"The Next T. E. Lawrence"
Whereas it seems to be generally resolved that Alison knows way too much about T. E. Lawrence (although Alison would contend that one can't know enough), and
Whereas it has been suggested that Alison should perhaps broaden her horizons, and
Whereas Alison greatly respects the opinions of her fellow TASPers,
Alison would be interested to hear the TASPers’ nominations for the “Next T. E. Lawrence.” This person is not to be a replacement to TEL (for who could compare to dear TE’s mad language, history, motorcycle, and camel skills?), but rather a backup, someone whom Alison can research when telawrence.net refuses to load. (It has been behaving rather erratically recently.) Here are the ground rules.
- He must be male. Men should be able to take more caffeine.
- He must be of historical repute. Under-appreciated (“obscure” has too many negative connotations) or eccentric characters are of particular interest. The internal jury is still out as to whether to permit fictional characters to enter the running.
- There are no restrictions on this figure’s place of origin. However, Frenchmen are not wholly encouraged. (Robespierre is a notable, perhaps unique, exception.)
There you have it. I should be most grateful for any and all suggestions.
P. S. Ryan, the CBTA application is eating my soul too. Solidarity!
posted by Hyp. lecteur @ 8:31 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
I'll have to think about this more, but here is my initial suggestion. Though I don't think he reads the blog, I bring this suggestion on behalf of myself and one Spencer Burke.
Name:
Erasmus Darwin
Nationality:
Why, he's a brit of course!
Facts of note:
-Grandfather of charles
-had a bunch of cool inventions that he never patented (a non-tippable carriage, a copying machine, a well, etc)
-early evolutionary theorist BUT (get this)...all of his scientific writings were composed in poetic verse.
For instance, he was the first to theorize that live evolved from ocean to land.
Organic life beneath the shoreless waves
Was born and nurs'd in ocean's pearly caves;
First forms minute, unseen by spheric glass,
Move on the mud, or pierce the watery mass;
These, as successive generations bloom,
New powers acquire and larger limbs assume;
Whence countless groups of vegetation spring,
And breathing realms of fin and feet and wing.
Enough said.
*life
I think if you're into colonial figures with mixed legacies, you should consider Rudyard Kipling. Or, if you prefer stodgy Brits with funny abbreviated first and middle names, T.S. Eliot, hands down. Some solid, though mildy well-known, literary figures include George Orwell, Henry Adams, and Mark Twain.
Now that the most obscene and blasphemous (*hiss*!) Peter Jackson has come upon the scene, I regret that my TEL-figure (no, seriously, I did like EVERY school report on him until my teachers refused to let me) is unfortunately now something less obscure and exotic than I hoped my suggestion would be. But, at any rate, like Ryan's Erasmus Darwin, he is a Brit. I really dislike how his name is so unceremoniously used now in conjunctions with a certain number of loathsome silver-screen pictures, and how it seems so mainstream. He is my beloved, inspirational, revered J.R.R. Tolkien, whom I love and admire. You may borrow him and we can share him. He'll like you - no, seriously. I know.
there are a number, collectively, of stylistic and grammar errors in that post, but I should tell you I am very hyper, tired, hot & sticky, and zoned/dazed right now, so one cannot expect me to operate as other respectable TASPers would, haha. Oh woe is me. I have to get up at 5:45am tomorrow! SUCKS! Alison, by the way, I truly support/admire/I've already used that word in my last post your devotion to TEL. And I think it's fine and honourable that you are not discarding him for some "replacement". Since you're finding him a "buddy", instead, I hope the two get along well. I hope TEL'll enjoy the experience.
Another idea: the historian Edward Gibbon, who wrote the six volume anthology "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." I don't know much about him, but I think he could also be a suitably interesting study.
Can we choose people who are still alive? Because I'd go with Subcomandante Marcos of the EZLN. His identity is secret, he's a great writer (of political theory, mysteries, and children's stories) and public speaker, he's running a insurgency campaign against the Mexican government, and he has a pet rooster named "The Penguin" that he uses to preach tolerance for homosexuality.
If being alive is too much, maybe John Humphrey Noyes. He's got three names, which is an important consideration, and he started a truly functional communalist/free-love utopia in 19th-century upstate New York until he went mad and decided to practice selective breeding. His former colony is now a world-famous manufacturer of cutlery. If that isn't cool I don't know what is.
I do love Oneida Silverware.
Max, THAT is kick-ass. ALL of it.
Erasmus Darwin would be fascinating of course as well Edward Gibbon because who did not look at the "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and shudder vigorously. Max, both choices are wonderful, though I seem to like Noyes because I sure would have liked to live in the Oneida Community. Well before it sort of screwed up. And J.R.R Tolkein is a super choice.
Actually I haven't helped yet Alison. I think H.L. Mencken would be cool. He was progressive for his times, well sometimes at least. Many thought he was an elitist and a steadfast racist, but that doesn't matter. What we want is somebody interesting. Someone that will put some zest into your life like TEL. Mencken did seem to believe in people's fundamental equality, and he was a major cynic of American democracy. So much a cynic that Arkansas passed a motion to pray for Mencken's soul, after he had raised the state to the "apex of moronia". (Woo Wiki!)
He is known as the "American Nietzsche," and was slightly a social darwinist.
I still think he would be plenty interesting. (This is very long)
Mencken also is credited for naming the Scopes Trial the "monkey trial." He can be considered a libertarian, although I don't know how credible any of the names he is called because he has also been labeled misogynistic and many other vile things.
I bid you Adieu for now.
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