Searching for UnMediated Truth.Gregg Hoffmann. Searching for UnMediated Adj. 1. unmediated - having no intervening persons, agents, conditions; "in direct sunlight"; "in direct contact with the voters"; "direct exposure to the disease"; "a direct link"; "the direct cause of the accident"; "direct vote" direct Truth. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. Judging by its title, one might mistake Searching for UnMediated Truth for a philosophical dissertation or a spiritual memoir. Instead, the reader will discover a brief, fast-moving novel that makes important points about our over-mediated lives. As a "bonus," the narrative is enlivened en·liv·en tr.v. en·liv·ened, en·liv·en·ing, en·liv·ens To make lively or spirited; animate. en·liv  en·er n. by several explicit sexual
episodes. Not gratuitous, these scenes reveal important aspects of the
protagonist's value system.
Chicago print journalist Garrett Hartmann has arrived at a turning point in his life. His marriage ended, he engages in passionate but shallow "love" affairs. Also, he has lost self-respect, seeing his profession debased de·base tr.v. de·based, de·bas·ing, de·bas·es To lower in character, quality, or value; degrade. See Synonyms at adulterate, corrupt, degrade. [de- + base2. as it competes with electronic news media which are almost wholly driven by commercial demands. Wishing to break out of his "same-old, same-old" rut, Hartmann believes his salvation lies in escaping the modern world's "over-mediation." After a return to his ex-wife's hometown, he realizes that he has no future with her and as he casts about for a way to break out of his unhappiness, he recalls a lecture he attended concerning the Tasmanian tiger Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf: see thylacine. . Accordingly, the novel's final scenes depict Hartmann moving through the Tasmanian rain forest, accompanied by Aborigines aborigines: see Australian aborigines. , in pursuit of a tiger-like creature considered extinct by biologists. The author, Gregg Hoffmann, a long time Milwaukee reporter as well as a lecturer in mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has drawn upon his experience to create vivid pictures of Hartmann's personal and professional lives. I would have appreciated more scenes with Brian, a fellow journalist with a general semantics gen·er·al semantics n. (used with a sing. verb) A discipline developed by Alfred Korzybski that proposes to improve human behavioral responses through a more critical use of words and symbols. background. Perhaps Brian could have criticized his colleague's assumptions regarding the possibility of escaping mediation. Indeed, the lives of Australian Aborigines Australian aborigines, native people of Australia who probably came from somewhere in Asia more than 40,000 years ago. In 2001 the population of aborigines and Torres Straits Islanders was 366,429, 1. may exhibit forms of mediation as overwhelming in their own ways as those found in modern cosmopolitan environments. Media literacy instructors and seminar leaders will appreciate the useful appendix offering guidelines for examining the significant points raised in Hoffmann's illuminating story. REVIEW BY JEREMY KLEIN, SAN FRANCISCO [Teachers may find some scenes depicted in this book inappropriate for students under age 18. Ed.] |
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