Or Dancing. Or Singing Songs.

More Vonnegut:

(from the intro to Bluebeard)

May I say, too, that much of what I put in this book was inspired by the grotesque prices paid for works of art during the past century. Tremendous concentrations of paper wealth have made it possible for a few persons or institutions to endow certain sorts of human playfulness with inappropriate and hence distressing seriousness. I think not only of the mudpies of art, but of children's games as well - running, jumping, catching, throwing.

Or dancing.

Or singing songs.

*

I noticed a glaring omission in Vonnegut's lament: Literature.

Of course, as a writer, he surely felt that literature stood on a higher ground of importance than did art, or sports, or dancing and singing.

I see his point. Sports are purely entertainment. They are nothing more than diversion.

Many songs are the same thing: Entertainment & Diversion.

But...so are many books these days.

And as for art: Plenty of art achieves the same depth of thought and reflection as does truly great literature.

I must insert the disclaimer that Vonnegut was focused specifically on Abstract Expressionist art - you know, Jackson Pollock-type stuff. But nevertheless, his assertions in this intro brought up some questions in my mind. Questions such as...


Where does literature fit in among diversionary entertainment such as sports and pop music?

Does the money poured into sports give them far too much seriousness?

Does the money poured into entertainment in general give it far too much seriousness?


At the risk of typing much more than I planned to type...

One of the biggest problems I see with America (especially young Americans) is a lack of passion for anything worthwhile. This ties in with a lack of purpose.

People care more about their favorite sports team than they care about their own productivity, passion, or future (and I am not excluding myself from this one, what with a Red Sox game on every single day).

People care more about what is going on in the lives of their favorite celebrities than they care about what is going on in their own life.

People immerse themselves in entertainment, and in this way they escape their own life. They choose not to participate in their own life.

As for literature: Many people use literature the same way.

Of course, literature can also be used for immense good. Vonnegut acknowledged as much by omitting it from his lament.

Art can be used for immense good as well - for introspection, and enlightenment, and thought.

Music can be used for immense good as well.

Sports can be used for...

...okay, maybe that one's a stretch.


My point: I don't know.

My point: It's a tough discussion around which to place parameters.


My point is that we don't know how any of these things affect or are employed by other people; what we should each be able to say for certain, however, is how each of these things affects us. Examine your life - your passion, your purpose, your future. Ask yourself where art, and sports, and music, and literature all fit in for you.

Keep everything in perspective.

Live life.

*

Incidentally...

Tomats asked me to take this picture. I am not sure if you can read her handwriting, but it says:

20 Days until "The Great Lenore" is in stores!!!

And she's right. 20 days.

Please help spread the word.
Maybe by sharing (far and wide!) the link to the "Lenore" page:
http://bit.ly/bDvYFw

Play nice and share with others
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