From my list on The most incisive writing - political, critical and interdisciplinary.
Why am I passionate about this?
As Iago says in Shakespeare’s Othello, “I am nothing if not critical,” and regardless of what he meant, it applies to me - my intelligence works best at scrutinizing things for their significance. I studied science, worked in the financial sector, read fiction, watched cinema, and developed a sense of the interconnectedness of things. If the connections existed, I thought, there could be no one way of approaching anything; all intellectual paths were valid and the only criterion of value was that it must be intelligent. My book tries to stick to this since a writer may hold any opinions, but he or she must show intelligence.
MK's book list on The most incisive writing - political, critical and interdisciplinary
Why did MK love this book?
An aspect of contemporary criticism I deeply despise is the inability of critics to take independent views of their subjects and be misled by matters like publicity and awards. Criticism is good for the arts but not necessarily for commercial interests and my own approach has been to provoke, even at the risk of becoming unpopular.
Epstein is a less-known writer and critic (in relation to the others) but he is witty and audacious in critiquing the most celebrated writers. The title of his book is provocative since it suggests that prejudices are natural but wanted as long as they are justified though argument, which is my preferred way of expressing myself.
1 author picked Plausible Prejudices as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
In this collection of essays, the author of "The Middle of My Tether" considers the various influences upon writing in the recent past that have systematically lessened its glory
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