Renegades, iconoclasts, “new journalism” and gonzo journalism. Individualists, all. Irreplaceable, all. The world wouldn’t know what to do with such voices now, and they didn’t know what to do with such voices then. None of them really “fit.” They are themselves. There are some labels these writers adhere to, or fall in with naturally, but other labels – which would seem to be a good fit – aren’t at all. These were people obsessed with the question: What. the HELL. is going ON?? Like, right at this very moment, WHAT IS HAPPENING?” That question kept them all up nights.
//What. the HELL. is going ON?? Like, right at this very moment, WHAT IS HAPPENING?// Sometimes the universe or the flux as some people call it moves in mysterious ways. I found it interesting that this was my first thought this morning before I read your post. After some thinking, I’ve decided that I’m not going to panic despite indications to the contrary. What is happening is crazy and mean and disgusting. Fires and murders and political bullshit, etc. I was 13 when JFK was murdered and the world was going to end. I remember the murders of RFK, MLK and the rioting and the world was going to end. I remember Watergate and the Clinton impeachment and 9/11 when the world was going to end. I remember reading and rereading every book that I could get my hands on that would explain this to me and I still do. I’m currently reading about Watergate again, after seeing the movie “The Post”.
But I am still optimistic [or delusional.] Age doesn’t give you wisdom, but it does sometimes given you perspective which is almost as good. We will survive this or die trying.
Carolyn, You’re right!
I agree with all of this – and find it heartening to hear someone else say it – I just finished Ron Chernow’s biography of Grant – and the presidency of Andrew Johnson was so filled with peril, like he literally holed himself up in his office with armed guards outside to protect himself from Congress !! so yes, we’ve been through some shit. speaking of Watergate, I am now reading all of Hunter Thompson’s increasingly unhinged dispatches from the Watergate hearings – which are really so brilliant – but the “WHAT IS GOING ON” question also applies to things like Tom Wolfe’s obsession with the teenagers’ car culture in the 1960s or Susan Sontag’s obsession with monster movies. It’s not just about politics. Cultural critics who are really trying to figure out “WHAT IS GOING ON” – as opposed to just following the trends blindly – are few and far between. It’s even harder now, since there’s just so much more NOISE.
The flux in play again at least about politics. PoliticoMagazine just published an article about Andrew Johnson.
Re cultural criticism, you’re right. The world is so much more interesting outside of politics but it is difficult to find the kind of writers like Wolfe and Sontag who could write about deep, dense ideas and make their prose readable. I read books with a pencil or highlighter to remember things. The last quotes that I highlighted were Dean Koontz’ Odd Thomas series. That’s just sad.
I’ll have to find that Politico article about Johnson. It was such a crazy perilous time.
and agreed in re: Wolfe and Sontag. I’ve been re-reading all of Wolfe’s stuff this year – his death kind of brought it on. Nobody like him!