with these books is that they "preach to the choir" and are unlikely to draw many new people to their cause.
Still, it is an educating read and I recommend it.
I'm in the middle of Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle. Non fiction memoir. (Although, interestingly, it won the Women's Prize for Fiction although it isn't, in fact, fiction. Hm.). At first glance she seems a lot like Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. Both are brutally honest about themselves, and their failures, and empower others to be the same.
I'm not sure I'll finish it. As much as I really felt empowered by the first half of her book, and loved her concept of not sending your cleaned up fake "representative" out in public to interact with people, but rather, send your authentic self, it seems the book bogs down when she's unable to accept the serious flaws in her husband that she accepts readily in herself. At this point, I'm kind of thinking, "lighten up already"!
Have been caught up reading EMP fiction lately—
Last two are by Lars Larson: Dark Highway Home: Setting Out and Dark Highway Home: Reacing Home
This series is more of a “liberal” POV since the basis for the EMP event and the breakup of civilized norms aren’t axiomatically the result of Democratic government or liberal agendas like gun control…
This book was pretty good, but could have been improved. The premise of the book is new and original; that the modern progressivist movement bears striking similarities to the Puritanism of the late 17th Century. This argument is well supported, suggesting that modern progressives are conducting a dour war on anything that is fun. Mr. Rothman gives worthy examples, such as the war on good food, calling much of it "cultural appropriation." The war on literature is another. Progressives seem to want to dump classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn, as well as much of Shakespeare, off school libraries and maybe even store shelves.
Here are my arguments about the shortcomings. Though he mentions Covid and the lockdowns glancingly, he does not mention lockdown advocates' derision of "mani pedi withdrawal rage" or public postings such as "just gimme a mani pedi and don't tread on my lawn." Well, at least "progressive" Breed London criticized the "fun police" for having some "fun" with her over her flouting her own mask mandate (link).
Similarly totally omitted from being called out were other "progressive" Puritans such as Greta Thunberg. As a result, I am giving this book a "3." The overall problem with these books is that they "preach to the choir" and are unlikely to draw many new people to their cause.
Still, it is an educating read and I recommend it.
The only people who would believe that “new progressivism” is wanting to dump classics is someone who equate GOP leadership with “good” government
The Puritans are very like the modern Evangelicals who believe they are God’s chosen, that God rewards his followers with success over success thus equating making money is doing what God favors no matter how they come by it—that charity belongs at home vs helping take care of the poor and downtrodden—
If God wanted those people to be taken care of He would have made them business owners or successful in other ways…
Puritans are the same religious people who sold blankets contaminated with smallpox to native tribes so they would sicken, die, and leave their tribal lands open for white settlers…held the Witch Trials in Salem. Had mandatory church attendance and tithing for those living in Puritan communities, were very misogynistic toward the women in their society, and were totally against religious freedom for other sects like the Quakers…
Just finished my second Simon Beckett book, The Restless Dead. It was a 3.5 star read for me. The forensic descriptions became a little tedious this time around, but the writing is very good. The summary:
Top forensics expert Dr David Hunter is facing an uncertain future - his career hangs in the balance and his personal life has taken a turn for the worse. So when he gets a call from Essex police, it comes at the perfect time. A badly decomposed body has been found in the mudflats and salt marshes of the Backwaters. Could it be linked to two unsolved missing-person cases? But then more remains are discovered. And as these desolate wetlands begin to give up their grisly secrets, Hunter is reminded that it’s not the dead we need to fear . . .
The Chaos Machine, by Max Fisher. Excellent book I recommend it to everyone and anyone who wants to know how (and why) social media influences those who engage in it.
Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart. Brit goes to Spain and makes a home for his family on a historic Spanish farm. Similar to A Year in Provence, except they stayed there. A happy optimistic quick read. I've been wondering, though, with all the expats moving to Spain and Portugal now, if the native born people aren't sick of all these people invading their country and buying up their land. I mean, how would you like strangers finding you to be "colorful"?
A history of Cuba, and its relationship with the US. Authored by a daughter of Cuban-American immigrants. Just started it, but already saw it has some cool photos & artwork throughout..
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The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back Against Progressives' War on Fun by Noah Rothman
I recommend it to everyone and anyone who wants to know how (and why) social media influences those who engage in it.