An Eclectic Journal of the Arts
Spinozablue welcomes a poetry review by Hilary Sideris, and poems by John Grey, Dominik Slusarczyk, and Philip Jason. In Clare Carlisle’s excellent biography of George Eliot (1819-1880), marriage and the work of a lifetime, the novels and her relationships, take center stage, with a unique philosophy of life undergirding both. Gossip followed the novelist most […]
Back in the late 1970s, I auditioned for lead singer of a local Rock band. I sang the Kinks and a couple of Led Zeppelin songs, and had a lot of fun in the process. No preparation. No practice. I just sang the songs the band members wanted to hear. To this day, though, whenever […]
. . . Norway’s Jon Fosse. I’ve read just one of his novels, Aliss at the Fire, and loved it. Deceptively simple, beautiful prose, striking images, with much lying under the surface. But the Nobel goes for a lifetime of work, not a single book, so there’s much more for me to dig into. His […]
I was recently reminded of the importance of grounding the reader in the poem, of setting the stage with variations of specificity, so he or she can lock onto a certain place and time. To see, hear, taste, touch, and smell the landscape in question. This, I agree, is useful, even necessary in some cases, […]
Spinozablue welcomes new poetry from Glen Armstrong, and an essay about Bloomsday by Sylvie Jane Lewis. Writers tend to write about things they know. People they know. Places they’ve seen, or imagined, or dreamed up. There’s a “knowing” of sorts in the imagined as well. Typically, however (with exceptions), they don’t invent characters based on […]
“Whatever happened to . . . ?” That’s a question we sometimes ask about an artist who seemingly disappears. Of course, if they haven’t actually left this earth, they haven’t really disappeared at all. They’ve just chosen another path, another way to spend the remainder of their days on this planet we call home. They’ve […]
On the individual level, nostalgia for a past that never was can be harmless. And it’s a choice, generally speaking. But when this takes the form of a national movement to dwell in bygone times, that is no longer the case. And when an entire union of nations goes that route, existential threats are likely […]
We’re on the edge, as always. There is always a move toward something, even if it’s inertia. More or less. There’s really no way to be perfectly still (without an iota of change), though some mystics might argue that point. They might argue (ecstatically) and their argument would cause changes of some kind — inner, […]
Spinozablue welcomes poetry by Hilary Sideris, Dave Shortt, and Nick Weller. Simplicity in the Arts and in life is a strangely complex thing. Reputation, history, and timing all play a role in the discernment and appreciation of that simplicity. More often than not, our unconscious plays an essential part in the acceptance or rejection of […]
Conversations are often difficult, no matter who’s involved — at least among people. One self among a host of selves is usually present, but at times many vie for attention, clamoring to be recognized, understood, even loved. Confusion often reigns, if only underneath the surface, so it’s little wonder we talk past each other and […]