Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 09:37:17 -0600
From: Bryan Alexander <balexand-AT-centenary.edu>
Subject: Re: BOOK QUERY


Nudging us along a little: since many of us expressed at least an
interest in intersections of Benjamin and media, can we suggest a
reading or two to start us off?
	Cohen's book might not be the one, maybe - anyone?
	I'd like to suggest two other alternatives:
	1) start off with "Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical".  We (on
average) know it.  It's possibly his most influential piece.  It's
easily available (in the Schocken volume; on-line at
http://pixels.filmtv.ucla.edu/community/julian_scaff/benjamin/benjamin.html
).  We can further introduce ourselves to each other by commentary.
	2) immerse in one of the Harvard edition sections.  For example, we
could agree to work through "The Destructive Character" (II: 411-549),
which includes a variety of works on media (radio, photography),
society, and criticism.  Such an assemblage might introduce some of us
to new pieces and translations, while offering enough different
footholds to allow each of us a likely starting point.
	I'd be happy to do logistical things, of course: scheduling, vote
tallying, edition noting, etc.
	What do you all think?


Andrew Putter wrote:
> 
> Re Lloyd's questioning my description of Cohen's book as "abstruse":
> perhaps your word "sober" is better. I really struggled with it, and
> struggled to stay interested in it, despite the fact that I'm an
> artist and art historian, and am really intrigued by Benjamin's
> relationship to the Surrealists. It was a while ago that I tried to
> read it, but I think it had something to do with the style of
> writing. It is a subject I'd love to know more about and was
> disappointed that I couldn't stay with it.
> 
> Andrew
> 
> --
> Andrew Putter
> 
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-- 
Bryan Alexander
http://www.centenary.edu/~balexand
(318) 869-5082 (office)
(318) 869-5139 (FAX)
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