- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - page 2 of 2
_______________CAMILLE ON CAMPUS: MORE DARTS AT FOUCAULT'S SCRAWNY HAUNCHES BY CAMILLE PAGLIA (12/02/98)
	This recent vogue for debunking postmodernism disturbs me a little, because it is so often framed as an attack on the left, on progressives or on Marxism -- witness mean-spirited conservative Camille Paglia's attacks on Foucault, who is dead and can't hit back. And the absolutism of the attack is also disturbing: We've reached a point where nothing good can be admitted to come from Derrida, Davis or Daly, and they are single-handedly responsible for the decline of academia. As a Marx-sympathizing left-winger, let me assure you that the sins of the postmodernists are not particularly left or Marxist. While Marx did challenge previous beliefs about history, he did not share the postmodernist trope that no historical narrative can be correct. The individualism and fast-and-loose play with facts that seem to typify Davis are anathema to most of the left writers and activists I know. Because we are concerned with policy, local social issues and legal decisions, we can't afford to spend our working time fussing with the reality of reality. That said, it's never smart to totally dismiss a school of philosophy. The postmodern distrust of official narratives is very useful to left thinking. So is the analysis of bias in the sciences and in sociology. And every once in a while it's nice to remember that reality may not be as real as we think it is. However, it's also important, especially for the left, to vigorously critique Foucault and the rest. Criticism of ourselves and our theorists is vital -- if the left had been more honest in the past, we would not now have disingenuous saboteurs like Paglia attacking us. She can attack all our ideas and do untold damage to good causes precisely because she homes in on and magnifies past stupidities. A little honesty now will spare us her descendants. -- Jane Franklin
_______________THE BELLES OF ST. MARY'S BY JENNIFER MOSES(12/01/98)
	I just thought Jennifer Moses might want to know that if the Uptown ladies in New Orleans that she writes of in her article hadn't encountered a Jewish person before her, as Moses posits, then these ladies must never leave their homes. I live in Uptown New Orleans amid five of the 10 New Orleans area synagogues -- one Conservative, one Orthodox, the rest Reformed, two blocks down the street from the Jewish Community Center, around the corner from the Jewish Children's Home and six blocks up and two over from the Jewish News offices. Offhand, I can think of at least three families in my immediate neighborhood that place menorahs, not pine trees, in their windows during this time of year. Tulane University, also located in Uptown New Orleans, has a well-represented Jewish demographic, which is why the three best bagel shops in New Orleans are located (yes, that's right!) near the Tulane campus in Uptown New Orleans. While it may be true that the WASPy women Moses met at the St. Mary's reunion don't necessarily notice the cultural makeup of their Uptown neighborhoods, obviously, neither did Jennifer Moses, as Uptown is the heart of the Jewish community in New Orleans. -- Jennifer Tuttle
_______________SECOND THOUGHTS: TWINNS BY SALLIE TISDALE (12/03/98)
	I too am fascinated by the My TwinnTM phenomenon, which plays off of every child's desire to have a twin and most parents' desire to have a child who remains neat and sweet forever. Unfortunately the My TwinnTM dolls will not be a helpful "solution to the subtle experiences of interracial families," at least not in my family, which was formed by adoption. The reason: For all intents and purposes, all My TwinnTM dolls are white. No matter what their hair and skin color, their facial features remain white. Nose, eye and mouth shape and size are all white. The folks who make these dolls may acknowledge differences such as eyebrow shape and hair thickness. But they don't seem to know that Asian kids have almond shaped eyes. Racism? You bet. It's hard to imagine buying one of these dolls for a child of color. And it's too bad because when your physical appearance is quite different from most people around you, it would really be affirming to have a doll that looks like you. -- Carrie Krueger SALON | Dec. 10, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| THE UNEASY DEATH OF FLORENCE GRIFFITH JOYNER BY KRISTINA REBELO ANDERSON

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor for publication, please e-mail us at salon@salonmagazine.com. Letters sent by fax or "snail mail" are less likely to be accepted. Do not send attachments. Please include your full name and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours, so we can confirm your identity. This information will not be used for any reason other than verification and will not appear on the site. Letters may be edited for clarity and conciseness. Brief letters are more likely to be published. Place the name of the article you are responding to in the subject heading of your e-mail. If you do not wish your letter to be published, please say so in the subject line. For more information on Salon's letters policy, click here.