The Classical Mind Newsletter for December 2, 2022

Folklore, "Line the Wordcaves," The Antilibrary, The Comments Section, "Banquet at the Crossbowmen's Guild," Against Cleverness, Walt Whitman and Jazz, and Resume Cake

A Few Notes…

• There’s a new episode of the podcast coming soon! I got to have a wonderful conversation with Dr. Anika Prather about Frederick Douglass’ autobiography.

• The next book we will be discussing after Frederick Douglass is Beowulf.

• Are you looking to buy gifts for the bibliophiles in your life? Check out this Youtube video by Jared offering a list of great books to consider giving as gifts!

• Jared also published his first personalized book recommendation video here.

• The Classical Mind is on Instagram and TikTok. Give us a follow!

Recovering Particularity through Folklore

“Who Cancelled English Folklore” by Isabella Bengoechea at Unherd is a fantastic read. In it, she observes a growing discomfort with English folklore. perhaps this uneasiness developed in reaction to ugly forms of nationalism in the 20th century that utilized regional folklore to galvanize harmful and destructive movements. It’s also possible that many in England are interested in minimizing British distinctives in light of Brexit. However, Bengoechea isolates a more pertinent cause for this rejection of folklore: “McDonaldsisation.” This phenomenon “flattens the diversity of cultural traditions into a sanitised monoculture of big brands and business suits.” There is a natural tension between “McDonaldsisation” and folk tales which, by nature, “radically resist homogeneity.” Folk tales play an important role, then, in establishing and maintaining particular contexts.