Subject
The friendship between Edmund Wilson . . . and Vladimir Nabokov
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[Sandy Klein sends a link to an article on critic Joel Siegel's public dismissal of Kevin Smith's film "Clerks II," which cites Edmund Wilson's feud with VN. -- SES]
Panning the critics
By Kelly Jane Torrance
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July 28, 2006
[. . .] The relationship between artist and critic has always been one of love and hate. Take the friendship between Edmund Wilson, the pre-eminent American literary critic of the 20th century, and Vladimir Nabokov, one of the century's greatest novelists. Mr. Wilson introduced Mr. Nabokov's writing to an English-speaking audience, but when the critic panned the artist's masterpiece, "Lolita," and his translation of Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin," the friendship cooled amidst a public feud.
Nevertheless, though Mr. Nabokov wrote ruthlessly about critics and commentators in books such as "Pnin" and "Pale Fire," he never skewered his old friend. The revenge tradition seems to be stronger in the movie world.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "All About Eve," set in New York's theater world, had a go at drama critics. In the 1950 film, the victim is named Addison De Witt and is played by George Sanders. He's not a sympathetic character: De Witt is a conniving critic drunk on his own power. "Everybody has a heart, except some people," Bette Davis' Margo Channing says of De Witt.
Are these portrayals fair? For every manipulative megalomaniac like Addison De Witt, there must be at least 10 Edmund Wilsons, who use their authority to revive flagging careers and give a push to new ones. [. . .]
Here's the link to the entire article:
http://washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20060727-090717-2951r.htm
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu,chtodel@cox.net
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Panning the critics
By Kelly Jane Torrance
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July 28, 2006
[. . .] The relationship between artist and critic has always been one of love and hate. Take the friendship between Edmund Wilson, the pre-eminent American literary critic of the 20th century, and Vladimir Nabokov, one of the century's greatest novelists. Mr. Wilson introduced Mr. Nabokov's writing to an English-speaking audience, but when the critic panned the artist's masterpiece, "Lolita," and his translation of Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin," the friendship cooled amidst a public feud.
Nevertheless, though Mr. Nabokov wrote ruthlessly about critics and commentators in books such as "Pnin" and "Pale Fire," he never skewered his old friend. The revenge tradition seems to be stronger in the movie world.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "All About Eve," set in New York's theater world, had a go at drama critics. In the 1950 film, the victim is named Addison De Witt and is played by George Sanders. He's not a sympathetic character: De Witt is a conniving critic drunk on his own power. "Everybody has a heart, except some people," Bette Davis' Margo Channing says of De Witt.
Are these portrayals fair? For every manipulative megalomaniac like Addison De Witt, there must be at least 10 Edmund Wilsons, who use their authority to revive flagging careers and give a push to new ones. [. . .]
Here's the link to the entire article:
http://washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20060727-090717-2951r.htm
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu,chtodel@cox.net
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm