Neuro-humbug

This week's Times Literary Supplement has a terrific article by gerontologist / philosopher / poet / novelist / critic (!) Raymond Tallis. Tallis ruthlessly debunks the latest kerfuffle in literary criticism, which attempts to tie our appreciation of poetry and other writing to neuroscience, in a necessarily superficial way. (No one can do this kind of deflationary assault like the English can.) Unfortunately, a main proponent of the neuro-silliness is A.S. Byatt, a novelist for whom I otherwise have great respect.

On a more positive note, Tallis could provide us with both a fiction and non-fiction reading for a future I.S. meeting. Perhaps the Spikes book I suggested earlier, plus two readings by Tallis?