At Book Reading, Purdy Quietly Denounces Cynicism

Jedediah Purdy '97, the Generation-X author of a book denouncing cynicism, quietly ambled to the podium for a book reading at the Hasty Pudding Institute yesterday evening.

"I'll try to speak up," he told the half- full theater, "but I'm not very good at it."

Purdy has gained national media attention since his book, For Common Things: Irony, Trust and Commitment in America Today, was released earlier this year. And now, despite his unassuming manner, the 24-year-old Yale Law student has emerged as a role model for many.

"Irony is not just something we watch, it's something we do," Purdy said. "It renders everything cliche. Unique moments seem impossible."

Purdy, home-schooled by his counterculture parents in West Virginia, said he was spurred to write For Common Things by "a keen sense of ambivalence...between the obligation to do public work and the suspicion that that work is futile and self-indulgent."

Purdy described the book not as an attack on irony or a mandate for sincerity, but simply as "an exercise in distinguishing between what should and should not be taken seriously."

He readily admitted that he likes comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who he describes as "irony incarnate," and said people "have to have" a healthy sense of irony.

Purdy described his book as forwarding a hopeful vision for a world where people can "participate and protect."

Some audience members said they found Purdy's hopefulness contagious.

"I was very impressed," said Liz M. Foster '01. "It was inspiring."

"There is an element of walking your talk," said Kata Chuck, a Boston-area resident who said she was interested in whether Purdy could live up to the standards in his book. "If there isn't substance to your words, talk is cheap."

But Purdy has also met with criticism. Some book reviewers have branded his book as preachy and simplistic, and fellow Generation X-ers have cringed at his message.

Purdy declined applause at the conclusion of his speech, quickly descending from the podium. But as he walked away, a Harvard Book Store representative responsible for bringing Purdy to Harvard as part of a distinguished author series spoke.

"I know this is ironic," she said, laughing, "but we will be selling [Purdy's] books in the next room."