Among the obscure books in my pile of French modernist literature is one entitled "Why I have Not Written Any of My Books", by Marcel Benabou. It's a wonderful title, full of self-contradiction. (Although my favorite title, another by Benabou, is "Dump This Book While You Still Can!). All of which is to say I could/should write a blog post about not writing blog posts. Somewhere in February 2018, I found myself unable to finish my blog posts. There were plenty of drafts; but I lacked the willpower to finish them. Why? Lots of reasons, I suppose; living in New York City and finding myself with only a certain amount of energy to do all the things I would like to do. Also, I think, I often felt a sense of futility; my own very particular view of the world seems rather out of touch and not very germane to a world in which all of my cultural and political norms under assault. In a world in which fascism seems to be advancing daily with the willing support of many people, it feels kind of futile to be talking about the work of some very obscure avant-garde composer. Even within the cultural spheres, I find myself approaching the state of extended grumpiness. In general, I prefer to write about things I really love or admire or enjoy, and spare myself and any readers an extended rant about how such and such has deteriorated or is demeaning or is downright insipid or is insulting to the intelligence of the person who is looking or listening. Which is not to say that there are not wonderful things happening in the world of culture in New York City. I am still amazed by some things that I hear or see, and I have a great admiration for those who manage to make those events happen.
So maybe I will catch up some day. And then there is the case of the writer Patrick Leigh Fermor, who at the age of 18 in 1933 embarked on the project of walking from Holland to Istanbul. Twenty years later, he began an extraordinary series of three books, describing his journey, working both from his memory and from his journals (some of which were lost). Hopefully it won't take me twenty years to get around to catching up on this blog! (Though if I'm still around and intact in twenty years, I would be quite happy!)
And there are photographs to come, as well, from my wandering around New York., presuming this post will break the ice.
