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  If you don't get what I'm alluding to, I humbly suggest you take a peek at some of the titles that populate the bestseller list at Amazon.com. This is especially true for the Kindle bestseller list.
For the rest of us who insist on writing serious fiction, don't despair. See the thing for what it is. Keep moving forward.
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The last point Peterson makes in this short clip will be contentious to most.
That fascism was and is an inherently evil ideology is accepted without much serious debate in the West. In fact, we have been instructed to believe that fascism, and its nationalist-socialist offspring, are the greatest evils that have ever plagued the Earth. You will not get much objection from me on this point - I agree, fascism and nazism are inherently evil ideologies that have wreaked great harm upon humanity, and care should be taken to ensure this ideology does not rear its ugly head again in the future. The horrors of fascism and nazism are well-known in the West, but when it comes to fully acknowledging the horrors of communism, a massive blind spot exists. Unlike fascism, communism is not anathema in most Western countries. Despite the efforts of writers like Solzhenitsyn and others, despite extensive historical records and documents, despite countless eye witness accounts and terrifying personal testimony, the terrible legacy of communism has not ignited the same levels of condemnation in the West as fascism has. On the contrary, many celebrated intellectuals and thinkers were or are professed communists and either enjoyed or continue to enjoy rewarding careers in academia or in the media despite their admiration or support for the Marxist cause. Some have built an entire careers on the foundations of Marxist apologetics and obtuse French Marxist psychoanalysis. You can talk about communism as a viable political option at any Starbucks in the West without drawing too much objection from anyone sitting at nearby tables. The name Stalin does not inspire great same depths of scorn on the facial expressions of most when his name is mentioned. And of course, no hipster wardrobe would be complete without at least a few items of clothing featuring Comrade Lenin, a red star, hammers-and-sickles, or Che Guevara. This has always bothered me and it continues to bother me, especially now when the West is seized by a collective paranoia over the rise of fascism. Don't misunderstand. I am no supporter of fascism; I have no crooked cross in my head. The ideology is evil and loathesome. I criticize it roundly in my novel The City of Earthly Desire. However, what separates me from many others is my conviction that communism / Marxism is just as evil and loathesome. I firmly believe that communism deserves to be addressed and treated with the same contempt fascism inspires. But for the most part it isn't, and it does not seem like it will ever be. A tremendous shortcoming.  Jackson Polloack: Number One (Lavender Mist) Is it just me, or is there actually not a trace of fucking lavender in this mess? If you experience confusion, revulsion, scorn, or a combination of any or all of the above whenever you see a "masterpiece" like this, don't despair. You are not alone and there is nothing wrong with you. You're not uncultured, or unsophisticated, or uncouth, or unrefined. On the contrary, if you find yourself sneering at post-modern aesthetics in general, regard it as a sure sign of your integrity, health, and sanity.
 Statue of István Széchenyi, Sopron, Hungary. Jan. 25, 2017 - This is located a mere stone's throw from my workplace. To commemorate the 225th anniversary Count István Széchenyi's birth, the City of Sopron and a notable local civil organization initiated a plan to engrave one of Széchenyi's patriotic quotes into the pedestal of his statue that stands in the center of town in the aptly named Széchenyi Square. The Hungarian quote was translated into three languages - German, Croation, and English. I was commissioned to do the English translation. The city had a big unveiling ceremony back in September, but I do to other obligations, I did not have the chance to attend. Though I work a mere two hundred meters from the Széchenyi Square, I did not stop to see the engravings until today. The engraved letters themselves are marvellous, but to be honest, I am not entirely satisfied with the translation that ended up on the plaque. I find it clunky and wordy. My first translation of the quote, which began with the dependent clause and left the main idea in one unit, was far better, in my opinion, but it was rejected because it did not match the syntactical structure of the original. I was under instruction to remain as faithful to the original Hungarian as possible, both in choice of diction and in terms of syntax. This is the bane of translating - giving a client exactly what they want even if what they want is not the best possible version. Regardless, I am still proud of my work here; I believe it accurately mirrors both the diction and the tone of the original Hungarian. If nothing else, at least this small piece of my work will remain for posterity.  The original Hungarian - „A hazaszeretet azon szent láng, melyért, bármily gyermeki érzelemnek gúnyolják is azt a világ hidegen számító cosmopolitái, nincs mit pirulnunk, mert a legtöbb magasztos cselekedet mégis innen vette, innen veszi, és innen fogja venni a Földön eredetét.”  The translation - "The love of one's country, even if it is frowned upon as a childish emotion by the cold calculations of the cosmopolitan world, is a sacred flame of which we should not feel ashamed because most of the sublime deeds that were, are, or will be performed on Earth stem from it." |
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Blog posts tend to be spontaneous, unpolished, first draft entries ranging from the insightful and periodically profound to the poorly-argued and occasionally disparaging. Comments are moderated. Anonymous comments are never published (please use your name or a pseudonym). Emails welcome: f er en c ber g er (at) h ot m ail (dot) co m Blogs/Sites I Read
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September 2020
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