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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Of Gods and Kings


Northrop Frye knew scholars more intelligent or better trained than he was. But he had something else. "I had genius. No one else had that" . Geniuses seem to have flashes of insight, which they often cannot explain. I like the differension between genius and intelligence. They are somewhat linked - hard to be a genius without some intelligence, but we all all know those people who test reasonably high on an I.Q. test who dully grind their way through life. 
Frye’s biographer John Ayre writes of how groups of students regaled each other with Frye anecdotes at Murray’s, a cheap-and-cheerful student hangout of the 1950s. “What did God say today?” was a common question.
“Some of his students may have called him God,” Chamberlin says. “I never did, though. He was a vast person, yes, but he was still very much a person.”  More
I've never been considered a god, except maybe by my dog. When I was still working my co-workers called me "The King", but that I always thought that had more than a note of sarcasm about it. I'd have rather been a god.

(Is differension a word?- spellcheck doesn't like it. If not, it should be a word. It is now.)

10 comments:

Silk Hope said...

It is now because your "God".

Gunnar Berg said...

'Til the dog dies.

Anonymous said...

RE:differension-- differentiation, maybe? Yours is a perfectly good word, I suppose...I knew what you meant, anyway. It's good to be a god in your own castle, I think. Although I really wouldn't know...got four kids, three of 'em are teenagers, no dog. Don't even have a shot a deification for some years to come...at least until they're all out of the house & my better half allows me such delusions of grandeur. Really enjoy the blog, thanks! Christopher in New Britain, PA

Gunnar Berg said...

Yeah, differentiation. Age is a bitch. ;-)

Gunnar Berg said...

And the better half? She won't. And she probably wouldn't like being defined as your better half either.

Oldfool said...

My dog is dead therefore I do not exist.

Gunnar Berg said...

I always like the teacher joke about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac who laid awake at night pondering the existence of Dog.

Oldfool said...

But, there are a couple of other lessor dogs that still think I'm god. There are 20 cats that think I'm am an evil god, mostly, but a couple of them worship me which wins them great favor since I don't feed them and they do it just for attention. Wimps! I should bring lightning down upon them. Wait a minute I already did that and hey are still here. If they start taking a collection then I'll pay attention.

Oldfool said...

Yes that is a classic but it's not a joke.

Gunnar Berg said...

Technically you are correct.