Plan B

I have often considered the possibility of becoming one of those bearded men in pubs who drinks heavily and shouts at anyone who will listen. Seems like a sound Plan B to me. I am much better at drinking and shouting than I am at writing. On second thoughts, that might not be true. But I do the former more regularly.

I need to immerse myself in the double-suicide world of Karl Jaspers. (He had a Jewish wife in Nazi Germany and was prepared to kill himself if anything should happen to her.) Here are some of his words which speak to me:

Never to approach the hidden God directly is the fate which a philosophical Existenz must bear. Only the ciphers speak, if I am ready [...] only seldom will an eye seem to look at me in the dark. Day in, day out, it is as if there were nothing. In his eerie abandonment man seeks a more direct access, objective guarantees, and firm support; he takes God's hand in prayer so to speak turns to authority, and sees the Godhead in personal form - and only in this form is it God at all, while as the Godhead it maintains its indefinable distance . (Philosophy, Vol. 3, p. 133)

However attractive this philosophical world - whose attractiveness is probably enhanced by Redon's hallucinogenic visions - the world of theology imprisons me. S. John will not let me 'scape! B. S. tomorrow. I've also got to write a f*cking sermon for next Sun. Like I say, Plan B seems much more congenial!

There are stirrings in connection with Charlotte Gainsbourg's new album, IRM. You can download the first track for free here (perfectly legally, I might add). In my opinion it's a great song. And here is a video insight into the creative process. Better stop now before my better half gets jealous...

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM from Charlotte Gainsbourg on Vimeo.