Studio 360

I found it interesting that this author, during your interview, had to throw in that these great writers were also vegetarians. She must think both being a great writer and vegetarian go hand in hand, but her cause and effect are flawed. Most people in the past, much like today, ate meat. But, those folks who didn't have much money tended to be vegetarians out of necessity, rather than by choice, much as it is today. Being a vegetarian by choice was probably not a common idea during these great writer's times. I find her flawed logic similar to the head of PETA's flawed logic in tying our carnivorous diets to being the major cause of air pollution and global warming. I'd be more on their sides if they weren't so extreme and twisted facts. I know the vegetarian comment wasn't crucial to the interview but it stood out to me and I had to comment.

Ms. Cheever expressed her surprise as she learned the many connections that tied these great American literary figures together. She also noted that Margaret Fuller was an integral member of the group, but not so well known to American readers. These connections are not so surprising to us Unitarians who celebrate this crowd (the men and the women) as some of our faith's most luminous forebears. It was a shame that Ms. Cheever failed to mention the common Unitarian thread that linked the members of this circle, and linked the circle to a much broader circle of famous Americans.