Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 06:06:26 EDT
From: Bapopik
Subject: Pomo

Where am I? New York City? Must be!
I was invited to the 10th anniversary party for New York Press this
Friday. This "Best of the Mail" is in New York Press, 10th anniversary issue,
April 22-28, 1998, page 32, col. 2-3:

Postmodern, to You
AFTER READING JOHN STRAUSBAUGH'S cover story, "World World" (7/15), I am more
confused than ever about semiotics, Marshall Blonsky and Strausbaugh. It is
written over the head of an average reader like myself with technobabble and
obfuscation.
For example, what is pomo? I cannot find this word in any of the
standard dictionaries I consulted. The article uses the word on page 13,
column two, and elsewhere. Even the context does not explain it: "movies, tv,
magazine ads, pomo art, et al." What is it--a bird, a plane, an esophagus
(remember Mark Twain's use of esophagus?)? Can Blonsky give us an explanation
in understandable plain English? And why can't Strausbaugh favor his reader
with a definition, or is he, too, trying to perplex his readers?
I am on the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary. Unless he can
explain it, it will never be an English word. A nonce word, yes, and even
gibberish, but not English.
DAVID SHULMAN, Manhattan
Aug. 12, 1992

PERSONAL: Syria and Jordan are both highly recommended, especially for those
who have visited or are afraid to visit Israel and Egypt--or for those who
have enjoyed Greece, Italy, and Turkey. The tour's archaeologist discovered
the first human sculptures (7000 B.C.) an 'Ain Ghazal in Jordan, and was very
familiar with Denise Schmandt-Besserat (BEFORE WRITING and HOW WRITING BEGAN).
Ugarit and Ebla and Mari were impressive, even if the average tourist will
never begin to understand the wonders of writing and alphabets....One of these
days, I'll get my home web page up. It'll have on it, among other things, an
original, three-character play--LONELINESS VARIATIONS--based on a song by
Elvis Presley and a scenario in THE WRITER, September 1984. It'll be
available to anybody....Back to parking tickets.