Earlier quoted context omitted.
Considering he was Jewish it seems unlikely?
You have to admit, it’s a strange comment though.
If you’re looking for it.
Billiards is a good game (1975)
11–20 of 65 posts
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#12> The waitress told us he drew sketches of the faculty he did not care to eat with. She said they all had long noses. I’m trying to understand this comment. I can’t tell if this is somehow a vague hint of an anti-Semitic attitude? It’s a weird thing to say or write in modern times if not.
Considering he was Jewish it seems unlikely?
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Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#13> The waitress told us he drew sketches of the faculty he did not care to eat with. She said they all had long noses. I’m trying to understand this comment. I can’t tell if this is somehow a vague hint of an anti-Semitic attitude? It’s a weird thing to say or write in modern times if not.
In many cultures this signifies being a fool, e.g. think Pinocchio. Similar connotations exist for a wide variety of exaggerated proportions you might see in caricatures. So in this context it seems he didn't think highly of the faculty members at an intellectual level.
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#14Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#15> The waitress told us he drew sketches of the faculty he did not care to eat with. She said they all had long noses. I’m trying to understand this comment. I can’t tell if this is somehow a vague hint of an anti-Semitic attitude? It’s a weird thing to say or write in modern times if not.
In many cultures this signifies being a fool, e.g. think Pinocchio. Similar connotations exist for a wide variety of exaggerated proportions you might see in caricatures. So in this context it seems he didn't think highly of the faculty members at an intellectual level.
I forget the name of the specific art style, but "exagerated noses" is a known caricature motif. You can see this vividly depicted in the opening sequence of the BBC's "Yes Minister" TV series from the '80s.
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#16I like that this was published to promote "A River Runs Through It," but they either hadn't quite decided on the name or misprinted it as "The River Runs Through It."
It's also interesting that lunch was organized in a way where graduate students watched the professors eat, and professors had recess after lunch.
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#17> The waitress told us he drew sketches of the faculty he did not care to eat with. She said they all had long noses. I’m trying to understand this comment. I can’t tell if this is somehow a vague hint of an anti-Semitic attitude? It’s a weird thing to say or write in modern times if not.
Jumping to that conclusion does require a very honed skill of looking for outrage.
I'd be curious to know what they mean but until then I'd just take it as a pun and move on.
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#18> The waitress told us he drew sketches of the faculty he did not care to eat with. She said they all had long noses. I’m trying to understand this comment. I can’t tell if this is somehow a vague hint of an anti-Semitic attitude? It’s a weird thing to say or write in modern times if not.
Jumping to that conclusion does require a very honed skill of looking for outrage. I'd be curious to know what they mean but until then I'd just take it as a pun and move on.
> Jumping to that conclusion does require a very honed skill of looking for outrage.
Welcome to the modern internet.
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#19A more difficult variant is snooker, played on a 12ft x 6ft table with tighter pockets and smaller balls.
It can be frustrating to play well, but when you "get it", it really is a beautiful game to play, and a real mental workout.
For anyone interested, Ronnie O'Sullivan is the best ever player, and his YouTube highlights are worth a watch: https://youtu.be/PE8XPHnCNpg - makes the game look incredibly easy, but I assure you, it's not!
Re: Billiards is a good game (1975)
#20I like that this was published to promote "A River Runs Through It," but they either hadn't quite decided on the name or misprinted it as "The River Runs Through It." It's also interesting that lunch was organized in a way where graduate students watched the professors eat, and professors had recess after lunch.
I hadn't read the byline until I read your comment. Young Men and Fire is also a highly worthwhile read about the Mann Gulch fire. I'm delighted to have this article to read in a Saturday morning, because Norman Maclean's prose delights me.