Franzian Guidance

Sam Riley bio ↓  ·  May 31st, 2011  ·  filed under Other

Jonathan Franzen dispensed some optimistic guidance in a NY Times Op-Ed essay, an adaptation of his recent commencement speech to Kenyon graduates.

He covers techno-consumerism, the environmentalist anger that once confined him to his room and his bird-watching revelation that assuaged his real life qualms. You even find out about his recent Blackberry upgrade. He ends with the suggestion that real life love is much better (and much more painful) than general liking– the kind of liking that is infinitely abundant in social media. HTML Giant’s response to the essay provides some alternate perspective.

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Sam Riley is the Editorial Assistant at the Rumpus. Also, a humor enthusiast and science supporter. She currently resides in San Francisco, CA. More from this author →

3 Responses to “Franzian Guidance”

  1. LS Says:

    OK people, let’s learn how to link to page one of an article.

  2. Isaac Fitzgerald Says:

    Thanks LS! We fixed the link. Would love it if you could work on using a nicer tone when pointing out honest mistakes in the future, though.

  3. Lynette Says:

    was really hoping that Franzian guidance referred to the fluidity of one’s writing after drinking a shitload of Franzia.

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