Zachary Leader on Saul Bellow, with Martin Amis, Nov. 12, 2018
Vložit
- čas přidán 31. 01. 2019
- Zachary Leader in conversation with Martin Amis about Leader's The Life of Saul Bellow: Love and Strife, 1965 - 2005. Nov. 12, 2018, Elebash Recital Hall, the Graduate Center, CUNYm
There is no measurement we can compare to a great mind encountering Alzheimer's disease. There is no metric for it, it simply dissolves the mind in random and unmerciful ways. We really must be grateful for the gifts Mr Bellow gave us, his peace of mind and pieces of it thereafter.
I watch this about two or three times a year. The biographies are the best I’ve ever come across, superior even to the Ellmann biography of Joyce. Thanks ever so much for posting this 👏 🇬🇧
very cool and intellectual performance, not boring at all !
Thank you so much for posting this - I’ve been wondering what Martin had to say re the second part of the Bellow bio. His recent The Rub of Time was glorious from start to finish, with plenty of Bellow wisdom in there too ☺️
I frankly do not understand the criticisms of Amis referring to his vanity and self-reference and that kind of thing; just looks like a man sitting on a stage speaking in an English accent about a writer he loves - I can't find any pejorative to contrast him against the man Leader; except to say that they are two different men and each expresses himself in a different way, which is as it should be, isn't it?
6:16
Gross, Shakespeare
I just finished TAAM. An incredible creative work. However, it is a very odd novel in my opinion. The depiction of a Jewish immigrant working class life is interspersed with numerous biblical, classical, and historical allusions. Would those characters or that class of society even comprehend the significance of those allusions? While I understand that a novel can't be about everything, why is there no mention of the problem of race in that era of Chicago and America????? Still, the main character is a great representative of a nation with aimless ambition and no moral compass.
There was no problem of race at that time and place. The problem of race in America only began in earnest in 1964--it was invented by the elites to distract all of the races from the thoroughly undemocratic control the elites exercise over the nation. Bellow, of course, knew this very well. He lived for a time with one of America's two great black authors, Ellison. And Ellison also knew.
Probably because it’s a novel not a polemic.
Could they make Bellow and more boring?
After Leader's little talk about Bellow's attacks on smug liberals, Amis wonderfully continues the theme by proving himself to be just such a smug liberal--but generously adds his pinch of vacuous English condescension. This was a tedious talk overall, all too predictably careful to pay obeisance to the special obsessions (sexism, racism) of the nihilist Left; I'm sure Bellow would have fallen asleep listening to it.
I can see a bitter,whiny,reactionary, hurt little man such as yourself, have a successful social life. Do bitter,,mean spirited, narrow minded, attracts social misfits? Seems like something you know a great deal about.
Snore to, not the subject but the treatment of the subject.
Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z
@@philipsparacino84 Anything that annoys you makes my day.
Martin Amis, some unbearable mannerisms, likes to come across as so aware and beyond, quite a contrast with the frank and alert stage presence of of Zachary Leader
how NICE it must be ... to feel for a moment, if only to yourself, superior(!) to Martin Amis. Do let us all know where we can find your work, won't you. The Leader bio of Bellow is a masterpiece, and entirely praiseful of Amis too btw.
@@johnjosmith42 It is not a matter of moments, every time I see him on tube, I feel relieved not be of his kind. Try this gem of his from 1973:
www.newstatesman.com/culture/cultural-capital/2015/04/archive-martin-amis-mild-fad-david-bowie
in a more just universe he would have been an amusing but smug fanzine editor, but as it is the bourgeoisie has a way of hoarding acclaim and intellectual capital, little price for all the joy Kingsley brought to his readers. ...
Steven Augustine what’s embarrassing is that you’re clearly saturated by his influence and you don’t seem to realise it - how lowering for you; like the loser who thinks his horrible stream of consciousness is genius while neglecting to read Joyce. the style of your weak put-down bares a clumsy ghost of resemblance to his cadences.
Here’s this decline you mention: Pregnant Widow, Zone of Interest, Rub of Time, War Against Cliche (you’re fucking nuts if you see that as decline), Koba the Dread, the Second Plane ... even the others were, if not brilliant at least very good. what do you want from him, exactly? Oh, i know, you want your name on the title. No, better. Your name ABOVE the title. Again, the sloppy laziness of you guys. Show me your bibliography, show me evidence of your lifetime of dust and graft.
Oh jeeze. You're jealous of his commercial success. You're jealous of what you perceive as affirmative action for being another successful writer's son. But most of all, you're jealous of how much pleasure the rest of us are getting from reading Amis. Bitch.
I agree. On the one hand he's a brilliant writer (Zone of Interest was an amazing read!), but in real life he's a pompous little twit, I must admit. Not very likable. I'll stick to reading his books and not watching his interviews. Hard to believe he got along with Hitchens and the like