Tim,
 
I think Robert's remark smacks of more than academic chauvinism.  As to
changing "academic" to "serious" -- sure, it would make more sense, but it
would be like changing day to night, as this would then become a much
different point than the one that Robert initially makes.  I'm sure you'll
agree that there are many serious people who're neither academics or nor
researchers.  This is particularly true, in my experience, as regards Pound.
However, if Robert chooses to emend his remarks by changing academic to
serious, then I'm willing to modify my position also.
 
joe...
 
 
In a message dated 8/20/99 4:27:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:
 
<<
 Joe,
 I would agree that, as it stands, Robert's remark smacks of academic
 chauvinism, but to characterize it as "most absurd" is to overstate things
more
 than a little. The allusive nature of much (though by no means all!) of
Pound's
 poetry, his use of archaism, of foreign tongues, et cetera, all require
readers
 to have a certain kind of knowledge, or at least it requires of them a
 willingness to expend considerable effort in looking things up if they do not
 have that knowledge firsthand from their own reading or experience.  The
Cantos
 are not intended for "the casual reader". If Robert were to replace the
phrase
 "the academic" with "the serious reader" wouldn't his statement have a grain
of
 truth?
 Tim Romano
  >>