In the New Yorker...

[serious crayons]

Finally made it through the Hemingway story. It was a slog.

First, I'm not interested in fishing. And it wasn't about a fishing trip where other stuff happens, but a fishing trip in which every cast line and reel spin are described in lengthy, meticulous detail. I wish I could have skimmed through that part, but it constituted most of the story.

 I'm not particularly interested in sheep herding either, so I'd be saying the same thing about BBM if the story was all a detailed account of how herding is done.

I suppose it's all a metaphor for something or other, but it was so boring I couldn't be bothered to analyze what it might be. Missed chances, perhaps? How life is a series of times when you briefly think you're going to win in some big way but then it all comes crashing down?

But his stories and novels are mostly about himself and that can get tiresome

That wouldn't be a problem for me. I love memoirs and personal essays.

plus he had some sexist notions that wouldn't fly today

No doubt, although I don't think I saw anything problematic in this particular story. But imagine a woman author writing a long extremely detailed account of an embroidery project. That would never happen (probably). But since fishing tends to be more of a "man's sport," it's assumed that everyone must be interested in it.
 
Meanwhile, I liked the Harvey Weinstein one by Emma Cline so much I'm now reading her critically acclaimed novel The Girls, a fictionalized account of Manson family members. So far it's really interesting -- she gets into the head of one of the young women in much the way she does with Harvey Weinstein -- gives the perspective of an extremely flawed person in an empathetic but unblinking way.

It's a little too lyrical for me, in parts -- her language and similes are often really nice but sometimes a bit over the top.

But here's one for you, Lee: Remember how you liked the word "popping" to describe the sound of a car driving over gravel? There's a similar sentence in the book, althogh this time the sound is "crackling," which also works!

[Front-Ranger]

Here's a link to a list of needlework fiction! https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/needlework-fiction Your post conjured up distant memories of books, movies, and art exhibits related to domestic pursuits. Yes, they are metaphorical. Yes, they are allegorical.

I hope you didn't feel that you had to read the story because of something one of us said about it. I found it interesting, as I always do Hemingway, because of the little clues he gives to his hidden and authentic nature. The details are there to create a smooth and impenetrable macho surface, but what are the hidden truths? I think they can be found in the description of the marlin. That is where Hemingway's true self lies.

It was also interesting to contrast the two articles. What is missing within a man that would lead him to pursue big fish, in the case of Hemingway, or women, in the case of Weinstein? What did they lose and what are they seeking, really?

I'd like to hear more about The Girls. Meanwhile, there's a story by Franz Kafka in the latest issue!

[Jeff Wrangler]

I'd like to hear more about The Girls. Meanwhile, there's a story by Franz Kafka in the latest issue!

Would you consider giving us cover dates instead of just "the latest"? The latest issue I have has George Floyd on the cover.

Meanwhile, when the June 8 & 15 issue arrived, I skipped over everything to read the article on Longfellow.

I don't remember the exact details anymore. It may have been in connection with the American Lit. class I had in high school, but I do remember it occurred to me that back before radio, TV, movies, etc., people read things like "The Song of Hiawatha" for entertainment. (I'm sure they read Robert Browning's dramatic monologues for entertainment, too.) I found a book of Longfellow in the school library. I think specifically I wanted to read "The Courtship of Myles Standish." I don't remember what the book was called, but I wish I had a copy of it now.

A little anecdote about me and that volume:  The book included one poem (of course I can't remember the title) with the first two lines Our God, a tower of strength is He/ a goodly wall and weapon. That seemed familiar, especially the rhythm. Then it struck me why: It was a translation, by Longfellow, of Luther's hymn Ein Feste Burg is Unser Gott (usually translated as A Mighty Fortress is our God). In the usual English translation, the hymn begins A mighty fortress is our God/ A bulwark never failing. The meter is the same as the Longfellow. That's why it seemed familiar.

[serious crayons]

Here's a link to a list of needlework fiction! https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/needlework-fiction Your post conjured up distant memories of books, movies, and art exhibits related to domestic pursuits. Yes, they are metaphorical. Yes, they are allegorical.

Cool, but (I’m on my phone so I haven’t gone to the link yet) what are their authors’ names? Are they legendary members of The Canon?  Is anyone required to read them for school? I guess I shouldn’t have made it sound like such a thing would never be published. And I’m sure a lot of fishing stories remoain obscure as well. But the literary world has definitely been a patriarchy with less acceptance of domestic issues, at least until lately.

And of course there is some domestic writing that is canonesque. The Yellow Room. Kate Chopin, Virginia Wolf. But there are a lot of studies and essays that show the imbalance. For example, Wolf’s “A Room of 9ned Own.”

hope you didn't feel that you had to read the story because of something one of us said about it.

Oh no. Only in that it made me curious and I felt I should give Papa a chance.

[quote I found it interesting, as I always do Hemingway, because of the little clues he gives to his hidden and authentic nature. The details are there to create a smooth and impenetrable macho surface, but what are the hidden truths? I think they can be found in the description of the marlin. That is where Hemingway's true self lies. [/quote]

You should teach a class! I’m not teasing — k seriously. Those things would be interesting and maybe I’m put off enough by my lack of interest in deep sea fishing. I did see several paragraphs toward the end that I actually circled thinking I found complex and interesting. The one about Mr. Josie’s nice face was one.

[Jeff Wrangler]

What is missing within a man that would lead him to pursue big fish, in the case of Hemingway, or women, in the case of Weinstein?

Insecurity about their manhood.

[serious crayons]

Cool, but (I’m on my phone so I haven’t gone to the link yet) what are their authors’ names? Are they legendary members of The Canon?  Is anyone required to read them for school? I guess I shouldn’t have made it sound like such a thing would never be published. And I’m sure a lot of fishing stories remain obscure as well. But the literary world has definitely been a patriarchy with less acceptance of domestic issues, at least until lately.

I'm sorry if the above sounded snarky. I should never try to write long comments on my phone! (That, and I can see my post was full of typos.) I read the list, and had never heard of any of the authors or the books. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club is not quite up there with The Old Man and the Sea.

But then, very few books are! Including books about fishing.

There definitely is a gender imbalance in many aspects of writing and literature, including bylines in the New Yorker. But I'm sure there's something to this Hemingway guy; he seems to have caught on. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

There definitely is a gender imbalance in many aspects of writing and literature, including bylines in the New Yorker.

That's an interesting point. I wonder if anybody has ever tried to run the numbers on that? 

Then, too, are there women writers covering stories like Dexter Filkins, Jon Lee Anderson, and even Ben Taub? I don't remember.

[Front-Ranger]

Would you consider giving us cover dates instead of just "the latest"? The latest issue I have has George Floyd on the cover.

The Kafka story is in the June 29 issue. I'm now reading the article about King David, and noticed that the word "cult" appears at least twice.

[Front-Ranger]

That's an interesting point. I wonder if anybody has ever tried to run the numbers on that? 

Yes, Jessica Esch: https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/new-yorker-gender-tally-2017-jessica-esch

[Jeff Wrangler]

The Kafka story is in the June 29 issue. I'm now reading the article about King David, and noticed that the word "cult" appears at least twice.

Five years ago the Briefly Noted book column included a novel about David called The Secret Chord. It seems the author portrays David's relationship with Jonathan as sexual, and his encounter with Bathsheba as a rape.

Maybe some day I'll finally get around to buying and reading it.