the model nerd/intellectual

of course, the sheer pleasure of knowledge, of engaging great ideas and wrestling with great thinkers, is not in dispute -- Socrates's dialogues, Shakespeare's sonnets, Beethoven's concertos... all have great intrinsic worth... there is something ennobling about reading lovely sentences that hang together because of poetry and penetrating thought... -- michael eric dyson


i am currently indulging my literary fetish with the michael eric dyson reader. the multitude of poetic phrases, such as the aforementioned, caused me to be remiss for neglecting my blog for what has seemed like an eternity. while the prose that reaches this page through my dell is not nearly as eloquent; perhaps i'll string together a phrase or two that i can be proud of ...

let it be known, that my goal is not to sit here and ponder how best to stitch together a few words for effect... but rather to share a few thoughts...

i actually met a person who i would deem to be an über nerd. her nerdy transgressions surely exceed anything i could fathom. we engaged in quite an interesting & stimulating conversation. there were a plethora of things that we both enjoyed. for instance, we both are fascinated with words. she actually has a list of her favorite words & had another friend who shares her passion. she said whenever she learns a new word, she calls her friend to share it. when they get together, they have conversations that she swears no one but a doctorate in english could understand... i actually related because i subscribe to word of the day. i get new words each day in my inbox. while i wasn't an english major, i definitely appreciate the english language... being able to call one loquacious or garrulous, as opposed to a big-mouth; is mildly fulfilling.

i must go back to an instance where i studied GRE words with a friend in a road trip, AFTER he had taken the test... just for the sake of improving our vocabulary.

while i would hardly consider myself an intellectual, scholar, or even academic... there is something exhilarating about making a career out of thinking. there is something to be said for someone who does what everyone else does on a daily basis, but is able to convey their ideas in a clear and concise manner. dyson talks about being able to convey a concept to folks in the highest realms of academia & also to everyday people with no more than middle school education. thus far, there have been quotes from literary giants, philosophers, and rappers...

if you have the opportunity, you should definitely put yourself in a position to hear dyson speak. i've heard him speak on more than one occasion. it just so happens that he's also from the D. i first heard dyson in my church when i was fairly young... i was so impressed that i actually stayed awake. the linguistic skillz combined with the ability to seamlessly intertwine urban and mainstream, apostolic and secular, intellectual and common folk... make for one's listening pleasure...

while this blog has seemed to go nowhere in particular... i think i just wanted to reflect on the fact that dyson is a model nerd/ intellectual. not that the nerd is a bad thing... he mentioned the intertwining of eroticism and epistemology; having crushes on most of his female english teachers. while i'll admit to no such fetish, i'll let it be known that sexiness is in the mind, and well as the seven jeans... it would be a wrap for this nerd...

let me not digress too far along the previous tangent... dyson has created a niche where he is recognized as a public intellectual... one who's job is to think and put forth ideas and notions about all aspects of society. he has an insatiable thirst for knowledge... and because of that, (on some level) i feel i can relate... i may not ascend to such levels professionally... or i may be diverted to some other interest... however, i definitely appreciate dyson, for being more than a model nerd/ intellectual...

i'm curious to see which of my nerdy friends will ascend to the level of public nerd... whoops! i meant intellectual...

in the mean time, check out the reader

nn