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In his essay on the philosophy of shame, Dan Dixon draws attention to the distinction between being unashamed and being shameless. The former can be viewed as courageous and admirable, but the latter has only negative connotations.
The word “shame” was in the air this week. It was uttered frequently at yesterday’s rally protesting the closure of Meanjin. Around 200 people gathered outside the offices of Melbourne University Publishing in Carlton, where speakers, including Overland editor Evelyn Araluen and Professor Julienne van Loon, called on the university to relinquish the rights to the venerable literary journal so it might find a new home.
The fallout from the decision continues. Gareth Evans, former foreign affairs minister and a Meanjin contributor, has condemned it as “shameful” and “bone-headed”. MUP executive Foong Ling Kong maintains the “journal is not for sale” – which is a strange thing to say about something the publisher has decided it has no interest in supporting. At very least, it adds weight to Ben Eltham’s argument that the university seems to have no appreciation of the journal’s unique cultural importance.
It’s a bumper newsletter this week, taking in philosophy, ancient history, US politics, new Australian writing, and a detailed look at the implications of the recent AU$2.2 billion settlement by tech company Anthropic in one of the many AI copyright cases before the courts.
But special mention must go to the indefatigable Alex Howard, whose Friday essay looks at the endlessly fascinating Gertrude Stein, whose activities during the second world war and ambivalent attitude towards her own celebrity are scrutinised in two recent biographies.
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