http://www.edrants.com/segundo/nicholson-baker/ A cultural podcast in tenebrous standing Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:43:42 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.edrants.com/segundo/nicholson-baker/comment-page-1/#comment-135703 Top Ten Books of 2008 : Edward Champion’s Reluctant Habits Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:17:38 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/segundo/?p=316#comment-135703 [...] Nicholson Baker, Human Smoke: This was a much maligned book from a quirky talent who has had a long history of being misunderstood by the critics. Nicholson Baker never claimed to be a historian, but he did dig dutifully through newspapers, sufficiently demonstrating how some vital stories get lost in the jingoistic funhouse. Human Smoke dared to present an alternative series of events that, wherever one stands politically, made a very strong case that the events leading up to World War II (much less any history) need to be reconsidered through a different prism. Even if one disagrees with the premise that pacifism could have ended the war, there nevertheless remains a fascinating dilemma for the reader. Could it be that the established history we commonly accept isn’t nearly so comprehensive? What information are we throwing away? And what responsibility do we have in widening the floodgates decades down the line to account for our missteps in the present? (For more on this book, see the Human Smoke roundtable discussion that was conducted on these pages: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five. See also Bat Segundo interview.) [...] [...] Nicholson Baker, Human Smoke: This was a much maligned book from a quirky talent who has had a long history of being misunderstood by the critics. Nicholson Baker never claimed to be a historian, but he did dig dutifully through newspapers, sufficiently demonstrating how some vital stories get lost in the jingoistic funhouse. Human Smoke dared to present an alternative series of events that, wherever one stands politically, made a very strong case that the events leading up to World War II (much less any history) need to be reconsidered through a different prism. Even if one disagrees with the premise that pacifism could have ended the war, there nevertheless remains a fascinating dilemma for the reader. Could it be that the established history we commonly accept isn’t nearly so comprehensive? What information are we throwing away? And what responsibility do we have in widening the floodgates decades down the line to account for our missteps in the present? (For more on this book, see the Human Smoke roundtable discussion that was conducted on these pages: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five. See also Bat Segundo interview.) [...]

]]> http://www.edrants.com/segundo/nicholson-baker/comment-page-1/#comment-82448 18.04.08 Nicholson Baker at The Bat Segundo Show : www.literaryagenda.com Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:57:33 +0000 http://www.edrants.com/segundo/?p=316#comment-82448 [...] The Bat Segundo Show #200:  a special 75-minute postcast conversation with author Nicholson Baker. [...] [...] The Bat Segundo Show #200:  a special 75-minute postcast conversation with author Nicholson Baker. [...]

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