PODCAST

This week I posted Episode 675 of my Virtual Memories Show! Philosopher and biographer Clare Carlisle converses & communes with me over her new book, TRANSCENDENCE FOR BEGINNERS: LIFE WRITING AND PHILOSOPHY (NYRB). We talk about her existential moment of being invited to give the Gifford Lectures on natural theology and how it led her wonder what she could say about the knowledge of God, how writing biographies raised philosophical questions on the nature of a life in its entirety, how flexible the notion of transcendence is (and why it doesn’t have to be “rising above” the world so much as “spreading out” into it), and how the lecture mode offered her an opportunity for a different writing voice. We get into the possibility of communion and transmission, the tension between biography and philosophy, the harmfulness of the notion of attainment and what that implies of the seeking of wisdom, and what happens if you’re like Kierkegaard and you hear The Call but don’t know what it’s calling you to do. We also discuss her philosophical love affair with Spinoza and his philosophy of interconnectedness, the bridge she discovered between Spinoza and Indian traditions, the influence of past guest Celia Paul on the lectures, and more.. Give it a listen! And go read TRANSCENDENCE FOR BEGINNERS!

Last week I posted Episode 674, feat. Josh Alan Friedman and his kaleidoscopic novel, ALL ROADS LEAD TO GREAT NECK! Give it a listen! (And go listen to our 2014 talk!)

Recent podcast episodes: Andrew Durbin • Dean Haspiel & Doug Latino • Rachel Tzvia Back • Sven Birkerts • Indefinite Hiatus monologue • The Guest List • Jonathan Sandler

Every book (non-comics) that I’ve finished since 1989.

BIRDY!

When Amy leaves the house, or sometimes the room, BIRDY! will grab one (or more) of her shoes and bring it into the living room. The hiking shoe is a rarity; she usually goes for slippers or sneakers.

INSTAX

Here’s a bunch of Instax pix I took in NYC: a typewriter at the Algonquin, a self-portrait of Celia Paul, some flowers a visitor gave Celia, and a piece of sidewalk art.

ONLY IN NEW YORK

The Kickstarter campaign for REAL LIFE COMIX: ONLY IN NEW YORK is in the home stretch! This anthology from Cosmic Lion Productions features 51 New York City-centered comics from a ton of creative folks, including ~20 of my past pod-guests — like Roz Chast, Drew Friedman, Jonathan Ames, Karl Stevens, Jennifer Hayden, Ben Katchor, and Moby — and a ton of other great cartoonists! (Also, I’ve got a 2-page comic in it.) It’s a week from the deadline, and we’re closing in on the $20,000 goal, so support the Kickstarter by May 8 to get yourself a copy and some higher-tier rewards!

ALSO ONLY IN NEW YORK

Some photos from my Tuesday evening in New York, when I went to the launch party for Hirschfeld’s Icons (written/curated by David Leopold) and then the opening for Celia Paul’s new exhibition, Innervisions, at the Gladstone Gallery.

POSTCARD

I mail out a postcard every day, so let me know if you want to be on my list.

EXPENSES

If you want to help out with Virtual Memories Show expenses — this email runs $29/month, podcast-hosting is $25/month, and the remote recording account is $20/month — or otherwise Contribute To The Cause, you can make a one-time contribution of any size via Stripe, or a recurring one via Patreon. Or maybe save your money for when I launch the Kickstarter for my Instax book.

NEXT TIME

Thanks for reading this far. See you next time, I hope.

Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come since I first left home,