Flabbergasted Astonishment

If you have ever found yourself sitting across the table in a pub from me after midnight – than you have probably heard my rant about the basis of philosophy being a state of wonder. Of bewildered, flabbergasted astonishment: that existence exists.

All philosophy is an attempt to reply to that question”Wtf is all this? Why is there something instead of nothing?!”

If you read DIY Magic you know it is basically a book on philosophy disguised as a book about magic. So, I was happy to stumble across a book today that seems to be mining the same territory. It’s called “Astonish Yourself” by Roger-Pol Droit, and it came out in 2001 – I’m surprised I hadn’t read it before.

It is simply a list of easy to do experiments designed to make you see everyday life with a fresh perspective. I haven’t read through Droit’s book yet, but I can tell by glancing at his experiments that he totally “gets it”. I am going to try several of these out tomorrow. All too often the boundaries that circumscribe life are simply the ruts of habit, rather than curiosity or playfulness. Below are some examples from Droit’s book that look interesting. ( And ask yourself when the last time was that you tried any of these.)

Empty a word of it’s meaning (by repeating it over and over for 3-4 minutes)

Recall where you were this morning.

Telephone at random

Dream of all the places in the world

watch dust in the sun

Hurt yourself briefly

Drink while urinating

walk in the dark

imagine your imminent death

count to a thousand

try not to think

be aware of yourself speaking

meet up with friends after several years

demonstrate on your own

watch someone sleeping

leave the cinema in the daytime

Get used to eating something you don’t like

Fast for awhile

Plunge into cold water

Listen to a recording of your voice

tell a stranger she is beautiful

beleive in the existence of a smell

walk in an imaginary forest

Down the road

Thanks to everybody who made it at to one of the book readings, and thanks to Floating World, The Waypost, Linntonpalooza, and Reading Frenzy for hosting. Good times. That’s it for Portland events for the foreseeable future. I’m taking a break from public speaking for awhile, phew! It gives me the jitters. But I will be out on the road later this summer: and may be coming to a West Coast town near you – Seattle, Olympia, Eugene, Vancouver BC, San Francisco etc. Possibly New York, although I was hoping I’d get laid-off from my day job to have time for that. Unfortunately, it’s now looking like I will still have a job come July . . .

I had revelation while at the excellent GRIDLORDS show at the Waypost. Four comics creators did readings of their work – August Lipp, Malachi Ward, Theo Ellsworth, Jesse Moynihan, and Maria Sputnik read their stuff . . . it was fucking great. I don’t think I can get hyperbolic enough about how great this stuff was. But here is the thing, the most impressive aspect was the breadth represented here. Comics are where it’s at folks! I’m telling you.

As a writer I have often felt frustrated with what at times feels like a dying form : literature. So it was refreshing to see creators working with a pretty dang new medium (let’s not count cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphics) and busting down the walls, expanding the parameters of the medium on a weekly basis. there is a Renaissance going on here folks!

I love jumping on band wagons as much as the next guy, so I’m working on a script for an ongoing comics series. It’s still in the blurry cocktail napkins and notes scribbled from dreams in the dark at 3 a.m. stages . . . but I can tell you that it involves Reptoids and a telepathic falcon. I’ve said too much.

 

Prettiest in real life

Tags

Artists with hard to spell names, Farel Dalrymple, Jesse Moynihan, Webcomics

I think most of the online pics. of the DIY Magic cover are from a digital file, but the silver foil cover has to be seen in real life to really be appreciated. Lucky’s in Vancouver B.C. has a nice photo of the cover from real life: http://luckys.ca/blog/432/DIYMAGIC

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I have been a fan of Farel Dalrymple’s art for years, so I was rabidly psyched that he did a drawing for DIY Magic. In fact maybe I’ve posted about that here before? But you gotta see this – Dalrymple is doing an ongoing webcomic over at Study Group Comics. You owe it to yourself to glance around the office, make sure no co-workers are watching, and then enjoy the stream of conscious work of art in progress that is IT WILL ALL HURT.

Webcomics are probably the biggest new story medium since . . .  I can’t even think of the last one. But they are exploding right now. My only problem with webcomics is that I get so into them, I impatiently check them over and over for new posts, but they usually post just one page a week. Internet you are too slow. That reminds me . . . I wonder if  Jesse Moynihan has posted any new Forming episodes?

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Today’s post was brought to you by Fernet y Coke, the national beverage of Argentinians everywhere:

The news in brief

Congratulations to Aidan Koch - one of the contributors to DIY Magic – for making it as finalist for the Oregon book award. Exciting! OPB points out she is the youngest finalist. She was nominated in the newly dubbed category “graphic literature” for her book The Whale. Graphic literature was formerly known as “graphic novel”. I always thought that was an awkward term too.

Thanks to everybody who made it out to the Linntonpalooza. I apologize for drinking all the wine and attempting to “play” piano while mumbling incoherently on stage, instead of reading from my book. That’s what happens when I go on last folks. (Also, I should not have been belligerent towards that cop, but he was nice about it. Anyhow.)

Coming up this week – a reading at Reading Frenzy. If you only go to one of my events, this might be the one to hit folks. All kinds of shenanigans are being planned . . . yes. And I am delighted to be sharing the stage with Lily Michaud, an expert dreamer, who will also be reading. Sweet!

Linntonpalooza

Poster by Gunbaby Graphics