Maybe my favorite piece you've written on here so far, even though you ruined my birthday buddy Mr E.A.P. for me! Always knew Gaugin was a scumbag, but the dirt on Poe... What is it with horror fantasy writers and degeneracy?
I appreciate how you provide a lens to enable the discerning viewer, reader, etc to revere the art apart from the artist. Your thoughts help clarify mine as I'm writing an essay on Kerouac's On the Road (out next Thursday, only on Substack!). Kerouac himself was probably a racist, almost definitely a misogynist, and certainly lived hedonistically, all of which comes across in his writing...and yet On the Road, while communicating these views on his part, comes across not endorsing them. Just as Gaugin intended with Nevermore to express a self-blind disillusionment with his second child-bride and the corrupting of her culture and yet ended up painting a bit of a self-own, Kerouac--perhaps unintendingly--wrote a book which makes a pretty good case against living like a libertine and showing the realistic detriments of that lifestyle on the women in the focal characters' lives. It's fascinating how scoundrels speak the truth without meaning to.
How have I missed you've started a substack! Instant subscribe, excited to read through your backlog
And I'm so glad you liked it! I love the idea of a self-own in art, but it's so true – how often are we telling a story that we think makes us sound good and actually paints us in a terrible light...
P.S. Read Lolita and count the references to Poe, it's rough stuff
Pretty much whenever I tell a cool anecdote about boardgaming I realize I have committed a self-own. Maybe not as bad as Gaugin and Poe, but maybe just as unself-aware.
Thank you for sprinkling my day with art history, poetry, social commentary, and most importantly, that we all exist in a context we can only choose to respond to. Brilliant once again!
Maybe my favorite piece you've written on here so far, even though you ruined my birthday buddy Mr E.A.P. for me! Always knew Gaugin was a scumbag, but the dirt on Poe... What is it with horror fantasy writers and degeneracy?
I appreciate how you provide a lens to enable the discerning viewer, reader, etc to revere the art apart from the artist. Your thoughts help clarify mine as I'm writing an essay on Kerouac's On the Road (out next Thursday, only on Substack!). Kerouac himself was probably a racist, almost definitely a misogynist, and certainly lived hedonistically, all of which comes across in his writing...and yet On the Road, while communicating these views on his part, comes across not endorsing them. Just as Gaugin intended with Nevermore to express a self-blind disillusionment with his second child-bride and the corrupting of her culture and yet ended up painting a bit of a self-own, Kerouac--perhaps unintendingly--wrote a book which makes a pretty good case against living like a libertine and showing the realistic detriments of that lifestyle on the women in the focal characters' lives. It's fascinating how scoundrels speak the truth without meaning to.
Good stuff, Hannah!
How have I missed you've started a substack! Instant subscribe, excited to read through your backlog
And I'm so glad you liked it! I love the idea of a self-own in art, but it's so true – how often are we telling a story that we think makes us sound good and actually paints us in a terrible light...
P.S. Read Lolita and count the references to Poe, it's rough stuff
Probably because I'm embarrassed to self-promote!
Pretty much whenever I tell a cool anecdote about boardgaming I realize I have committed a self-own. Maybe not as bad as Gaugin and Poe, but maybe just as unself-aware.
P.S. I'm good, thanks!
Thank you for sprinkling my day with art history, poetry, social commentary, and most importantly, that we all exist in a context we can only choose to respond to. Brilliant once again!
I love you 😭😭😭 Thank you!