Electronic communication, and these things called “blogs,” represent a medium I am singularly unready for. My amanuensis has suggested that I use it to place various of my essays and monographs for public use, and I do find this appeals to me, and invite you to make what use of them you may.
Among these, I shall offer presentation of a book of memoirs that I have long intended to write but am only now getting around to. It is, through the force of lifelong habit, being written for a medium that is more familiar to you as a reader than to me as a writer and you must therefore excuse its excesses of antiquated nomenclature. I am not replacing the “introduction” that was written in preparation for this as a printed book in mid-course, but I am adding to it a few words exemplifying the altered environment of these remarks.
I want to say to you younger readers (for I am rapidly approaching my hundredth birthday and can readily assume that you are that) that this is a work that reveals a degree of self-confidence that I am loath to have revealed. On the other hand, just the writing of a “memoirs” necessitates an assumption of some grandiose design in the preparation of such a work. This apologia is as close as I will arrive at an adequate excuse and can be taken as such.
That being said, let me merely add that you’ll have the opportunity to examine these words in the light of the results that may follow. From here on out, you’re on your own.
Wow!!!
Just read intro.
Beautiful words
Mark
dear walter, i am delighted that you are doing this. i shall look forward to each entry. tonight i shall begin with your “apology” and “about dr. goldschmidt.” would you mind if i sent your site to some friends and family who i think would be most interested.
judy
This blog is a wonderful thing. I look forward to reading all your posts. I hope it’s an easy way for us to stay in touch.
Wally, the Deerskin Dance starts at the dark of the moon this Sunday.
Dear Wally,
A great idea. You are so much part of the history of anthropology that any of your memories will be precious things for generations to come.
Best,
Sandro
Hello Wally,
This is great! Thanks so much for your efforts to get your delightful words
and good ideas circulating where I can read them..xox, Alison
Congratulations, Dr. Goldschmidt! Your “As You Sow” continues to be an inspiration to a rising generation of academics and activists who care about the future of rural communities.
That’s lovely to hear, thank you!
Congratulations, great blog. I found you through antropologi.info and I inmediately added you to my google reader. I’m from Paraguay -but I’m currently studying anthropology in México- and I would really like to read The Bridge to Humanity, sounds really interesting: do you have any plans to share it as an electronic file, a pdf with creative commons maybe? Perhaps is too much to ask, but that would be amazing. Greetings!
welcome to the blogsphere and thanks very much for sharing!
Dear Professor Walter Goldschmidt,
I am so happy to find you alive and active. Years ago I wrote a dissertation about Java and had the opportunity to read everything that Clifford Geertz had written about Indonesia up to that point (1979 Ph.D., U. of Toronto, Canada). (I have, of course, read subsequent work as well.) What shocked me a bit was the extent to which Geertz became famous for using ideas found in Dutch language texts. American readers had little idea of the extent to which Geertz’s Agricultural Involution was heavily dependent on “colonial” research carried out before WWII. But in light of your blog on paradigms, do you feel that Geertz utilized Alexander Goldenweiser’s conceptualization of “involution” correctly? Did he ever discuss it with you? (I assume you are familiar with the book in a general way, but did you ever take the time and effort to read it, by chance?) I hope this comment is of interest to you. I recognize, of course, that a concept is not a paradigm, but the principle of reinventing the wheel is somewhat the same. I also want to make it clear I am not trying to be hyper-critical of Geertz. He was a very important contributor. It is just that few recognize that he took someone else’s concept (Goldenweiser’s) and other people’s emplirical findings (NEI researchers) and built his initial reputation in part on other’s unfamiliarity with all that. Of course, one could say that he applied an important theory to a good data set!
You are quite correct. Geertz never said that he was building on an existing theory, which is a very acceptable pratice after all, but acted as if the ideas were all his own.
This is not such an unusual occurance, of course.
It would also be very interesting to know if your book As You Sow had any impact among rural sociologists. ( I am active in the Rural Sociological Society and the International Rural Sociological Association.)
There was some impact that I know of, but it would be interesting to find out more from your organisation…
Never give up on us!
Walter Goldschmidt,
As I am an elder with a background in cultural anthropology I welcome you to the world of blogging! I am adding you to my favorite blogs as I find your material fascinating. — Barbara
Saludos desde Nicaragua Profesor. Un abrazo. H.
This is fantastic. I met you while I was still a graduate student, around 1991, for a PBS television show centered around your book The Human Career. You were very kind despite are awkward meanderings throughout the taping.
I wish you well with this new effort.
I just found your blog and am excited to get reading! Your story is an inspiration. Thank you for sharing.
Charming introduction, and I very much look forward to reading this as someone who has just meandered over to anthropology from media studies and is therefore very much at home on blogs, but not as much in anthropology yet.
Hey Wally,
Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. Better late than never. Still playing billiards?
Wally, this is ideal, writing your memoirs as an ongoing blog. We must write this up for the Senior Anthros column in AN. (Now I must find the time to just sit and read the chapters!)
A friend sent me a link to your blog, I am so pleased to see you are doing so well. I look forward to reading your blog.