Subject: (urth) Catherine the Weal

From: Wesley Parsons (7065) <wrp at adorno.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 10:52:06 +0000

[Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other works]

Andre,

Didn't you write an essay, "The Death of Catherine the Weal"?

Does this bear on Clute's theory about Severian's mother?

Would you care to post your essay?

Wes Parsons

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From: m.driussi <m.driussi at genie.geis.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 03:41:00 +0000

Reply:  Item #3642999 from URTH at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET03#

Wes Parsons,

Ah-hem, er, why yes, I =did= write an essay called, "The Death of
Catherine the Weal and Other Stories," in direct response to Clute's
essay and a similar one by Feeley in "NYRSF" #31 and #32 (1991).  It
is slated for Clute's book of Wolfe related essays by various people,
to be published sometime in the future.

Said book has essays by Peter Wright, Jeremy Crampton, Feeley
(presumably), and Clute (I hope!), among others.

While it is an interesting thought experiment to consider posting the
essay, I won't actually post it.

For one thing, we have had independent analysis that proves beyond
the shadow of a doubt that the essay is difficult to follow on its
own; that it presupposes familiarity not only with TBOTNS but also
Clute's essay.  And I am unanimous in agreeing with that verdict.

I really do like Clute's essay.  It knocked my socks off and I was
under its spell for a while until little cracks began to appear and
I determined that I didn't believe it entirely.  So I wrote the
response.

It is a far better thing to come up with a dazzling theory, however
flawed, than it is to pick apart someone else's dazzler.  Everyone
should read Clute's essay.

=mantis=