I’m hugely impressed by your weaving together of the literary and the personal. Condolences to you for the loss of your son. Your interpretation of “The Plague” makes me want to go reread it: “the plague represents anything that destroys life, that imprisons, exiles and deprives man of happiness and hope.” Fascinating how big the ideas in that book become through this way of seeing.
Thanks for sharing your deep read and thoughts. As it turns out, I read The Stranger and The Plague right before the COVID pandemic hit. Timing is everything. With that fresh in my mind, I reflected on Camus' treatment of death and meaning (or absurdity) amid the various reactions to COVID, government and healthcare around our country. You've given me another level of insight into the enduring nature of his thoughts. Thanks for that, and keep it up!
Well done. I meant to write my thoughts earlier but only said I love Camus, haha. Thank you for talking about your son; that is hard and beautiful and touching. Wow. That spells strength. Camus helped you through that a lot, I’m sure. And yea he’s a perfect symbol and metaphor for our times now, the cultural and political plague we’re all going through and have been for several tortured years now. I love Camus’ thoughts on absurdity and death, especially in The Myth of Sisyphus. I read that deeply last year when my dad’s terminal cancer was really bad. The idea that life remains silent in the face of man’s despair and anguish is powerful. Camus died at 46; strangely so did Orwell, who I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.
A heartfelt comment. Thank you, Michael, and for being a guest writer here for me and Sam Kahn and Joshua Doležal and for your terrific guest post on "Only connect ..." https://marytabor.substack.com/p/on-literature I am always looking for guest writers here and on there. So, here for all is my email address <mltabor@me.com> .
Always leaving a money chip place holder wherecan author is all his characters? Camus was the lawyer more than he was Rieux. Just like Americans are unwholesomely 'intense' . I am personally barred from restaurants for talking too loudly. If you examine your life you will find that you are lopsided in a direction that will not fly or land in every room. Those who dislike fiction can participate in a big living debate in Camus's the Rebel book about why should the voices of those crushed in machinelike jobs be highlighted? My theory is that in avoiding Sartre's vice of speed pills, he could see that he was anyways intense, he was an assasin by behavior in the war. The Rebel addresses the most outloud self questioning to himself whether the people he would have been ready to shoot dead in a kind of streetcar situation with no brakes? Were worth caring about in between plagues. Any dilettantish acquaintance with philosophy makes that book an exciting just under the surface debate about what are people for?
You are in for a desert island thrill. Any page you stop in that book long essay/assay/essay and take notes. You will make a note that goes what about? And the very next thing he will talk abt your what abouts. After seeing normal people gunning for each other Albert wants to talk to the soldiers.
I have the book, Nathan, and have read it. Thank you for continuing to add to my essay. Much appreciated. A reread of Camus is always worth the effort.
It is not difficult for me. I have so many heroic stories in my thoughts if i go out with the slightest fever i will imagine i stuck it to the man. For those who are financially responsible , we wonder which mega corporation we maintain does the least political machinations? Take bananas for instance. Bad history in Bluefields Nicaraugua. And the most ex p ensive commodity to bring to market. What are we going to do ?
Good gawd and then I looked up the bold faced assertion i made to you. That bananan transport was expensive and it is light. I heard it somewhere and it was way off. As with all fruit and nuts they just pack the extra cargo spaces. I WAS decieved. Question is do we first do no harm? I think despite the most adventurous syndicalists that Graeber's position is the most cogent first step toward collecting us all under one manner of speaking. As you say we are each others support systems.
Lovely, Mary, especially this insight: "I knew my cry of anguish in the face of the incomprehensible and inevitable united me with the epochs of time." I have been thinking about modernism of late, how much we have in common with that rupture between the old world and the new. The pandemic, AI, and climate change all promise ruptures of similar scale in our time. And the grief that you and I and others have suffered from personal losses echo those larger fractures, even if they are not directly caused by them. Like you, I search for answers in humanity and in the small beautiful things. Perhaps it's trite to say so, but we really do shore up our ruins with those who remain.
Josh, an eloquent and generous comment. I so agree that we must "shore up our ruins" with those who remain. And you must know from reading "Only connect ...", as you so often do, how much I love T.S. Eliot's work. This quote from The Wasteland so fits my sensibility. Thank you for reading and commenting. ~Mary
I’m hugely impressed by your weaving together of the literary and the personal. Condolences to you for the loss of your son. Your interpretation of “The Plague” makes me want to go reread it: “the plague represents anything that destroys life, that imprisons, exiles and deprives man of happiness and hope.” Fascinating how big the ideas in that book become through this way of seeing.
Oh, Christopher, I'm so glad you've found me--and what a lovely comment. We must connect. ~ Mary
Thanks for sharing your deep read and thoughts. As it turns out, I read The Stranger and The Plague right before the COVID pandemic hit. Timing is everything. With that fresh in my mind, I reflected on Camus' treatment of death and meaning (or absurdity) amid the various reactions to COVID, government and healthcare around our country. You've given me another level of insight into the enduring nature of his thoughts. Thanks for that, and keep it up!
Thank you for such an eloquent and generous comment. 💕
Well done. I meant to write my thoughts earlier but only said I love Camus, haha. Thank you for talking about your son; that is hard and beautiful and touching. Wow. That spells strength. Camus helped you through that a lot, I’m sure. And yea he’s a perfect symbol and metaphor for our times now, the cultural and political plague we’re all going through and have been for several tortured years now. I love Camus’ thoughts on absurdity and death, especially in The Myth of Sisyphus. I read that deeply last year when my dad’s terminal cancer was really bad. The idea that life remains silent in the face of man’s despair and anguish is powerful. Camus died at 46; strangely so did Orwell, who I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.
Thank you for the solid read, Mary :)
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
A heartfelt comment. Thank you, Michael, and for being a guest writer here for me and Sam Kahn and Joshua Doležal and for your terrific guest post on "Only connect ..." https://marytabor.substack.com/p/on-literature I am always looking for guest writers here and on there. So, here for all is my email address <mltabor@me.com> .
YES!!!! I. Love. Camus.
Always leaving a money chip place holder wherecan author is all his characters? Camus was the lawyer more than he was Rieux. Just like Americans are unwholesomely 'intense' . I am personally barred from restaurants for talking too loudly. If you examine your life you will find that you are lopsided in a direction that will not fly or land in every room. Those who dislike fiction can participate in a big living debate in Camus's the Rebel book about why should the voices of those crushed in machinelike jobs be highlighted? My theory is that in avoiding Sartre's vice of speed pills, he could see that he was anyways intense, he was an assasin by behavior in the war. The Rebel addresses the most outloud self questioning to himself whether the people he would have been ready to shoot dead in a kind of streetcar situation with no brakes? Were worth caring about in between plagues. Any dilettantish acquaintance with philosophy makes that book an exciting just under the surface debate about what are people for?
Nathan, That is one of Camus's books I didn't reread for this essay but will do so soon. Thank you for reading and adding your views.
You are in for a desert island thrill. Any page you stop in that book long essay/assay/essay and take notes. You will make a note that goes what about? And the very next thing he will talk abt your what abouts. After seeing normal people gunning for each other Albert wants to talk to the soldiers.
I have the book, Nathan, and have read it. Thank you for continuing to add to my essay. Much appreciated. A reread of Camus is always worth the effort.
It is not difficult for me. I have so many heroic stories in my thoughts if i go out with the slightest fever i will imagine i stuck it to the man. For those who are financially responsible , we wonder which mega corporation we maintain does the least political machinations? Take bananas for instance. Bad history in Bluefields Nicaraugua. And the most ex p ensive commodity to bring to market. What are we going to do ?
Good gawd and then I looked up the bold faced assertion i made to you. That bananan transport was expensive and it is light. I heard it somewhere and it was way off. As with all fruit and nuts they just pack the extra cargo spaces. I WAS decieved. Question is do we first do no harm? I think despite the most adventurous syndicalists that Graeber's position is the most cogent first step toward collecting us all under one manner of speaking. As you say we are each others support systems.
Lovely, Mary, especially this insight: "I knew my cry of anguish in the face of the incomprehensible and inevitable united me with the epochs of time." I have been thinking about modernism of late, how much we have in common with that rupture between the old world and the new. The pandemic, AI, and climate change all promise ruptures of similar scale in our time. And the grief that you and I and others have suffered from personal losses echo those larger fractures, even if they are not directly caused by them. Like you, I search for answers in humanity and in the small beautiful things. Perhaps it's trite to say so, but we really do shore up our ruins with those who remain.
Josh, an eloquent and generous comment. I so agree that we must "shore up our ruins" with those who remain. And you must know from reading "Only connect ...", as you so often do, how much I love T.S. Eliot's work. This quote from The Wasteland so fits my sensibility. Thank you for reading and commenting. ~Mary