Comments on: “Must Read After My Death” http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Tue, 21 May 2013 21:51:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Sisyphus http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-237587 Sisyphus Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:58:45 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-237587 There was also that move "Tarnation," which a kid made for $250 on his Apple computer ---- it put together all of his family home movies to tell the story of his mother's mental illness, which garnered a lot of controversy about the ethics of presenting it, but mainly got praise for being so stylistically wonderful and beautiful. I didn't see it (I am sooo behind on my movie-watching! I hope to make it to the invention of color soon!) but I heard the film was great. There was also that move “Tarnation,” which a kid made for $250 on his Apple computer —- it put together all of his family home movies to tell the story of his mother’s mental illness, which garnered a lot of controversy about the ethics of presenting it, but mainly got praise for being so stylistically wonderful and beautiful. I didn’t see it (I am sooo behind on my movie-watching! I hope to make it to the invention of color soon!) but I heard the film was great.

]]> By: Buster http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-235787 Buster Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:42:37 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-235787 Just watched the trailer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8phF9xpI7Jk) I think I actually agree with Dargis, sort of. Not that one shouldn't make use of the personal materials of dead people. But rather that the way this "repackaging" comes out is particularly airless and exploits the family's life and troubles for contemporary viewers' desire for something a little more gut-wrenching than anything else they've ever seen. Maybe the actual film is more complicated than the trailer. I'm not sure if I have the patience to find out. Just watched the trailer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8phF9xpI7Jk) I think I actually agree with Dargis, sort of. Not that one shouldn’t make use of the personal materials of dead people. But rather that the way this “repackaging” comes out is particularly airless and exploits the family’s life and troubles for contemporary viewers’ desire for something a little more gut-wrenching than anything else they’ve ever seen.

Maybe the actual film is more complicated than the trailer. I’m not sure if I have the patience to find out.

]]> By: Indyanna http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-235647 Indyanna Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:35:00 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-235647 Yeah, most historians get paid to read dead people's mail (as I sometimes remind my bemused students) with far less provocation and implicit injunction than "must read after my death" conveys. Anyone who keeps an archive of personal papers must wonder what's going to happen to it and with it down the line, But if you keep it, I guess that's a form of implicit release to posterity. And who has never wondered, having published a carefully-nuanced narrative or interpretation of something long past, what it would be like if a historical actor/informant emerged right there from a poof of smoke to say "never happened that way, this scholar must be nuts...?" Yeah, most historians get paid to read dead people’s mail (as I sometimes remind my bemused students) with far less provocation and implicit injunction than “must read after my death” conveys. Anyone who keeps an archive of personal papers must wonder what’s going to happen to it and with it down the line, But if you keep it, I guess that’s a form of implicit release to posterity. And who has never wondered, having published a carefully-nuanced narrative or interpretation of something long past, what it would be like if a historical actor/informant emerged right there from a poof of smoke to say “never happened that way, this scholar must be nuts…?”

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-235611 Historiann Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:55:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-235611 Prof. Z--that's totally asinine! (Or, maybe that guy was just lazy?) Prof. Z–that’s totally asinine! (Or, maybe that guy was just lazy?)

]]> By: Professor Zero http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-235605 Professor Zero Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:50:57 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-235605 I actually once met a professor and department chair who refused to criticize in any way the work of scholars who were already dead, because they were dead and could not respond. I actually once met a professor and department chair who refused to criticize in any way the work of scholars who were already dead, because they were dead and could not respond.

]]> By: Lilian Nattel http://www.historiann.com/2009/02/21/must-read-after-my-death/comment-page-1/#comment-235473 Lilian Nattel Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:45:58 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=3572#comment-235473 I never understood "don't speak ill of the dead." Either they're dust or they are in a happy place where earthly doings are amusingly trivial. But in this particular case, I think that his gm would be pleased. She sounds like a frustrated person who never had a chance to exercise her abilities. At least her grandson did something with the material she left. He read her. I never understood “don’t speak ill of the dead.” Either they’re dust or they are in a happy place where earthly doings are amusingly trivial. But in this particular case, I think that his gm would be pleased. She sounds like a frustrated person who never had a chance to exercise her abilities. At least her grandson did something with the material she left. He read her.

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