From: Quentin Merritt <J.Q.Merritt-AT-greenwich.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 11:00:03 GMT
Subject: Re: Bad Writing?


> Divorced from a text and
> context  a great deal of writing suffers. In any case, I'm not sure I want
> my theory spoon-fed to me in easily digestible (read comprehensible) chunks.
> Best wishes.
> Stuart

Is there an occluded middle here? I agree that writing can easily be 
made to appear absurd by removing it from its context, but what are 
you saying here: that most post-whateverist writing IS actually 
perfectly comprehensible when read in context - or that even in 
context it is incomprehensible (to all but the initiated), and that's 
how it should remain?

If writing can be clear, why shouldn't it be so? I am not questioning 
the need for specialist terms, or doubting that some ideas are 
complex and require work - but is this really the only reason why so 
much writing is - to many people - nigh on unintelligible?

===========================================================Quentin Merritt
School of Humanities, University of Greenwich
Wellington Street, Woolwich, London, SE18 6PF, UK
Tel.    +44 (0)181 331 9065
Fax.    +44 (0)181 331 8805
E-mail: j.q.merritt-AT-greenwich.ac.uk
============================================================