Why does Dean Allen insist on repeatedly ripping into James Lileks? Is the writing that abominable? Is there an unspoken personal vendetta?
Perhaps this continues the longstanding tradition of public literary jabs thrown by authors with no love lost, but the tone of these posts can make a reader cringe. One cannot help but focus on the highly personal undercurrent of Allen’s posts, which turn his criticism into the equivalent of poking an index finger into his target’s chest. Each new post makes Textism that much less enticing, which is a shame, because he is usually an enjoyable and entertaining writer.
Doesn’t Allen know his little corner of the Internet can’t stand caustic, self-impressed blowhards?