Comments on: Monthly Milestone: In Defense of Detail

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:18:21 +0000

I think that was Flaubert’s meaning too. I’m just sayin’, as the kids say.

By: Marvin Face

Marvin Face — Sat, 07 May 2011 22:26:00 +0000

Rod, I recognize “God is in the detail” much more in alignment with Mies. The idea that one could be lazy and detail something as expected and to the general conventions and one could look at it and see nothing interesting let alone spectacular. When the effort is put into doing something different or something new and one pours a great deal of equity into the work, one looks at the finished product and sees the reflection of God.

This is exactly the sentiment that I believe Vivienne was trying to convey in the angel comment.

Devil? Meh.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:44:08 +0000

I should note that Hume was featured in two essays on different subjects I read recently. Okay, maybe not pertinent, but thought I’d better throw in something literary.

I was making a little joke, saying “the angel is in the details” as a reference to the commonly heard devil version. It was meant as a compliment to Dave’s persistence at retaining these. I have noticed a trend recently in his essays (usually a column) of weaving many little bits into a coherent whole, which is what this milestone was about. I find this sort of fully fleshed rumination very satisfying and often enlightening. One outstanding example was tying the geological report from a former AADL board member in with the story on the library lot sinkhole and the Valiant proposal. It had been a report from months earlier which then became relevant and also cast a light from a different angle on the whole mess.

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:06:33 +0000

By the way, “the devil is in the details” makes perfect sense to me. It’s about how hard it is to try to get the details right. Things seem easy in the imagination, and then you try to actually do them and it turns out it’s not so. “The devil” is a metaphorical expression of that, n’est-ce pas?

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:03:40 +0000

Not sure, it's in the Pensées, which is I think just a collection of stuff he said in one context or another. But my guess is that it's a battle cry for realism, of which he was one of the primary French exponents. He was a very exacting writer, always looking for the details that would make his scenes as undeniably real to the reader as possible, and also le mot juste (also his expression, by the way).

By: abc

abc — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:55:07 +0000

In what context did Flaubert offer up that nugget?

Oh and architects never reveal their inspirations.

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:39:10 +0000

“Le bon Dieu est dans le detail.”
–Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880)

Mies might have said it, but he didn’t own it.

By: Edward Vielmetti

Edward Vielmetti — Tue, 03 May 2011 03:09:13 +0000

I love the Washtenaw Voice, great newspaper.

By: Marvin Face

Marvin Face — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:21:45 +0000

@ Vivienne: You’re getting close. Closer than most, as a matter of fact. The exact quote by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is “God is in the detail”. This has been co-opted by Godless people and twisted into “the devil is in the details” which has never made any sense to me.

By: abc

abc — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:53:11 +0000

“Pieces of String Too Short to Use.”

the perfect counter to

“Enough rope to hang yourself”