en.light.en.ment
Carsten Burmeister
Lulu Press, 150 pages, (paperback) $17.50, 9780987297709
Reviewed: November 2017
this is an excerpt (see the note below the review),
view the full review 1 here and review 2 here
Carsten Burmeister began to write while grappling with middle age. Now in his 70s, he’s interested in sharing his eclectic moral code that blends pacifism, science, the Golden Rule, Eastern spirituality, and the need for rational, intellectual debate.
en.light.en.ment is a compilation of 150 short essays that reflect life as he sees it, covering big ideas – the meaning of life and whether it’s possible to fight for peace – as well as little things such as the proper way to dunk a tea biscuit.
Burmeister’s essays are organized alphabetically, from “Acceptance” to “Zen,” and each is broken into easily digestible nuggets of narrative. Many also include famous people’s quotes, and dictionary-style definitions (when called for).
Among the heavier commentaries about truth, justice and moral law are a few personally revealing essays about the author.
Burmeister is a divorced father, a resident of Australia, a man who almost drowned and, on another day, learned first-hand what it’s like to go broke. He emerges as a seeker, an apt pupil of the world’s greatest prophets and philosophers, and a thinker who likes the process of rolling their ideas around until he can make sense of them.
Readers find in him a writer who toggles between detached teacher, gentle spirit and argumentative mental gymnast. He’s at his best at the first two, synthesizing the values shared by all great religions, for example, and warmly inviting readers to consider the many forms God can be viewed in.
Taken as a whole, en.light.en.ment provides a rollicking ride through the world of animated discourse.
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Unfortunately the blueink reviewer is anonymous. Anyway, I was initially quite happy with the review. But after a while I thought .... hang on a minute, and I sent this email to blueink:
Dear blueink,
I do have a problem with the review after all. The reviewer says:
"… For example, he calls the Bible “a book of lies, horrors and disastrous, destructive, unfathomably evil advice.”
I find it contentious that one line is taken out of context in a way that would alienate religious readers. Was there a mention of the context - maybe even a link to the essay SCRIPTURE - but at least the mention of the bible passages this comment is in reference to, inclusion of the quote would make sense.
I can’t think of what the reviewer wished to relay with his/her use of the quote … am I dealing with a disgruntled fundamentalist Christian reviewer?
(If that is the case I understand s/he finds parts of my book tiresome; and yes, one could probably say the inclusion of this quote in the review - in the way it was done - says more about the reviewer than about my book.)
Anyway, if a single quote is used in a review of my book, I think it is tendentious to use this one, especially while taking it out of context. It puzzles me that my essay SCRIPTURE would be considered a "blind spot".
I think the reviewer is amiss here.
Unless the reviewer is prepared to make an appropriate change, I’ll say please withhold the review from publication.
---------------------------
Dear Mr.
Burmeister:
I was
forwarded your concerns regarding our review of your book en.light.en.ment. I
have read the page where this quote appears. I do not see how that quote was
taken out of context, as it flatly states: "If read properly, nothing
beats the Bible to spread atheism--it is a book of lies, horrors and
disastrous, destructive, unfathomably evil advice." Adding the excerpts
that follow would do nothing to mitigate this statement, nor would a link to
the essay, which simply supports the initial statement and, in fact, repeats
the alienating words in its subheads: "Lies?" "Horror?"
"Disastrous, destructive evil advice?"
I feel the
inclusion of the statement is fair. If you are worried about alienating
religious readers, it probably would be best to delete the essay in future
versions of your book. (Also, I can assure you that the reviewer is not a
fundamentalist Christian.)
We will, of
course, honor your request for us to remove the review from the website. Should
you change your mind in this regard, simply let us know.
Thank you for
your consideration.
the Review
Manager
BlueInk Review
---------------------------
it's not that
I am worried about alienating religious readers - and I certainly will not
delete the essay from future editions (censorship?) - it's just that I wished
for a more considered use of that quote.
I do realise
that it is a large ask to amend a review (and I apologize for my barb at the
reviewer potentially being a fundamental Christian; an unconsidered comment in
the heat of the moment).
We just have
to agree to disagree.
I will use the
review on my website with this conversation included ... after all it is a
contribution to "a rollicking ride through the world of animated
discourse"; quite successfully too, I might add ... so, contrary to what
you may believe, I'm not adverse to the review.
Thanks again
for your response;
You err with
stating that the section in question in the review begins with:
"If read
properly, nothing beats the Bible to spread atheism ..."
Inclusion of that
sentence would indeed have given more context.
---------------------------
Mr.
Burmeister:
Thank you for
your understanding. Actually, I have no problem adding the line "If read
properly, nothing beats the Bible to spread atheism," if you feel that
would give better context. I am attaching a revised review for you. We always
include a link to the author's webpage with every review, so that is not
problem. We will go ahead and post the review, unless we hear differently from
you in the next few days.
All best,
Blueink
---------------------------
now we’re on
the same page; I am pleased you’ve added that sentence … it makes all the
difference. Without it, it is my statement that is wicked ... with it included
it is clear that I am drawing attention to a Bible passage that is wicked,
indeed horrific.
Btw, Foreword added
to their review links to INDIEBOUND and AMAZON. I had stipulated with Lulu that
I do not want to sell my book through retailer, but solely from my website …
how does Blueink deal with that issue?
---------------------------
So this is the
full wording of that paragraph I had edited, which now includes, “If read properly, nothing
beats the Bible to spread atheism – It is a book of lies, horrors and
disastrous, destructive, unfathomably evil advice.”
"Readers find
in him a writer who toggles between detached teacher, gentle spirit and argumentative
mental gymnast. He’s at his best as the first two, synthesizing the values
shared by all great religions, for example, and warmly inviting readers to
consider the many forms in God can be viewed. He’s far less effective and
becomes tiresome when he exchanges that pleasant detachment for a more strident,
harsher voice when arguing against the folly of blind patriotism, war and
organized religion. For example, he states, “If read properly, nothing beats the
Bible to spread atheism – It is a book of lies, horrors and disastrous,
destructive, unfathomably evil advice.”
Remember, the Bible quote I refer to as horrific in SCRIPTURE, reads:
“You must kill every boy and woman who had sex.
But do not kill the young women who have never had sex.
You may keep them for yourself.”
(Numbers 31:17 - 18)