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PARTISAN REVIEW
man also believed that culture could aim high, that America could ful–
fill her artistic possibilities:
She will understand herself, live nobly, nobly contribute, emanate,
and swinging, poised safely on herself, illumined and illuming,
become a full-formed world, and divine Mother not only of mater–
ial but spiritual worlds.
When was the last time such an effusive sentiment could be taken seri–
ously in democratic culture? And in this moment of historical change,
will something like it once again be heard, however tentatively?
John Patrick Diggins:
We're a little over our closing time, but we have
five minutes for questions.
Audience Member:
Describing the celebration at Le Pen headquarters
after he got into the run-off election, a writer in the
New York Times,
Donald G. MacNeil, Jr. stated: "After midnight, when most of their
elders and most of the press had left, the crowd began to boogie in coats
and ,ties or rugby shirts. They looked like young Bush Republicans,
albeit better dancers." Keep an eye out for him.
Michael Meyers:
Was this a news article?
Audience Member:
A straight news account. But I do have another
question for Mr. Meyers. Your own paper, the
New York Post,
has given
a great deal of attention to Al Sharpton, covering his every utterance,
every demonstration, every outburst. Editorially, of course, they
denounce him. But don't you think that they have gone overboard
In
watching his every move and contributing to his celebrity?
Michael Meyers:
Yes.
Audience Member:
What do you th ink when you see the
New York
Post's
star cartoonist, Sean Delonas, portraying Sharpton as an enormous
fat figure, now that he has slimmed down? Do you think this is fair?
Michael Meyers:
I was looking at a photograph of Al Sharpton from
about
1986,
and I hadn't realized how large he really was. Since then he
has slimmed down . But that particular cartoonist doesn't just lampoon
Al Sharpton, he lampoons a lot of people.
