Dan Flynn and Blue Collar Intellectuals

Joining us now is the end slam he's a he's local boys from Worcester right that's right our. And I he's the a's got a new book out now what's called a blue collar intellectuals when the enlightened -- and the Everyman elevated America. What what they'll tell us what the books about. A blue collar elect shall is basically a thinker who comes from a working class or an immigrant background -- when he gets to be an authority in his field directs his work not just other egg heads but -- the Everyman class from which he -- and I think when you look at intellectuals today. There they're talking in this opaque jargon that yeah I mean I think they understand. The Iraq speaking at conferences that nobody attends their writing books that nobody reads. And so this book talks about a time in America where they're intellectuals who actually were opening up the conversation to while commerce and when he had the Everyman who is set reaching for something a little higher rather than dragging his arms ever lower and that's seem a little bit. Yeah you know -- my daughter -- my daughter's going to be at this at this cupcake city tomorrow we're not a makeup. As she loves the cooking show. You know those are exactly like Heidi hi intellectuals shows. But you know what I'd much rather have watching a cooking shows that I would. The Jersey Shore or the Kardashian so yeah it's just that I mean that's the talk about the lowest. Absolute lowest common. Pop culture's always sort of gone for for lowest common denominator Britain now you have to say well it's has it ever going to slow me. If you look I mean for me to sign of the times is if you look at the box office from last year. It's the first time in the history of Hollywood. That all top ten selling movies in Hollywood where either remakes sequels are based on comic book characters that are 5060 years old I. I don't know if you needed to see fast and the furious five but apparently you know there's a lot of America out there. Network. Going out to see it it's just a dearth of creativity. There was of PJ -- career and the list I think in -- you were in the list of the top movies from 1974. As opposed to the 2011 and ninth 1974 god father tell that's exactly the when I was Lincoln cash and there were there or another a lot of other some crap. But you know there was some good movies mixed in with the address. And you're right last year there was not there -- there was no war. Know even -- Mixed and. -- for for this book the book on election let me part of it's the pop culture but to me the canary in the coal mine if you look at it some of the institutions that ostensibly. Are there for for uplift like libraries. You look at this the school out in western Massachusetts they probably saw the story couple years ago Cushing Academy get paid forty grand to go to the school they get rid of the library they get rid of all you pay for -- you think you get a few books they got rid of library instead of about having a library to -- books and that they spent that money on a cappuccino machine in three flat screen televisions I mean that's where we're -- In 2012. That your your kids are old enough to or around at the colleges and -- mine are and a unity you know what they're pushing to put. Here's the here's the dining the -- this is -- three this fide star dining room in the week. You're only allowed the easier once a week. And I tell I'm not making this up by it was a we were at this late my daughter was laugh and it. It's like a club mad thing that the -- it and what it is Israeli like college is the new high school in a way that that that at least the intellectual level what the the blue collar intellectuals and I write about Ray Bradbury and this is -- -- It it it it's a great story and he he was a guy. When he was a -- and had nothing -- form he was pour one of his Brothers -- influenza epidemic is you buried in unmarked grave. He was a nerds -- he used to roller skate around Hollywood on the steel wheeled roller skates fat. It face. Quarter and Marlene Dietrich Clark Gable. Judy Garland hounding them progress -- -- -- up or form but what he said don't form. Was he was a Smart guy and what he turned eighteen to go to college. He got out and so what. He went to the library for three days a week any red any red any red and -- Nowadays I think people are preoccupied. With a diploma. And they could care less about the education that you care about all these other ancillary things that -- talking about but that the the actual education now. No I get I get a book today team in the mail I don't quite -- came to me and it was I open that up it was like the short stories and I could tell that they were you know very sensitive -- Stories that. And he and I and I immediately and I I opened the just to confirm my suspicion and sure enough the the guy who wrote him. Was professor. Of creative writing at case western reserve and. -- oh gee I hope that there's some stories about. Academia and life in the of being a graduate student it's kind of telling that -- that so few with a great writers are actually in English departments and a guy like -- Brad Barry. Who you know even distaste he says he's proud alumnus of the Los Angeles public library here. College and that that's kind of what blue collar intellectuals is about. So -- -- and a -- who would be some of the other people you write about in the blue -- election. A prototypical example would be -- -- offering you probably know him as as a longshoreman -- for -- was out not San Francisco during the day he was loading and unloading that the the ships in the docks of San Francisco and his off hours he was writing this book that became the true believer which to me. It's my favorite blocking and I don't think he can -- you know it's the best book for understanding the twentieth century what did you spend in obscurity but there is this general is stationed in France read the book came back to United States became president talking about guys are of course. And because everyone wants to read what the president is reading. Everyone wanted to read our -- true believer and I'm really carried over to the 1960s he became a favorite of about Lyndon Johnson & Johnson became a favorite news. Yet not 97 they just says he Andrew Carnegie educated himself of libraries. Well -- that's part of the whole revolution it twice actually -- at Carnegie giving all this money for for libraries you had these university of the year style radio programs yet the advent of paperback publishing so you have people being able to buy. Books -- they couldn't in the past. Great books of the western world we think about that. You can go to someone's front door you can sell them flat where you can tell when vacuum cleaner but you're gonna Selma 54 set. Book of -- all the stuff that -- wanna read in college. They sold a million sets of those that that is absolutely amazing and I think that's what one of the reasons why we -- the most educated country that has the history of the world it made sentry. I don't know -- You yeah I mean it will -- EU you'll meet or not to go that far back -- like a moderate popular receive a movie. I don't tolerate -- bad guy and similarly you know you see they'll just show the crown. Out and you know the people waiting for a Jimmy Hendrix Jimi Hendrix or Eric Burton or whoever. To come out in -- you know all these people are reading paperback books and and you if you if you had a crowd now don't they wouldn't be a single block in the entire Austin got. Could go on the train and everyone on the train used to be reading a magazine or walk out of Paper they're tax -- the -- you know they're playing a video game -- would becoming -- -- -- more. Yeah it's it's unfortunate because everything is right in everybody's fingertips. And and nobody's taken advantage that -- -- you don't within which were so we're surrounded by all this information and you're right we're RIQ's are collect them like user going down mean people don't people know less about politics now. That they did when they when they had to rely on the evening newspaper which was taking wire copy that was twelve or eighteen our salt. No doubt about enemy to getting back to -- just for second one and the things it comes to mind with with a guy like Derek harper. You look at Obama's strategy now -- says he's gonna bypassed the blue collar vote. And he's gonna go first sort of this. Sophisticated. Suburban voter and and the SSI community addict and an activity to talk for -- if he had AM meeting with them with Wendy Johnson in 1967 where they toasted -- as it was supposed to be this photo op with his big burly. Longshoreman meeting this it's schoolteacher from taxes. And what was supposed to be five minutes lasted an hour they were like they hit it off like Brothers from different mothers and if you you compare that to Obama when he had the Cambridge cop in there Crowley. It was up the most forced yet at the point is is that they used to -- it was speak to the working and they may not about from the same place they spoke the same language and it's not the case anymore. I daresay I think Crowley over Obama and Mexican and -- -- cast cast. Thanks for being -- -- stand planned in the title of his book is blue collar intellectuals you can order -- from our website on how we car.