Subject: (urth) Rust, straw man, & Jonas

From: Roy C. Lackey <rclackey at stic.net>
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999 05:43:42 +0000

On Sat, 8 May 1999 18:35:44 +0200, Potto opined:

>>Congratulations to Nigel Price: very interesting and even graceful
input on the religious issue. A welcome change from this increasingly
rusty topic of the iron men; shouldn't we move on to other threads,
like whether Severian's guild cloak is made from tussah, chenille, or
silk?<<

    After weeks of exhaustive research, consisting of spirited discourse
with the denizens living in and around the dumpster behind Barnes&Noble, it
is my considered opinion that Sev's cloak was made from the same material as
Superman's cape -- which is apropos for comic-book heroes (read: "graphic
novel"). Of course, as a Man of Steel, Mr. Kent doubtless is subject to the
same processes of oxidation as more humble iron men. <g>

On Sat, 8 May 1999 23:45:07, William Ansley wrote:

>>Am I missing the point of this list? No, I realize that putting Wolfe's
words through the wringer is a large part of the point (and the fun) of
this discussion group. But I do get weary, from time to time, of someone
making some outrageous claim about one of Wolfe's works and justifying it
by saying "Wolfe would never have mentioned (or repeated) so trivial a
point if it didn't mean that I am right and everyone else is wrong." Or,
"The fact that Wolfe never mentions this means that I am right and everyone
else is wrong." (I should have said above: "every paragraph, phrase, word,
letter and bit of punctuation Wolfe puts *or doesn't put* on paper is of
cosmic significance.")
Am I aware that I am setting up a straw man here? Perhaps I am, but I think
some posts on this list have come perilously close to my examples.<<

    I have reread every post I have ever made to this list and have NEVER
claimed " ... that I am right and everyone else is wrong" , whether based on
what Wolfe did or didn't include in the text, or any other criteria. Nor,
for that mater, can I recall anyone else who has.

On Wed, 26 May 1999 13:29:21, Robert Borski wrote:

>>For isn't Jonas, a former servitor of the Hierodules, from Yesod? ... This
would allow for Jonas/Sidero to have crashed in the future ...<<

    Just like that. <g> Without preamble or explication you have put Jonas
on Tzad's ship (how else would he get to Yesod?) and equated him with
Sidero. And no one says a word about it! I didn't go that far in my "iron
men" posts, yet was pilloried! Is it my keyboard, or what? <g>

Roy

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