Rich Engle Interviews Robert Bidinotto

[Rich Engle]

This was a chat session that Bob and I did today and trust me, he answered a lot of questions. I was very honored to do this work and plus it was a real hoot to work with him. Right here:

Rich Engle Interviews Robert Bidinotto

Best Wishes To All,

rde

[PDS]

This was a chat session that Bob and I did today and trust me, he answered a lot of questions. I was very honored to do this work and plus it was a real hoot to work with him. Right here:

Rich Engle Interviews Robert Bidinotto

Best Wishes To All,

rde

Which martial art, Sensei?

P.S., nice interview.

[Rich Engle]

This was a chat session that Bob and I did today and trust me, he answered a lot of questions. I was very honored to do this work and plus it was a real hoot to work with him. Right here:

Rich Engle Interviews Robert Bidinotto

Best Wishes To All,

rde

Which martial art, Sensei?

P.S., nice interview.

Martial art? Oh, when I refer to martial art, it is in my own context, coming from 1969. I started out in TKD under 4 Korean masters (native teaching), which included judo, and in the end, Hapkido. In between that, I studied Okinawan karate, and was started to get into weapons. Then, back to the Koreans. After that, I freelanced and taught MA. I went back into training in the early 90's, but was looking for a "soft" style (tired of bone crushing injuries), so I did a brief gig at the Cleveland Aikikai (Aikido), and that included bokken (wooden sword)--I busted myself down to a white belt and started over again, again. I always preferred Bruce Lee's approach and had studied that and related eastern thinking very heavily; but I could never find a real good kung fu teacher (even Wing Chun). I got close by studying Kali/Escrima (with Tony Marcial), and got my knife and stick fighting together while I was there. Then, to an instructor of Jeet Kune Do who had studied with Danny Inosanto (Bruce Lee's main working partner, again, a Filipino) as well as taking his black belt from Master Ed Parker (the founder of modern Kenpo). That turned into hard combat/bodyguard type training. Now I am done and only occasionally teach. I don't like to fight anymore, at all.

But this isn't about me. If you have read the article about Robert, re-read it, as he sent me some pertinent updates and changes. Little editing things, and he is about to do a new blog.

It was absolutely fabulous talking with him (chatting, as it was mostly). He has a wonderful, precise, creative mind.

Domo!

rde

[Rich Engle]

Oh, and if time allow y'all:

Could you please comment on the interview? I think Robert is interested in feedback--he had some very interesting answers. Comment on the blog if you do, so we can see it. It seemed to me that he came up with some good new ways of looking at things. I mean, even if you already read it, it would be great if you could go back and comment.

Hunter Interview

[Philip Coates]

> Could you please comment on the interview?

Rich, I've written a comment. But you're not set up to accept comments from anyone unless they go join some other software, have certain kinds of accounts:

Before I could post or even preview my comment it wanted me to have a google account or other url or blog. I clicked on all of the five? possibilities and it wouldn't let me in. I do have a google account, but when I clicked on that it instantly put me in "Blogger" and wanted to force me to create a blog there.

It also wiped out my comment (which was quite long) when I tried to use the back arrow. It's fortunate that I write comments in a word file and save them before I paste them in.

Edited August 20, 2011 by Philip Coates

[Rich Engle]

> Could you please comment on the interview?

Rich, I've written a comment. But you're not set up to accept comments from anyone unless they go join some other software, have certain kinds of accounts:

Before I could post or even preview my comment it wanted me to have a google account or other url or blog. I clicked on all of the five? possibilities and it wouldn't let me in. I do have a google account, but when I clicked on that it instantly put me in "Blogger" and wanted to force me to create a blog there.

It also wiped out my comment (which was quite long) when I tried to use the back arrow. It's fortunate that I write comments in a word file and save them before I paste them in.

Wow, that's weird. Someone else told me that happened. I have to look in on that--cumbersome!!

[Philip Coates]

Rich, here's the long comment I tried to post on your blog:

"This was a very insightful interview, Rich. What you asked him were all good questions that covered some ground.

I'm very struck by how Robert has consciously thought a lot about the writing process for a thriller and the extended research and work he mentions. He didn't seem to just sit down one day and say "Hey, I'm just going to sit down right now and write a novel. Piece of cake."

Anything worth doing is hard. And he is to be congratulated for doing the work --- not just in visualizing and writing, but in marketing and self-publishing --- to bring his vision and long time dream to fruition. Very impressive.

I don't think one should be bitter or cynical that Objectivists have not responded to the novel. The book has only been out a little while, the number of Christian conservatives and others who have responded is an order of magnitude larger 'network'. Plus their networks are infinitely stronger. I'd be willing to bet few Oists know of the book - I wouldn't have unless I frequented a particular and somewhat obscure website. If the book is good, it would certainly be shameful if The New Individualist, for example, did not get around to reviewing it. But, again, it is a quarterly and there are lead time issues, I imagine. As far as websites, I would imagine Oists are slow to discover the book and slow to decide to read it. Even those who know Robert as an -excellent- and highly intelligent, highly philosophical non-fiction writer might have been burned in past decades by their experiences with Oists venturing into unfamiliar esthetic ground as newbie artists, poets, story writers. The skill sets (and psychology) for being a philosopher or political writer are often quite different from being a fiction writer. I can see a potential reader wondering hey, why not start small with short stories to develop one's fiction skills in stages.

Just speaking frankly, I have seldom found that philosophical agreement or even sense of life affinity with someone necessarily makes their esthetic choices similar to min. And I am more likely to make the time investment to read a short story from a writer and then if I like it spend the money (and more important, time) to add it and "bump it up" on my huge stack of to-be-read books and novelistsI already love.

Also, for many Oists including me personally, thrillers are not necessarily our top literary choice but something we intermix with other reading, including non-fiction, 'great literature', history, biography, etc.

Having said this, let me say that this interview and the thinking process and approach of the author, more than customer review on Amazon from people I don't know has made me add Robert's book to the queue. Another reason is that Robert recommended Lee Child some time ago, which tells me something about his literary tastes. And, while I don't like Jack Reacher's drifter/malevolent loner/never commiting to a relationshipo, I very much like his ruthless sense of justice. And his highly skilled, highly skilled, deadly "James Bond" like skills. And I will work my way thru the rest of those novels.

But again, slowly, over time. And mixed in with a lot of other stuff.

So, if Robert's book is along the Lee Child lines, I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it! (Robert has also recommended several other thriller writers but I haven't gotten to them yet.)"

,,,,,

(Feel free to copy it and port it over, if you want. I know how a blog is better if there are comments on it - as I plan to start one of my own.)

And then I had this other minor response to something Bidibob said, but I deleted it:

" > My hypothesis is that conservative Christians are less enamored of religious theology than they are filled with hostility toward a world sinking into moral relativism. [Robert]

You can tell this just by taking to them, what gets them angry, fired up."

Edited August 20, 2011 by Philip Coates

[Jonathan]

Just speaking frankly, I have seldom found that philosophical agreement or even sense of life affinity with someone necessarily makes their esthetic choices similar to min.

Me too! And I also find that my philosophical agreement or sense of life affinity with someone seldom influences my judgment of how good they are at, say, basketball or cooking or woodworking. Weird, huh? You'd think that, logically, if someone shares your philosophy, they'd be good at everything, share all of your tastes, and be exactly the same as you are in every way, no?

I'd be willing to bet few Oists know of the book - I wouldn't have unless I frequented a particular and somewhat obscure website.

SOLOP? No, wait, I guess SOLOP is now to the point of being totally obscure, not just somewhat obscure.

Also, for many Oists including me personally, thrillers are not necessarily our top literary choice but something we intermix with other reading, including non-fiction, 'great literature', history, biography, etc.

You left out your primary "top literary choices": children's encyclopedias and Wikipedia.

And his highly skilled, highly skilled, deadly "James Bond" like skills.

That's a beautifully crafted sentence, Phil. It's the kind of sentence that makes me value your opinions on literature. You've got some highly skilled, highly skilled skills!

J

[Brant Gaede]

Just speaking frankly, I have seldom found that philosophical agreement or even sense of life affinity with someone necessarily makes their esthetic choices similar to min.

Me too! And I also find that my philosophical agreement or sense of life affinity with someone seldom influences my judgment of how good they are at, say, basketball or cooking or woodworking. Weird, huh? You'd think that, logically, if someone shares your philosophy, they'd be good at everything, share all of your tastes, and be exactly the same as you are in every way, no?

I'd be willing to bet few Oists know of the book - I wouldn't have unless I frequented a particular and somewhat obscure website.

SOLOP? No, wait, I guess SOLOP is now to the point of being totally obscure, not just somewhat obscure.

Also, for many Oists including me personally, thrillers are not necessarily our top literary choice but something we intermix with other reading, including non-fiction, 'great literature', history, biography, etc.

You left out your primary "top literary choices": children's encyclopedias and Wikipedia.

And his highly skilled, highly skilled, deadly "James Bond" like skills.

That's a beautifully crafted sentence, Phil. It's the kind of sentence that makes me value your opinions on literature. You've got some highly skilled, highly skilled skills!

J

I like the light, gentle touch of sarcasm.

--Brant

sign of a master

[Rich Engle]

Thanks, Phil. Now all you boys behave, though--this is about Robert's book. We have plenty of other sandlots open this week.

rde

[Greybird]

Jeff Riggenbach has a contrasting viewpoint, to put it mildly, in "Robert Bidinotto and the Objectivist Subculture."

[Brant Gaede]

Jeff Riggenbach has a contrasting viewpoint, to put it mildly, in "Robert Bidinotto and the Objectivist Subculture."

This may be more general than Objectivism. For Rand it was the impotence of evil and the likes of Perry Mason. Today the heroes are fighting powerful serial killers of genius. And instead of the lone, prevailing hero, we have a whole team of specialists gang tackling the bastards just in time or sometimes, really, too late.

I think the tipping point must have been The Silence of the Lambs with a murderous SOB leading the hero around by the nose.

Any way, Vietnam was a crock of shit I was so glad to get out of and so sad to leave the continuing war and warriors behind me for I knew so many more were going to die. In fact, US involvement in Vietnam led directly and indirectly to up to five million deaths, mostly Vietnamese and Cambodians.

The only wars the US has fought with some serious justification were the Revolutionary, the Barbary pirates and the War of 1812. If the US didn't provoke most of its wars, it suckered other countries into them. Because of its immense power, soon to greatly weaken, the geo-political world you see around us is the world the US made, even though Great Britain used to ride this country like it was its own special horse and bequeathed to it the Middle East.

--Brant

please, no bs about Pearl Harbor

[PDS]

Jeff Riggenbach has a contrasting viewpoint, to put it mildly, in "Robert Bidinotto and the Objectivist Subculture."

Very interesting views in Jeff's article. I found myself agreeing with a great deal of his review.

[9thdoctor]

Jeff Riggenbach has a contrasting viewpoint, to put it mildly, in "Robert Bidinotto and the Objectivist Subculture."

Very interesting views in Jeff's article. I found myself agreeing with a great deal of his review.

I put in my two cents on the original thread.

http://www.objectivistliving.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10835&view=findpost&p=141357