I’m a lifelong artist in my early 70’s. Reading this cogent essay made me swear, sigh, and cry. It says everything I wish I could say. Thanks for saying all of it for all of us. Yes we are fucked. And we may all very well be toast soon as well if the ones in power do the unthinkable.
I would say that democracy is an old, but fragile thing, held together by hard work and an unwillingness to let go. It was just as fragile in ancient Greece and Rome. But humanity has always been at the mercy of greedy, hostile men. And, we are at the end of the 20th century, riding on its vapors and facing the effects of the great technological change that is slowly devouring it. That our "leaders" have any idea where this is leading is evident in their cosplay, as if this is some great cosmic play/film/TV series/TikTok/ you name it reel to be controlled and consumed by the masses because that's what we've been conditioned over the last 70 years to see as the truth by the messengers, the media-however you choose to define them. We seek what we want to hear not what we need to know.
America is at an inflection point. What are we? What do we stand for?
The architects of the post war second half of the 20th century are all gone; they cannot save us. Nor should they. Trump and his shoddy band of idiots and martinets are surely driving us into a ditch and it will be at that point that the younger generations, as well as all the billionaire want-to-be overlords will have to hash out what the 21st century, and beyond, will be. All us old fucks (I"m 65) can only watch and offer what wisdom we may have acquired.
On the plus side, the sun still rises, the wine, beer, and spirits are very good, and I shall rail with word and song until God or the cosmos claim me and I return to the source of all things.
The Ring of Truth in these times is as melancholy as a dirge; no victory or glory on high pealing across the hills, only a reverberating echo depreciating into muffled exhalation as it stumbles, unrecognized, into porous unformed surfaces unable to refract or reflect.
Or so it seems. It does not fall only on unhearing ears, and all things are cyclical (well, climate change may yet challenge us on that one—)
Thank you for this outpouring and for the notations on history— it’s important to keep repeating these things, even as it is demoralizing to know that such things require constant repetition. Art is never finished, because the struggle against those who would have absolute power is never finished.
"to be a citizen of a collapsing democracy, to a writer it feels like disproof of the hopeful notion that books, writing, history, language itself, or other means of transmitting information from one generation to the next—anything other than dumb blunt first-hand experience—ever teaches anybody anything at all."
In my experience, this has been true. Having two front teeth punched out of my head did the trick after a few years of trying to die by much more grievous means.
Vanity's death saved my life. Not so sure it will work for America.
// .. I was disheartened to learn that I had not invented metafiction, which I’d felt had been clever. .. //
I understand. A friend periodically sends me lists of songs (B-sides) and authors. After due consideration, I now believe I'm in recovery from some delusion of creativity.
A few:
Corduroy Pants - Perch Theatre
Coroner And Knives - Al Duvall
Count To Ten - Paul & Storm
Crayfish - The Scurvy Pirates
Crazy - Ace T. & The Hindenburg Ground Crew
Dachshunds With Erections Can't Climb Stairs - The Mrs Ackroyd Band
Daddy's Money - Ogden Edsl
Daffy Duck's Rhapsody - Mel Blanc
Dance Of The Hours - Spike Jones & His City Slickers (Vocal: Doodles Weaver)
Have a blessed day, and thanks for the brilliant essay on art and artists.
I'm 70 & I feel the same! We are all in a state of disbelief! How could we have even conceived that our country, this country, which had won the largest human conflict ever, & had reconstructed, (or were in the process of) the world as a better, if certainly not perfect place would have become, in less than 100 years, the stupidest, most self-destructive nation ever? Intentionally! That almost half the voters, with another good 20 million or so completely indifferent, would have chosen to put in charge the stupidest, most ignorant & narcissistic, self absorbed idiot we could possibly find?
I find your attitude and response heartening, realistic & incredibly true to my frustrated, angry, incredulous own!
I’m a lifelong artist in my early 70’s. Reading this cogent essay made me swear, sigh, and cry. It says everything I wish I could say. Thanks for saying all of it for all of us. Yes we are fucked. And we may all very well be toast soon as well if the ones in power do the unthinkable.
"throve"
"thriven"?
Tim, awestruck you found something worth saying! Was glad to read this as I possibly could be.
I would say that democracy is an old, but fragile thing, held together by hard work and an unwillingness to let go. It was just as fragile in ancient Greece and Rome. But humanity has always been at the mercy of greedy, hostile men. And, we are at the end of the 20th century, riding on its vapors and facing the effects of the great technological change that is slowly devouring it. That our "leaders" have any idea where this is leading is evident in their cosplay, as if this is some great cosmic play/film/TV series/TikTok/ you name it reel to be controlled and consumed by the masses because that's what we've been conditioned over the last 70 years to see as the truth by the messengers, the media-however you choose to define them. We seek what we want to hear not what we need to know.
America is at an inflection point. What are we? What do we stand for?
The architects of the post war second half of the 20th century are all gone; they cannot save us. Nor should they. Trump and his shoddy band of idiots and martinets are surely driving us into a ditch and it will be at that point that the younger generations, as well as all the billionaire want-to-be overlords will have to hash out what the 21st century, and beyond, will be. All us old fucks (I"m 65) can only watch and offer what wisdom we may have acquired.
On the plus side, the sun still rises, the wine, beer, and spirits are very good, and I shall rail with word and song until God or the cosmos claim me and I return to the source of all things.
Please, never stop writing.
The Ring of Truth in these times is as melancholy as a dirge; no victory or glory on high pealing across the hills, only a reverberating echo depreciating into muffled exhalation as it stumbles, unrecognized, into porous unformed surfaces unable to refract or reflect.
Or so it seems. It does not fall only on unhearing ears, and all things are cyclical (well, climate change may yet challenge us on that one—)
Thank you for this outpouring and for the notations on history— it’s important to keep repeating these things, even as it is demoralizing to know that such things require constant repetition. Art is never finished, because the struggle against those who would have absolute power is never finished.
"to be a citizen of a collapsing democracy, to a writer it feels like disproof of the hopeful notion that books, writing, history, language itself, or other means of transmitting information from one generation to the next—anything other than dumb blunt first-hand experience—ever teaches anybody anything at all."
In my experience, this has been true. Having two front teeth punched out of my head did the trick after a few years of trying to die by much more grievous means.
Vanity's death saved my life. Not so sure it will work for America.
// .. I was disheartened to learn that I had not invented metafiction, which I’d felt had been clever. .. //
I understand. A friend periodically sends me lists of songs (B-sides) and authors. After due consideration, I now believe I'm in recovery from some delusion of creativity.
A few:
Corduroy Pants - Perch Theatre
Coroner And Knives - Al Duvall
Count To Ten - Paul & Storm
Crayfish - The Scurvy Pirates
Crazy - Ace T. & The Hindenburg Ground Crew
Dachshunds With Erections Can't Climb Stairs - The Mrs Ackroyd Band
Daddy's Money - Ogden Edsl
Daffy Duck's Rhapsody - Mel Blanc
Dance Of The Hours - Spike Jones & His City Slickers (Vocal: Doodles Weaver)
Have a blessed day, and thanks for the brilliant essay on art and artists.
I'm 70 & I feel the same! We are all in a state of disbelief! How could we have even conceived that our country, this country, which had won the largest human conflict ever, & had reconstructed, (or were in the process of) the world as a better, if certainly not perfect place would have become, in less than 100 years, the stupidest, most self-destructive nation ever? Intentionally! That almost half the voters, with another good 20 million or so completely indifferent, would have chosen to put in charge the stupidest, most ignorant & narcissistic, self absorbed idiot we could possibly find?
I find your attitude and response heartening, realistic & incredibly true to my frustrated, angry, incredulous own!
"once more unto the breach," indeed. Thanks for your work, good sir.