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Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine <[log in to unmask]>
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Jonathan Morse <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 29 Jan 1998 19:51:48 -0500
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At 11:23 AM 1/29/98 -0800, Bill Freind wrote:
>A few days ago, someone (sorry, forgot who) mentioned Michael Lind's book
>_Up from Conservatism_, which suggests Pound financed some of Mullins'
>work. I was surprised it wasn't mentioned *why* Lind talks about Mullins.
>
>Briefly, Lind is showing the sources for televangelist and erstwhile
>presidential candidate Pat Robertson's book _The New World Order_.
 
Right, and _Up from Conservatism_ is a good book. But my concern on this
list was with Pound.
However, as long as we're talking politics, here's a quote from Mullins,
pp. 320-21:
 
"During the 1956 elections, [Pound] called to my attention the commissar or
foetus type of public official that seems to have been produced by the
modern state. It is characterized by a round head, usually bald, a petulant
mouth, and the formless features of a new-born baby. In July, 1959, he
wrote to me,
 
"'Look up Lavater, 1745-1801, "inventor of physiognomic studies," esp.
criminal TYPES.
 
"'my impression that he set almost at lowest level the foetus type . . .'.
 
"I promptly did some research, and found, to my surprise, that a number of
great leaders in recent years could be classified as the foetus type, or
those who have not been fully formed in the womb. Such people seem capable,
indeed fated, to cause great harm to others. These atavistic types are
characterized by slight development of the pilar system, low cranial
capacity, great frequency of Wormian bones, early closing of the cranial
sutures, and a lemurine appendix. The type is round-faced, with slightly
protruding eyes and a vacant grin."
 
The pictures in _This Difficult Individual, Ezra Pound_ demonstrate that
Mullins' own pilar system was in fine shape; he was quite a hairy young
man. How he got clearance to dissect the bodies of great leaders he doesn't
say. But one does wonder whether Pound kept in touch with Dr. Mengele after
the war.
 
 
--
Jonathan Morse
Department of English
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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