Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
|
|
Good to know that Eric is still around. Thought I read a brief notice in a climbing mag a few years ago that he died in an auto accident (no, not Bruce Hawkins). Goes to show you: Never believe any thing you read in a climbing mag unless you were there to witness it.
Then, why doesn't someone just ask him if the quote was original with him? From what I remember, Eric must have read Veblen, though.
Did a search on Yahoo: Yes, there is an Eric Beck in Bishop and he does have a public phone number.
|
|
10b4me
Ice climber
The Happies
|
|
I remember climbing with the late Eric Beck on Daff Dome in Tuolumne in 1975
unless I missed something, Eric Beck is still alive. He's been living in Bishop for years, and was climbing in the Alabama Hills a couple of months ago.
|
|
Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
|
|
Just got this email from a very much alive Eric Beck this morning (May 4th) with the answer to the question in this thread about the origin of his quip. So Veblein does play a part in its genesis:
"Hi Bruce;
Very nice to hear from you. Here's the story. It is raining and many of us are sitting around Yosemite Lodge. Roper is reading Thorstein Veblein, THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS. In my usual smart ass manner, I happen to remark that there is a leisure class at both ends of the social spectrum. That's it, apparently this caught on with climbers.
We have been in Bishop for 8 years. We go to Tuolumne often in the summer. Some of our favorites remain your old routes, Great Circle and Crying Time.
Eric and Lori Beck"
|
|
pc
climber
East of Seattle
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 5, 2006 - 12:21pm PT
|
May Supertopo live forever!
Thanks Bruce. That's more and better than I hoped for.
Peter
|
|
Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
|
|
Yep, that's the resolution I was hoping for, someone just ask him. I was exploring that path when it became clear that some here knew him, so I thought it would be better to wait for a friend to get the story rather than have some random stalker from the interweb (uh, that'd be me) call him up out of the blue.
Thanks Bruce.
|
|
Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
|
I think that all the evidence so far points to Eric being the original author of the quote. The idea of a 'poor' leisure class seems to us as fairly well established, but no one can find any cannot find examples. The actual quote--or even something close--does not show up in any searches with any attribution to anyone other than Eric. Even the idea of a 'poor' leisure class doesn't show up either. Veblen’s ideas describe the rich leisure class, but it looks like a couple of us read (or re-read) his book and cannot find an antecedent to Eric’s take on adding the ‘poor’ leisure class.
In all the discussions that I have seen on attribution of this quote, no one has come up with any think even remotely close.
Besides, knowing Eric and Steve, I can imagine Steve reading some section of Velban aloud, with his unique cadence and emphasis, and I can 'hear' Eric popping off his quote as he took in the scene of the climber's hanging out in the Lodge lounge, waiting for the rain to stop, reading about the leisure class.
|
|
Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
|
|
Yep, like Oscar Wilde in kletterschues.
|
|
Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
|
Yep, I agree, radical. It is a brilliant observation with a perfect choice of words. That's why I am pushing everyone to find any antecedents. If it is solely Eric's, we shouldn't be second-guessing the attribution.
|
|
Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
|
|
Eric's mother was one of the first female Zen Masters in the US. No sh#t. She wrote several excellent books on the practice. I used to go to the same (LA Zen Center) place where she started, though long after she had left. Always wanted to ask her about that son of hers...
JL
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
May 14, 2006 - 10:05am PT
|
Here is another photo of Eric with his friend (John?) about 1975ish, over near Munginella I think. This was during his career reprise. One of the wittiest ever to have climbed!
[url=http://imageshack.us]{{img}}h~~p://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8462/ericbeckfriend19759qe.jpg[/img][/url]
|
|
kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
|
|
Though I knew this quote came from Eric Beck, I've always wondered about exactly how it came about.
|
|
Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
|
|
I believe that Harold Drasdo coined the phrase. At least it was atributed to him long ago
|
|
Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
|
|
Was it Cassin that said " Climbing Mountains is a game. If you die climbing, you lose the game"
|
|
mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
|
|
"You've lost yur ax, Tizzy. Ya lose again!"
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Thorstein Veblen +1!!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!