I thought of Henry Ford's line 'History is one damn thing after another" when I read your condemnation of boring bios. Hilariously, Caro's recorded interviews ARE boring in just that way, to my astonishment. I guess it's the Ring Lardner "On Conversation" thing that you wrote about. Caro turned biography into a study of how and why power is seized, and I think he wrote the greatest nonfiction books I ever encountered. I enjoy listening to them especially.
Great post. I stopped that biography about halfway through some years ago, primarily because in my quest for moral leadership I'm not interested in more LBJ examples: assholes who arm-twisted their way to outcomes are not the exemplars I was looking for. But: I remember that section of the introduction, and the dashed hopes of those who thought they could plant a living in that false hope. More Caro (and other great biographers), but I wish they would turn their attention to worthier subjects (women, for starters...)
Hello Brian albeit 3 years late. Just learned of site …
Perhaps the old adages are worthy of our Respect.
If one doesn’t have anything good to say…
Seek to understand rather than to be understood
Give the other person the benefit of the doubt
None of us, nor anything is perfect.
The enemy of the Good…
Maybe it is the Times we are living in…the pandemic…whether one has lost someone or not …we all have Lost in the collective …there’s a trauma that hands over, permeates, moves as fast and assuredly in transmission as The Virus…
Perhaps it sits in the subliminal…few seem able to find words to articulate…such suppressed emotions, Energy withiness sadly, often expressed withoutness in hair triggered agitation…hyper criticism…
Deepening the Wound :..ie “assholes”
The polarization, constant squabbling, bickering over the small, petty differences aka minutiae…
For any of US with facility of Language, to those so Gifted …thus charged To Give
Perhaps find ways to help articulate the deeper, meaningful metaphorical messages the Virus bestows
Fair enough. Perhaps just "dominating" or "bullying" energy is what I was objecting to. But you're right that I don't need to use names to make that point.
Thanks for such a creative analysis of a single sentence. Happy to be a subscriber and contemplate more. Have read all Carol’s compelling books & If Caro writes to you about your blog, please ask him to finish his last LBJ volume. I’m still worrying about “The Wolf’s Mother.”
I thought of Henry Ford's line 'History is one damn thing after another" when I read your condemnation of boring bios. Hilariously, Caro's recorded interviews ARE boring in just that way, to my astonishment. I guess it's the Ring Lardner "On Conversation" thing that you wrote about. Caro turned biography into a study of how and why power is seized, and I think he wrote the greatest nonfiction books I ever encountered. I enjoy listening to them especially.
I've never heard one of the interviews, that's fascinating.
They are on Youtube.
Great post. I stopped that biography about halfway through some years ago, primarily because in my quest for moral leadership I'm not interested in more LBJ examples: assholes who arm-twisted their way to outcomes are not the exemplars I was looking for. But: I remember that section of the introduction, and the dashed hopes of those who thought they could plant a living in that false hope. More Caro (and other great biographers), but I wish they would turn their attention to worthier subjects (women, for starters...)
Hello Brian albeit 3 years late. Just learned of site …
Perhaps the old adages are worthy of our Respect.
If one doesn’t have anything good to say…
Seek to understand rather than to be understood
Give the other person the benefit of the doubt
None of us, nor anything is perfect.
The enemy of the Good…
Maybe it is the Times we are living in…the pandemic…whether one has lost someone or not …we all have Lost in the collective …there’s a trauma that hands over, permeates, moves as fast and assuredly in transmission as The Virus…
Perhaps it sits in the subliminal…few seem able to find words to articulate…such suppressed emotions, Energy withiness sadly, often expressed withoutness in hair triggered agitation…hyper criticism…
Deepening the Wound :..ie “assholes”
The polarization, constant squabbling, bickering over the small, petty differences aka minutiae…
For any of US with facility of Language, to those so Gifted …thus charged To Give
Perhaps find ways to help articulate the deeper, meaningful metaphorical messages the Virus bestows
Embrace Rumi
The Wound is where the Light enters…
Be a salve, ointment for Anointment
Fair enough. Perhaps just "dominating" or "bullying" energy is what I was objecting to. But you're right that I don't need to use names to make that point.
Thanks for such a creative analysis of a single sentence. Happy to be a subscriber and contemplate more. Have read all Carol’s compelling books & If Caro writes to you about your blog, please ask him to finish his last LBJ volume. I’m still worrying about “The Wolf’s Mother.”