Notes from "American Parsifal"

"American Parsifal" is a class at Syracuse University taught by Andrew Waggoner, composer in residence and violinist. I took it in Fall 2009. The class appraises trends in the tug of war between intellectualism and anti-intellectualism in America. Besides Waggoner's riffs on history and culture, we consumed and chewed on a lot of art: poetry (Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Bishop), music (Charles Ives, Elliot Carter, early Rock and Roll, Jazz), film (Forrest Gump, Being There, Bamboozled), and essays (Louis Menand, Toni Morrison). I was pupil qua amanuensis for the course, typing away on my petite laptop to sop up the wit and wisdom for posterity. What follows are notable transcriptions and interpretations from my notes.

• "I dream up goofy, fun stuff to study.", "The history was written by men; it's really quite simple.", "I can teach any damn fool thing I want."
• Semiotics was like influenza - the US strain went to Europe, mixed with the French, became virile and nasty, and returned to the US to wreak havoc.
• Science as metaphor. Fundamental mistake: metaphors are not equal.
• "Public education in this country has been an absolute disaster for the past 50 years."
• Bush: America is falling behind in Math and Science--the same administration which had been openly aggressive and violent towards science.
• I do not want intellectual labor saving devices. The way to avoid doing that that musically is to listen to intellectually engaging, difficult music--jazz.
• "The Soviet Union was an anthill run by psychopaths."
• "The right is an easy target:" Bill O'Reily, Sean Hannity - bit players - "these are visibly stupid people."
• Three options when talking about blackness, Africanism, and other controversial phenomena:
  1. Talk about it in ultra-respectful, politically correct language with a sense of modesty and seriousness.
  2. Just talk about it.
  3. Do not talk about it at all.
  (we chose door #2 in class)
• "He wanted me to fight him, he wanted me to see him with all of his imperfections, he did not want me to turn him into something I needed; into a kind of black Dalai Lama."
• Going to a hip-hop show is a unique, black experience whites should get involved in; more black people should go to the symphony.
• There is no American music without black music, yet black music is over and over again characterized as a kind of dark, jungle music--corrosive, mad, rhythmic--capable of turning people insane or corrupting their brain with excessive, orgiastic experience.
• Forrest Gump: The film springs from the American mythos that "The truest, most authentic, and most valuable aspect of the American psyche, the American soul, is to act with innocence and out of a pure desire to remain impervious to the distractions, the temptations, the sense of chaos, all the things, in other words, that constitute humanity."
• In correspondence about this blog post: "I like the Forrest Gump quote, but maybe you could set it up so that it's clear that I hate the movie"  
• "So you can put that under your hats."

Chi town

Yes, I have cornrows.

Three weeks ago, I moved from the sunny exurbs of Philadelphia to the windy south side of Chicago. After escapades, explorations, and the accumulation of mundane habits, some reflection is called for.

The weather here has been clement. There was heat, to be sure. And sweat. But by and large it's been balmy, swelter undermined by brisk breeze. Chicagoans take advantage of the happy climate: biking, running, and walking along Lake Shore Drive, sailing, swimming, frolicking about. I met an Ohioan runner hanging from a tree who eulogized the lakeside; he claimed Cleveland's is overbuilt and underutilized. Consensus is that Chicago's pretty and well planned for play and commerce. At least, during the summer.

Second, there is this business of mid-western hospitality. I'm predisposed to view this thesis with some skepticism. It goes against my assumption that people are pretty generous and pleasant nearly everywhere.

I recall positing to Pedro Cuperman - eminent Argentine scholar of language and literature at S.U. - that, "People are like pretty nice everywhere, man." I then attempted to get out an anecdote about some Turkish farmers inviting my family and I, and our interpreter and bus driver, into their home for fresh natural honey, bread, and tea; we had picked them up in our van. Before I could articulate the details, Cuperman shot me down with an ad hominem of sorts - my claim was mud on the grounds that my family and I are Caucasian bourgeois chumps. And I'm a man-cherub. His point was that other people sometimes have distinctly less rosy realities. He's right.

Race affects grades of positive or negative responses. It depends on the place and person. In my limited, prosperous, educated, and white experience, Chicago people have been hospitable, helpful, and garrulous, be they white, black, or brown. I could illustrate with a yarn or two, but I'll desist. Let me mention, though, that the by chance twice-met Bahá'í cyclist who invited me over one evening for a barbecue party, spiritual chat, and music session is definitely the tops. She and her friends were heroically welcoming.

I were different, so would be my experiences and impressions.

I've been all over the city. I'm making it mine or myself it or something like that.

Cars are great for exploration and destination-achieving. My parents had one and so did a guest. They helped me penetrate Pilsen (lil' Mexico) twice. The best way to see things, however, is from the ground: engulfed in the delicious effluvium of the city, trodding the pavement, part of the masses, with edifices towering around. Walking is effective when combined with public transit (gotta love the El). Together these have helped me cross many a neighborhood, hitting destinations such as Myopic Books, Gramaphone Records, the Bahá'í place of worship, Sultan's Market, and all of Hyde Park. I also run around a fair bit. The bike is my standby most of the time. But I did take an accidental 50 mile ride which smarted of betrayal. The water in Wilmette (a northern suburb) freezes bone marrow in mid-September.

A former new acquaintance now seemingly new friend raised the issue of identity the other day. He pondered identity shifts and re-inventions. Grad school, he postulated, is a good time to do such things. Then he asserted that it wasn't quite his bag - he had found himself pretty well content with himself already.

I think I might very well have found a pretty stable me, a long-term me, but I'm not sure - I'm open to new things. I think. I hope. But instead of identity reformation or reinvention, it has been more interesting recently to adjust superficialities and then record people's book-by-the-cover appraisals.

For example, my friend gave me cornrows the other day: flat, tight, beautiful braids which hug my dome like furry snakes. This allowed my face to emerge from the lion's mane and reassert its prominence. I'm told the braids - aka Chi rows - made me more fierce and stylish looking. And when I removed them (to be ambushed by immediate hypochondriac terror at ultra post-cornrow hair loss) I suddenly became or appeared to become more approachable, friendly, amiable. In short, I went from sharp and fearsome to soft and cuddly. My imagined personality, it turns out, had taken on the physical characteristics of my hairdo! And hairdo determinism being in my power, I can now tweak my perceived personality as much as my hair allows.

In Chicago, I'm a superhairo.

Even more importantly, I'm happy.

O boy, this is a big one...

I read an article titled, "Election spurs 'hundreds' of racist threats, crimes." Surprise, surprise, the population of the United States is racist! We have a black president-elect; gun sales and hate crimes are on the rise.

[Admittedly, the cross-country gun sale rise (of 250%, by some reports, and in some places) is not really an indication of assassination intent. Not only do gun sales typically surge during economic and social convulsions, but it is a preemptive move based on the assumption that Obama will tighten arms restrictions.]

Americans are evincing a bizarre and backwards fear. What are we afraid of? Well, people of color, for one. The alteration of the color spectrum of the US population is terrifying to many. That, however, is visible harbinger of a less quantifiable trend; change. Humans (all humans) fear change, especially when it is perceived as out of control.

Fear of change makes us malleable mites. And, as Yoda would have us know, fear leads to suffering, by one route or another. The two greatest evils are self-deception and illogic (not really a word). Both are exacerbated by fear.

On Nov. 5th there were those around the world speaking various dialects of the same language, pronouncing dramatically, "Well, there goes the country, the good 'ol country of days yonder." What we should recognize is that things were not better in the past, and things will not be worse in the future. The only thing to lament, for some, is the fall from grace of the white man which is presumed to accompany the diversification of the population. Every society has a race-based social hierarchy, ours is dominated by whites (not to mention the traditional cornering of the elite market by WASPS and subsequently other Christians).

Populations always resist change. Americans have always deprecated and suppressed newcomers, be they white or brown or black. And then when they are poor because they are marginalized and succumb to higher incidences of crime, we portray them as petty, dirty, immoral and uncivilized. This is the racialization system of the US, and most places. We stereotype and pigeonhole them as different and our hostility herds them into isolated communities. Our elitism and xenophobia urges our marginalized ones to close up and develop differently, adversely.

O, I do not object to immigration restrictions. There is a question of self-interest involved (a big question, one for another post, perhaps).

What I abhor is deception, both that that is perpetrated against the self and the others. It is popular today to make little of racism or to treat it as a historical (aka solved) problem, or one that is endemic to the southern US. The truth of the matter is that racist thought exists in every geographic locality, every society, if not in every person. Racism is based on deception and illogic. Specifically, the premise that people are biologically different. That is disproved. If biologically all humans are the same, phenotype (the sum of physical characteristics) becomes simply a method of identification, or, in the case of racialized social systems, a method for categorization by which people are treated differently based on color coding. The hierarchy of treatment is formulated by elements inside (and sometimes outside of) society.

The argument for racism is extended to consider culture, a nut not so simply cracked. There is no doubt that what is known as culture (i.e. the confluence of attributes such as so-called race or ethnicity, religion, language, geographic focus, history, folklore etc.) is variable. Whether or not it is important, however, is up for debate. I recognize the importance of its consequences (just as I recognize the importance and reality of the consequences of race (perhaps more accurately called the concept of race)). However, I believe that humans are all fundamentally the same; i.e. we share a human nature. By that reasoning, all human action and interaction is comprehensible and comparable. Portraying people to be irreconcilably different is illogical and divisive. Using the "clash of civilizations" theory to wipe my bum would be an affront to my anus; the premise that wars in the future will be between radically different so-called "civilizations" rather than between states is asinine. When some blurry idea of the "Confucian world" squares off against the non-entity that is the "Muslim world" recall that I told you that such a conflict is impossible (under current circumstances and trajectories) and then wake from your drug educed stupor. The reality is that such grandiose theories are cooked up by bored academics to mollify or divert the masses (aka, me and you). That one, concocted by Sam Huntington, is particularly nasty and inflammatory. Unfortunately, it gets a lot of adoration and attention, especially by those who currently run this country.

If we could recognize some simple realities, we could make reasoned and logical self-interested decisions. We would not be as susceptible to deceptive propaganda. That said, everybody buys into his or her own brand of propaganda, to some extent. If we learn to trust ourselves, our judgment, our reason, however, we can convert propaganda into evidence. Robert A. Heinlein writes, "Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, avoid opinion, never mind what the neighbors think... You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your only clue. Get the facts!" (This appears in his epic novel Time Enough for Love) Facts cannot coexist with self-delusion and illogic, reject those two natural tendencies and be brutally honest with yourself.


And, as a corollary, Saul Williams contributes, "And what you do is question everything they say do/ Every goal ideal or value they keep pushing on you/ If they ask you to believe it question whether it's true/ If they ask you to achieve, is it for them or for you?" (In the song, Act III Scene II on the album Saul Williams)
The point is this: Know yourself and trust yourself above all others. Everybody has an agenda. Fear is a tool by which we are manipulated. People are fundamentally the same but lamentably, inevitably, and probably permanently divided by social constructions of so-called race and culture.

It is not about race, it is not about ethnicity, it is not about culture. Everything essentially boils down to competition over finite resources. The polemics, the divisive, macho talk, the bullshit, it's all aimed at perpetuating worldwide inequality. Who among us is honest enough to be willing to admit that he/she likes being rich and would rather not share his and his society's wealth equally among the world's population? Raise your hands if you would prefer to maintain your munificence and star-kissed life opportunity, rather than give it away for drastically reduced wealth and life-enjoyment, if not misery and death. *raises hand*

Today the world's so-called melting pot prepares for its first black president. What does it matter? Well, as I noted in another post, it is symbolic of the potential of people of color, and of people of low social status and meager opportunity. Anybody can achieve, not that we needed evidence. Other than that, he is just another political figure, no matter his excellent oration. He could and might do great things, he might flop. Let us hope that he upholds truth, fallibility, and brutal honesty and does a little more than perpetuate the political pendulum. There is such a thing as progress, and change comes whether or not we want it or not. Obama will have awesome power to facilitate or stymie. Let us hope he chooses the former.

Obama

Obama won. "Yes we can!" Yes we did!" What can we expect in the future? This is only the beginning.

The hope cannot stop. The massive grass-roots following, the indistinct fire underneath Obama's bum, the support and the impetus cannot stop. There is no coherent social movement agenda of Obama pushers, there are only those who look to him with hope and preference. We must ensure that he does and is what we want him to do and be.

There is no doubt that this is an historic moment. An African American is president of the United States. Obama is a symbol figure, and as such, he is revolutionary. Perception of the racism that exists in the United States will change, for the better. Who will question the heights of the potential of the youth of color now?

Obama is not only a symbol of racial equality, but he is a symbol of intellectualism and professionalism, a beacon of light for the US. He is a figure that can and will be embraced on foreign soils. He is a "chance for change" on all fronts, internal and external. He is a moderating force, I think, more than anything else. Look at his policies, even his social policies (homosexual marriage and death penalty, for example). He is not overwhelmingly liberal, despite the rhetoric of the McCain campaign which pointed to him as a "redistributor of income," and a "socialist." He is, to some extent, because he is a Democrat. But, he is not very socialist, he is a moderate, he is a moderate, he is a moderate.

He will TRY to bridge gaps - racial/ethnic, partisan, foreign relations, class-based, etc. I pray to the souls of the river of the dead that he will make moderation, reason, and pragmatism the cornerstones of his presidency. These are the most important points. He has a tremendous potential. To live up to the potential, to be a transformational figure he MUST live up to the perception of the conciliator, he MUST reconcile differences, he MUST despise and condemn divisiveness, discrimination, and hate. If he does not do this, he remains a symbol of racial equality, he remains a symbol of excellence and reconciliation for the world at large, he remains a Democrat, and a talented one at that. Of course, Obama's efficacy as president will be hamstrung by, if nothing else, the economic situation.

Movement towards equality in all things is and should be the goal, on national, global levels. Obama is a step forward. And, I trust him, I believe in him, his character, his capacity. I think his goals are as pure as politically feasible. He might be an enlightened being, but that is probably pushing it, and even if it is not, he is human. I think he is limited by this country, this society, which is just as unexceptional as all or most societies. I love America, I really do, but when we get caught up in our own uniqueness and self-worth, we forget those things that make our society wholly imperfect, we ignore our shortcomings. That is both ignorant and impeding to progress.

Who really knows about any politician, though? We live amongst social constructs of everything, where most things are arbitrary, where masks and superficialities are popular, and where money determines most everything. It has been said that today's event is a reason to discard cynicism. If not cynicism, I maintain a healthy suspicion, a vigilant critique. We must keep our eyes open, Obama or the folks behind and around and within Obama could hoodwink us just as easily as the powers that be have deceived and manipulated us for the last four years.

I hope, but I hope with words and gestures, while eyes and heart maintain sober heaviness that I cannot shake. Obama's oration represents me. His speech this eve made me want to cry. Whether from exultation or fear of being let down, I have not yet decided.