Living in Salem, I appreciate Hal's understanding of Hawthorne's humor, and his rejection of the dour scholars who study him. One of my favorite professors is a Miltonist, who couldn't stand the Christian ascetics who studied him. Of course my professor is Scottish & more in tune with Robbie Burns when it came to a drink & poetry. Now that's a group we can hang with. ABE On Monday, August 19, 2013, Hal Bush wrote: > True story-- and I mentioned this to a few folks in Elmira--but I initially > tried to get grounded in the Hawthorne group, due to my huge ingest and > admiration of the Salem stylist. I was passionate for Hawthorne! > > Well... I was disabused of my thinking upon my contact with the conferences > on NH. This will sound absolutely stereotyped: but in fact the group > seemed to me, back twenty years ago, rather muted, dour, humorless (though > in fact NH can be pretty funny) and, in short, not so much fun. I, being > the fun guy that I am, immediately gravitated away from the > Hawthornians.... and alas, here I am now among this group called the > Twainiacs. > > I really do think there is something to Bruce's comment: it's the funnest > group to have a conference with! If not please tell me which group is, cuz > I want to go to their meetings. > > -hb > > > On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 9:28 AM, Ben Wise <[log in to unmask]<javascript:;>> > wrote: > > > I prefer the Emily Dickinson conference where everyone stays home. > > > > Ben > > > > -- > Prof. Harold K. Bush > Professor of English > 3800 Lindell > Saint Louis University > St. Louis, MO 63108 > 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) > <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml> >