I am a Burr family descendant and what you write is what I have always heard. Research bears it out. Vidal describes Aaron Burr as an 18th Century Man living in the 19th Century. It's an apt description.
I'm one of thousands of descendants of a man named Jehu Burr who arrived in Massachusetts with the Winthrop Fleet in 1635 with his wife and young son. Aaron Burr was another descendant of Jehu, but he left no acknowledged heirs.
For every self-published novel by a Substack alt-lit guy on this list that escaped any other mention this year, I can't help but think of Hideo Kojima saying "Just saw Madame Web." ;')
But this is a good list. I hope that the Donohue "Saturday Night Fever" book inspires an essay about that film. A sequel to "The Outer Borough Mind!" Although, then I think of the actual "Saturday Night Fever" sequel, and think better of that idea...
Very interesting essay and impressive list! But when I searched for Jennifer Pan's "Selling Anti-Racism" I found only Jennifer Pan's "Selling Social Justice: Why the Ruling Class Loves Anti-Racism." Same book?
I picked up “Burr” a couple months ago, after hearing it was Vidal’s best novel. I found it fascinating in places, but what I thought was more interesting was how Vidal’s iconoclasm in 1973 — chipping away at the glory of the founders, whispering about Jefferson and his enslaved mistress(es?) — is now the norm.
As a novel, I give it a mixed review. As a harbinger of things to come, though, it was intriguing. (Still prefer Vidal’s essays, despite occasional haughtiness and tinges of anti-Semitism … which, in Vidal’s case, is part and parcel with his prickliness.)
"Curious to think that we would almost certainly have been friends had we not been two young 'heroes' at the beginning of a new nation, each aware that at the summit there is a place for only one. As it turned out, neither of us was to reach the highest place. I hurled Hamilton from the mountain-side, and myself fell." - Burr, Gore Vidal
I am a Burr family descendant and what you write is what I have always heard. Research bears it out. Vidal describes Aaron Burr as an 18th Century Man living in the 19th Century. It's an apt description.
That's amazing you're a descendant!
I'm one of thousands of descendants of a man named Jehu Burr who arrived in Massachusetts with the Winthrop Fleet in 1635 with his wife and young son. Aaron Burr was another descendant of Jehu, but he left no acknowledged heirs.
Good luck with your project!
Cool, I will definitely put the book about your ancestor on my shelf!
For every self-published novel by a Substack alt-lit guy on this list that escaped any other mention this year, I can't help but think of Hideo Kojima saying "Just saw Madame Web." ;')
But this is a good list. I hope that the Donohue "Saturday Night Fever" book inspires an essay about that film. A sequel to "The Outer Borough Mind!" Although, then I think of the actual "Saturday Night Fever" sequel, and think better of that idea...
Very interesting essay and impressive list! But when I searched for Jennifer Pan's "Selling Anti-Racism" I found only Jennifer Pan's "Selling Social Justice: Why the Ruling Class Loves Anti-Racism." Same book?
Yes
I think all that is part of the Great Awokening.,. Bye bye DEI 😂
I picked up “Burr” a couple months ago, after hearing it was Vidal’s best novel. I found it fascinating in places, but what I thought was more interesting was how Vidal’s iconoclasm in 1973 — chipping away at the glory of the founders, whispering about Jefferson and his enslaved mistress(es?) — is now the norm.
As a novel, I give it a mixed review. As a harbinger of things to come, though, it was intriguing. (Still prefer Vidal’s essays, despite occasional haughtiness and tinges of anti-Semitism … which, in Vidal’s case, is part and parcel with his prickliness.)
Thanks for the mini review
"Curious to think that we would almost certainly have been friends had we not been two young 'heroes' at the beginning of a new nation, each aware that at the summit there is a place for only one. As it turned out, neither of us was to reach the highest place. I hurled Hamilton from the mountain-side, and myself fell." - Burr, Gore Vidal
Good list I’m going to buy Postman and Vidal for sure ! Is that Selling anti Racism book any good? Thanks 😊
It's solid