To my fellow list members:
It has been brought to my attention by someone whose opinion I very much respect, that I may sometimes demonstrate behavior at this forum that is overly aggressive and a little bit "pushy." I think it's incumbent upon me to clarify a few things.
In the first place, I don't ever intend to come across as pedantic, patronizing, or pretentious. There are many people who are members of this group who have more knowledge about literature than I do. I'm simply here to learn, just like everyone else.
My enthusiasm for books and authors is something I wouldn't change, however. And if I cannot maintain this enthusiasm without being "overpowering", then I suppose I'll have to continue to be "overpowering." If I recommend a book to someone and they've already read it, I do not mean it as an insult. I enjoy receiving recommendations from people in regard to books. Even if I've read them a few or several years ago, I appreciate the fact that they've put some thought into suggesting something I might like.
I know there are people here who do like me, and appreciate my posts. If I didn't think that, I wouldn't stay at this forum.
I do request, though, that, should I in any way offend one of the people I know on this list, that he or she send me a private message about it. The chances that I would ever offend anyone intentionally are extraordinarily remote. Thus, it really would be best to address the issue privately. Most of the time, I'm unaware that I've said something I shouldn't have, even though that probably seems difficult to believe.
The situation that has recently transpired on the "Classic vs Contemporary Literature" thread has taught me a few things about myself. Although I am the first to say that how we react to an event is more important than the event itself, I didn't keep this in mind in regard to the comments made by Beth. Beth was a personal friend of mine, and the fact that she made critical comments about me to the list, instead of telling me what she didn't like about my behavior personally, offended me deeply.
Please know, also, that my putting an author's name in parenthesis when I name one of his or her books is in no way meant to be condescending. I try to be as thorough as I can be in regard to my posts. However, the fact I put Nikolai Gogol's and Ivan Goncharov's name in parenthesis in a post to Beth on the 2009 thread was something she took umbrage at. Quite honestly, it would have been naive on my part to assume that everyone at this forum knew who wrote Dead Souls and Oblomov.
And even though my post was addressed to Beth, I'm certain several other people read it.
In summary, this letter is not an apology. I'm simply trying to answer any questions my fellow list members might have about my conduct. I like everyone at this forum, and I wouldn't offend any person here intentionally. I think perhaps I've been naive in thinking that others would share the level of passion I have for literature. Many of you probably do think I express myself too zealously and/or vehemently. This is really just an aspect of my personality. I'm an extremely enthusiastic person who is completely in love with life. I'm not merely passionate about literature--I'm passionate about life. If that's not how you feel, simply be indulgent towards me. Believe me, I've experienced a lot of pain in my 26 years; thus, it's not as if I'm still holding onto a plethora of illusions. But, in spite of all the disappointments, crises, and traumatic experiences I've been through, I still love life.
In that same spirit, I say: Carpe diem.
Thank you for reading this. Happy 2009!
Titania
It has been brought to my attention by someone whose opinion I very much respect, that I may sometimes demonstrate behavior at this forum that is overly aggressive and a little bit "pushy." I think it's incumbent upon me to clarify a few things.
In the first place, I don't ever intend to come across as pedantic, patronizing, or pretentious. There are many people who are members of this group who have more knowledge about literature than I do. I'm simply here to learn, just like everyone else.
My enthusiasm for books and authors is something I wouldn't change, however. And if I cannot maintain this enthusiasm without being "overpowering", then I suppose I'll have to continue to be "overpowering." If I recommend a book to someone and they've already read it, I do not mean it as an insult. I enjoy receiving recommendations from people in regard to books. Even if I've read them a few or several years ago, I appreciate the fact that they've put some thought into suggesting something I might like.
I know there are people here who do like me, and appreciate my posts. If I didn't think that, I wouldn't stay at this forum.
I do request, though, that, should I in any way offend one of the people I know on this list, that he or she send me a private message about it. The chances that I would ever offend anyone intentionally are extraordinarily remote. Thus, it really would be best to address the issue privately. Most of the time, I'm unaware that I've said something I shouldn't have, even though that probably seems difficult to believe.
The situation that has recently transpired on the "Classic vs Contemporary Literature" thread has taught me a few things about myself. Although I am the first to say that how we react to an event is more important than the event itself, I didn't keep this in mind in regard to the comments made by Beth. Beth was a personal friend of mine, and the fact that she made critical comments about me to the list, instead of telling me what she didn't like about my behavior personally, offended me deeply.
Please know, also, that my putting an author's name in parenthesis when I name one of his or her books is in no way meant to be condescending. I try to be as thorough as I can be in regard to my posts. However, the fact I put Nikolai Gogol's and Ivan Goncharov's name in parenthesis in a post to Beth on the 2009 thread was something she took umbrage at. Quite honestly, it would have been naive on my part to assume that everyone at this forum knew who wrote Dead Souls and Oblomov.
And even though my post was addressed to Beth, I'm certain several other people read it.
In summary, this letter is not an apology. I'm simply trying to answer any questions my fellow list members might have about my conduct. I like everyone at this forum, and I wouldn't offend any person here intentionally. I think perhaps I've been naive in thinking that others would share the level of passion I have for literature. Many of you probably do think I express myself too zealously and/or vehemently. This is really just an aspect of my personality. I'm an extremely enthusiastic person who is completely in love with life. I'm not merely passionate about literature--I'm passionate about life. If that's not how you feel, simply be indulgent towards me. Believe me, I've experienced a lot of pain in my 26 years; thus, it's not as if I'm still holding onto a plethora of illusions. But, in spite of all the disappointments, crises, and traumatic experiences I've been through, I still love life.
In that same spirit, I say: Carpe diem.
Thank you for reading this. Happy 2009!
Titania
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