#Comprehensive Universal Poem System

[publius-library]

Hamilton: The Energetic Founder by R.B. Bernstein- A Book Review by a Teenage Know-It-All

In general, when an author refers to the Founding Fathers as "The Founding Guys" in the dedication page of his novel, my hopes are set pretty high from the get-go. I found this book while taking shelter in the Harvard Bookstore after a particularly distressing bus ride with my mother, so my judgment could have been clouded, but I actually don't regret this purchase.

Bernstein's book is short, concise, and comprehensive. While you may not be bored to death with every available anecdote about Alexander Hamilton as some authors (who will remain nameless until later) would want you to be, someone with limited knowledge of the bastard founder would be substantially educated after reading this easy 100 page read (not including the preface or epilogue).

Preface and Acknowledgments

You could not pay me to read anyone's preface or acknowledgments unless it is under 20 words. Bernstein's was not, so it won't be included in my review or in my household.

Chapter 1: Life

Early Life

I hate to say it, and you hate to hear it, but Bernstein's novel has very minimal footnotes (not at the bottom of the page, can't slip that past me), only being used for direct citations. So, there is no telling where he got the birthyear of 1758 for Hamilton because it's not cited. However, to his credit, he refers to an ambiguous "latest major biographer", and I admire anyone who does not invoke the name of the devil.

When it comes to the argument about Hamilton's birth year/age, it depends largely on which sources you believe are more credible, as well as which explanation for the discrepancy between them that you believe is most viable. It also depends on whether or not you believe Hamilton, who continuously used the 1757 year that has been considered truth by many. However, this was only used by Hamilton after his college years, and that is an important distinction.

On April 6, 1771, a teenage Alexander Hamilton submitted a poem to the Royal Danish American Gazette and, wanting to seem just a little older than he was, he summarized himself as "...a youth about seventeen..." Doing some simple math with an overqualified calculator and the knowledge that Hamilton was an insecure 16 year old, we can calculate from those numbers that Hamilton was born in 1755.

Source: Founders Online, Alexander Hamilton Papers: Alexander Hamilton to Royal Danish American Gazette, 6 April 1771. This document also includes Hamilton's first recorded poem, which is very interesting and a worthwhile read to understand his developmental years.

When Hamilton arrived in the continental British colonies in 1773, the age he gave in the above letter would put him in Boston Harbor at the age of 18- far to old for college in this time period. The exact age of entry and graduation is not precise, but it can be estimated that students would enter in their early teens (around 13-14) and graduate before they turned 17. That makes an 18 year old Hamilton far behind his would-be graduating class.

Source: University of Pennsylvania, Penn Libraries, "Penn in the 18th Century: Student Life". I thoroughly enjoyed this article, and it answered some more questions about what exactly college entailed in the 1700s, which is far different to the modern system as there was very little organized educational systems outside of these colleges and universities.

The running theory among recent historians is that Hamilton aged himself down two years (changing his birth year from 1755 to 1757) in order to apply to the College of New Jersey (modern day Princeton), which was the obvious path for him given that he was living in New Jersey and had several alumnus as mentors. Of course, we all know the story of him being denied access to Princeton after requesting an advanced curriculum*, so this detail of the age-change could fit into this attempt to get into the school on his terms. Since 1757 was now his documented birth year, it makes sense that he would continue to use that year throughout his life, as to not confuse his family, friends, and colleagues.

*According to Hercules Mulligan, Hamilton wanted to advance through the standard curriculum "with as much rapidity as his exertions would enable him to do. Dr. Witherspoon [President of the College of New Jersey] listened with great attention to so unusual a proposition from so young a person and replied that he had not the sole power to determine that but he would submit the request to the trustees who would decide." (Source: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow; The William and Mary Quarterly, April 1947). Hamilton remedied this by applying to King's College (modern Columbia) and was enrolled as a special student who was tutored privately and audited necessary lectures as according to the president, Dr. Miles Cooper.

Despite all this, I have never come across 1758 as a possible birth year for Hamilton- nor have I 1754 or 1756. The issue is decidedly between 1755 or 1757, and Bernstein's lack of citations does not wholly reflect badly on his credibility, but it is disappointing because it just leaves me wondering where he got those numbers from.

The American Revolutionary War

The book does generally suffer from this lack of citation/elaboration for the sake of clarity, particularly in instances like on page 5, where Bernstein writes, "After months of organizing and training his artillery company, which he financed with the remainder of the funds meant to pay for his college education..." I have not seen any other documentation that Hamilton financed his artillery company with his educational funds, so knowing where this statement comes from would be greatly beneficial, but any citation that might elaborate on this does not exist.

There are also issues with Bernstein's timeline, along with a few dates being off (such as claiming Hamilton was invited to Washington's military staff in March 1777, when that was actually when he appeared on the payroll, and had actually been invited after the Battle of Princeton in January 1777), but it is especially noticeable when there seems to be some overlap in his novel between Hamilton's service as an artillery captain and as an aide-de-camp.

The HMS Asia was a British warship that blockaded the port of New York Harbor in August 1775, and fired upon the city. At the time, Hamilton and his friend Hercules Mulligan were serving in a makeshift militia company composed of college students called the Hearts of Oak. The following account details Hamilton's involvement in this event, which I consider the beginning of his military aspirations:

"The Asia fired upon the city, and I recollect well that Mr. Hamilton was there, for I was engaged in hauling off one of the cannon when Mr. H. came up and gave me his musket to hold and he took hold of the rope...I told him where I had left [the musket] and he went for it notwithstanding [that] the firing continued, with as much unconcern as if the vessel had not been there." -Hercules Mulligan on the Attack of the HMS Asia

Source: Hercules Mulligan: Confidential Correspondent of General George Washington - A Son of Liberty in the American War of Independence by Michael J. O'Brien

Through his connection to Alexander McDougall, who was forming a New York regiment to resist the British army, Hamilton was able to be recommended on February 23 to the New York Provincial Congress as a "...Capt. of a Company of Artillery." Hamilton received the formal assignment to this position on March 14, 1776, and maintained that post until he was offered a spot on George Washington's staff on January 20, 1777, and the appointment was confirmed on March 1, 1777.

Source: Alexander Hamilton: Youth to Maturity 1755-1788 by Broadus Mitchell

The job requirements of one of Washington's aides-de-camp were extensive, and included nearly every administrative duty that went along with running an army- from writing out orders to delivering them, from monitoring troops to rallying them in battle, the aides were official extensions of the Commander-in-Chief. Very often, skilled riders with military experience (as well as exceptional nagging ability) such as Hamilton were sent on small raiding missions, given a few men under their command to destroy or pillage supply stores. However, this does not constitute actually commanding a detachment, so Hamilton did not do this as Bernstein claims. The only time he did while under Washington's direct command was during the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, but by that time, he had long since quit Washington's office due to frustrations with the man in charge.

Source George Washington's Indispensable Men by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

This discrepancy is not a major flaw in Bernstein's retelling by any means, but it is one example of how the overall timeline of chapter one is a little muddled, which may confuse someone who does not have a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Alexander Hamilton's life like some of you weirdos on the internet (not me, obviously).

Political Career

Moving out of the war and into the Constitutional Era (1786-89), Bernstein includes the almost mandatory anecdote of Hamilton's infamous six hour speech* during the Constitutional Convention (though he claims it was between three and six hours, though all sources I've seen have said it was six). Bernstein describes the speech as such:

"Taking the floor, he gave a speech between three and six hours in length. He mocked the Articles of Confederation and the delegates' plans to fix them. Instead, he described his own plan for a truly national government that would have reduced the states to administrative districts and vested the general government with sweeping national powers. Unfortunately for Hamilton, his proposal remained only a proposal. He could only declaim and argue, for Yates and Lansing would not support his proposal on behalf of New York, nor would anybody else in the Convention, not even Madison," (Bernstein 11).

And all of this is absolutely correct- however, it misses the point. Hamilton's plan, which was everything Bernstein said it was, was so distinctly Hamilton that even the man himself was well aware that he was not likeable enough for it to pass. Though Hamilton put effort into his plan and had faith that it would be successful, it was far too close to a monarchy to appease the Convention (especially with whisperings of uprisings blowing across the Atlantic from Paris by this time).

Instead, Hamilton continued to give his speech delivering his proposal in order to push the radicals behind the New Jersey Plan to consider the moderate nature of the Virginia Plan, which Hamilton and his comrade Madison favored. The Virginia Plan was essentially a modified version of the British government model, which is distinctly Hamiltonian, even though Madison claims the credit. Hamilton had his reservations about the final draft- but so did Madison. They were teammates at this point, as contrasting to their later relationship that might be. Hamilton would not propose a contrary plan if he genuinely believed it could succeed; he had temporary lapses in political judgment frequently, but this was one of those golden moments where he seemed quite intelligent.

*Hamilton's speech was given about half a month after the Virginia Plan was first proposed, and three days after the New Jersey Plan. So although it was not especially late in the game, that changes when you consider that Hamilton had not spoken in support of either of the plans at all. Hamilton did criticize the Virginia plan ("And what even is the Virginia Plan, but democracy checked by democracy, or pork with a little change of the sauce?" Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787 by Catherine Drinker Bowen), so there is an argument that he was offering an alternative plan, but it's overall effect was to lend support to the Virginia Plan, as well as damaging Hamilton's reputation by igniting rumors of British sympathies.

There is very little to critique with Bernstein's retelling of the Washington administration, aside from a few strange descriptions and excessive brevity, but this era in American history is so excessive, and not everyone can write a King James Bible sized treatise on just Federalist 1-5.

This, however, does benefit benefit Bernstein when he discusses the Reynolds Affair. It is the sort of subject you want to dedicate time and words to, exploring the multiple perspectives and dynamics, if you're going to go in depth on it at all. Bernstein's retelling is simple, delicate, and careful, respecting all parties, especially the women.*

*Unlike some less comprehendible authors, Bernstein is not aggressively sexist against the women in Hamilton's life- starting with Rachael Fawcett (his spelling, again, not cited; Rachel's name has many spellings and variations so this is not especially egregious). He speaks of her respectfully and factually, which I shouldn't be happy about, but that's what we've come to here. I'll get into the larger consequences of brevity in a similar area later in the review, but you should know that I don't entirely approve of how much he skips over Hamilton's relationships with women, but to be fair, that would probably taken 100 pages on its own.

The Last Few Years

Again, there isn't too much to say here except for a few notes and interpretation differences between Bernstein and I. Firstly, on the issue of Washington's death, Bernstein writes of Hamilton's response to the sad news, "It does suggest, however, that Hamilton was so moved by Washington's death, which ended a close personal and political partnership spanning nearly twenty-five years, that he did not heed his own choice of words, a tendency that affected him throughout 1800," (24).

The instance where Hamilton "did not heed his own choice of words" was when Hamilton wrote to Tobias Lear, "Perhaps no man in this community has equal cause with myself to deplore the loss [of Washington]."

I think Bernstein's interpretation of this is a little dramatic; the expression that someone's feelings were the most intense or profound was a common saying in the 18th century western society, and can be seen in many letters regarding friends or extended family, where the person writing is definitely not the most affected by the loss. It is the deep expression of grief, not a legitimate claim that Hamilton's grief supersedes all others'. I only think this worth mentioning because it slightly misconstrues Hamilton's character, and it's important to avoid that.

Source: Founders Online, Hamilton Papers: Alexander Hamilton to Tobias Lear, 2 January 1800

The Duel

Overall, there are few portrayals of the 1804 Hamilton/Burr Duel that don't horribly disfigure the intentions of one of the parties involved. In his book, Bernstein picks Burr as the scapegoat, and chooses the route of claiming that Burr was simply looking for anyone he could point his pistol at, shouting unreasonable demands at Hamilton who respectfully raised a hand to silence him and gloriously took to the field.

Of course, the duel is an especially complex issue, which Bernstein dedicates a chapter to, so I will reserve my interpretation until then, but it's clear that his biography is strictly anti-Burr, which taking sides is not the most accurate way to approach the matter of a duel- or anything in historical politics, if I'm being fully honest with you.

Chapter 2: Revolution and Politics and Chapter 3: Law and Constitutionalism

As the heading implies, chapter two focuses on the two revolutions during Hamilton's lifetime (American and French, chronologically) and the impact they had on his politics. Now, while reading this, I admit I was increasingly frustrated that details about Hamilton's life that would have helped the brevity issues in chapter one were found in the following chapters, I can see the vision, and will accept it. The author's retellings of these events are very well, so I have little to disagree with, so I'll be discussing what I do disagree with, and what I thought he handled well.

Of course, as the champion of not giving Hamilton too much credit, I'm going to critique Bernstein for referring to Hamilton as "Washington's principle aide" on page 34. I fought Chernow on this, so I'll be fighting Bernstein on this. Hamilton, while a very valuable asset in Washington's staff, was not literally or figuratively his "principle" aide-de-camp.

The literal title goes to Washington's military secretaries, which, during most of Hamilton's tenure on his staff, was Robert Hanson Harrison. The figurative title falls to Tench Tilghman, who served for longer than Hamilton in, arguably, more capacities. Hamilton's skills were in politics and organization, as well as military maneuvers, so he was most often picked for interactions with congressmen and foreign representatives, as well as raids, foraging parties, and bookkeeping. Tilghman, however, filled in wherever was necessary from 1776 to 1781. The philosophy of "credit where credit is due" dictates that these men be given the title of "principle" aide before Hamilton, who only has the advantage of being louder and more famous.

Source: George Washington's Indispensable Men by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

One thing I think could have warranted a mention was Hamilton's paranoia towards mob rule. Of course, Hamilton's political theory of preventing both majority and minority rule are necessary to mention, as they are interwoven in both The Federalist and the Constitution itself, which can be pinned down as the best models for (most of) Hamilton's political philosophies.

However, Hamilton's fear of the mob dates back to before the French Revolution, where it really kicked up and paired well with Adams' Alien and Sedition Acts. These are major historical events that Bernstein does not neglect, however he could have gone a little deeper on this. Hamilton's fear of the mob can be traced back to his childhood in the Caribbean, where the fear of slave uprisings was implanted in every citizen's head, especially if they were raised in the area. This fear motivated Hamilton's actions in the aforementioned Dr. Miles Cooper incident, regardless of how you spell Miles/Myles, which was before both major revolutions, so it is a topic worth exploring.

There was a third revolution that Bernstein does not discuss: the Haitian Revolution in 1791. The results of this revolution was the founding of the country of Haiti, and the liberation of the island's enslaved people, who went on to govern the new country. This was, as you can imagine, every white person's nightmare at the time, especially if they were up to date on the recent occurrences in France, where the violence was increasing by the day. Hamilton's only references throughout his correspondence (that I could find) were in regards to a French fleet arriving in what is now Haiti, and "...the late disturbances in those Islands..." so unfortunately, we do not know his exact thought on that event. However, there is much to be speculated and discussed, given that this revolution occurred so close to his birthplace, and I think that the mention of this could have given this chapter of Bernstein's novel a new perspective that we don't normally see in a Hamilton biography.

Source: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow; Founders Online, Alexander Hamilton Papers: Alexander Hamilton’s Final Version of the Report on the Subject of Manufactures, 5 December 1791, Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 5 November 1796

One continuous pattern throughout the book is the idea that Hamilton had a fully "American" or "federal" perspective; that his priorities were dedicated to the entire country's interests, rather than to one particular state or region, (Bernstein 42, 66). This is, unlike most things in this novel, wholly untrue. Hamilton, although he would very much appreciate this statement, was very often biased towards the interests of New York as well as that of the upper merchant class of that state. Though he was not scheming to convert the whole American economy to being run by bankers and merchants like Jefferson claimed, he did still lean towards the class which he belonged until he was unable to maintain that position. In general, Bernstein is very kind to Hamilton, which is charitable, but inaccurate at times.

Bernstein is very talented at summarizing Hamilton's political philosophies, specifically when he describes Hamilton's four basic principles as being "...popular sovereignty, energetic government, checks and balances, and federalism," (Bernstein 40). These are themes that are abundant in Hamilton's political actions, and are espoused in The Federalist and other major publications of his, as well as the Constitution- because they mimic the foundations of the British government. Bernstein is clearly an incredible academic and historian who is greatly worthy of respect and a wonderful source for descriptions such as these.

Note: I included these two chapters in with each other since they're largely interlinked and I didn't have anything noteworthy to say about chapter three that I didn't already say about chapter two. That isn't to say that chapter three isn't noteworthy, but it stands on its own, in my opinion.

Chapter 4: Political Economy and Public Administration

For the two areas where we can see Hamilton's greatest accomplishments, Bernstein does an exceptional job at discussing his actions and motivations, as well as his conflicts with political rivals. My favorite sentence in particular can be found on page 74:

"Even at those times when most Americans have turned to worship at the ideological shrine of Thomas Jefferson, students of public administration have devoted close, admiring attention to Hamilton's thought and work." -Bernstein

I just really like it.

Another thing I really like was Bernstein's categorizing of the factors that went into Hamilton's view on the national economy, as well as his explanation (Bernstein 75-76). I'll include a summary here so those who do not have the means to buy his book can still appreciate his genius here.

Unity: authority organized from top down; keeping all government officials on the same page to execute orders from the top dog exactly as they were meant to be executed

Duration: the system in place would have to remain in place for an extended period of time in order to be properly incorporated, but the time period must also be short enough to ensure the efficiency of government

Adequacy: the government must have enough power to be able to actually execute the policies it puts in place, but cannot have too much that it infringes on the states' or individuals government given or fundamental rights

Responsibility: every official was responsible to the department and nation when executing policy, and must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the overall public administration

This categorization is effective in that it does not leave anything wanting- the reader is able to fully understand what went into Hamilton's thinking- but it is also concise enough that it does not bore you with 100 pages of doing over every. single. Federalist. paper. So, I appreciate Bernstein's mercy.

Chapter 5: War and Peace and Chapter 6: Honor and Dueling

Note: For chapter 5, I again had nothing to say, though I did write notes; however, they were only my typical complaints about having to read about my favorite subject in the world. That being said, there is more to chapter 6.

Bernstein categorizes (once more) the men of this generation into two groups: gentlemen of extreme politeness and gentlemen of the sword. These classifications are based on a man's response to a conflict or insult. Gentlemen of extreme politeness, like Jefferson or Madison, who, when in the face of conflict, do whatever they can to avoid open warfare with diplomatic responses according to an unwritten code of the Enlightenment Era. Gentlemen of the sword, however, shoot each other.

I would not say that 18th century western gentlemen were quite so black and white as this description, but I'll roll with it. So, we have gentlemen of extreme politeness (Jefferson, Madison, the Randolphs, the Livingstons) and then the gentlemen of the sword (Hamilton, Burr, Monroe...) Who else? I don't know, because Bernstein does not mention this name once:

John Laurens.

I made a post mentioning "Laurens erasure" in July, and I swore off arguing whether or not historical figures were queer a long time ago, but the entire exclusion of John Laurens from a Hamilton biography feels sinful, so I cannot let it stand. Even if he is a footnote, he deserves to be mentioned in Hamilton's life story, not only for the personal relationship they had, but for the role he played in the development of Hamilton's view of class distinctions.

John Laurens came from an extremely prestigious family of South Carolina, a colony founded for the purpose of making money for the British Empire. Alexander Hamilton's background contrasts this, as he was raised a poor bastard on an island where there were only the very rich and the severely impoverished, no in-between. This seems to have caused tension between Laurens and Hamilton at various points, but by the end of the relationship, Hamilton had joined the bourgeoisie that Laurens was born into, and this marks a significant shift in his attitudes towards various social issues.

Source: Founders Online, Hamilton Papers: Alexander Hamilton to John Laurens, 8 January 1780

More specifically to the topic at hand, John Laurens provided Hamilton with his first personal exposure to dueling (aside from the duels that occurred in his Caribbean childhood*), when Laurens dueled Major General Charles Lee in 1778, and Hamilton acted as his second. You'd think that this would warrant a footnote, but, as we've established, Bernstein does not believe in those unless it is a direct citation.

Source: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (pg. 18*) ; John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory D. Massey

Laurens and the honor culture we're discussing are inherently intertwined, and he's even further intertwined with Hamilton (usually in a military cot, I presume). It was the 18th century concept of "honor" that motivated Laurens to join the army, duel, and die in battle. It was honor that united Hamilton and Laurens, and it was Laurens who taught Hamilton the ins and outs of being an Enlightened, American gentleman with honor. Without John Laurens, Alexander would not have been Hamilton.

Now that I've said why Laurens should be mentioned, why shouldn't he? Brevity is one reason, and we've established that's very important to Bernstein, however I don't think it's good enough. Laurens would have prompted another question that Bernstein either didn't have time for or didn't have the answers for: were they gay? Well, I have the answers, but not the time, so we'll save that for another day. For now, tsk tsk, Bernstein.

Of course, Bernstein discusses the 1804 duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Bernstein doesn't say anything particularly extraordinary about this event, and neither will I, because everything has already been said about it that could have been said (probably, if you can find something original, please grace my ears with it). However, the particular narrative that Bernstein leans into is problematic in one particular way, and that is demonstrated in this excerpt:

"There are a few salient points about how this honor dispute escalated- or deteriorated- into a duel. First, what if Burr had gone first to cooper to ask what Hamilton's "despicable opinion" had been... Second, Burr's choice to confront Hamilton rather than [Reverend Charles] Cooper suggests how ready he was to accept a duel as the only way to resolve his dispute with Hamilton and vindicate his honor. Third had Burr been that ready to risk a duel, Hamilton could not have avoided it," (96).

For some context, Burr cited his reason for challenging Hamilton as being a letter between Reverend Charles Cooper and General Philip Schuyler that was published in the Albany Argus in which Cooper wrote, "I could detail to you a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mister Burr."

This is problematic in that it entirely pins the blame on Burr, and poses Hamilton as the victim. This is something fairly common, and the most common bias among historians, but it is simply not possible. There is never one complete villain, and Burr certainly wasn't someone who could be described as such. Not even Hamilton thought that, which says something.

To address Bernstein's first point, I don't see how reaching out to Cooper would have benefitted either Burr or Hamilton. If he had, and the "more despicable opinion" had been as bad as implied, the fault still would have lied with Hamilton. There would be no reason for Burr to fault Cooper for this, as Cooper did not say that he agreed with Hamilton's opinion of Burr; it was entirely attributed to Hamilton. (Even if it was implied that Cooper did agree, he could more easily frame it to Burr that this wasn't the case).

Additionally, the reason why Burr was concerned with this "more despicable opinion" is due to several rumors going around about him, some that were objectively vile, such as him having an incestuous relationship with his daughter. The specific instance cited by Cooper was something Hamilton said at the city tavern, discouraging others from voting for Burr. It is a common misconception that this is what motivated Burr to challenge Hamilton, but in actuality, it is the implication, and Hamilton's failure to deny, that Hamilton was guilty of spreading such horrible, false rumors against Burr.

Source: Founders Online, "Enclosure: Charles D. Cooper to Philip Schuyler", 23 April 1804; "The two men were often invited to dinner parties hosted by leading New York politicians, businessmen and even each other. During those years, Burr was widowed and lived with his daughter and husband. Hamilton reportedly suggested Burr committed incest with his daughter. Enraged, the Vice President challenged the Treasury Secretary to a duel in Weehawken, N.J. Hamilton was mortally wounded, dying a day later. Hamilton’s death destroyed Burr’s political career," North Coast Current, "Historically Speaking: The Forgotten Man- Aaron Burr"

The lack of acknowledgment of Burr's perspective contributes to this larger perspective that Burr was a malicious, conniving person, and it lacks empathy and understanding, while also showing poor critical thinking skills. Historians are human, and therefore can never be entirely unbiased, but there is a responsibility in this field to be open to all sides, and to provide the reader with enough information to take a different side than the one given by the author. I feel this was lacking in Bernstein's analysis of the duel, but he is absolutely not unique in this. This is partly why I dislike discussing the duel so much because when this occurs in a more opinionated work, such as Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, it is simply frustrating. But, I digress.

Conclusion

Overall, I'd highly recommend this biography for someone seeking to start their investigation of Hamilton's life. Bernstein does a very good job of providing a simple, succinct resource that makes the factual evidence of Hamilton's life very easily accessible due to his book's brevity, but this feature does also limit the perspective you get from giving this book. In reality, this isn't very different from any other history book, at least in my perspective. I believe that this is a genre of literature that should be cross-referenced, and you should keep reading to seek what the whole truth is. The best thing about it is that that "whole truth" is not attainable by one person, and that makes history an inherently social art; you need to work with other people to fully understand. Read other people's work, question other people's opinions, have a discussion. In conclusion, keep reading.

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Forbes profile imPRINTING by Beatie Wolfe at Museum of Science Boston

Pick Up The Phone And Listen In On Artist Beatie Wolfe’s Brain

Leslie Katz, Senior Contributor

Jan 29, 2025,08:00am EST

What’s it like to step inside someone else’s mind? That’s the question conceptual artist and composer Beatie Wolfe invites visitors to explore with her installation “Imprinting,” a sprawling sonic self-portrait of her brain getting its U.S. debut at Boston’s Museum of Science this week.

The installation features listening stations where participants tune in to “channels” that broadcast Wolfe’s original soundscapes — mosaics of conversations, music, poems and random sounds, each representing different regions of the brain and their respective functions. One station, for example, focuses on the cerebral cortex, which is involved in complex tasks such as reasoning and problem solving, while another highlights Wernicke’s area, considered key to language comprehension.

The channel for the limbic system, a part of the brain that gets activated when we listen to music, plays Wolfe’s own compositions, from her first taped demo as a 9 year old to present songs that lean toward folk and indie rock. For the channel connected to the hippocampus, the brain’s primary memory center, the Anglo-American artist recorded herself reading many hours of old journal entries spanning her adolescence.

“If you were to listen to that, you’d hear essentially someone aging from 11 to 19 — these inner monologues, thoughts, reflections, poems, rants, transmissions, breakdowns, breakthroughs,” Wolfe said over Zoom from London, where she lives when not in Los Angeles. “The way I think about it is if that area of the brain could speak, that’s probably what it would sound like.”

“Imprinting,” which premiered at the 2023 London Design Biennale, opens at the Museum of Science on Thursday and runs through the end of the year. The piece is both deeply personal and universally resonant, offering a window into Wolfe’s inner world while inviting visitors to reflect on their own.

“By creating a sonic brain self-portrait, it’s almost as if you create a way for other people to think what their own sonic self-portrait would be,” Wolfe said. Those unable to attend the exhibit will be able to call in to each listening station by phone using the numbers listed below.

Breaking Down Neuroscience Barriers

The stations connect wall-mounted vintage phones to a retro-futuristic data-encoded aviation cap fitted with eight glass data discs, each tied to audio from a different listening station. The bespoke hat, stored behind glass at one end of the installation, was designed by Mr. Fish, the iconic U.K. fashion brand that dressed David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger in the 1970s. Mr. Fish also created a wearable jacket for Wolfe’s 2016 album Montagu Square that let people hear its songs by tapping their phone to fabric embedded with short-range wireless technology.

For each “Imprinting” channel, Wolfe edited hundreds of hours of audio to ensure no listener hears the same sequence twice, and she collaborated with Microsoft Research Labs to encode the vast aural landscapes in the “thinking cap” connected to the phones.

For most people, clinical terms like medial prefrontal cortex won’t immediately evoke the intricacies of emotional regulation and social behavior that that part of the brain influences. The Museum of Science says “Imprinting” transforms these concepts into relatable, sensory experiences.

“The installation breaks down barriers around neuroscience and terms that can be intimidating or sterile by connecting them to our everyday experiences,” James Monroe, the museum’s creative director of programming, said in an email interview. “Our ability to collaborate, the way we communicate and build relationships, our artistry, the moments we hold dear to us throughout our lives… all of these treasured aspects of being human are directly connected first and foremost to our brain, and I think Beatie illustrates this in a singular and profound way through ‘Imprinting.’”

Inspired By An Oliver Sacks Book

Wolfe became fascinated with the mysteries of the brain after reading neurologist Oliver Sacks’ 2007 best-seller Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, which she now calls her favorite book. In it, Sacks investigates the power of music to move and heal us.

“Even if you read a couple of case studies it changes your whole perspective on what music is,” Wolfe said.

When the artist’s father-in-law was diagnosed with dementia, the book’s insights inspired her to see what would happen if she performed music for residents of his Portuguese care home. Standing at the front of the room with her guitar playing original new songs — tunes the residents wouldn’t have recognized, and in English, a language most didn’t speak — she didn’t anticipate much of a reaction.

Instead, “I was seeing people waking up and singing along in their version and clapping,” Wolfe said. “At the end of the performance, the director of the care home said, ‘In the 16 years I’ve been here, this is the best I’ve ever seen the group. This is amazing.’”

That experience led Wolfe to conduct extensive research with Stanford University scientists into music, memory and dementia. “Music is so beyond entertainment,” she said. “It is key to our sentience as human beings in ways we’re only just beginning to understand.”

“Imprinting” is a centerpiece of the Museum of Science’s 2025 offerings related to the theme “Being Human.”

“We will explore all aspects of humanity,” the museum’s Monroe said. “Our brains and bodies, our communities, how technology has impacted and improved our lives, and what is inside that connects us all.”

How To Call Into The Listening Stations Remotely

Here are the numbers you can dial to hear each soundscape in “Imprinting.”

“Conversations” channel (representing Wernicke’s area): 617-589-0001

“Collaborations” channel (representing the medial prefrontal cortex): 617-589-0002

“Inner Self” channel (representing the hippocampus): 617-589-0003

“Outer Self” channel (representing the cerebral cortex): 617-589-0004

“Memory” channel (representing the neocortex): 617-589-0005

“Sounds” channel (representing the primary auditory cortex): 617-589-0006

“Music Rewind” channel (representing the limbic system): 617-589-0007

“Music Forward” channel (representing the limbic system): 617-589-0008

Journalist Leslie Katz, a Forbes contributor since October 2023, covers science

[nurmalaevi]

Working as a political consultant: reviewing Denny Ja's achievements through essay poetry

In a complex and dynamic political world, political consultants play an important role in helping political leaders achieve their goals. One of the famous political consultants in Indonesia is Denny JA. Through his work in the form of essay poetry, Denny JA has succeeded in reviewing various political aspects with a deep understanding. Denny JA is a widely known intellectual in Indonesia. He is one of the founders of the Indonesian Survey Institute, a research institution that focuses on politics and social. In addition, Denny Ja is also a productive teacher and writer. The essay poetry of the essay that he wrote not only provided a deep political insight, but also became a reference for many people. One of the prominent essay poems from Denny Ja is "Dismantling Cikeas Octopus". In this essay poem, Denny Ja reviews the political power in Indonesia and the dynamics behind it. He revealed many interesting and inspiring facts in looking at the political flow in Indonesia. This essay poem gives a clear view of how politics is carried out and how certain influences can affect the direction of the country's politics. Another essay poem that should be called "money politics in Indonesia". In this essay poem, Denny Ja reviews the phenomenon of money politics that hit our country. He dismantled the involvement of politicians, political parties, and practical practices that harmed our democratic system. This essay poem provides a comprehensive understanding of the issue of money politics and has the potential to be a foothold for better political reforms in the future. In addition, Denny Ja also wrote the essay poem "Indonesian Political Reform Agenda". In this essay poem, he reviews the importance of changing in our country's political system. Denny Ja provides innovative and solutions that can be applied to improve the quality of democracy in Indonesia. This essay poem is an inspiration for many people who want to contribute in building a better political future. Not only with essay poetry, Denny Ja is also active in providing political consultations to several leading political leaders in Indonesia. With his expertise in political analysis and in -depth understanding of social dynamics, he is able to provide valuable advice for political leaders in facing the challenges faced. The work of Denny Ja not only gained recognition in Indonesia, but also recognized at the international level. Esaipuisi poetry has been translated into various languages and is a reference in political studies in several countries. The presence of his work has made a significant contribution in enriching understanding of Indonesian politics in the eyes of the world. In addition to being a political consultant, Denny Ja is also active in giving lectures and seminars on politics and social at various universities and educational institutions. He shared his experiences and knowledge with the younger generation who were interested in politics. Denny Ja believes that through good political education and understanding, we can build a better future. Denny Ja is a real example that working as a political consultant can have a big influence. Through his essay poetry and his work, he has succeeded in reviewing various political aspects with a deep understanding. His work not only provides comprehensive political insights, but also becomes a reference for many people who want to understand Indonesian politics better. Denny Ja is a figure who inspires and makes a significant contribution in building a better politics for Indonesia.

Check more: work as a political consultant: review Denny JA's achievements through essay poetry

[arisawati]

Arranging the success story of Denny JA as a political consultant in a classy essay essay poem

In a complex political world, in -depth expertise and knowledge is very important to achieve success. One figure that has proven this is Denny JA, a prominent political consultant in Indonesia. His name is widely known through classy essay essay poetry that he has written, which not only provides deep political insight, but also inspires many people.    Denny JA was born on November 6, 1955 in Magelang, Central Java. Since he was young, he has shown great interest in politics. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Indonesia and continued his education at the University of Pittsburg, United States, where he obtained a master’s degree in the field of political and economic systems.    After returning to Indonesia, Denny Ja began his career as a lecturer at the University of Indonesia. However, his interest in politics continues to be burning. He was involved in the student movement in the New Order era and became one of the founders of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), an influential public opinion research institute in Indonesia.    Denny Ja’s expertise in analyzing and understanding political dynamics makes him one of the leading political consultants in Indonesia. He has given advice to many political parties, presidential candidates, and other political figures. The essay poetry of the essay that he wrote reflects extensive experience and knowledge in the political field.    One of the famous works of Denny Ja is the essay poem “Dissecting Politics: Theory and Practice Analysis”. This essay poem provides a comprehensive picture of politics in Indonesia, ranging from the basic understanding of the political system to an in -depth analysis of various contemporary political issues. This essay poem has become an important reference for students and political practitioners in Indonesia.    In addition, Denny Ja is also known for the essay poetry “Successful Strategy to Arrange Political Campaigns”. This essay poem provides a practical guide on how to design and implement an effective political campaign. With real examples and tested strategies, this essay poem has helped many political candidates to achieve success in their campaigns.    One of the interesting aspects of the Denny Ja essay essay poem is a straightforward and easy -to -understand writing style. Although political topics are often considered complicated, Denny Ja managed to explain it in a simple and interesting way. He is able to describe the political reality clearly, so that the reader can easily understand the concepts they convey.    The influence of Denny Ja is not only limited to the political world. The essay poetry of the essay that he wrote also inspired many people to be involved in political activities and contribute to developing the country. The essay poetry of his essay has changed the perspective and understanding of many people about politics, triggers deeper discussions about relevant political issues.    The success story of Denny Ja as a political consultant in a classy essay essay poem is a clear proof that knowledge and experience in politics can have a big impact. Through his writings, he has shared valuable knowledge and insight, providing guidance for those who want to understand and be involved in the political world.    Denny Ja has become a role model for many people, both as a political consultant and as a writer.

Check more: Arranging Denny Ja’s Success Stories as Political Consultants in Classy Essays

[blogasilaniya]

Why Denny Ja 25's chosen work is worth reading by all people

In the world of Indonesian literature, Denny Ja is known as one of the writers who is able to produce classy works. One of his latest works entitled "Denny JA 25" has succeeded in attracting the attention of many readers. This article will discuss why the chosen Denny JA 25 work is worth reading by all circles. 1. Content wealth One of the reasons why Denny JA 25's chosen work is worth reading is because of the wealth of content that is owned. This essay poem contains 25 of the best works from Denny Ja, which includes various themes such as politics, culture, and daily life. In each of his works, Denny Ja is able to convey a deep message and arouse the reader's thoughts. 2. Interesting language style Denny Ja is famous for its unique and interesting language style. He is able to combine everyday language with beautiful literary language. Denny Ja's language style makes the reader be carried away and easier to understand the message to be conveyed. 3. Inspirational and enlightening Every work in Denny Ja 25 has an inspiring and enlightening message. Through the story, Denny Ja is able to arouse motivation and provide new insights to the reader. These works are very relevant to daily life and can be a guide for readers to face various challenges in life. 4. Political and social enlightenment One of the power of Denny Ja's works is his ability to provide political and social enlightenment. In some of his works, Denny Ja criticized the political system and social problems in Indonesia. He is able to convey his view sharply but remains objective, so that the reader can see various problems from a different perspective. 5. University and Comprehensive Denny Ja 25 is a collection of works that are very university and comprehensive. These works include various genres such as short stories, essays, and poetry. The reader can feel the diversity of themes and writing styles in one essay poem. This makes this essay poetry the right choice for those who want to feel a variety of reading experiences in one work. 6. Educating and entertaining In addition to giving in-depth messages, the chosen Denny Ja 25 work was also able to entertain the reader. Denny Ja uses humor and interesting stories in each of his works, so that the reader not only gets new knowledge, but can also enjoy the reading process well. Conclusion From the description above, it can be concluded that the chosen Denny Ja 25 work is worth reading by all circles. The diversity of themes, interesting language styles, inspirational messages, and political and social enlightenment presented in these works make this essay poem the right choice for those who are looking for deep and meaningful reading experiences. Denny Ja has proven himself as one of the best writers in Indonesia through these latest works. Therefore, it is not surprising that Denny Ja 25 becomes an essay poem that is worth reading by all circles. 

Check more: Why is Denny JA 25 selected work worth reading by all people

[pietrasgreeklitblog]

Five Interesting Greek Nonfiction Books

1. The Oxford History of Greece & the Hellenistic World (2nd Edition)

From the epic poems of Homer to the glittering art and architecture of Greece's Golden Age, to the influential Roman systems of law and leadership, the classical Greek world established the foundations of our culture as well as many of its most enduring achievements.

Now, in this vivid volume, readers can embrace the spirit of the classical world, from the eighth to the first centuries B.C., a period unparalleled in history for its brilliance in literature, philosophy, and the visual arts. This work also treats the Hellenization of the Middle East by the monarchies established in the area conquered by Alexander the Great. The editors, all celebrated classicists, intersperse chapters on political and social history with sections on literature, philosophy, and the arts, and reinforce the historical framework with maps and historical charts. Moreover, the contributors--thirty of the world's leading scholars--present the latest in modern scholarship through masterpieces of wit, brevity, and style. Together with hundreds of excellent illustrations, these entries provide both a provocative and entertaining window into our classical heritage. (Amazon.com)

2. Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece

"We Greeks are one in blood and one in language; we have temples to the gods and religious rites in common, and a common way of life." So the fifth-century historian Herodotus has some Athenians declare, in explanation of why they would never betray their fellow Greeks to the enemy, the "barbarian" Persians. And he might have added further common features, such as clothing, foodways, and political institutions. But if the Greeks knew that they were kin, why did many of them side with the Persians against fellow Greeks, and why, more generally, is ancient Greek history so often the history of internecine wars and other forms of competition with one another? This is the question acclaimed historian Robin Waterfield sets out to explore in this magisterial history of ancient Greece. With more information, more engagingly presented, than any similar work, this is the best single-volume account of ancient Greece in more than a generation. Waterfield gives a comprehensive narrative of seven hundred years of history, from the emergence of the Greeks around 750 BCE to the Roman conquest of the last of the Greco-Macedonian kingdoms in 30 BCE. Equal weight is given to all phases of Greek history -- the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. But history is not just facts; it is also a matter of how we interpret the evidence. Without compromising the readability of the book, Waterfield incorporates the most recent scholarship by classical historians and archaeologists and asks his readers to think critically about Greek history. A brilliant, up-to-date account of ancient Greece, suitable for history buffs and university students alike, Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens presents a compelling and comprehensive story of this remarkable civilization's disunity, underlying cultural solidarity, and eventual political unification. (Amazon.com)

3. The Greeks: A Global History 

More than two thousand years ago, the Greek city-states, led by Athens and Sparta, laid the foundation for much of modern science, the arts, politics, and law. But the influence of the Greeks did not end with the rise and fall of this classical civilization. As historian Roderick Beaton illustrates, over three millennia Greek speakers produced a series of civilizations that were rooted in southeastern Europe but again and again ranged widely across the globe.     In The Greeks, Beaton traces this history from the Bronze Age Mycenaeans who built powerful fortresses at home and strong trade routes abroad, to the dramatic Eurasian conquests of Alexander the Great, to the pious Byzantines who sought to export Christianity worldwide, to today’s Greek diaspora, which flourishes on five continents. The product of decades of research, this is the story of the Greeks and their global impact told as never before.  (Amazon.com)

4. The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe

As Mark Mazower shows us in his enthralling and definitive new account, myths about the Greek War of Independence outpaced the facts from the very beginning, and for good reason. This was an unlikely cause, against long odds, a disorganized collection of Greek patriots up against what was still one of the most storied empires in the world, the Ottomans. The revolutionaries needed all the help they could get. And they got it as Europeans and Americans embraced the idea that the heirs to ancient Greece, the wellspring of Western civilization, were fighting for their freedom against the proverbial Eastern despot, the Turkish sultan. This was Christianity versus Islam, now given urgency by new ideas about the nation-state and democracy that were shaking up the old order. Lord Byron is only the most famous of the combatants who went to Greece to fight and die—along with many more who followed events passionately and supported the cause through art, music, and humanitarian aid. To many who did go, it was a rude awakening to find that the Greeks were a far cry from their illustrious forebears, and were often hard to tell apart from the Ottomans.

Mazower does full justice to the realities on the ground as a revolutionary conspiracy triggered outright rebellion, and a fraying and distracted Ottoman leadership first missed the plot and then overreacted disastrously. He shows how and why ethnic cleansing commenced almost immediately on both sides. By the time the dust settled, Greece was free, and Europe was changed forever. It was a victory for a completely new kind of politics—international in its range and affiliations, popular in its origins, romantic in sentiment, and radical in its goals. It was here on the very edge of Europe that the first successful revolution took place in which a people claimed liberty for themselves and overthrew an entire empire to attain it, transforming diplomatic norms and the direction of European politics forever, and inaugurating a new world of nation-states, the world in which we still live. (Amazon.com)

5. The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World's Greatest Civilization 

Filled with tales of adventure and astounding reversals of fortune, The Rise of Athens celebrates the city-state that transformed the world—from the democratic revolution that marked its beginning, through the city’s political and cultural golden age, to its decline into the ancient equivalent of a modern-day university town.   Anthony Everitt constructs his history with unforgettable portraits of the talented, tricky, ambitious, and unscrupulous Athenians who fueled the city’s rise: Themistocles, the brilliant naval strategist who led the Greeks to a decisive victory over their Persian enemies; Pericles, arguably the greatest Athenian statesman of them all; and the wily Alcibiades, who changed his political allegiance several times during the course of the Peloponnesian War—and died in a hail of assassins’ arrows. Here also are riveting you-are-there accounts of the milestone battles that defined the Hellenic world: Thermopylae, Marathon, and Salamis among them. An unparalleled storyteller, Everitt combines erudite, thoughtful historical analysis with stirring narrative set pieces that capture the colorful, dramatic, and exciting world of ancient Greece.   Although the history of Athens is less well known than that of other world empires, the city-state’s allure would inspire Alexander the Great, the Romans, and even America’s own Founding Fathers. It’s fair to say that the Athenians made possible the world in which we live today. In this peerless new work, Anthony Everitt breathes vivid life into this most ancient story. (Amazon.com)

[7r0773r]

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

Gerard was studying something useless, something like medieval poetry and form, and his wife was looking after their children. Sometimes, [Seamus] saw them down at the corner of St. Mary’s for the weekly food bank. It was the height of foolishness, academia.  You sank down and down in debt, in desperation, in hunger,  so that you could feel a little special, a little brilliant in your small, dark corner of the universe, knowing something that no one else knew. Art was worth many things, but was it worth putting your whole family on the brink of extinction? Seamus didn’t understand Gerard’s calculus. He loved poetry, but he couldn’t always square it with the essentials of life. (pp. 16-17)

***

Taking his bike across the bridge. The wind was stronger then, slicing up his face. He looked up. The stars, he thought, had been watching him his whole life. They’d seen the whole thing go on and on. Him and the rest of all the people who had ever lived and ever would.

It was like living in a museum exhibit or a dollhouse. It was so easy to imagine the hands of some enormous and indifferent God prying the house open and squinting at them as they went about their lives on their circuits like little automatons in an exhibit called The Late Americans. A God with a Gorgon’s head peering down in judgment. (p. 49)

***

In his apartment, [Seamus] reheated some of the bisque he'd carried home from the hospice and sat at his desk. A stack of discarded poems gazed back at him with inert judgment—his compost heap, he called it. Among the dashed, hurried fragments, quatrains and couplets torn from the ends of other failed things, there was a crown of sonnets about Alsatian nuns during the Thirty Years' War.

He had once read a historical account of a group of children who had been stuffed into barrels and floated down a river in order to avoid the Catholic authorities. Except that someone had made a horrible mistake, the children's barrels had been battered by rocks, and the children had all died horrible deaths. A group of nuns had gathered by the riverside at night and waded deep into the water in order to extract the children, or what there was of them that could still be found. It was fable-like, the idea of a group of holy sisters shedding their habits and wading in their white vestments into cold water to seek drowned children. For days after reading the story he had walked around feeling heavy with it, like he was the one who'd gone swimming with all his clothes on.

The poems had come out decently at first, or so he had thought. The lines glinted like cold stars, harsh and distant and perfect. But after he had completed them, each sonnet the story of a sister and a child, seeker and the lost, a call and a response or, rather, a silence, he found that he hated them. He had rushed through in the excitement of creation, in the blurry exhilaration of putting words down. Worse still, he had come up to the very edge of his technical ability, and had resorted in his more desperate moments to puns, to cheap tricks, to dodges of sentiment. There was a falseness to the poems, further illuminated by the stricture of the form itself. There was nowhere to hide in a sonnet, which was something that before had been the very point.

It used to seem to him that you could write about the past as a way of understanding the present. But now, his classmates wrote only about the present and its urgency. The very act of comprehension or contextualization was centered on the self, but the self as abstracted via badly understood Marxist ideology. The self in contemporary poetry was really some debased, abject manifestation of a system of wrongs and historical atrocities, shorn of their historical contexts or any real rigorous understanding. Their poems were complaints of hurts done and occluded. No one wanted to read his poems about Catholicism or Alsatian nuns or the apocalypse of the Thirty Years' War. They wanted to know how he fit in. Poetry was just a matching game, the poems simply cards. (pp. 50-51)

***

"As for myself, I'm starting to think I should just go to law school," Ivan said.

"Don't you have an interview for a bank in New York?" Timo asked. Goran just looked bored, like he'd heard this all before. People in graduate school were always talking about going to law school, except for the people in law school, who talked about going into real estate. Painters, dancers, poets, and even scientists dreamed at their desks of the law, of a codified system that ran through all their lives and kept them from bilious harm. What they wanted was something that made sense and made money and could convert their temporary suffering into something more stable and right. (p. 155)

***

It was like in the practice room. The sound of their voices was a solid thing moving among them and through them. Goran and Ivan's voices bled together until it was one unbroken stream of speech. It was unbearable to think that this was all humanity had to contain their feelings. These mean kernels of sound. It was cruel. Timo's mouth filled with an acidic heat. He tried to breathe through his nose. He tried to be present. He tried to be there.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no—what stupid little words.

Goran and Ivan were laughing. They leaned against each other and kept saying no. They rubbed each other's arms, kissed each other's necks. They held each other tight. Ivan tickled Goran, who writhed and jerked, and they jostled the table.

Timo swept the water carafe to the ground with the back of his hand, and it broke open with a loud, wet crash. Glass gleamed in the shadow under the table, caught by the white streetlights. Goran looked at him as if from at a great distance. Ivan's eyes grew wide.

But at least they had stopped. (pp. 156-57)

***

It was a lie that Timo had not loved piano enough. He had loved it very much, but in a way that was difficult to describe. It was apophatic—he could only describe it through its negation. He only understood how much he loved the piano after he had given it up. Even that decision in hindsight seemed arbitrary, a whim. An act of petulance. But he had loved it, and he still did. Every day, he felt like a struck tuning fork, vibrating all the time. Except that it wasn't pitch he was tuned to but something else, some horrible frequency cutting through the universe. Loss, he thought. It was loss. (p. 157)

***

It was true, Goran had been a prodigy, of minor but robust gift. You could tell he'd gone to conservatory from a young age. It was in the way he played. Like obeying a set of rules even as he broke them. He had a terrifying sense of pitch. But Timo had been a prodigy, too. Or maybe everyone was a prodigy if they worked hard enough and long enough and became, at a young age, competent at a thing. Perhaps what people misjudged for prodigious talent was really just unexpected competence. (pp. 163-64)

***

“You aren't poor,” Goran said. "Why is everyone always acting so terribly pious about money. You grew up in a suburban monstrosity just like me."

Timo drummed his fingers on the table. Not just like Goran. There had been money, yes. More than some people. More than most people, in fact—but running out all the time. Running down and down, through a sieve, into some black hole. It was one thing to have money and to know there would be money tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. It was another to have money and watch it shrink and vanish day over day, knowing that it would end sometime soon. And it was yet another thing not ever having enough. The whole world was just a series of nested shell games involving dwindling sums of money, everyone a little worse off than the person next to them, until you got to the very bottom, where some people had nothing at all.

He had not understood that at first. Even having come through it, he hadn't really understood it. He had understood only his own private deprivation. And that what felt secure to him was what felt secure to everyone. That his values were the real values. But now he saw how dumb that was.

The white men on the television were always talking about it, weren't they? The great vanished American middle class. That's what his parents belonged to. They'd had money, and then the bedrock on which that money had rested was eroded by tariffs and taxes and the outsourcing of capital and labor abroad. The giving way of agriculture and industry, the crumbling infrastructure of midcentury American fortunes destroyed in the hypercharged realities of the neoliberal/neocon nineties. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, now Obama: It was all gone now. All used up. Or at least reconfigured and locked behind ever more severe sets of restrictions. You needed money to access the money, and what they were left with, the hundreds and thousands of families that had once had enough money to ensure the next generation's comfort—what they were left with was nothing, just the bitter memory of the houses they used to own. Tracts of land that used to belong to so-and-so up the family tree. And to say nothing of the whole black thing. Generations of beige upper-crust blacks marrying beige upper-crust blacks, all those women in their pearls and the men in their Harry Winston watches. All that time spent signifying that they came down from a long line of free folks, ten, twelve generations out of slavery, free of that ancestral taint of bondage. Forget the whole respectability politics of it all. That nascent but very present idea that if they'd really been worth something, them slaves wouldn't have been caught in the first place. All that wrong-headed nonsense handed down along with the money, which shrunk over time. But Goran didn't know about any of that. His family was white. Goran's family still had money. Timo's family did not. So, no, not just like Goran at all.

"Music is all wrapped up in that other stuff for me," Timo said. "You know that. It's best to let it lie."

"Excuses!" Goran said, smiling. He was amused by this. "That's just an excuse not to try! But I won't twist your arm. Think about it." 

Timo smiled back. "Okay. Yeah. I'll think about it."

They went on smiling at each other, each knowing that it was a lie and that they had come to the end of something. Timo had fallen out of love with Goran in that moment. And Goran could see it. But they couldn't bring themselves to say it. To acknowledge it. So they went on smiling, and then they were laughing at their table in the corner, while it rained and grew cold and the café grew loud and then warm and then empty, and the whole world, the whole procession of its events marched on without a single notice or care that there in their tiny, obscure particle of the galaxy, two people's hearts were breaking over and over again. (pp. 165-67)

***

"Maybe you're just not a poet,” Stafford said. He flicked ashes through the window. Seamus turned to look at him.

"That's kind of a fucked-up thing to say, no?"

"I just mean. We get so hung up on these labels, like poet, painter, dancer, grad student—it's all because we're godless faggots and our world has no central organizing theme anymore."

“That almost scans," Seamus said.

"Almost? Fuck you." Stafford grinned. "No, I'm serious. It's very Marxist. Total collapse of values. All that remains is labor and capital."

Stafford with his compact body and platinum-blond hair. His strong neck and shoulders, turning nonchalantly to flick ashes out the window. There was a trapezoid of light on his shoulder, some bright fragment torn from a greater plane.

"Maybe so. But poetry," Seamus said. He lay on his back and put his hands behind his head. "Poetry. That's worth staking your life on. My life, anyway."

Stafford drew on the cigarette and watched him. The angle of light changed. The trapezoid faded. They were in a different attitude then.

"Well, Stafford said, joining Seamus on the floor again. "If it's worth it to you. Just blow up whatever's in your way."

Seamus took the cigarette from him and drew on it himself. He could taste Stafford in the filter. Stafford watched him, waiting for him to exhale. He held his breath. (pp. 178-79)

***

[Seamus] tried to write a poem that was all of it, and yet bore no sign of any of it. Because that was a true poem. Something that had no sign of what had made it. That was what mattered to him. The invisibility of the thing that had gone into it. It was not cowardice. It was not fear. It was intention. It was purpose. It was the thing he wanted most. To hide. To see but be unseen. (pp. 181-82)

***

It was strange in a way. [Seamus] had forgotten, in the span of time it took to walk back to his apartment, that submitting the poem to seminar meant that other people would read it. They would know. This had been a part of the plan, but in his writing, he had lost sight of it. He wanted to make himself small. He wanted to make himself tiny and invisible. He shivered. The poem was too much about him. It was too much about Bert and the woods and his parents and his grandparents and too much about how it hurt not to be wanted in the way you wanted to be wanted. Too much about the things he had balled up and discarded. It was base and crass and there was too much of his flesh and bone in it. He hated the poem, but hated more that he had liked the poem. How it had outmaneuvered him. You were supposed to be in control of your poetry. Its workings. But he couldn't control anything. And he hated that. (p. 183)

[ratgrrrlgames]

Some More WIP and Stuff

To prove I'm not just making making TTRPG memes and shitposts masquerading as 'games' or whatever (I don't know if these will necessarily make that case, but they are are at least higher effort).

I previously posted some a WIP of Hierarchies of Circles:

Cuplets: A Collection of Libations for the Comprehensive Universal Poem System WIP

So, there other night I was checking out entries to the 12-Word RPG Jam, because 12-Word RPGs have taken over my life, and I came across CUPS (Comprehensive Universal Poem System) by Chubby Crow Games (@harperthejay) and became absolutely obsessed with the simplicity and brilliance.

My neurodivergences were already already loving the 12-Word RPG constraints and adding poetry and/ or rhyme was just too much for my brain not to latch on to.

(I see the glaring error here. Let's call it an ode to Game of Thrones)

I'm using Fancy Animals Art Pack by the incredible Diwata ng Manila for the cover and internal illustrations in which they will be explaining something about the history or form of the poetry aspect being used.

I'm using couplets for optional rules and d8 encounters.

Each separate element in Cuplets uses the rules of the poetic form (that doesn't necessarily mean well or accurately) and are all under 12 words.

D8 NPCs are in haiku, or rather, English haiku, which is simpler than the traditional Japanese form, focusing solely on the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. (obviously none are pictured above as I have yet to put them in).

I took a lot of inspiration from some real life inspiring people, taking aspects of them and making them more fantastical:

1. Deer druid scholar

Teaching the forest critters

Its patience, endless

2. Natural artists

Shaping saplings and briars

Goblin witch sisters

3. A brutal butcher

Mountain wolf of the Black Lodge

Bloody meat sculptures

I am still worked on the d8 (might be pushing it) item acrostics:

1.

Stab

With

Overpowering

Righteousness!

D6 + d4 Hubris (randomly determine attacker/ defender)

2.

Stop

Hitting me

I don’t

Enjoy

Lacerations!

-D4 Mundane, Engender Passivity (Move slower)

I so excited to be working on this and to hopefully have it finished soon and submitted to the the 12-Word RPG and Forever Open Source Jams. [In the context of this jam, I again make cleared that my work will always be at least CC-BY-SA, but art liscnced from artists may have their own liscnces].

A huge thank you to @harperthejay for the inspiration and their fantastic CUPS system!

[gallusrostromegalus]

So the reason the Kido numbering and spellcasting systems are all screwy is that they're a collision of ad-hoc beauracracy and Bethesda gaming glitches.

Kido spells are, more or less, reliably exploitable glitches. If reality is a videogame, Kido spells are glitches speed runners have figured out. This is why the spellcasting for them is stuff like "long-ass poem of total gibberish" and "draw these shapes on the ground and then bleed on them" or "yeah sure you can do this one in sign langues" and even "the ability to heal only appears as an optional move of your character was born with specific attributes, like a pokemon". They are all random bits of universe-coding that various people with reiryoku (spiritual power) have found whilst proverbially and sometimes literally repeatedly running into walls.

This process of discovery has been going on basically since people with reiryoku have existed, so a great number of Kido spells have been discovered - not just by Shinigami, but also Hollows, Quincy, Wilderkin, Demons and Kami. There are several thousand usable Kido spells in all of spirit world, and even more in Hell.

However, there are only 200 Kido spells (100 Hado, 100 Bakudo) being taught at Shin'o academy.

After the Quincy were defeated the first time and the Original 13 were kind of going "well now what?". To keep them from becoming problems unto themselves, Mrs. Tsubaki Yamamoto suggested they all form Guard Squads and each squad focus on the various problems of Soul Society, and this worked! Sakahone decided it was about damn time they get this Magical Bullshit organized, and recruited psychics with talent for these "spells" to research, test, document and classify the practice that later became known as Kido.

The spells therefore, are numbered not in order of power or discovery, but in the order they were tested and found to be reliable. Sakahone insisted they start with the less-potentially-explosive ones on account of psychics being hard to come by and Kaido not actually being invented yet. So, *broadly* lower-numbered Kido are weaker because they were tested first, but a few of the spells turned out to be more or less dangerous than they first appeared, so it's not a reliable metric. For instance: Bakudo 77 is " Spell Of Enable Telepathic Groupchat Until The Caster Runs Out Of Energy And Passes Out", which is only as dangerous as the caster's ability to ignore pain, and then they're really only a hazard to themselves. It's complex, but not directly a dangerous spell.

So the 200 "known" Kido spells are less a comprehensive list and more of a "quantum physics for dummies" class syllabus. The primary duty of the Kido Corps is to research and discover new spells. While they have improved the castability of existing Kido, and discovered a number of new Kaido spells, the vast majority of their work is highly classified as "Forbidden"

In Bleach Canon, there are Ura-hado or "forbidden hado" that are so destructive their use has been banned, and in AEIWAM there's also Ura-Bakudo, or binding spells to dangerous or cruel to be widely known. Aizen uses one of them on Tousen. There is also Ura-Kaido, or forbidden healing magic, and I'll let you imagine what that might entail :)

The Hollows and Wilderkin have their own research into Kido, and there's heaps of "witches", monks, medicine makers and other people with time on their hands to dick around out in the middle of nowhere making bold amateur research into the nature of reality.

Meanwhile, Orihime is not becoming a legendary speed runner so much as becoming The Actual Patch Developer :)

Attempting to write. Pls send me AEIWAM/Bleach questions to jiggle my thinkmeats?

[angelguk]

this prompt: jock!jaykay and namjoon running into each other at a party or sth and namjoon being like ‘you finally grow a pair and ask oc out yet?’ and jks just like 😧 and joons like ‘seriously dude? 😑 i’ve been waiting for you to ask her out since before i even dated her’. but make it more angst!!! namjoon is kind of an asshole here. there’s smoking, drinking and jk getting a brief lapdance. oc is a LIAR. jaykay deep in his feels tbh. roughly 1.5k. listen to all i wanted by paramore

Jeongguk's crossed too many paths with people during his life to remember every face his eyes have ever seen. But there’s one he will never forget, no matter how hard he tries to scrub the memory from his brain, ignore the muted forlorn twang in his heart, the low ache that ebbs from the base of his skull. It sparks up again despite years of never seeing the individual who caused the problem. How could he forget those broad shoulders? The sharp analytic eyes. The man whom you’d attached yourself too for a good chunk of your joint high school careers. It surprises him, honestly, because Jeongguk’s got a girl grinding on his lap but his eyes are locked on Namjoon, ears trailing after the sound of his deep laugh instead of the sweet nothings Nayeon (or Naeun, or Nayoung — he can’t fucking remember) is murmuring into the hollow of his neck.

For one, he’s fucked out of his mind. Taehyung probably laced the joint; he liked doing that shit even when it messed up Jeongguk’s trip. He should have known not to take a hit, but he was already ten shots in and nothing sounded better than smoke in his lungs. Maybe not nothing. This girl feels good in his hands, responds to the lightest of his touches, moans in his ear like she wants him to fuck her.

He could. He has before. Probably. She knows exactly where to nip his neck for this to have not been a repeat hook-up. But in the haze of the low living room lights and the spinning headiness of the drinks he’d downed, he couldn’t make out her face. It’d shift and twist and turn into an image that almost makes him want to cry because, at some angles, when the shadows form right, he thinks he can see your face. It could be you in his lap, you whimpering whenever your crotches aligned just right, you clinging to him like the sun hangs onto the evening sky.

But it’s not.

And for some unfathomable reason, Jeongguk’s ruined mind recognises that sucks.

Because it should be you.

He doesn’t know how he gets that girl off. Probably some lie that he needed to pee. In reality, he needed to breathe, because those thoughts surface with malicious intent, purposefully drawing him closer to deep dangerous waters. If he’s not careful he could easily drown, suffocated by desires he can’t even string together into a comprehensible sentence.

The night air hits sharp, seeping through his loose shirt. It grounds him enough for his steps to stabilise, feet following a slow trudge to the edge of the balcony. He doesn’t even know whose house this is. Somebody he’s probably never met honestly. But he wanted you to come. Everyone was coming out tonight. Even your elusive roommate Sohee was somewhere in some bathroom with a head between her thighs. You probably are doing that too, to be far. Even the name evokes bile from his throat, bitter and violent, full of jealousy he’d never really learnt to contain.

Lee Eunwoo. A graphic design major. Slightly taller than Jeongguk (only when Jeongguk is having a bad day) and somehow he can make you giggle like he’s getting paid for it.

You’d mentioned it so softly that Jeongguk didn’t even hear it at first. But then your cheeks had heated up, that stupid sparkle melting through your gaze. You wanted to spend the night with him, take advantage of an empty apartment, perhaps watch a movie or two.

It's obvious that you were going to sleep with him. The thought itself irked something visceral inside of Jeongguk. But he’d given you an easy smile, laughed at the modesty of your demeanour and wished you well with a tight hug. The same low buzzing of frustration that he got when you were with Namjoon was already waning through his system as he completed his sets at the gym with more force than needed.

Which is why he can’t help but release a bitter laugh into the night. Ironically, Namjoon was here while you were getting your back blown out by another idiotic guy Jeongguk did not like.

“What’s so funny?”

He can’t spin around to face him, Jeongguk knows he’ll throw up if he does. But he can’t forget a timbre like that. Not when you nearly wrote a poem about how wonderful Kim Namjoon’s voice was. A poem which you recited to Jeongguk before he begged you to rip it to shreds and never talk about again.

(Subconsciously Jeongguk had adopted a deeper voice whenever he talked to you since then. It came out more when he was drunk, but it’s not like you paid any attention anyway).

“Nothing,” he returns. He hopes Namjoon gets the hint and goes away. The bastard joins him on the balcony instead.

“No, seriously, what’s funny? You look like you’ve got a lot going on in your head.” Namjoon was always so concerned in talking about emotions and putting your feelings into words. It’s one of the reasons why you loved him and probably reason one thousand why Jeongguk hated him.

“Hello to you too, Kim Namjoon. Don’t you think we should catch up on the pleasantries before you start psychoanalysing me?” He retorts, forcing his gaze onto the other man. Namjoon looks good; golden skin, broad shoulders and his hair cropped short. There’s an ease to him that Jeongguk could never replicate no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps that’s what happens when you’re born sure of yourself. Like Namjoon was.

The laugh he receives is empty. Namjoon is busy rifling through his pockets, fingers emerging with a joint and a lighter. “Nice to see you too, Jeon. Didn’t think I’d ever bump into you after high school but the universe works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it?” The jay slips between his lips, followed by a swift flick of the lighter before a deep inhale that Jeongguk swears he feels in his lungs. The smoke floats out pretty, fading into wisps of nothing but grey as the breeze sweeps it away. Namjoon offers it cordially, a simple raise of his defined eyebrows and even though Jeongguk’s legs are melting through the floor he can’t say no.

“You sure?” The doubt tinting his tone makes him take it. His overestimation in his maintenance capabilities leads to a rather rough inhale, and an even worse hacking cough that he wants to be mortified at because Namjoon fucking laughs. But he can’t when the world feels like air in his fingertips, slowly slipping away. Almost like you feel at times. 

“You should stop taking the shit Taehyung rolls. I don’t even know what he slips in there but last time I smoked with him I thought I was on Mars.”

“Taehyung offers, I never ask.”

“You never ask for anything to be frank.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” Namjoon returns, smoke falling from his lips.

“Yeah, I fucking did. I was giving you the chance to pretend you didn’t say it.” Jeongguk’s all in his space in an instant, the itch to smash Namjoon’s face tingling beneath his skin. Namjoon doesn’t even back up, gracing Jeongguk with a quizzical look that leaves him bewildered. “You don’t fucking know me—"

“I do.” There’s a scoff that riles him up even further. Namjoon’s still incredibly unbothered as he talks. “You think being Y/N’s boyfriend I didn’t hear everything and anything about you? Jeongguk this! Jeongguk that! You know that’s the reason we broke up, right?”

That halts him, a lag in his brain as he attempts to process the words leaving Namjoon’s mouth. The older man just stares at him, the sigh that drifts in between them bordering on pity.

“She didn’t tell you that, did she? Y/N lies about a lot more things than you think, Jeon. Where is she by the way? I’ve seen all her friends but I haven’t seen her.”

“Why would you know her friends?” It’s a stupid question but in the jumble of his thoughts it’s the only thing his mind is capable of plucking out. A question that doesn’t leave him bare and vulnerable like the other one’s racing through his head.

“We don’t have each other blocked on everything. Sometimes we talk,” Namjoon supplies easily. And just like that Jeongguk crumbles. He’s not even aware of it but the first crack spears deep enough to leave the rest of him unstable, wavering as he falters away from Namjoon. You never told him any of this. As far as Jeongguk knew you ended the relationship hating him (a thought that briefly consoled Jeongguk if he’s being truthful). But apparently, you felt comfortable enough to share your life with the person Jeongguk thought hurt you the most.

“Man, fuck you.” It’s a release, to say it. Because honestly fuck Kim Namjoon. In the span of a few short sentences he’s tipped everything he’s ever been sure of upside-down, stomped on Jeongguk’s heart like it was bendable and ducked his head right into the ocean he was afraid of diving it, keeping it under until the water filled his lungs and Jeongguk ceased to function.

Namjoon shrugs, not even looking as Jeongguk stumbles back to the door. He needs to find you, ask how much of Namjoon’s words were true. He doesn’t care if Eunwoo is over he’ll kick him out if need be.

But then Namjoon opens his mouth one more time, the final nail in the coffin.

“You should have asked her out. I was waiting for you to it — she was probably waiting too.”

[nurmalaevi]

Has the opportunity to become a political expert by reading the latest essay poetry from Denny Ja

In a complex political world like Indonesia, becoming a political expert who is knowledgeable and insightful is very important. One way to achieve this is to read relevant and current essay essay poetry about politics. In this case, the latest essay poetry from Denny JA can be the right choice. Denny JA is a prominent political scientist in Indonesia. He has written a lot of essay poetry that is very influential in politics. Esaipuisi poetry of his essay explores various political aspects, ranging from the political system to the campaign strategy. Denny JA is also known as a political observer who has a deep insight about the political dynamics in Indonesia. One of his latest essay poems that should be considered is "Indonesian politics: the dynamics and challenges of the present". This essay poem discusses comprehensively about Indonesian politics today. Denny Ja reviewed the latest political policies, social change, and political challenges faced by the Indonesian people. This essay poem provides a deep understanding of the political reality in Indonesia and provides valuable insights for those who want to understand the country's political dynamics. In addition, Denny Ja also wrote an essay poem about effective political strategies. One of the famous essay poems is "Success Strategy in Politics: Building a reputation and winning elections". This essay poem provides a practical guide for those who are interested in politics and want to win the election. Denny Ja reviewed various successful strategies in politics, ranging from building strong reputations to managing the campaign effectively. This essay poem is very useful for candidates for politicians who want to achieve success in the political world. Not only that, Denny Ja also wrote an essay poem with a different perspective. One example is his essay poem entitled "Indonesian Politics in Cultural Perspectives". This essay poem connects politics with rich and diverse Indonesian culture. Denny Ja discusses how culture influences the dynamics of political in Indonesia and how politics also forms the nation's culture. This essay poem provides new insights and interesting perspectives on Indonesian politics. In addition to writing essay poetry, Denny Ja is also active in giving lectures and seminars on politics at various events and universities. He is often a resource invited in political discussion on television and radio. His activeness in giving an understanding of politics to the public made him a trusted political teacher. In the conclusion, reading the latest essay poetry from Denny Ja provides a great opportunity to become a political expert who is knowledgeable and insightful. Esaipuisi essay poetry he explored various political aspects with different perspectives and provided valuable insights for his readers. By reading the latest Denny Ja essay poetry, you can expand your knowledge and understanding of Indonesian politics. So, let's take advantage of this opportunity and start reading the latest essay poetry from Denny Ja to become a better political expert.

Check more: has the opportunity to be a political expert by reading the latest essay poetry from Denny JA

[rockislandadultreads]

More Nonfiction Book Recs: Women’s Rights Are Human Rights

Choice Words edited by Annie Finch

This landmark literary anthology of poems, stories, and literary essays about abortion, Choice Words: Writers on Abortion, is a powerful collection of timely pieces on the struggle to defend reproductive rights. Twenty years in the making, this book spans continents and centuries; the manuscript includes Audre Lorde, Margaret Atwood, Lucille Clifton, Amy Tan, Gloria Steinem, Ursula Le Guin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Joyce Carol Oates, Gloria Naylor, Dorothy Parker, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Anne Sexton, Ntozake Shange, Sholeh Wolpe, Ai, Jean Rhys, Mahogany L. Browne, Shirley Geok-lin Lim, Frank O’Hara, Vi Khi Nao, Sharon Olds, Judith Arcana, Alice Walker, Lucille Clifton, Molly Peacock, Carol Muske-Dukes, Mo Yan, Leslie Marmon Silko, Bobbie Louise Hawkins, Kathy Acker, Anne Sexton, Langston Hughes, Sharon Doubiago, and numerous other classic and contemporary writers including voices from Canada, France, China, India, Iran, Ireland, Kenya, and Pakistan.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Jane Sherron De Hart

In this comprehensive, revelatory biography - fifteen years of interviews and research in the making - historian Jane Sherron De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, and her meticulous jurisprudence.

At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs is her Jewish background, specifically the concept of tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to “repair the world,” with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II.

Ruth’s journey begins with her mother, who died tragically young but whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism. It stretches from Ruth’s days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn’s James Madison High School to Cornell University to Harvard and Columbia Law Schools; to becoming one of the first female law professors in the country and having to fight for equal pay and hide her second pregnancy to avoid losing her job; to becoming the director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and arguing momentous anti-sex discrimination cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

All this, even before being nominated in 1993 to become the second woman on the Court, where her crucial decisions and dissents are still making history. Intimately, personably told, this biography offers unprecedented insight into a pioneering life and legal career whose profound mark on American jurisprudence, American society, and our American character and spirit will reverberate deep into the twenty-first century and beyond.

Credible by Deborah Tuerkheimer

In this landmark book, a former prosecutor, legal expert, and leading authority on sexual violence examines why allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse are often not believed - and why we live in a nation that is both culturally and legally structured to doubt and dismiss accusers. Sexual misconduct accusations rest on opposing viewpoints: her word against his. How do we decide who is telling the truth? The answer comes down to credibility. But as this eye-opening book reveals, deciding which side to believe isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Our judgment is complicated by invisible forces - false assumptions and hidden biases imbedded in our culture, our legal system, and our psyches - that create blind spots impairing our ability to accurately hear and respond fairly. In Credible, Deborah Tuerkheimer provides a much-needed framework to help us better understand credibility, explaining how we perceive it, how and why our perceptions are distorted, and how those distortions harm individual lives. Because of societal hierarchies and inequalities, who we disbelieve is predictable and patterned, leading to what Tuerkheimer calls the “credibility discount” - our dismissal of certain kinds of statements by certain kinds of speakers, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, immigrants, and other marginalized individuals. The rise of the #MeToo movement has exposed this inequity - how these victims have been badly served by a system that is not designed to protect them. Using case studies, moving first-hand accounts, science, and the law, Tuerkheimer identifies patterns and their causes, analyzes the role of power, and examines the close, reciprocal relationship between culture and law - to help us more clearly determine who and what is credible. #MeToo has touched off a massive reckoning. Credible helps us forge a path forward to ensuring fair, equitable treatment of the countless individuals affected by sexual misconduct.

The Family Roe by Joshua Prager

Despite her famous pseudonym, “Jane Roe,” no one knows the truth about Norma McCorvey (1947–2017), whose unwanted pregnancy in 1969 opened a great fracture in American life. Journalist Joshua Prager spent hundreds of hours with Norma, discovered her personal papers - a previously unseen trove - and witnessed her final moments. The Family Roe presents her life in full. Propelled by the crosscurrents of sex and religion, gender and class, it is a life that tells the story of abortion in America. Prager begins that story on the banks of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya River where Norma was born, and where unplanned pregnancies upended generations of her forebears. A pregnancy then upended Norma’s life too, and the Dallas waitress became Jane Roe. Drawing on a decade of research, Prager reveals the woman behind the pseudonym, writing in novelistic detail of her unknown life from her time as a sex worker in Dallas, to her private thoughts on family and abortion, to her dealings with feminist and Christian leaders, to the three daughters she placed for adoption. Prager found those women, including the youngest - Baby Roe - now fifty years old. She shares her story in The Family Roe for the first time, from her tortured interactions with her birth mother, to her emotional first meeting with her sisters, to the burden that was uniquely hers from conception. The Family Roe abounds in such revelations - not only about Norma and her children but about the broader “family” connected to the case. Prager tells the stories of activists and bystanders alike whose lives intertwined with Roe. In particular, he introduces three figures as important as they are unknown: feminist lawyer Linda Coffee, who filed the original Texas lawsuit yet now lives in obscurity; Curtis Boyd, a former fundamentalist Christian, today a leading provider of third-trimester abortions; and Mildred Jefferson, the first black female Harvard Medical School graduate, who became a pro-life leader with great secrets. An epic work spanning fifty years of American history, The Family Roe will change the way you think about our enduring American divide: the right to choose or the right to life.

[grandhotelabyss]

His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be. If the only thing that he ever said had been, ‘Her sins are forgiven her because she loved much,’ it would have been worth while dying to have said it. His justice is all poetical justice, exactly what justice should be. The beggar goes to heaven because he has been unhappy. I cannot conceive a better reason for his being sent there. The people who work for an hour in the vineyard in the cool of the evening receive just as much reward as those who have toiled there all day long in the hot sun. Why shouldn’t they? Probably no one deserved anything. Or perhaps they were a different kind of people. Christ had no patience with the dull lifeless mechanical systems that treat people as if they were things, and so treat everybody alike: for him there were no laws: there were exceptions merely, as if anybody, or anything, for that matter, was like aught else in the world!That which is the very keynote of romantic art was to him the proper basis of natural life. He saw no other basis. And when they brought him one, taken in the very act of sin and showed him her sentence written in the law, and asked him what was to be done, he wrote with his finger on the ground as though he did not hear them, and finally, when they pressed him again, looked up and said, ‘Let him of you who has never sinned be the first to throw the stone at her.’ It was worth while living to have said that.

Oscar Wilde, De Profundis

(I was browsing through my complete Wilde while dusting my bookshelves when I came upon this passage I’d marked. I should reread De Profundis; when I read it the first and only time it seemed to me Wilde’s greatest work—greater, if not better, than his crystalline comedy The Importance of Being Earnest; his avant-garde dramatic poem Salomé; his legendary pop fiction The Picture of Dorian Gray; or his essays and dialogues as collected in Intentions that anticipate, perhaps even more than Nietzsche, the whole course of 20th-century aesthetics.

Two things about this passage, though, while I’m thinking of it: 

First, he writes “sympathy,” not “empathy,” and not only because “empathy” hadn’t been coined yet. Sympathy is a holistic process in which intellect and affect can’t be separated: to sympathize is to understand what someone’s life is and has been. It is not merely to feel with, as if feeling were all. Philip K. Dick and Kazuo Ishiguro suggest in their dystopian fictions that empathy is the cruelty inherent to the liberal’s anti-cruel stance, the way liberalism means-tests its vaunted charity by standing in judgment, yea or nay, of how we feel, which is part of what it means to censure liberalism as oppressively therapeutic. If conservatism exemplifies the abusive-father paradigm of unapologetically laying down an abstract law no one of flesh and blood could live up to, liberalism, with empathy as its weapon, is the abusive mother who weeps as she strikes and expects us to congratulate her for the enlightened tears she sheds while correcting our faults of feeling.  

Second, I love the line, “Probably no one deserved anything.” How different from what we might expect from such a passage—not from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs, still less the meek shall inherit the earth, but more like use every man after his desert and who should ‘scape whipping? I find that people who worry overmuch about morality are just trying to find the rules that tell them when it’s okay to abuse or dominate others. Wilde’s answer, better because more realistic than mere compassion, is that precisely because it always is—we all deserve it from time to time—we never should. A morality that is all sympathy universally understands, and universal understanding teaches gentleness, not as an ethic but as an aesthetic.

Wilde is a good figure to revisit in the present. No side in our decomposing polity will have him. The right has always flung “degenerate” at him, and the left, which in my lifetime construed him as a martyr, will disown him eventually—as the leftish journalist Johann Hari once pointed out, if Wilde were alive today, he’d still go to jail, or gaol, not for the gender of his lovers but for their age. And yet if he wasn’t always right, as Borges claimed, he was surely always interesting. I’ve strangely never written about him at any length online, though he provoked the only chapter in my aforementioned dissertation that I could ever imagine telling anyone to read, the only one that might merit the name of essay, even if in the course of the composition I probably pretended to understand Kant and Hegel a little better than I did, or do. Let him of you that can claim perfect comprehension of Kant and Hegel cast the first stone!)

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Muslim Culture and Character: Reflections (Tafakkur): Abuse of Religion and Religious Sentiments

ABUSE OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS

The quest for truth has two principal branches which, if the quest is motivated by sincere love of the truth sought, are radically joined – that is, they have fundamentally the same root and goal even though the branches diverge. The two branches are the seeking represented by religion and the seeking represented by science. The effort of the quest is aimed at discovering the relation between existence and human consciousness and perceptive powers within that existence. But the effort is also directed at what it (the effort) is for, and what attitude is to be taken to the knowledge we are given or obtain. This means that purpose and moral judgements enter the quest for truth and shape and colour its achievements. Now some people pretend that the science of nature is neutral about such matters. They are wrong to do so. In fact, though an individual working at some particular problem may believe him or herself to be applying neutral, objective procedures, that person’s work nevertheless entails sharing in all the structures of thought, the assumptions and purposes, which are a part of the culture of science as a whole in any particular epoch. That culture is not independent of questions of purpose and meaning: it is simply that such questions are not the immediate objective or concern of the individual scientist, and, for that reason, they remain implicit in the work being done. They become explicit in human attitudes (personal and societal) and in the technology that funds and (by its success) justifies the quest for scientific knowledge.

True science and true religion should be, as it were, fellow-travellers in that both passionately oppose superstition and falsehood; and, in any case, both have the same right of appeal to reasoned argument and to experience. Religion is the older quest in two important respects: first, in that it teaches and inspires love of truth for its own sake (that love is not and cannot be generated by science itself, though it motivates the best science); and, second, in that it upholds the Authority which gives to human reason its conditional authority – the Revelation of Gods Will to His Messengers, most comprehensively, reliably and finally in the Qur’an and in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace. Religion has a moral and philosophical, as well as a historical, priority. Denial of that priority in human life robs it of its most vital element, its deepest dynamic, and it deprives science of nobility of purpose. Scientific endeavour which does not aim to understand existence, which does not depend on the love for and zeal to know the truth, is liable to blindness and falling into contradictions. Perhaps without knowing it, but (surely) sometimes also knowingly, science becomes captive to ideological and doctrinal preconceptions, cultural prejudices, to the pursuit of power (instead of knowledge and understanding). When that happens, the inquirer’s way to truth is blocked up, and the endeavour of science as a whole does not yield understanding or improvement in either physical or human nature, but leads to the opposite, the ruin and degradation of both.

The priority of the religious quest for truth over the scientific quest for truth does not mean that it is exempt from falling into error and wrongdoing. Rather, it is the reason for even greater vigilance to maintain the soundness of beliefs and principles, the purity of intention and practice. Just as science can be rash and intolerant in attitude towards that which it regards as outside its culture, and so fail its vocation to seek the truth, so too religion can be abused and turned from a quest for pure, heavenly truth into a means for hatred, rancour and vindictiveness. A dogmatic and narrow-minded scientific community, enslaved to certain philosophical or ideological prejudices, can become more fanatical and dangerous in its consequences than ignorance. So too can a religious community when it reduces religion to a device to serve certain political interests or worldly advantages. Religion then ceases to be a heavenly inspiration for thought and conduct, and becomes instead an assemblage of meaningless ceremonies and a worldly ideology.

Institutions where sciences are taught and scientific studies are conducted are to be esteemed as highly as places of worship. However, the institutions where sciences are used to promote certain ideological biases or impose certain concepts to obtain material advantages, no longer deserve respect, as they are structures where selfish, ignoble desires and passions are nurtured. Likewise, if religion and religious sentiments are exploited to promote political ambitions and to divide people into factions, and if religion is taken as a rigid ideology giving rise to polarization and disruptions among people, then religion is no longer a means serving to lead people to God; rather, it is an obstacle before the true religion of God, an obstacle made up of fanaticism, enmity, hatred and belligerence.

However he may outwardly appear, a man unconscious of the true nature of belief and deprived of knowledge and love of God, who cannot measure the principles of religion in the scales of the religion itself, who does not give priority to that to which God gives priority, is disrespectful of the heavenly and universal identity of religion and has no right to claim to be truly religious. What is most opposed to both religion and science is that selfish desires and fancies are presented in the guise of objective knowledge and religious sentiments. This is a weakness in human nature leading people to ostentation and worldly expectations. People tend to sublimate their defects and shortcomings and science and religion are two important devices they use to this end. The most effective weapon of conscience against such a tendency is love of truth; if there is an elixir to dissolve from minds the ‘scientific’ dross, and remove from hearts the tendency to false show of religious devotion, it is love of the Creator and love of truth and the love of His creation arising there from. If hearts are ardent with love and spirits with yearning, it is possible to mend moral defects and elevate human beings to true humanity.

The world of mankind recognized love of truth through the Prophets, and it is this love which leads people to love of God and to build healthy relations with existence. From the very beginning, all Prophets guided their followers to that love and based their relations with their people on that love. It was only when absorbed in love of God that men have been able to find their true identity and value. The Prophet Jesus upon him be peace, composed a poem of life based on love of man and fulfilled his mission by conveying it to others. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, honoured the world as, in the words of a classical Turkish poet, ‘the commander of the army of lovers’ and expressed love throughout his life. When love of God became in him irresistible, he went on to the other world. The Qur’an, when recited with conviction and concentration, will be understood as a declaration of love, in addition to the charm of its music and phrasing. Love of truth, love of science, the urge to research, the call to reason and to exercise self-control – these are the points which the Qur’an reiterates and about which it warns people. They are like mines in which a careful, believing reciter of the Qur’an can find new, different jewels every time he seeks.

How unfortunate it is that, despite its wealth of power to heal all our wounds, to end all our centuries-old pains and cure our diseases, this precious Book has long been approached with superficial attitudes and disagreeable intentions and used by many capricious persons, desirous of the world and in pursuit of self- interests, as a device to always accuse others and acquit and absolve themselves, and exploited as an excuse for the hatred, belligerence and impudence originating in their own dark souls. This is why many seeking truth and the true path come to it with suspicion and doubt. Approaching people with anger and feelings of enmity and vengeance in the name of the Qur’an, and confusing communicating its message with looking for ways to satisfy certain political or worldly ambitions disguised under religious aims, results in imitating others in atrocities and wrongdoing. It should be understood that Islam is neither an ideology nor merely a political, economic and social system, nor is the Qur’an a book calling its followers to kindle fires of war and enmity among people.

The Qur’an came down to the world with a balance. It seeks to establish a perfect balance – the balance observed in the whole of the universe which the Qur’an orders us not to destroy – in the relations of an individual with other individuals, with his family, his community and with the whole of existence. The Qur’an aims to establish peace and harmony. So, it ought never to be used to cause disruptions and mischief among people and it by no means sanctions or allows putting pressure on consciences and minds. Rather, it seeks to remove pressure from consciences and minds so that people may find truth.

Those who set their hearts upon the lofty ideals established by the Qur’an continue to live until eternity and have an honoured place in the hearts of others, similarly inspired. But those who exploit those ideals in pursuit of their debased ambitions remain as chained slaves of their desires and fancies. Their lives are spent in humiliation and end in doom.

A true, sincere student of the Qur’an aims to convey others to eternity. While he is constantly advancing to his destination along his own way, those drowned in their wrong suppositions and ambitions regard him as mad and see him as misguided.

The aim of a sincere student of the Qur’an is like a catapult throwing him directly into the world of pure spirituality beyond this base world tainted with selfish interests and mean aspirations, or it is like a rocket put in orbit round the truth. Religion is the pure source feeding him and the Prophet is the one who offers it. Those who cannot approach this blessed source through the gate of the Prophet, those who cannot dive deep in this source after the guidance of the Prophet with the necessary equipment to find the gems of truth required in this age, will not succeed in presenting as religion the ideas originating in their dark minds and souls, nor succeed in disguising their fancies and desires as religious ideas.

The Qur’an is a resource of infinite depth; whoever dives in it with a sincere intention to satisfy his needs of every kind – spiritual, intellectual, social, etc.- will find the cure he seeks. The deeper one grows in understanding and knowledge, the more one will find the Qur’an, like a rainbow, far above one’s level, impossible to reach. Following religion means being able to see the light of the Qur’an and the Prophetic way of life reflected through the prism of one’s time, place and conditions and being illumined by it.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Muslim Culture and Character: Reflections (Tafakkur): Part 2

ABUSE OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS

The quest for truth has two principal branches which, if the quest is motivated by a sincere love of the truth-seeker, are radically joined – that is, they have fundamentally the same root and goal even though the branches diverge. The two branches are the seeking represented by religion and the seeking represented by science. The effort of the quest is aimed at discovering the relation between existence and human consciousness and perceptive powers within that existence. But the effort is also directed at what it (the effort) is for, and what attitude is to be taken to the knowledge we are given or obtain. This means that purpose and moral judgments enter the quest for truth and shape and color its achievements.

Now some people pretend that the science of nature is neutral about such matters. They are wrong to do so. In fact, though an individual working at some particular problem may believe him or herself to be applying neutral, objective procedures, that person’s work nevertheless entails sharing in all the structures of thought, the assumptions, and purposes, which are a part of the culture of science as a whole in any particular epoch. That culture is not independent of questions of purpose and meaning: it is simply that such questions are not the immediate objective or concern of the individual scientist, and, for that reason, they remain implicit in the work being done. They become explicit in human attitudes (personal and societal) and in the technology that funds and (by its success) justify the quest for scientific knowledge.

True science and true religion should be, as it were, fellow-travelers in that both passionately oppose superstition and falsehood; and, in any case, both have the same right of appeal to reasoned argument and to experience. Religion is the older quest in two important respects: first, in that it teaches and inspires love of truth for its own sake (that love is not and cannot be generated by science itself, though it motivates the best science); and, second, in that it upholds the Authority which gives to human reason its conditional authority – the Revelation of Gods Will to His Messengers, most comprehensively, reliably and finally in the Qur’an and in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace.

Religion has a moral and philosophical, as well as a historical, priority. Denial of that priority in human life robs it of its most vital element, its deepest dynamic, and it deprives the science of nobility of purpose. A scientific endeavor which does not aim to understand existence, which does not depend on the love for and zeal to know the truth, is liable to blindness and falling into contradictions. Perhaps without knowing it, but (surely) sometimes also knowingly, science becomes captive to ideological and doctrinal preconceptions, cultural prejudices, to the pursuit of power (instead of knowledge and understanding). When that happens, the inquirer’s way to truth is blocked up, and the endeavor of science as a whole does not yield understanding or improvement in either physical or human nature but leads to the opposite, the ruin and degradation of both.

The priority of the religious quest for truth over the scientific quest for truth does not mean that it is exempt from falling into error and wrongdoing. Rather, it is the reason for even greater vigilance to maintain the soundness of beliefs and principles, the purity of intention and practice. Just as science can be rash and intolerant in attitude towards that which it regards as outside its culture, and so fail its vocation to seek the truth, so too religion can be abused and turned from a quest for pure, heavenly truth into a means for hatred, rancor, and vindictiveness. A dogmatic and narrow-minded scientific community, enslaved to certain philosophical or ideological prejudices, can become more fanatical and dangerous in its consequences than ignorance. So too can a religious community when it reduces religion to a device to serve certain political interests or worldly advantages. Religion then ceases to be a heavenly inspiration for thought and conduct and becomes instead an assemblage of meaningless ceremonies and a worldly ideology.

Institutions where sciences are taught and scientific studies are conducted are to be esteemed as highly as places of worship. However, the institutions where sciences are used to promote certain ideological biases or impose certain concepts to obtain material advantages, no longer deserve respect, as they are structures where selfish, ignoble desires and passions are nurtured. Likewise, if religion and religious sentiments are exploited to promote political ambitions and to divide people into factions, and if religion is taken as a rigid ideology giving rise to polarization and disruptions among people, then religion is no longer a means serving to lead people to God; rather, it is an obstacle before the true religion of God, an obstacle made up of fanaticism, enmity, hatred, and belligerence.

However he may outwardly appear, a man unconscious of the true nature of belief and deprived of knowledge and love of God, who cannot measure the principles of religion in the scales of the religion itself, who does not give priority to that to which God gives priority, is disrespectful of the heavenly and universal identity of religion and has no right to claim to be truly religious. What is most opposed to both religion and science is that selfish desires and fancies are presented in the guise of objective knowledge and religious sentiments. This is a weakness in human nature leads people to ostentation and worldly expectations. People tend to sublimate their defects and shortcomings and science and religion are two important devices they use to this end.

The most effective weapon of conscience against such a tendency is the love of truth; if there is an elixir to dissolve from minds the ‘scientific’ dross and remove from hearts the tendency to false show of religious devotion, it is love of the Creator and love of truth and the love of His creation arising therefrom. If hearts are ardent with love and spirits with yearning, it is possible to mend moral defects and elevate human beings to true humanity.

The world of mankind recognized the love of truth through the Prophets, and it is this love which leads people to love of God and to build healthy relations with existence. From the very beginning, all Prophets guided their followers to that love and based their relations with their people on that love. It was only when absorbed in love of God that men have been able to find their true identity and value. The Prophet Jesus (upon him be peace), composed a poem of life based on the love of man and fulfilled his mission by conveying it to others. The Prophet Muhammad, (upon him be peace), honored the world as, in the words of a classical Turkish poet, ‘the commander of the army of lovers’ and expressed love throughout his life.

When the love of God became in him irresistible, he went on to the other world. The Qur’an, when recited with conviction and concentration, will be understood as a declaration of love, in addition to the charm of its music and phrasing. Love of truth, love of science, the urge to research, the call to reason and to exercise self-control – these are the points which the Qur’an reiterates and about which it warns people. They are like mines in which a careful, believing reciter of the Qur’an can find new, different jewels every time he seeks.

How unfortunate it is that, despite its wealth of power to heal all our wounds, to end all our centuries-old pains and cure our diseases, this precious Book has long been approached with superficial attitudes and disagreeable intentions and used by many capricious persons, desirous of the world and in pursuit of self- interests, as a device to always accuse others and acquit and absolve themselves, and exploited as an excuse for the hatred, belligerence and impudence originating in their own dark souls. This is why much seeking truth and the true path come to it with suspicion and doubt. Approaching people with anger and feelings of enmity and vengeance in the name of the Qur’an, and confusing communicating its message with looking for ways to satisfy certain political or worldly ambitions disguised under religious aims results in imitating others in atrocities and wrongdoing. It should be understood that Islam is neither an ideology nor merely a political, economic and social system, nor is the Qur’an a book calling its followers to kindle fires of war and enmity among people.

The Qur’an came down to the world with a balance. It seeks to establish a perfect balance – the balance observed in the whole of the universe which the Qur’an orders us not to destroy – in the relations of an individual with other individuals, with his family, his community and with the whole of existence. The Qur’an aims to establish peace and harmony. So, it ought never to be used to cause disruptions and mischief among people and it by no means sanctions or allows putting pressure on consciences and minds. Rather, it seeks to remove pressure from consciences and minds so that people may find the truth.

Those who set their hearts upon the lofty ideals established by the Qur’an continue to live until eternity and have an honored place in the hearts of others, similarly inspired. But those who exploit those ideals in pursuit of their debased ambitions remain as chained slaves of their desires and fancies. Their lives are spent in humiliation and end in doom.

A true, sincere student of the Qur’an aims to convey others to eternity. While he is constantly advancing to his destination along his own way, those drowned in their wrong suppositions and ambitions regard him as mad and see him as misguided.

The aim of a sincere student of the Qur’an is like a catapult throwing him directly into the world of pure spirituality beyond this base world tainted with selfish interests and mean aspirations, or it is like a rocket put in orbit around the truth. Religion is the pure source feeding him and the Prophet is the one who offers it. Those who cannot approach this blessed source through the gate of the Prophet, those who cannot dive deep in this source after the guidance of the Prophet with the necessary equipment to find the gems of truth required in this age, will not succeed in presenting as religion the ideas originating in their dark minds and souls, nor succeed in disguising their fancies and desires as religious ideas.

The Qur’an is a resource of infinite depth; whoever dives in it with a sincere intention to satisfy his needs of every kind – spiritual, intellectual, social, etc.- will find the cure he seeks. The deeper one grows in understanding and knowledge, the more one will find the Qur’an, like a rainbow, far above one’s level, impossible to reach. The following religion means being able to see the light of the Qur’an and the Prophetic way of life reflected through the prism of one’s time, place and conditions and being illumined by it.