The less they could do.

She had observed that the more education they got, the less they could do. Their father had gone to a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade and he could do anything.

Flannery O'Connor

Friday, December 28, 1922. Reds and Reichsmarks.

The Council of People's Commissars re-elected most of the members of the ruling "All-Russian Executive Committee" (hmmmm. . . . "All Russian") but did put in four new members. Three of them were:

Joseph Stalin.  We know about him.  He was appointed Minister of Nationalities.

Lev Kamenev.  He was appointed Third Vice President, which says something about the absurd nature of Soviet government in that they had up to at least three VP's.  One's enough.

His fate?  Shot in the 1930s, of course.

Grigory Sokolnikov.  He was appointed Minister of Finance.

His fate?  Assassinated in prison in 1939.

Well, they served a monstrosity that used murder.  Can we be surprised that they were murdered?

It might be worth noting that some of these figures, maybe all of them, were "rehabilitated", which didn't do them any good, but then they were pretty complicit with bringing anonymous death upon millions.

James Joyce's novel Ulysses was banned in the UK.  I've never read it, but then its a book whose memory is mostly preserved by English professors with few actually reading it, much like a lot of what Hemingway wrote is.  If tempted to read it, pick up Flannery O'Connor instead.

Germany's floating debt passed 1,000,000,000,000 ℛℳ.

Enlightenment

Last fall, I received a letter from a student who said she would be “graciously appreciative” if I would tell her “just what enlightenment” I expected her to get from each of my stories. I suspect she had a paper to write. I wrote her back to forget about the enlightenment and just try to enjoy them.

Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O'Connor on reading

Last fall, I received a letter from a student who said she would be “graciously appreciative” if I would tell her “just what enlightenment” I expected her to get from each of my stories. I suspect she had a paper to write. I wrote her back to forget about the enlightenment and just try to enjoy them.

Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O'Connor on the teaching of literature

Week before last I went to Wesleyan and read “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” After it I went to one of the classes where I was asked questions. There were a couple of young teachers there and one of them, an earnest type, started asking the questions. “Miss O’Connor,” he said, “why was the Misfit’s hat black?” I said most countrymen in Georgia wore black hats. He looked pretty disappointed. Then he said, “Miss O’Connor, the Misfit represents Christ, does he not?” “He does not,” I said. He looked crushed. “Well, Miss O’Connor,” he said, “what is the significance of the Misfit’s hat?” I said it was to cover his head; and after that he left me alone. Anyway, that’s what’s happening to the teaching of literature.

Flannery O'Connor.

The Cross

What people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the Cross.

Flannery O’Connor

Push back against the age

Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you.

Flannery O’Connor