I thought Henry liked me. The man's my mentor, my fearless leader, my department head and my thesis advisor. He's also currently the bane of my existence.

Anyone who says, "You know, you really should read Roland Barthes" as input on one's THESIS clearly has it in for you.

I didn't like Barthes when all I'd read of his was his "Death of the Author" essay. After reading as much of S/Z as I can stomach, I really don't like him now. Anybody who belittles the entirety of literature before him instantly qualifies in my bag as a ++Toolbox™.

Roland Barthes. The original prententious bastard.

(On the upside, the piece by Marsha Kinder he pointed me to, and the old favorites of Janet Murray and Umberto Eco, are all very good, relevant and – most of all – readerly. Barthes. Toolbox.)