Is a good mantra for a sunday, but we all have work to do, even on God’s day.
Tom Lutz’s new book Doing Nothing: a history of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers and Bums in America looks like a nice read, from a quick look at its first chapter and reviews in NYT, Salon and LATimes.
I was reminded of what Michael Jordan, that ultra competitive, hyperactive overachiever, confessed when he retired: I want to sit on the couch and grow a potbelly! Only, he would go to Washington and other places in search of an NBA franchise and something to do, to quench his competitive thirst.
On some other sunday, I should write about the Virasaiva notion of Kayaka and how a farmer thinks about work. Also on wandering ascetics, such as Jangamas from medieval South India. Some other day, though.
3 Comments
What is Land of Lime did give me a delightful reading. It would be more delightful if I can get a sort of comparaive outlook of the two worlds you enjoy.
Hopefuly for your delight you can access wonderful Kannada literature from:
http://www.kannadasaahithya.com
Have you read Bertrand Russell’s In praise of Idleness and Other Essays ?
Shekarpoorna, I will try do more of what you suggest more systematically. And yes, I know about Kannadasaahithya.com, have followed it for years. when i have a moment, I will link all my favorite Kannada online sources / blogs.
Pratap, it’s been a while I read any Bertrand Russell but I did read In Praise of Idleness many years ago. I am somewhat sympathetic to his argument but I am uncomfortable with a wholesale assault on the ‘nobility of work’; I suspect the notion of work that Kayaka embodies or a farmer’s work would be a little different. Russell is writing in the context of modern industrial revolution and city life, which sucks the life blood out of the working class and turns arts/culture to the exclusive realm of liesured classes. At best, these workers can be consumers of some mass art form, like cinema but that’s about it. From that perspective though I do think Russell is right. A thinker like Wendell Berry would take us further, especially in works like Standing By Words, a brilliant critique of art as a specialist craft.
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