148
theology which first gave birth to
hermeneutics as a quasi science . In
theology it is true that the alterna–
tives are a proper single vision of
God's intended meaning or sub–
jective realism-be it in inner light
theology or in the secular liberalism
that followed upon the death of
God. Literature's role, however, is
not
to
provide answers about the
meaning of experiences but to fo–
cus questions and to make us aware
of complexities in experience which
any single explanatory system must
take into account.
Professor Kermode assumes
that the oppositions true or false,
objective or relative, apply
to
liter- .
ary interpretations, but aesthetics
differ from theology and most phi–
losophy by inviting instead inter–
pretive models to be assessed in
terms of more or less insight , pers–
picuity, and coherence. Literary
texts invite descriptions not sum–
mary statements-subjective or
objective: and what cultural value
they have depends on our shared
ability
to
recognize the significance
of those descriptions.
Charles Altieri
Buffalo, New York
We salute the
AMERICAN
LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION
1876-1976
The Collected Stories of
HORTENSE
CALlSHER
"It
is high time that we cele–
brated the achievement of
Hortense Calisher in short
fiction . .. She is the quintessen–
tial New Yorker. . .Writers of
the short story to 'place' her
among [are] John Updike .. .
Graham Greene .. . the Joyce
of
Dubliners
...
Flannery
O'Connor . . . she has her own
quality."-Doris Grumbach,
N. Y Times Book Review
ARBOROHOUSE
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