“Western progress (from one damned thing to another) seems to be essentially the MO of nowhere fast. But, on the other hand, the don't-set-foot-outside-your-own-village/cave ideal or injunction that you find in Buddhism and even in the Daoism of which I'm fonder, seems . . . defeatist. And more than that, it is in contradiction to what nature actually does. Somewhere, somehow, I feel as if these two opposing principles have to be reconciled.” IfsFeelsDoeTwoHandsSeemsPrinciplesProgressFeetBuddhismIdealsWesternContradictionVillageCavesOpposing Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“It would be hard to say that exactly, but antinatalism is a reality in my life, not just an interesting idea. I can feel it in the chilled and weary marrow of my bones.” FeelsI CanIdeasHardRealityWould BeInterestingBonesWearyMarrowChilledInteresting Ideas Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“In terms of what is expressed, antinatalism is a strong presence, not always explicit, in what I write.” WritingStrongTermExplicit Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“[Antinatalism ] seems to oppose the idea of writing anything at all. To reproduce is to pass on genes. To write is to pass on memes. In that sense, it really is a kind of reproduction, which antinatalism should, theoretically, oppose, or at least which I feel that it opposes emotionally in my own experience.” FeelsShouldWritingKindIdeasSeemsMy OwnGenesReproductionMemes Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“I'm constantly struggling with the futility and even sinfulness, from an antinatalist point of view, of creativity. And that struggle itself seems part of the creativity, though I sometimes suspect that it's nothing but a burden and an obstacle.” SometimesSeemsViewsCreativityStruggleBurdenObstaclesPoint Of ViewSuspectsFutilitySinfulness Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“I went for a walk in the rain. Recently, whenever it rains, I feel like I want to go for a walk.” WantFeelsWalksRain Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“I never seem to find what I'm looking for, though. I suppose I feel, these days, too aware of schedules and things, to let myself get lost in the rain. Anyway, I came back home, and it was still raining, and as I was approaching the driveway of the house, and the front garden with its bushy flower bed, I caught a cooking smell from somewhere on the air. I don't know why, exactly, but it appealed to me as a Nagai Kafu moment.” KnowsFeelsStillsMomentsHomeSeemsHouseLostAirFrontsFlowerBedRainGardenCookingCaughtSmellThese DaysSchedulesBack HomeDriveway Author:Quentin S. Crisp
“I feel that Nagai Kafu was a writer who cold stitch together apparently meaningless moments like these into a lyrical whole, and has enhanced my ability to do the same with my own life.” FeelsWholeMomentsTogetherMy OwnAbilityColdMeaninglessMy Own LifeLyricalStitches Author:Quentin S. Crisp
