Barry Graham's Blog, page 89

A Condensed Version of The Passion of Michel Foucault by James Miller

Michel Foucault was gay. He was a philosopher and was gay. He had gay sex, with men who were also gay but probably not as gay as he was. He was profoundly influenced by Samuel Beckett, who was not gay, but Foucault was gay enough for everyone. He was also influenced by Alain Robbe-Grillet, who was straight, but Foucault remained gay. If he could have had gay sex with Nietzsche, he would have. He disagreed with Sartre, but would probably have had gay sex with him too, given the chance. He was...

The Only Freedom

“In humility is the greatest freedom,” wrote Thomas Merton. I would go further, and say that in humility is theonlyfreedom.

Legend has it that when Buckminster Fuller felt suicidal, he decided that, instead of killing himself, he would live as though he had died. With no need to worry anymore about his own narrative, about whether his life was a success or a failure, he was free to live a life of service to the world, and to enjoy the world and his life.

This is the only real freedom. When we l...

HARLAN ELLISON: “PAY THE WRITER"This can’t be...

HARLAN ELLISON: “PAY THE WRITER"

This can’t be repeated often enough. It reminds me of why I added my Very Unfortunately Frequently Asked Questions page.

HARLAN ELLISON: “PAY THE WRITER”This can’t be...

HARLAN ELLISON: “PAY THE WRITER”

This can’t be repeated often enough. It reminds me of why I added my Very Unfortunately Frequently Asked Questions page.

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill

went up the hill

to fetch a pail of water.

Jack raped Jill

but he got away with it

because the geriatric fucking judge

said it was her own fault

for going up the hill with him.

Book Review: Joyland by Stephen King

My partner couldn’t have chosen a better birthday present for me than the latest novel from Stephen King, and I’m glad she couldn’t wait till my birthday (still more than a week away) to give it to me.

I don’t think there’s ever been a greater writer than King. Even the weakest of his more than 50 books are compelling page-turners with something serious to say about life and death. He’s certainly the greatest chronicler of American working people (something...

Reading Joyland by Stephen King

My partner couldn’t have chosen a better birthday present for me than the latest novel from Stephen King, and I’m glad she couldn’t wait till my birthday (still more than a week away) to give it to me.

I don’t think there’s ever been a greater writer than King. Even the weakest of his more than 50 books are compelling page-turners with something serious to say about life and death. He’s certainly the greatest chronicler of American working people (something...

fluffmugger:“Blood is thicker than water”, when used in the context of family over friends, is...

fluffmugger:

“Blood is thicker than water”, when used in the context of family over friends, is in fact a wildly incorrect bastardisation.

The true, full quote is “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” and refers to relationships forgedby choice holding deeper meaning than those of mere biology.

Life Outside the Tent

A friend who’s studying to be a doctor emailed me:

You wrote a blog post about Daniel Woodrell’s comment about living/creating/existing outside the tent. I’ve found that resonates with me as well.

It’s interesting being in the world of medicine now, because this phenomenon exists there as well. The more I go through it, the more I recognize that I could care less about being recognized, making a ton of money (some money to survive on would be nice, but nothing past that)...

Art or Yourself: A Choice

I’ve written before about how ego is as toxic to art as it is to life.

I remembered this recently when a person struggling with fear told me, “Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to be a writer.” Not wanted to write, but wanted to be a writer. I think perhaps wanting to be something and wanting to do something are antithetical, and we must choose one or the other. I’m certain no peace can be found in the former.