> 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 =================================================== Max B. Sawicky Economic Policy Institute [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1660 L Street, NW 202-775-8810 (voice) Ste. 1200 202-775-0819 (fax) Washington, DC 20036 http://epn.org/sawicky Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone associated with the Economic Policy Institute other than this writer. ===================================================