Is there Room for “Minor” Public Intellectuals?

From Peter FitzSimons, “David Marr on Dutton, Waleed … and being an outsider on Insiders,” The Sydney Morning Herald online.

Fitz: David! I interviewed the brilliant Hannah Ferguson last week, and one of the things she was decrying is that there’s no more space in Australian media for the public intellectual. What do you think?

David Marr: No, not true. Public intellectuals still have their platform on the op-ed pages of newspapers, on websites, and TV shows. It probably comes in shorter bursts, rather than long essays, but they’re there, and also there in think tanks, good and bad.

******

David Marr, Peter FitzSimons, Robert Manne, Waleed Aly — “very highly – thoughtful, original, terrific,” Peter Hartcher — “still a remarkable presence,”  Annabel Crabb — “when she’s not just a tap dancer but a writer of real skill and insight,”  are not coming to work for YOU.

So why are you not employing or contracting me? What valid-sound reason can you give? Or you relying on the silence of stupidity?

2018-10-30 Dr Neville Buch with Fryer Manager, Simon Farley, at the Geopoetry Talk, UQ

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Neville Buch

Professional Historian at Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc.

Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.

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