> From: James Devine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: [PEN-L:11632] re: "the Beats"
> Not to beat this into the ground, but Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a book which
> I believe is titled HEARTS OF MEN, which argues at length that the Beats
> criticized family institutions (using both theory and practice) in a way
> that exempts themselves from responsibility of helping raise children,
> etc., without criticizing the inequalities of power in the usual family.
Barbara's a fine lady but invoking her authority on this
topic . . . you might as well ask Hillary Clinton. As for
what the Beats didn't talk about, you might as well
indict the entire pre-1972 left for male chauvinism.
What does that have to do with, say, the merits of
William Z. Foster?
I don't recall whatever the criticism of family institutions in
the Beats. I would say any such implied criticism was
founded on a bigger dilemma, namely the moral and
spiritual wreckage of society writ large -- the foundation
for deformation of family relationships.
It's also a little silly to criticize 1950's gays for failure to
build nuclear families, since they were barely permitted
to exist openly as individuals in the first place.
> I must admit I only glanced at the book, so if anyone has corrections I'd
> appreciated them.
Only these few.
Cheers,
Max
"People say I'm arrogant, but I know better."
-- John Sununu
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