Mr. Lapham is always interesting when interviewed, and certainly to read. It isn’t surprising to me that I again enjoyed another piece interviewing the man. In fact, as a Religion Writer, I wrote an article about Mr. Lapham and his new quarterly, “Lapham’s Quarterly,” and this is the link:

http://www.religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/blogs/laphams-quarterly-a-look-at-lewis-h-laphams-new-magazine-usa/

A friend sent me an email with this interview, and I thought to subscribe to the newsletter, too, after reading it. I did want to read more of what he had to say about the new internet writing work, even the social media. Nonetheless, I can’t go too far wrong hearing again about Marshall McLuhan, a favorite of my youth (I turn 65 in October, 2011). When I met Mr. Lapham, who visited me in my home around 1982 or so to talk some writing business about his Harper’s column, I was delighted with the handsome and so gracious Mr. Lapham. This was north of San Francisco, and at the time I did hold the title, Contributing Editor. I did not think of him as an alternative journalist, a dissenter, but mostly as a fine writer and even great editor of his generation. I found him though a plutocrat, genuinely able to relate to others not of his class, of course. What else to expect of a man who listens so well.

Probably, for me, what was in its way a kind of spellbinding attraction to his regular Harper’s magazine column and that he always had something to say, and said it well, was that he continued the tradition of Harper’s as a first rate literary magazine. No small feat, itself. I also had the acquaintance, this time in my 20s and youth, of William Whitworth who left The New Yorker for The Atlantic. The two magazines in those years of the 80s ceased being sister magazines. An event I personally mourned, but Mr. Lapham sought. Mr. Whitworth, as most will agree, is another of his generation’s great editors (and in case you didn’t know, he is a fine writer, too. Something of a loss for us all when he chose not to write, but be solely an editor).

I want to add that I learned a lot from William Whitworth, who was willing to talk about being a writer and writing. Even so, I was kind of desirous to learn from Mr. Lapham of such things, too, and think it was an important opportunity in my life for which I am grateful. His acquaintanceship and even loyalty of friendship is more than admirable, it is an esteemed characteristic.

So I dash off these personal notes to say that Mr.Lapham’s willingness to help writers, allow himself to be interviewed (when I think he, too, finds a learning and broadening experience in the act) is always something I’ve looked forward to. Thanks Mr. Fish. Good job. I only wish it went on longer and wonder how much time you both had together in the interview work itself.

Peter Menkin
Mill Valley, CA USA
(north of San Francisco)

Mr. Lapham hopes for some new big idea…? To some extent why isn’t “Do Unto
Others as you would have them do unto you” a big enough idea? Why re-invent
the wheel? Do we need to reinvent the wheel?

The maxim really does simplify things, and deepens them as well.

Too much Fish, not enough Lapham.

How is it interviewers think that their readers want to hear from them instead of
their subjects?

I had hoped that the ever-increasing impacts of radical climate change(a.k.a. Global Warming)would be an irresistible big new idea embraced by humankind.

As the impacts are global, impersonal, and do not discriminate in any fashion, is the effort to prevent potential global calamity worthy of jumping to Topic of the Year? Implementing needed changes creates millions of jobs! Kismet!

We will all be affected. We are all able to participate in the attempts to decrease and prevent further and greater destruction. Perhaps it will take a few billion dollars more and forced relocation for millions more before reality truly has our undivided attention.

Call it misplaced faith in humankind, or an indulgence in optimism, but I think humans are up to this challenge. I see the incredible opportunities offered by international communication. Live satellite feeds and broadcasting, and the myriad methods used by almost all segments of Human Society for creating working and social relationships worldwide are putting the lie to the old fears of “foreigners”. Witnessing of official government and despotic behaviors, global discernment of acceptability or unacceptability as a Whole- a United Nations at Large- is a gamechanger. The fact that We COULD, If We CHOOSE institute global warming offset projects in a coordinated world-wide effort IS the “new big idea” referred to by Mr.Lapham in my opinion.

The fact that we are still indulging in wasting money, lives, and finite resources such as oil in an agony of misdirected human energy makes my skin crawl. We humans have a global energy transition to make. The developed countries are by definition those responsible for consciously altering the course of human development in this matter. We’ve created the problem.

In America we watch the impacts of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee play out. We’ll see re-building in flood plains, not joint efforts to begin moving cities and towns inland and upland.

The Haboob dust storms of the Southwest may become the new “normal” as we steadfastly squander our water resources in order to live in regions never suited for human habitation. In the same breath we will develop nuclear waste sites over sensitive aquifers with no thought to the impacts on the health and lives of others, or we’ll poison the water with the impacts of mining or industry. We will not think preemptively in protecting or conserving our natural infrastructure and resources even now.

The super-cell storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes predicted by scientists decades ago are becoming our reality, and still we tolerate the for-profit Denialists and bow to the preferences of those so entrenched in their own habits of thinking that they refuse to make changes in their business processes. The abandonment, reform, or selective and limited use of toxic industries is needed.

We are now seeing the stumbling and financially neglected growth of smaller scale, environmentally sound manufacturing and services in some nations. Those peoples not beset nor advantaged by the overwhelming use of modern technology, whose impacts are irrelevant in the grand scheme, are suffering exponentially as myriad islands face the loss of their beaches, trees, and fish.

Progress will be too slow as the young people attempt that which the powerfully positioned in our society could easily initiate and support were they of a mind to participate constructively.

In this new century, Time, not money has the greater value. Collective human wisdom and creative endeavor are required. It is horrifying that thousands are flooded out, millions flee war, hundreds of thousands suffer the horrors of starvation, vast regions of lands burn during drought. 

We need a global conscious effort. We need to coordinate, cooperate, use money to progress, and technology to assist us in living sustainably on this planet. Quickly.

We may need ideas and activists or whatever, but here we need Mr. Fish to just shut up and let his interviewees talk.  Sheesh, his every interview is an elocution of his fears and recasting of his introspectory insights.  It’s not that I disagree with Mr. Fish.  It’s just that he needs to open up his own interviews for dissent and other streams of consciousness than his own.  Mr. Fish dominates where he should be recessive and entirely misses what could be fascinating tours des force from his interviewees.  It’s a nice trick he pulls, and pulls it well, but it’s a one-trick punting on the art of the interview.

Even if a scenario evolves where one inherits the earth as an educated humble
person (one of the meek) one is still going to ponder the idea of a transcended
existence.  The Scrolls of Thoth won’t help much now nor will the Bible. We’ll create
another transcendent fiction to get us through out of an instinct for self
preservation.

Thanks to Fish and Lapham. They are doing good things. That is the best
contribution I can hope for.