> Jonah's site places _Private Dowding_ under the fiction category. However, I am not sure that Tudor Pole regarded it as such. He had a strong interest in spiritism (spiritualism). >
Hi Mark, You are correct, I was using Jonah's classification. When I first read it (it's been a while) I think I was reading it as if the events were ones Tudor Pole actually experienced, which is what he claims in the story: "The messages I received in this manner from 'Thomas Dowding," recluse, schoolmaster, soldier, are set down exactly as they reached me." In placing the work in the fiction category, one probably has a bit of skepticism regarding people speaking from the next world (and I usually do--although speaking as a scientist I have had inexplicable things happen to me-- so sometimes I have to be willing to suspend my disbelief). In this case, it's a bit difficult for me to distinguish if and how much of the story was actually experienced by Mr. Pole and how much was simply based on his insights (and possibly on discussions with Abdu'l-Baha and the Baha'is). I guess I would have to know whether or not his statement about "exactly as they reached me" is simply a literary device or the truth before I would definitely call if fiction. Patti __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
