I am a big admirer of the Objectivism Process -- even though, being a monotheist, I can't, by definition, BE an Objectivist -- and I'd always recommend reading Objectivist "primers" at the very least for the challenge of "I disagree with this, but WHY do I disagree with this, SPECIFICALLY"? Talk about sharpening your wits!
One of the things that I learned was "blurt it out". Try to get what you have to say into the most concise form possible and you'll usually hew more closely to objective reality:
Darrell E. came to visit me in the hospital last year. Huge, huge Ditko fan. I said, "Darrell, I've stopped corresponding with Ditko because he's vehemently opposed to his letters being read by anyone -- and that means in perpetuity -- and they're all in the Cerebus Archive with my replies."
(Complicating the situation, when I would reply, I would quote, often, whole paragraphs of what he had said in my own letters)
"I asked him what he thought my responsibility was and never heard back from him. I infer that his preference would be that I should destroy his letters because we both know they won't be destroyed after I'm gone. As a huge Ditko fan, what do YOU think I should do?"
He didn't miss a beat: "I think you should destroy them because no one EVER does what Steve Ditko wants them to do."
I'm going to make up my own mind, but I welcome any comments on this.
[Thanks to Robin for printing a page from STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND in the latest issue of THE COMICS! and for the Jaw-Dropping cover of what appears to be the FIRST EVER Pro-Ditko book (as opposed to the profusion of "damning with faint praise" Ditko books on the market) now in production. Who? What? For sure I'll find out in THE COMICS! before I find out anywhere else!]
And now, the always reliable Margaret Liss!
One of the things that I learned was "blurt it out". Try to get what you have to say into the most concise form possible and you'll usually hew more closely to objective reality:
Darrell E. came to visit me in the hospital last year. Huge, huge Ditko fan. I said, "Darrell, I've stopped corresponding with Ditko because he's vehemently opposed to his letters being read by anyone -- and that means in perpetuity -- and they're all in the Cerebus Archive with my replies."
(Complicating the situation, when I would reply, I would quote, often, whole paragraphs of what he had said in my own letters)
"I asked him what he thought my responsibility was and never heard back from him. I infer that his preference would be that I should destroy his letters because we both know they won't be destroyed after I'm gone. As a huge Ditko fan, what do YOU think I should do?"
He didn't miss a beat: "I think you should destroy them because no one EVER does what Steve Ditko wants them to do."
I'm going to make up my own mind, but I welcome any comments on this.
[Thanks to Robin for printing a page from STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND in the latest issue of THE COMICS! and for the Jaw-Dropping cover of what appears to be the FIRST EVER Pro-Ditko book (as opposed to the profusion of "damning with faint praise" Ditko books on the market) now in production. Who? What? For sure I'll find out in THE COMICS! before I find out anywhere else!]
And now, the always reliable Margaret Liss!