Pumpkin Patch Panegyric (Happy Halloween)

Roy Nelder & "The Moffett"

Hey, how about a session?

 

An American Epic

Freedom of conscience, spiritual liberation, equality of men and women, the central place of family in the human experience, rejection of theocracy - The Scarlet Letter is America's national epic.

As a phenomenon of intellectual history, The Scarlet Letter presents a definitive formulation of the classic liberal ideas that mark the emergence of the modern world. Like the Declaration of Independence, The Scarlet Letter stands on the shoulders of well-evolved political and theological discussions advancing a range of related notions concerning human nature, spiritual freedom, individualism, community, open public disclosure, the nature and character of law, separation of government institutions and powers, and the separation of church and state.

Click the cover image to view the Amazon sales page for the International Authors edition of The Scarlet Letter with my Afterward, "A is for Antinomian: Theology and Politics in The Scarlet Letter."

Mercator Projection vs. the True Size of Countries

Does "True" = "Actual"?

Furthermore, in a geometric sense, does "Actual" = "Accurate"? 

And, once again in a geometric sense, does (or could) "Accurate" = "True"? 

Ah, and what is meant by "geometric sense"? Is the meaning of "geometric sense" determined by use, by how it is understood, by syntactical structures, by the "mechanism" of a deep grammar, or by something else entirely? 

Could meaning in any sense be determined?  How so?  Because someone says so? What sort of world would we live in (and how do we characterize our psychology and our human nature) if meaning is something that is determined?

Beatnicks and Hipsters: Described, Characterized, Explained and Located (by Muriel Nissen)

Highbrow humor (vaguely humorous?) from Fyodor Dostoevsky: is there a cross-cultural "tincture" informing this gloomy aphorism? That is, what would it mean if Benjamin Franklin said this? Or, er, does Dostoievski know whereof he speaks? Hmm. Absent the satirical element, is this merely an empty utterance? And so on.

Highbrow humor (is it funny, and how so?) from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“The Strange Tale of the Kamikiri"

 A woman is attacked by the Kamikiri (“Hair-Cutter”) on her way to the toilet. Print by Utagawa Yoshifuji, Japan, 1868

Translation:

As the saying goes, there are no such things as monsters. But there may be odd stories that prove the exception. It was the 20th day of the 4th month, at a noble’s estate in Banchō district (in Tokyo). 

A maid, who had served the estate for many years, left her bedroom around midnight to use the outhouse.

Suddenly, she was attacked by a pitch-black, unknown being. It hit her on the head, causing her to fall and lose consciousness. The noise alerted others, who came to her aid. Slowly, she regained consciousness. But her hairknot had been cut off, and was found lying 2-3 ken (12-18 feet) away. The pitch-black being was said to resemble a cat, and its fur was like velvet.

This is a true story, taken from a reputable source and presented as such.

Circe Offers Immortality to Odysseus

Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus by John William Waterhouse

When Odysseus first encounters Circe on the enchanted isle of Aeaea, she tempts him with a potion that will turn him into a swine.  They form a "loving" truce, but the symbol of the offered cup characterizes their relationship, notwithstanding the extraordinary aid she will give him in his quest to visit the underworld and, emboldened with the wisdom of the shades, hence proceed to Ithaca.

The first encounter is emblematic of his relationship with her, as later she offers him immortality. The situation is critical, and here (perhaps) Odysseus faces the most pivotal decision in the poem.  Does he accept Circe's offer of immortality?  Does he drink from her "cup of life"? The image of Odysseus reflected in the mirror presents the tension of his emotions and the depths of his thoughts.  A never-ending experience of sensual gratification, learning, liberation from the fear of death... But accepting Circe's gift also means forfeiting something of his self--indeed, perhaps his self entirely--his manhood, his identity as a human being, and, one wonders, forfeiting his soul forever. Note the wand, held proudly aloft in a gesture suggesting a shepherd commanding sheep, the delightful bosom thinly veiled, and, ultimately, the swine at her feet--the fate of Odysseus's sailors who had fallen to her bewitchments.  She is no human woman, not a wife... and one is reminded of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, where Faust demands a wife but is left only with a demon posing as his whore, for as Mephistopheles admonishes Faust, marriage is a sacrament, and Faust is denied such things... After signing off his soul, Faust is mere spirit.  Though Odysseus fully contemplates and feels anticipation for the delights and is "properly" tempted (again, look at his face reflected in the mirror), his thoughtfulness counsels him and he is led to spiritual safety.  Note also in his hand the raised knife.  Thoughtfulness, alertness, and seeing through appearances to reality are amply represented by the image of a keen weapon. Toward the end of the book (Book 10) Odysseus will again use his blade to command the shades of the dead.

Living the Proletarian Dream in the Post-Kinship Collective

The Night of the Hunter, 1955 (offbeat, unremarkable, a bit weird, almost a bit strange, somewhere between mannered sensationalism and film noir, "rote" surrealism, tiresome, vaguely and unconsciously vulgar, a bit silly, almost a blot on world cinema... not worth much commentary--or much viewing--and so on)

Emanations 12 Call for Submissions

International Authors and the editors of Emanations announce a Call for Submissions:

Emanations 12

Emanations is an anthology series featuring fiction, poetry, and essays. The emphasis is on alternative narrative structures, new epistemologies, peculiar settings, esoteric themes, sharp breaks from reality, ecstatic revelations, and vivid and abundant hallucinations.

The editors are interested in literary material. We seek fiction and poetry that present unworldly ways of seeing, feeling, and describing. Recognizable genres—science fiction, fantasy, horror, political dystopia, satire, mystery, local color, romance, realism, surrealism, and postmodernism—are fine, but the chief idea is to make something new, and along these lines the illusion of something new can be just as important.

In Emanations 12 we seek to emphasize graphics and visual pieces. We are especially interested in asemic writing and images, visual poetry, formalist experiments in prose, bricolage, new experiments in graphic representation, and visual narratives. Artists are invited to prepare “compressed” portfolios (5-20 images) with an “artist's statement.” Please bear in mind that the production will be in black and white.

If an image, story or poem makes someone say, “Yes, it is good, but what is it?” then it is right for Emanations.

Essays should be exuberant, daring, and free of pedantry. Accounts of unusual travels are especially welcome. Length is a consideration in making publication decisions, but in keeping with the spirit of the project contributors should consider length to be “open.”

Our editorial vision is evolving. Contributors should see themselves as actively shaping the “vision” of Emanations.

Email files with brief cover note to: 

iasubmissions@hotmail.com 

The deadline for submissions is January 1, 2026

Contributors should place their name in the subject heading, and they should include their name and contact information in the submitted file.

Emanations is a not-for-profit literary project, and contributors cannot be compensated at this time. All proceeds from the sale of Emanations will support the efforts of International Authors to publish new voices from around the world. Contributors receive a copy upon publication. Only one complimentary copy will be sent to each contributor; the fortunes of the mail, particularly international mail, are beyond the control of International Authors.

The project is a collaborative effort, and as we share ideas the “vision” transforms, evolves, and grows. When we write stories and poems, we hope to bring to bear the entire battery of modern and postmodern literary devices. More simply: we like good, strong writing. Our essays are incisive, precise, keen, challenging, and driven by the writer’s desire to advance an intelligent audience’s understanding of exotic and important subjects. In addition to travel writing, memoirs reflecting upon professional experiences—law, medicine, education, architecture, filmmaking—are very welcome.

The Fine Print:

1 Submit files as follows: Microsoft Word, Times New Roman size #11. Set Tabs for .2” and set spacing at 15. Remove extra lines between paragraphs. Use smart quotes. This will help reduce the workload as the editors format the book for publication

2 No simultaneous submissions (contributors should get fairly quick feedback anyway, especially if their submission meets our needs). Material that is obviously pulled from a file and has nothing to do with the goals of the anthology won’t get any feedback beyond the initial acknowledgement.

3 Word count/line count? See details above. We’re flexible, but contributors should be sensible when considering what they send in. A novella? Well, maybe, and so on... Rules of thumb: a) Stories: very short to 20-30 pages. b) Poems: send in 5-10 pages. c) Essays: 5-10-30 pages.

4 Published as hard copy only—Emanations will be available on Amazon. Participants who make a substantial contribution of material, editorial work, or art will get a copy. It can take some time to get copies to contributors outside of North America. In the case of our first anthology, for example, it took forty-five days to get a copy to a contributor in to Nepal. As described above, only one copy will be sent to each contributor; the fate of the mail, particularly international mail, is beyond the control of International Authors.

5 International Authors is a consortium, and as such every contributor is a “member” of our community, and contributors are encouraged to help promote the anthology by sending review copies to newspapers, journals and relevant Web sites.

6 Copyright “reverts” to contributors upon publication. That is, after an accepted piece appears in Emanations, the contributor can publish their piece elsewhere. Contributors should understand that Emanations could remain for sale on Amazon indefinitely. All materials appearing in Emanations are under the exclusive copyright of the contributing writers and artists.

7 Note to poets: Please do not send poems as individual files. All poetry submissions should be sent as a SINGLE Mircosoft Word file formatted in Times New Roman, size 11. Please submit three to ten pages.

8 Please DO NOT submit AI writing or art. 

 

Contributors submitting work to Emanations agree to these points.

 

 Published by International Authors

 

Emanations 11 joins volumes 1 through 10 at Kent State University Library Special Collections

Emanations vols. I-XI are now part of the Special Collections archive at the Kent State University Library.

I would like to thank Professor Mack Hassler who started the Emanations collection at Kent... and for being such a good friend to International Authors! 

Thanks also to Professor Elizabeth Campion, Coordinator of Special Collections & Archives, who does such terrific work with the library!

 

 Please click HERE to view the list of Emanations at Kent.

 

Mr. Potato Head (on the Moon)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Potato Head

On the Moon

Gimmick?

Or Genius?

Or Something Else 

Entirely?

 

Mr. Potato Head

On the Moon

A linguistic turn in Philosophy?

Or Ockham's distinction

Between Science 

And the Language of Science 

Repackaged? 

 

Mr. Potato Head

On the Moon

A childish desire?

Or the fulfillment

Of something... something...

Connoting a new understanding?

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Il ne s'agit pas d'un homme dans un bus portant un masque de lapin, ni du vent et du chant d'un célèbre philosophe postmoderne, un personnage absurde avec sa fameuse moustache hideuse, pourrait-on dire. Cependant, le panneau « Sortie de secours » est parfaitement approprié.

Coda:

René Magritte The Treachery of Images (French: La Trahison des images), 1929. Also known as This Is Not a Pipe, Ceci n'est pas une pipe and The Wind and the Song. 

"The moment you exit the vault, you will notice a piercing bright light."

Can Philosophy address the questions attending this "crisis point in ontogeny," if that's what it is?  Hmm. Click HERE.

Experimental Art: utterance, speaker, and the objective correlative: a dialogue

 

 

 

The Germanification of American culture, institutions and politics... where to begin? (repost)

Now with revisions, the following was originally posted to Highbrow September 10, 2023:

(Click the cover images for descriptions)

Overture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also: The Man in the High Castle TV series. Click here and view the first episode free.

Historical and Sociological Studies

 

Elizabeth Gordon - "The Threat to the Next America," House Beautiful, April 1953. Click HERE.  (Related:  Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier.) 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

"The German Invasion in Social Science"  by Scott Yenor; a review of Winning America's Second Civil War by Jeffrey E. Paul.

Google Search

Click here

Deeper Theory

Here is a wilderness... 

Leo Strauss?  Herbert Marcuse? Maybe begin with the Wikipedia article on Carl Schmitt. Click the photo: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institute for Social Research (Frankfurt School):

 

More philosophy: click HERE for a Highbrow post related to this subject.

Back to PKD:  click HERE for a Highbrow note on technocracy in the novels of Philip K. Dick.

George Orwell describes "meanigless words"

"Meaningless words. In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning. Words like romantic, plastic, values, human, dead, sentimental, natural, vitality, as used in art criticism, are strictly meaningless, in the sense that they not only do not point to any discoverable object, but are hardly even expected to do so by the reader. When one critic writes, ‘The outstanding feature of Mr. X’s work is its living quality’, while another writes, ‘The immediately striking thing about Mr. X’s work is its peculiar deadness’, the reader accepts this as a simple difference of opinion. If words like black and white were involved, instead of the jargon words dead and living, he would see at once that language was being used in an improper way. Many political words are similarly abused. The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies ‘something not desirable’. The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice, have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another. In the case of a word like democracy, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it: consequently the defenders of every kind of régime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using that word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different. Statements like Marshal Pétain was a true patriot, The Soviet press is the freest in the world, The Catholic Church is opposed to persecution, are almost always made with intent to deceive. Other words used in variable meanings, in most cases more or less dishonestly, are: class, totalitarian, science, progressive, reactionary, bourgeois, equality."

Read "Politics and the English Language" HERE.

Sculpture of the Duce by Aroldo Bellini (1902-1984) for the Universal Exposition in Rome, 1942. It remained unfinished.

 

Man Ray on X-Ray Inspiration and the Dada

Highbrow advice from Harry Truman

More?  Please click HERE.

Ways of Knowing: a portal to the "ethical moment"

(creator unknown)

Want to learn more about portals?  Click HERE.

Polygonal surfaces contextualized by inexplicit-but-usable perceptual language: inside (perpendicular) and outside (oblique)

David Novros, Untitled, 1970, fresco, Judd House, 101 Spring Street, New York

Metaphysics without Metaphysics, Zen without Zen, Meditation without Meditation, Sensationalism without Sensationalism, Beauty without Beauty, For All

"You kids can become great artists, writers, actors, or even famous musicians if you have enough ability and are willing to work very hard." - Popeye

"Zero Points of Articulation"

Coherent diversity, alternating variety, heterogeneity in utility, singleness of purpose