LITERATURE: A Castle in Sontagland

Terry Castle, in her mini memoir of Susan Sontag, presents both the fawning actions and the sniping sentiment that are common to celebrity factotums. What is sad is the skewed priority of intellect and education over kindness in the world of the cognoscenti. I don't think Terry Castle was ready to fully deal with that conflict directly, nor her complicity in it, nor was she ready to accept that maybe those priorities cost her more than they've gained her. But I see some realization percolating below the surface and that make me happy.

While reading the article, I imagined myself with the opportunity to confront Sontag: "Why do you think erudition is more important than behavior?" but I also imagined her throwing a pot at my head if I did.