Francis Berger's Blog, page 176
November 20, 2017
Wisdom Is ______ist.
The world is flooded with people full of ideas about how to make the world more just, equal, diverse, inclusive, loving, kind, and open. Everyone seems to be an expert on what would make the world a better place, on what needs to go, and what should be put in its place. These ideas are usually presented through veils of compassion with a heavy emphasis on progress, but they always lack the one ingredient that would make them credible and viable in my book.
Wisdom.
When I analyze the ideas being spouted, forced, coerced, harangued, and legislated into existence, I am struck by how little they contain in terms of common decency and good judgement. Critics of these ideas often defer to wisdom (and facts) when they raise concerns against these new ideas, but countering any idea about justice, equality, diversity, and all the rest of it with wisdom has proven fruitless because the idea pushers see wisdom as nothing more than an oppressive force impeding progress. For them wisdom is one of the pillars of the very structure they are endeavouring to destroy. Anyone who dares to draw on wisdom to counter their ideas is not only an archaic relic, but also a morally reprehensible oppressor who is incapable of learning new things.
Those who draw on widsom are, therefore, ____________ist, and are to be vitriolically attacked and vehemently dismissed the moment they dare to utter even the slightest or most mundane kernel of wisdom.
Unfortunately, reality has been unkind to societies that callously dismissed wisdom in the past. What makes us think it will be any kinder now?
Wisdom.
When I analyze the ideas being spouted, forced, coerced, harangued, and legislated into existence, I am struck by how little they contain in terms of common decency and good judgement. Critics of these ideas often defer to wisdom (and facts) when they raise concerns against these new ideas, but countering any idea about justice, equality, diversity, and all the rest of it with wisdom has proven fruitless because the idea pushers see wisdom as nothing more than an oppressive force impeding progress. For them wisdom is one of the pillars of the very structure they are endeavouring to destroy. Anyone who dares to draw on wisdom to counter their ideas is not only an archaic relic, but also a morally reprehensible oppressor who is incapable of learning new things.
Those who draw on widsom are, therefore, ____________ist, and are to be vitriolically attacked and vehemently dismissed the moment they dare to utter even the slightest or most mundane kernel of wisdom.
Unfortunately, reality has been unkind to societies that callously dismissed wisdom in the past. What makes us think it will be any kinder now?
November 19, 2017
Something I Used to Avoid, But Now Enjoy - Public Speaking
One of my students took this photo of me about a month ago when I was giving a short speech before an audience of about 100 to 150 at the University of Sopron. I used to hate public speaking and the very thought of having to say anything before a large group of people would have sent me running from the building, but over the past two decades I have improved tremendously. I actually look forward to speaking before larger groups now. All I have to focus on from here on in is not boring audiences to death!
November 17, 2017
November 16, 2017
New Project
The ideas for my next book have fallen into place and I am thrilled to announce that I have begun working on a new novel this week. I estimate it will take twelve to eighteen months to complete the book. it is great to be hammering away on a project again after five years. If I am able to properly transcribe what I have in my mind, it should make for an interesting read.
Writing and Transcendence
“Above all else, art is one of humanity’s highest callings. It is a higher thing than politics or economics. It marks the total expression of the creativity and freedom of the human spirit and is also one of the few paths through which mankind can transcend its earthly circumstances and approach the Divine. This is the essence that makes art eternal.”
This is taken from my novel, The City of Earthly Desire. The passage appears heavily underlined in a fictional book about art that the protagonist, Reinhardt Drixler, finds in one of the art supply cases he stumbles across in his attic. The underlined passage and the art supply cases inspire Reinhardt to become a painter, and the message the passage contains guides him through his life as an artist. I included this in the novel because it succinctly summarizes what I believe the essence of art to be as well as the supreme role of art and its ultimate possibilities.
For as long as I can remember, I have approached my writing from this perspective. Even at a young age I recognized that writing was a means through which I could rise above ordinary limitations, move beyond physical needs and realities, and begin to approach or, at the very least, begin to contemplate higher, yet tangible, realities of being. This was primarily what made writing an engaging and fascinating activity when I was a child, and it continues to be my main motivation now.
I accept that this belief strikes most people, most writers among them, as pretentious drivel or psuedo-spiritual codswallop; so be it.
This is taken from my novel, The City of Earthly Desire. The passage appears heavily underlined in a fictional book about art that the protagonist, Reinhardt Drixler, finds in one of the art supply cases he stumbles across in his attic. The underlined passage and the art supply cases inspire Reinhardt to become a painter, and the message the passage contains guides him through his life as an artist. I included this in the novel because it succinctly summarizes what I believe the essence of art to be as well as the supreme role of art and its ultimate possibilities.
For as long as I can remember, I have approached my writing from this perspective. Even at a young age I recognized that writing was a means through which I could rise above ordinary limitations, move beyond physical needs and realities, and begin to approach or, at the very least, begin to contemplate higher, yet tangible, realities of being. This was primarily what made writing an engaging and fascinating activity when I was a child, and it continues to be my main motivation now.
I accept that this belief strikes most people, most writers among them, as pretentious drivel or psuedo-spiritual codswallop; so be it.
November 15, 2017
The Misery of Writing
Writers bitch a lot about being writers and about writing.
This is understandable and, more often than not, forgivable. After all, there is much to bitch about. Writing is tough; getting readers to buy and read your material, even tougher.
Having said this, I can't understand writers who do nothing but whine and moan about the misery of writing. I just don't get it. If hardship, toil, and misery is all you experience when you are writing, you are doing it wrong, and you should seriously begin to question whether you should be doing it at all.
This is understandable and, more often than not, forgivable. After all, there is much to bitch about. Writing is tough; getting readers to buy and read your material, even tougher.
Having said this, I can't understand writers who do nothing but whine and moan about the misery of writing. I just don't get it. If hardship, toil, and misery is all you experience when you are writing, you are doing it wrong, and you should seriously begin to question whether you should be doing it at all.
Limited Platform - Reason One
Gut instinct and remaining true to myself.
I first began writing at around the age of ten or eleven and it has given my life meaning and pleasure ever since. Though I harbour faint ambitions of making it big, I am under no illusions about how difficult it actually is, and perhaps always was, to make it big as a writer. Thus, my motivation for writing is driven by something deeper than the chance of mere success (whatever that term means).
I have come to the realization that writing, for me, is primarily a metaphysical act - a means through which I attempt to make sense of Being, a method through which I try to address ontological and ethical issues. Naturally, I welcome and strive to create possibilities to have others read my work, but my gut instinct tells me that I should remain faithful to the nature of what I am doing and not sully the waters by reaching into areas that extend beyond the realm of writing with the fleeting hope that such efforts might yield a wider readership, attention, fame, etc. I have entertained options of utilizing social media and perhaps dipping into YouTube, but I am convinced such ventures would not only yield minimally tangible results, but might also corrupt the pleasure and meaning I get from writing itself. Part of me is terrified by the unlikely possibility that an expanded platform might yield success because, as far as I can tell, success in writing has not always been beneficial to writers!
Put succinctly, I have decided that I want to focus on being a writer, nothing more. I have no desire to become a witty wag on Twitter, another face in the ocean of faces on YouTube, or post images of myself on Instagram or whatever they call it. I don't want to brand myself and all of the rest of that marketing baloney. I would rather reserve that time for the writing itself and maintain a presence on sites more or less dedicated to books and writing. If any increased success is to come, it will have to originate from there.
At least, that is what my gut is telling me. And I have learned that ignoring what my gut tells me rarely leads me places I truly wish to be.
I first began writing at around the age of ten or eleven and it has given my life meaning and pleasure ever since. Though I harbour faint ambitions of making it big, I am under no illusions about how difficult it actually is, and perhaps always was, to make it big as a writer. Thus, my motivation for writing is driven by something deeper than the chance of mere success (whatever that term means).
I have come to the realization that writing, for me, is primarily a metaphysical act - a means through which I attempt to make sense of Being, a method through which I try to address ontological and ethical issues. Naturally, I welcome and strive to create possibilities to have others read my work, but my gut instinct tells me that I should remain faithful to the nature of what I am doing and not sully the waters by reaching into areas that extend beyond the realm of writing with the fleeting hope that such efforts might yield a wider readership, attention, fame, etc. I have entertained options of utilizing social media and perhaps dipping into YouTube, but I am convinced such ventures would not only yield minimally tangible results, but might also corrupt the pleasure and meaning I get from writing itself. Part of me is terrified by the unlikely possibility that an expanded platform might yield success because, as far as I can tell, success in writing has not always been beneficial to writers!
Put succinctly, I have decided that I want to focus on being a writer, nothing more. I have no desire to become a witty wag on Twitter, another face in the ocean of faces on YouTube, or post images of myself on Instagram or whatever they call it. I don't want to brand myself and all of the rest of that marketing baloney. I would rather reserve that time for the writing itself and maintain a presence on sites more or less dedicated to books and writing. If any increased success is to come, it will have to originate from there.
At least, that is what my gut is telling me. And I have learned that ignoring what my gut tells me rarely leads me places I truly wish to be.
November 13, 2017
Kindle Edition Will Be About One Dollar - Permanently
I have permanently lowered the price for the Kindle edition of The City of Earthly Desire to 0.99 cents or its rough equivalent on all Amazon sites.
So much great literature is available for nothing or next to nothing that I no longer thought it prudent to charge five or six dollars for my ebook. I do not expect the lower price to increase sales in any significant way, but I hope it might prompt a handful of potential readers to give the book a try.
So much great literature is available for nothing or next to nothing that I no longer thought it prudent to charge five or six dollars for my ebook. I do not expect the lower price to increase sales in any significant way, but I hope it might prompt a handful of potential readers to give the book a try.
November 11, 2017
Limited Platform - That Is My Decision, and I am Sticking to It.
I have not written a blog post for months. This is not because of laziness or apathy. Truth is, I have spent the last five or six months thinking deeply about whether or not I should attempt to increase my internet platform in an effort to widen my readership and, hopefully, gain more sales and recognition.
I began exploring the idea of increasing my platform as far back as January and have wrestled with the notion for months, but I have come to the realization that I am not interested in this pursuit at all. I understand this contradicts most conventional wisdom regarding marketing, branding, and social media. Even though my efforts and web presence to date have yielded little in terms of sales and recognition, I will continue to limit my internet presence to this site and the few book-related sites that feature or sell my work, such as Goodreads, Amazon, Library Thing, etc.
I will delve into the some of the reasons for this decision in future posts.
I began exploring the idea of increasing my platform as far back as January and have wrestled with the notion for months, but I have come to the realization that I am not interested in this pursuit at all. I understand this contradicts most conventional wisdom regarding marketing, branding, and social media. Even though my efforts and web presence to date have yielded little in terms of sales and recognition, I will continue to limit my internet presence to this site and the few book-related sites that feature or sell my work, such as Goodreads, Amazon, Library Thing, etc.
I will delve into the some of the reasons for this decision in future posts.
June 23, 2017
Twelve Principles of a 21st Century Conservatism
A good response to that idiotic ABC of Racist Europe kid's book I stumbled across a short while ago and the rest of the nonsense that floods the world today.
