Prof. Weinstein’s letter articulates the importance of the study of literature, the plight of humanities subjects, and his own personal experiences.
Prof. Weinstein writes, “As an identical twin — only our closest friends in school could distinguish between Arnold and Philip Weinstein — I have a much blurrier picture of human contours than other folks do, and a stronger sense that identity is a more mobile and promiscuous item than we often realize. Further, my identity as a twin has shaped my thinking when it comes to reading literature. I’m convinced that you do not read a novel or poem in remotely the same way you read math or physics or economics — or even history or philosophy. It will sound loopy, but I believe we read literature to become other.”
You can read the full article on the BDH website.