The eye, in other words, is the concentrated idea of the face squeezed through itself and out into the light, and to this hemisphere of spiritual juice the reflected world comes home, briefly, to roost —
I read you to dance in words. So many things to laugh or cringe at - but underscoring everything certain sentences that remind me of things - that Martin Luther was an iconoclast only as mortifyingly less tedious than saint augustine…
Gallery exhibits don’t ever know where they’re going. Thank God.
Also Cusk was mentioned above. I recommend that as well. I don't really "like" her writing but I am always glad I read it. Odd. The museum piece mentioned above stands out to me, too. The rhythm and altitude of your narrative sections connects in my mind with hers, somehow.
I'm sorry to see here and from some other thing you wrote somewhere that you're having trouble getting this and other things published. It's not surprising, given the state of things. It looks like you have a big following here, so I hope you take encouragement from that and keep going. I've discovered you recently and really enjoy your work, even if, to be frank, I'm swimming in pretty deep water (for me) when I jump into your pieces. So little is challenging in our world anymore that it's wonderful to come in contact with your work.
Thank you very much for reading and for your kind words, Andrew. Honestly, I exaggerate, I only submitted it to one place, there's really no problem, and they're lovely people. The biggest problem really is how much time it takes to get things published, both in terms of finding a place and then waiting, I also suspect that if I started being getting published more generally I would become a much worse writer within a couple of weeks; to be read and commented on is certainly very encouraging.
You would if published certainly become a writer who writes less…it seems like there's an awful lot of scut work involved after somebody says “Yes, here's some money.” I think my experience is similar to yours in that I have not found a place to get published -- either bc my writing stinks or because it is off the beaten track -- but have as of a month ago found it helpful to have a few people read and engage with it here. It definitely helps me feel less crazy to be not QUITE just writing for myself in the basement. But I do appreciate your work and was so pleased from a Functioning Society standpoint to see that you have such a following!
Wow!!! Randomly reading Substack posts today, and while clearly I had noticed your writing before as I’d subscribed, I opened this without remembering your previous work. Incredible writing—if, as you say, no one will publish it, it speaks only to the sorry state of publishing these days. This was one of the most interesting and kind of thrilling pieces of writing I’ve read recently, and I read a lot. Deep respect!
The prey artwork concept merits a cash advance from a film studio for a movie script, to be written by you, in a sum no less than $175,000. It will evolve, in the hands of the script doctors, into a science fiction adventure story with much graphic violence, and no less than three almost entirely gratuitous sex scenes, in which we will see, inter alia, the impeccable jawline, viewed from below, of at least one A-list actress.
The young woman "performatively" trapped between her two female relatives was a detour which could have been a whole story. I smiled and almost really did laugh out loud. So, good.
The art theory I took as poetic sounding mumble-jumble, since I cannot understand that sort of thing. But, keep doing it. It is like a flavoring in the dish we would miss if it were gone.
Oddly, and I hope you will not hate me, this reminded me of the museum passages in the most recent Rachel Cusk novel. I suppose she is not cool anymore, since if I like her she must be "out" (he said self-pityingly) but I do like her stuff, and I mean this as a compliment.
And England is not maggots and corpses, it is a place that exists solely in my imagination, more a long-lost time than a place, when it was as the homeland of people like Garnet Wolselely, and "Fighting Bob" Sale and Francis Younghusband, and other blunt and honest heroes and stone cold killers who conquered the world and spent little time on self-accusatory introspection, and lived and spoke without irony. And I will, against all that is held holy today, assert that they were better men than we are, or at least better than most of us.
Thank you Contarini, I haven't read Cusk but I have a good 'impression' of her (more so now based on your enjoyment of her), I thought 'intuitively' that you had made up Garnet and Bob and Younghusband but now I realise that are perfectly real... I wonder if some 'minimal irony' is either built in even to such people but perhaps was subterranean but then again if it's 'subterranean' I guess that means I'm just inventing it
I often find myself rereading your work. And though I studied the Russian language in high school, that was over 50 years ago. I had to cheat a little to recall the Tolstoy.
After all was said and done, remember the Chinese past middle age 'Banko' who is making AI movies out of this was not able to read, Caan's satire of you as 'Banquo'. I mean when the Empire of the real people achieves what it can by way of those hundred tons of gold, this was writt. Not sacred except as the blackest of our adolescent nights were s'd,. And then you turned the lights on. Livid. Bodies. Let's build a pyramid. I believe our new slump and fuse architecture for a less round but somehow equally and more organismic kind of slump and fused hobbit hole is in that training grounds there. Our ducats in selling baseball batting cage 'homes', comma, have to franchise, perched uptop is a sleeping nest for the small family.
I don't get all of this, but I think you're on (to) something.
I'm right there with you. This guy's brilliant.
My biggest flex is I didn’t need a translator for the Tolstoy here
I read you to dance in words. So many things to laugh or cringe at - but underscoring everything certain sentences that remind me of things - that Martin Luther was an iconoclast only as mortifyingly less tedious than saint augustine…
Gallery exhibits don’t ever know where they’re going. Thank God.
thank you for reading as always Patris
You should at least try to find someone to give you a massive advance on the basis of this sage, excruciating fun. Nobody does it better.
thank you, I am trying hahaha
Also Cusk was mentioned above. I recommend that as well. I don't really "like" her writing but I am always glad I read it. Odd. The museum piece mentioned above stands out to me, too. The rhythm and altitude of your narrative sections connects in my mind with hers, somehow.
I'm sorry to see here and from some other thing you wrote somewhere that you're having trouble getting this and other things published. It's not surprising, given the state of things. It looks like you have a big following here, so I hope you take encouragement from that and keep going. I've discovered you recently and really enjoy your work, even if, to be frank, I'm swimming in pretty deep water (for me) when I jump into your pieces. So little is challenging in our world anymore that it's wonderful to come in contact with your work.
Thank you very much for reading and for your kind words, Andrew. Honestly, I exaggerate, I only submitted it to one place, there's really no problem, and they're lovely people. The biggest problem really is how much time it takes to get things published, both in terms of finding a place and then waiting, I also suspect that if I started being getting published more generally I would become a much worse writer within a couple of weeks; to be read and commented on is certainly very encouraging.
You would if published certainly become a writer who writes less…it seems like there's an awful lot of scut work involved after somebody says “Yes, here's some money.” I think my experience is similar to yours in that I have not found a place to get published -- either bc my writing stinks or because it is off the beaten track -- but have as of a month ago found it helpful to have a few people read and engage with it here. It definitely helps me feel less crazy to be not QUITE just writing for myself in the basement. But I do appreciate your work and was so pleased from a Functioning Society standpoint to see that you have such a following!
Wow!!! Randomly reading Substack posts today, and while clearly I had noticed your writing before as I’d subscribed, I opened this without remembering your previous work. Incredible writing—if, as you say, no one will publish it, it speaks only to the sorry state of publishing these days. This was one of the most interesting and kind of thrilling pieces of writing I’ve read recently, and I read a lot. Deep respect!
Thank you very much for reading and for your generous words, Zora
My response is forthcoming: “the newer perspective on modern art: a response to my critics”
The prey artwork concept merits a cash advance from a film studio for a movie script, to be written by you, in a sum no less than $175,000. It will evolve, in the hands of the script doctors, into a science fiction adventure story with much graphic violence, and no less than three almost entirely gratuitous sex scenes, in which we will see, inter alia, the impeccable jawline, viewed from below, of at least one A-list actress.
The young woman "performatively" trapped between her two female relatives was a detour which could have been a whole story. I smiled and almost really did laugh out loud. So, good.
The art theory I took as poetic sounding mumble-jumble, since I cannot understand that sort of thing. But, keep doing it. It is like a flavoring in the dish we would miss if it were gone.
Oddly, and I hope you will not hate me, this reminded me of the museum passages in the most recent Rachel Cusk novel. I suppose she is not cool anymore, since if I like her she must be "out" (he said self-pityingly) but I do like her stuff, and I mean this as a compliment.
And England is not maggots and corpses, it is a place that exists solely in my imagination, more a long-lost time than a place, when it was as the homeland of people like Garnet Wolselely, and "Fighting Bob" Sale and Francis Younghusband, and other blunt and honest heroes and stone cold killers who conquered the world and spent little time on self-accusatory introspection, and lived and spoke without irony. And I will, against all that is held holy today, assert that they were better men than we are, or at least better than most of us.
Overall, a damned fine piece of work, sir.
Thank you Contarini, I haven't read Cusk but I have a good 'impression' of her (more so now based on your enjoyment of her), I thought 'intuitively' that you had made up Garnet and Bob and Younghusband but now I realise that are perfectly real... I wonder if some 'minimal irony' is either built in even to such people but perhaps was subterranean but then again if it's 'subterranean' I guess that means I'm just inventing it
Here’s Wolseley. Real as can be.
Once upon a time, everyone in the world knew he was. Such is the fleetingness of fame.
https://open.substack.com/pub/contarini/p/a-storming-party-were-called-for?r=9sy97&utm_medium=ios
You need to pay wall this
I thought about it, in crass pragmatic terms, I think it is 'more effective' not to
Good topic. What's the theory? 😂
I often find myself rereading your work. And though I studied the Russian language in high school, that was over 50 years ago. I had to cheat a little to recall the Tolstoy.
After all was said and done, remember the Chinese past middle age 'Banko' who is making AI movies out of this was not able to read, Caan's satire of you as 'Banquo'. I mean when the Empire of the real people achieves what it can by way of those hundred tons of gold, this was writt. Not sacred except as the blackest of our adolescent nights were s'd,. And then you turned the lights on. Livid. Bodies. Let's build a pyramid. I believe our new slump and fuse architecture for a less round but somehow equally and more organismic kind of slump and fused hobbit hole is in that training grounds there. Our ducats in selling baseball batting cage 'homes', comma, have to franchise, perched uptop is a sleeping nest for the small family.