Who Is America's Homer?
71–80 of 261 posts
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#72I think it is somewhat weird that nobody put Twain in. I could also see someone suggesting Hemingway, although I don't buy it. Hart Crane at this point in time seems somewhat secondary, so that was surprising. The Tracy Chapman thing seemed seriously like a troll, I could definitely agree to a black Homer, but then I guess it would be Langston Hughes or James Baldwin as my choices. To suggest someone though who has t…
Twain is a good choice, but he also works against the mythology of America. His whole thing was popping bubbles and making grounded stories that work against the backdrop of Americana. Tracy Chapman is a pretty trolly answer, but I suspect the real answer might very well be a musician or filmmaker, not a writer.
Hmm
Wheres the evidence that Homer work ed for the mythology of Dark Age Greece?
If you say its his popularity..
(I would cite the Cyclics as counter evidence)
For filmmaker: itd have to be someone whom you can imagine (unironically) reconstructing Adams or other actual American heroes
So..
Tom Hanks
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Twain is a good choice, but he also works against the mythology of America. His whole thing was popping bubbles and making grounded stories that work against the backdrop of Americana. Tracy Chapman is a pretty trolly answer, but I suspect the real answer might very well be a musician or filmmaker, not a writer.
Hmm Wheres the evidence that Homer work ed for the mythology of Dark Age Greece? If you say its his popularity.. (I would cite the Cyclics as counter evidence) For filmmaker: itd have to be someone whom you can imagine (unironically) reconstructing Adams or other actual American heroes So.. Tom Hanks
As far as I know, it's contested whether Homer even existed as an individual at all. "Homer" might be a collective title for various unknown authors.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#74Stop kidding yourself, you don't have the history or culture or wit to have a Homer, other than Simpson.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#75I like the alternatives suggested in this thread over what is being proposed in the article:
* Mark Twain * Matt Groening
They are people who have captured the zeitgeist of their time and immortalized it in their art. They deliver their (countercultural) messages in an accessible and relatable way and have had a huge impact on our society.
I would add Shel Silverstein as my personal favorite.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#76> England has Shakespeare, Spain has Cervantes, Italy has Dante, and Russia has Pushkin
Author is conveniently avoiding mentioning France, which does not have a major figure weighing on the others that much. Hugo is probably the most homeric of the classic French litterature, but he’s much more recent and nowhere nearly as dominant as Shakespeare in England or Cervantes in Spain (which borders on the ridiculous in both countries imo).
It’s a better situation not to have an Homer but a constellation of good stuff.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#77The contrarian in me wants to say Margaret Mitchell.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#78I think it is somewhat weird that nobody put Twain in. I could also see someone suggesting Hemingway, although I don't buy it. Hart Crane at this point in time seems somewhat secondary, so that was surprising. The Tracy Chapman thing seemed seriously like a troll, I could definitely agree to a black Homer, but then I guess it would be Langston Hughes or James Baldwin as my choices. To suggest someone though who has t…
But this is about poetry, would Twain qualify as a poet? My vote would go to Edgar Lee Masters because the spoon river anthology is one of the few poetry books I actually read, and it exemplifies a lot of the American spirit, IMVHO.
It's at least arguably about storytelling. You don't sit around the fire talking in verse for your entertainment.
For instance, one of Homer's works is in the news due to a film being made of it.
I suppose that suggests the Coen brothers.
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#79Isn't simpson enough
Re: Who Is America's Homer?
#80I think it is somewhat weird that nobody put Twain in. I could also see someone suggesting Hemingway, although I don't buy it. Hart Crane at this point in time seems somewhat secondary, so that was surprising. The Tracy Chapman thing seemed seriously like a troll, I could definitely agree to a black Homer, but then I guess it would be Langston Hughes or James Baldwin as my choices. To suggest someone though who has t…
Twain is a good choice, but he also works against the mythology of America. His whole thing was popping bubbles and making grounded stories that work against the backdrop of Americana. Tracy Chapman is a pretty trolly answer, but I suspect the real answer might very well be a musician or filmmaker, not a writer.
Kubrick