From a “FT”:http://news.ft.com/cms/s/c06badc2-566d-11da-b98c-00000e25118c.html review of recent books on the criticism of photography.
bq. The argument relies mostly on Dyer’s uncanny powers of description and sometimes merciless wit. At the end of a section on photographic representations of the blind – in particular blind beggars and musicians in the work of Paul Strand, Lewis Hine, Evans and Winogrand – he considers a photograph by Richard Avedon of the venerable critic Harold Bloom, who happens to have his eyes closed. “The impression is of a man,” writes Dyer, “so swaddled in self-regard that he can read books – and possibly even write about them as well – with his eyes shut.”
{ 9 comments }
cleek 11.20.05 at 9:59 am
that seems to say a lot more about the critic than it does about the critic.
Adam Kotsko 11.20.05 at 10:10 am
Falstaff, Falstaff, Falstaff, Falstaff. Falstaff? Falstaff, Falstaff! Falstaff.
Matt 11.20.05 at 12:48 pm
A professor of English at Yale
Was fat and unnaturally pale–
He once did a pose
Without any clothes
And entitled it ‘Moby, the Whale’.
—
Jake 11.20.05 at 12:51 pm
It’s easy to write with your eyes closed when you farm out the work to others.
bill 11.20.05 at 3:01 pm
Harold Bloom has read every book in 5 New York Public Libraries and is currently 2/3’s of the way through the Yale Library. He can read a thousand page treatise in one hour and remember every word!
Jared 11.20.05 at 7:04 pm
With his eyes closed!
ben wolfson 11.20.05 at 8:05 pm
Harold Bloom is a 10 foot-tall beast-man, who showers in vodka, and feeds his baby shrimp scampi.
Jim 11.20.05 at 8:48 pm
The Dyer book is definitely worth reading. See the posts on Octber 20 & 25 at http://politicstheoryphotography.blogspot.com/ …
BruceR 11.21.05 at 1:11 pm
You can learn to read music
And play a Hut-Zut
If you keep your eyes open.
But not with them shut.
If you read with your eyes shut
You’re likely to find
That the place you’re going
Is far, far behind.
–Dr. Seuss
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