Asbestos = a soft, greyish-white material that does not burn, used especially in the past as a protection against fire and as a form of insulation.
“Some writers can handle lava with bare hands, but Iโm not so tough, my skin is not asbestos. And in fact I have no interest in confession. My games are transformation and invention.”
–Ursula K. Le Guin
Art by Dani Soon.
I read The Dispossessed during one of the most difficult and yet transformative times of my life. I remember being impressed with the landscape she conjured up. There seemed to be some kind of truth to it. I get a similar feeling sometimes when I walk in local parks, with the artificial lighting, pre-planned happiness, etc.
Give me raw nature any day! if such a thing exists any more. ๐
Well, give me my bike and I will find one corner of raw nature any day! ๐ Not today, it is rainy. I live close the the largest park in Bucharest which is a garden and a forest in one. I really like the outdoors and everything pertainig to raw nature ๐ “Pre-planned happiness” – a concept I have to look into…for me it is “disruptive happiness” ๐
My supervisor of studies used to say, “Don’t make up words, Michael!” but I still do it! Nothing to look up… just the thought that some urban planner comes up with the idea of what would be good for public recreation, they build it, and the public “enjoys” it. In Canada, I hate to say, some of the aesthetics are not quite up to par. We’re good at lots of things. But I think places like where you live, and perhaps France, have a better handle on integrating mankind’s structures and nature. Mind you, I think those square trees in Paris are absurdly ugly! So who knows…
Just rambling today. ๐
Just ramble on!!! ๐ Being one of my favourite songs out of many (not just out of Led Zeppelin) I tend to suffuse into the title and words and whatever they represent… I just ramble oftentimes…I make up words and “curioser and curioser”, I believe in them. I know nothing about aesthetics just that if I like something is that because it seems true. Thank you for your ramblings, Michael…
Yes words are fun. Some say that postmodernism is amoral and nihilistic. But I think they just don’t get it. I’m with Derrida in that just about everything is connotation. I’m not sure if anything is ever really denotation. Being a reader of the classics, I’m assuming you are somewhat familiar with semiotics. ๐
p.s. I just saw Zola’s Germinal in a bookstore for a dollar. I didn’t buy it! But I must read it online someday… ramble ramble… rambling rose.. ๐
You are right ๐ Words are the most fun. What is life without words… If I am need of some, maybe I’d try writing on the walls whatever goes through my head and the supply is restored… Just (my) postmodern ramblings ๐ … I am familiar with semiotics, I’ve studied it faculty, in fact it was the root of all knowledge… I didn’t read Germinal either, I should…also I should ramble the bookstores, which I haven’t of late…
Iulia, I’ve nominated you for a Versatile Blogger award. Congrats! To accept, simply do a post along the lines of the one found here: https://mitchteemley.com/2017/06/02/my-versatile-blogger-award/
Thank you very much for your nomination! I am honored!
I shared a house with Yann Martel before he was famous. He did write on the walls! Little yellow post it notes with plot outlines for his fiction. This was before computers were mainstream. โบ๐ค๐ธ
I am awfully happy I am not the only one ๐ and that I share some behavioural patterns with somebody that famous ๐ Still I write words on pieces of paper, well, I have files with inadvertent words in my inadequate handwriting ๐ Then I type them in my computer ๐
Maybe you could become a famous novelist some day. You certainly have the insight and poetic sense. I would like to converse with or hear you in Romanian but I haven’t a clue. All i know about Romania is her celebrated son, Mircea Eliade. All translated… ๐
๐ Thank you ๐ I always like the way you make up words ๐ Romanian is such a difficult language. I used to teach Romanian to foreign students and I after simplifying and oversimplifying they still said it was so bloody complicated. Well, I can tell some words and explain the way it differs from English. Mircea Eliade is great, also there are many poets…
Yeah I am sure there are many more Romanian notables whom I have heard about. Just out of curiosity, does the name Romania have anything to do with ancient Roman expansion? I imagine it does but am not sure. I’ve been watching HBO series Rome… Fascinating stuff… ๐ค๐
It was not intended as poor humour from my part :). I couldn’t think of another writer or poet then. My favourite is Ion Barbu, who was also a mathematician, his real name was Dan Barbilian. He said that somewhere there is a realm where poetry and geometry meet (I cannot remember the quote very well, but that’s the gist). Yes, Romans are part of our history. They conquered our land, called then Dacia. 70-80% of our words are of Latin origin.
Wow this is taking me down memory lane. When I was a kid I remember looking thru my parents books at the cottage. Eugene Ionesco was there. Sartre. Both wrote plays about he effects of WW-II. I was just a boy but, looking through the pages, could nevertheless get the feel of it. I guess vlad the impaler is on the list of famous Romanians! Ouch! And the region of Transylvania. Can you guess I did a wiki search? ๐โบ๐ Ps interesting about poetry and maths. I’ve heard that idea with music (Pythagoras) and Hesse’s Glass Bead Game. But never with verse. Not to that degree, anyhow. ๐๐๐
Well, memory lane it is ๐ I was lucky to grow up in a house full of books, of course Ionesco, all Romanian writters and all the French ones were the main decorations. And I must confess a behavioural pattern pertaining to a Book Thief ๐ An old book smells like ancient Egypt ( I ve stolen this from Ray Bradburry ๐ ) The World Wars shaped our history and lives. Too many Romanians died in the too many Wars… Vlad the Impaler is the famous Romanian, not to mention the association (or blood ties ๐ ) with famous creatures, vampires, perfect shadowy inhabitants of the margins. I ve lately watched (again) Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive” – WONDERFUL! I am happy you you have searched for information ๐ Transylvania is the place of myths and legends, and the beautiful landscapes are the in the trail of everybody’s desire for more than “pre-paid happiness” ๐ Geometry and poetry will always be my place – in school I started with Maths, but only geometry was my thing, so I had to switch it to literature ๐
Talking about my abilities as a Book Thief, I’ve also stolen a copy of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, which I read every time life becomes dire…:)