That Kennedy speech is precisely discussed in the first chapter of "The Music of Time. Poetry in the Twentieth Century", by John Burnside, which I started to read a few weeks ago. Can't recommend this book enough, it's absolutely awesome.
It's sad to see the humanities slowly lose traction in a society that has lost its centering points. STEM, tech -- we certainly need them, they make up a key part of the framework, but in the end I believe they are just containers that traffic ideas in an ever more efficient manner. So much so, that the endless tidal wave of "content noise" is drowning out deeper, long term thinking.
So, if you are void of an ethical framework, logic, and critical thinking skills, the vacuum will be filled with distraction and, ultimately, tiny steps toward destruction.
I think that Huxley, Orwell, Postman, and McLuhan are all comparing notes with each other right now and saying I told you so.
It is hard to see any of our leaders speaking up in support of things they cannot measure, profit from, or stick in a spreadsheet cell. Kier Starmer failed to name a favourite book when asked in a softball interview, and apparently doesn't read. His Education Secretary axed subsidised Latin lessons for impoverished children half way through the academic year, apparently out of ideological spite, given how little money will be saved - so the students will need to find private support if they want to sit the exams in the summer.
Latin is seen as elitist, and a hangover from a past era of private education; it is also by some viewed as having no practical value and pursued only for its own sake. So yes, that might make it 'conservative' with a small c. Given that axing it will save pennies, and doing so halfway through the school year deprives the subsidised students with a chance to sit the exam confidently this summer, ideology is the best explanation going. If you look at the wider project of the current minister for education, it fits nicely; and I doubt she'd object to being described as an ideologist in the first place.
Thanks for your explanation. It still astounds me that there could be hostility to this. I will have to look at your minister for education. Classical education is the biggest “new” thing in education by far, transcending religious denominations or national borders.
Good work, Cynthia. I responded to this post initially about Dana Gioia on poetry, then picked up my copy of your book I had recently purchased, Czeslaw Milosz, A California Life -- only to randomly see in your Acknowledgements page a neat writeup of your relationship with Steve Wasserman as an editor, regarding this book. We were in the same class as he at Berkeley High. But back then he was just a punk who happened to return from the Venceramos Brigade. I just love it when that happens.
What a wonderful nexus, Adrienne! I'll let Steve know you checked in. Steve was my editor when he was heading the "Los Angeles Times Book Review" when it was without a doubt the best review in the nation. I wrote about Marina Tsvetaeva, Elizabeth Bishop, and many others for his section. I'll pass on your comment to him (he's in Barcelona right now).
That Kennedy speech is precisely discussed in the first chapter of "The Music of Time. Poetry in the Twentieth Century", by John Burnside, which I started to read a few weeks ago. Can't recommend this book enough, it's absolutely awesome.
Just ordered this book on AbeBooks thanks to your recommendation. There was only one copy. Would like to hear more of your observations about it.
It's sad to see the humanities slowly lose traction in a society that has lost its centering points. STEM, tech -- we certainly need them, they make up a key part of the framework, but in the end I believe they are just containers that traffic ideas in an ever more efficient manner. So much so, that the endless tidal wave of "content noise" is drowning out deeper, long term thinking.
So, if you are void of an ethical framework, logic, and critical thinking skills, the vacuum will be filled with distraction and, ultimately, tiny steps toward destruction.
I think that Huxley, Orwell, Postman, and McLuhan are all comparing notes with each other right now and saying I told you so.
It is hard to see any of our leaders speaking up in support of things they cannot measure, profit from, or stick in a spreadsheet cell. Kier Starmer failed to name a favourite book when asked in a softball interview, and apparently doesn't read. His Education Secretary axed subsidised Latin lessons for impoverished children half way through the academic year, apparently out of ideological spite, given how little money will be saved - so the students will need to find private support if they want to sit the exams in the summer.
What “ideological spite” could this be? Latin is from conservatives, perhaps?
Latin is seen as elitist, and a hangover from a past era of private education; it is also by some viewed as having no practical value and pursued only for its own sake. So yes, that might make it 'conservative' with a small c. Given that axing it will save pennies, and doing so halfway through the school year deprives the subsidised students with a chance to sit the exam confidently this summer, ideology is the best explanation going. If you look at the wider project of the current minister for education, it fits nicely; and I doubt she'd object to being described as an ideologist in the first place.
Thanks for your explanation. It still astounds me that there could be hostility to this. I will have to look at your minister for education. Classical education is the biggest “new” thing in education by far, transcending religious denominations or national borders.
The quotation is from President Kennedy's "Remarks at Amherst on the Arts" delivered when President Kennedy came to dedicate The Robert Frost Library at Amherst College on October 26, 1963. There is a transcript of the full speech here: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/remarks-at-amherst-college-on-the-arts
Thanks for the link, John!
Good work, Cynthia. I responded to this post initially about Dana Gioia on poetry, then picked up my copy of your book I had recently purchased, Czeslaw Milosz, A California Life -- only to randomly see in your Acknowledgements page a neat writeup of your relationship with Steve Wasserman as an editor, regarding this book. We were in the same class as he at Berkeley High. But back then he was just a punk who happened to return from the Venceramos Brigade. I just love it when that happens.
What a wonderful nexus, Adrienne! I'll let Steve know you checked in. Steve was my editor when he was heading the "Los Angeles Times Book Review" when it was without a doubt the best review in the nation. I wrote about Marina Tsvetaeva, Elizabeth Bishop, and many others for his section. I'll pass on your comment to him (he's in Barcelona right now).