Dionysus, the Mausoleum

Lee Berman · 22 Dec 2010, 02:06 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:06:52 -0500
Subject: (urth) Dionysus, the Mausoleum
Message-ID: <SNT123-W61B0A1E56082C1DF5BBFADCF1B0 at phx.gbl>

>Gerry Quinn: I *don't* think Wolfe throws things together randomly.  So I try to find an 
>interpretation that fits the different clues.

Gerry you really seem like a decent chap trying to understand the viewpoint of others, 
including me, but I'm really not sure what more I can say to help you. Your statement above 
really forms the crux of our differences. 

I have tried the optical illusion analogy. How can you weigh the evidence to decide if the
correct interpretation of the picture is a young woman or an old crone?

I have tried the Niagra Falls analogy. It can be viewed from many different angles, each 
one providing new aspects of wonderment without ruining or being superior to other angles.

I have tried the blind men and the elephant. I have tried the 7 simultaneous levels of Authority 
model from BotNS. 

Nothing works for you. You keep insisting there is "*an* interpretation" that fits all the different 
clues. One and only one best interpretation.

I was thinking of using a symphony orchestra example and trying to explain the horribly limited 
nature of singling out the violas as the "best interpretation" of what the symphony is all about and
finding the other instruments.."unlikely".

I just don't think it will help. If it does, that's great. But I don't think I have too many more
illustrations available to demonstrate the value of simultaneous multiple viewpoints as a deeper, 
richer way of appreciating art. Either you get it or you don't get it.  Perhaps Wolfe is not art for 
you. Or perhaps all art is, for you, just another math problem with a single highest probability solution.

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