Monday, November 17, 2014

Sheer brilliance, really

In the first and only comment so far to a post promoting Rod Dreher's forthcoming Dante book he offers us this insightful and useful NFR:

[NFR: Thanks James. I'm writing the book with the idea that most people who buy it will neither be familiar with Dante, nor will read Dante when they finish my book. If I've been completely successful, they *will* go out to buy the Commedia when they're done with my book, but I want it to be a book that can stand on its own. -- RD]

What an absolutely stunning coincidence!

It just so happens that I myself am in the process of writing a book about how the intricate processes in the hearts of stars caused me to look up at the night sky as a boy and wonder.

I'm writing the book with the idea that most people who buy it will neither be familiar with the intricate processes in the hearts of stars, nor will they read anything further about the actual intricate processes in the hearts of stars when they finish my book. That way, the number of people likely to call BS on what I have to say in passing about the intricate processes in the hearts of stars will be minimal and easy enough to dismiss with a few well-placed rhetorical flourishes. And, of course, the less about the intricate processes in the hearts of stars, the more room for about me.

In other words, I want it to be a book that can stand on its own, not dependent in the slightest about anything I may or may not actually know about the intricate processes in the hearts of stars, processes whose only value anyway was to inspire wonder in me as a small boy.

As you may have noticed, "the intricate processes in the hearts of stars" is what's known as a "hook", from the apocryphal use of long stick with a curved end used to yank credulous, gaping rubes inside a tent at a carnival in order to most efficiently separate them from their hard-earned money.

I had thought of using scantily clad, large-bosomed women as my hook instead, but I believe that's been done and I wanted to cut through the clutter, so I chose the intricate processes in the hearts of stars instead.

Maybe next time I'll use Dante.



2 comments:

  1. And, of course, the less about the intricate processes in the hearts of stars, the more room for about me.

    LMBO. Oh. My. Gosh.

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  2. That way, the number of people likely to call BS on what I have to say in passing about the intricate processes in the hearts of stars will be minimal and easy enough to dismiss with a few well-placed rhetorical flourishes.

    One of the side benefits of the book being about Dreher rather than Dante is that it becomes immune to criticism by those who actually do know something about Dante. After all, the book is about Dreher's perception of the Divine Comedy, not about the Divine Comedy itself.

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