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Who Is America's Homer?

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Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#81

Post by B1FF_PSUVM »

legitster wrote: post #55
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #8

I 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.

> the real answer might very well be a musician or filmmaker, not a writer.

Walter Disney, obviously.

Well, it will probably take at least another century for the fact to hit.

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#83

Post by nl »

slwvx wrote: post #68
FeteCommuniste wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What on earth is "politically charged" or "inaccessible" about Frost or Ingalls Wilder? It's not like they threw in Gertrude Stein or William Gaddis.

For Ingalls Wilder, see the following https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Ingalls_Wilder#Political...

Sure, but her writing wasn't in any way political.

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#84

Post by paradox460 »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #8

I 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 or Steinbeck. I'd say anyone else is folly

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#85

Post by paxys »

"America's Homer" isn't someone you pick by committee. The fact that you have to debate means that this person does not exist. The American literary tradition is far too new for someone to have the kind of impact as others on the list. We are talking about people who, through their writing, created and evolved language itself.

No single author has defined how America speaks and writes the way Dante did for Italian or Cervantes for Spanish. And perhaps no one ever will.

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#87

Post by Beijinger »

easy one:

"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since." Ernest Hemingway

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#88

Post by throw0101a »

oliculipolicula wrote: post #72
legitster wrote: post #55

Earlier 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

> Tom Hanks

Recency bias? Why not Jimmy Stewart? Gregory Peck? Humphrey Bogart? Paul Newman, Robert Redford?

Re: Who Is America's Homer?

#89

Post by EGreg »

America doesn't have a "Homer", because it has a very rich competitive market.

In the USSR, people of multiple generations grew up watching the same things, e.g. "Nu Pogodi"

In the USA, every 10 years there's some new genre of music, or artists being promoted.

Homer is known because back then, very few people could even read - let alone write. Actually, Homer couldn't, I think.

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