It is refreshing to find someone who understands the polarizing situation women are facing right now is in large part due to women's own adopted, collective mindset these days. I am in a similar situation-I am a career-oriented woman who also upholds traditional values. My Substack deals with classical thinking. I write for a publication that upholds traditional values throughout every published work. But I believe women shouldn't pigeonhole themselves into basing their individual lives off of political buckets. For my beliefs, I'm viewed as an untouchable by the left because I don't parrot everything they say. My little time spent with today's feminists reveals a movement still steeped in socialist and Marxist ideology. As an advocate of free mart economics, I can never view the path to freedom for women ( or anyone) as one that leads to a governmental doorstep. Conservative groups often label me a feminist because I'm not overtly religious, and don't believe children should be a woman's lone purpose. Quite frankly, it's a mess right now and I feel women often actually had more possibilities open to them before the modern feminist movement took over. I often don't broach the subject in my writing because it's such a nuanced topic that can easily be miscommunicated, with messaging that gets lost in the fray of online debate. But seeing your work is giving me pause to rethink my approach-maybe I'll start talking a bit more about this in my own work. Your poem is beautifully written with a wonderful musicality to it. I look forward to your forthcoming poetry collection!
Thank you, Rebecca! Great to hear that I am not alone! I definitely think that you should write about it—I haven't written much about female issues on here because my Substack audience skews very heavily male (go figure), but I think that we should have more conversations like these! You are absolutely right—the feminist movement has just made things worse for women. There are more options now but absolutely no guidance one way or another. It has also just created polarization, and there are increasingly fewer women who see motherhood and career success and equally important feats.
I don't know why the rest of your male audience is here, but I started over at the Pens and Poison magazine website. After being out of circulation for many years, I was trying to get my poetry in print and finding that the submission guidelines at most literary journals were distinctly unwelcoming. I belong to that demographic which has been hogging the mic for centuries and I check literally NONE of the boxes I'm supposed to check. I understand why things are like that, and I am not resentful, more just disheartened. The attitude expressed at the P&P website was a breath of fresh air, and I felt that anyone who had guts enough to buck the trend and stake out a space for good writing (even to declare that there is such a thing borders on heresy currently) deserves my support, so here I am, clogging up your comment boxes.
I also have a largely male audience. I think because we cover subject matter with a reasoned approach, that appeals more to the male reader than the female reader. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to all men or women. But I have conversations with men quite often who are desperate for publications that don’t make them out to be the bad guy. So, in their search, they find us. That’s a big reason why I haven’t delved too much into the topic yet—I don’t want to alienate them. But, I do think it’s possible to cover it in a way that’s objective and common sensical. You definitely do. I look forward to reading more of your work in the coming year!
I am part of Liza's largely male audience, and although I can only speak for myself, I would welcome any and all discussions. I like people who are willing to be real. You and Liza may have a largely male audience, not because of your reasoned approach (or not only that) but because a lot of men would like women to say what they really think. In my experience women, moreso than men, get socialized to be pleasers. There are enough of those ego-driven alpha-male types out there that it can be hard to get along in the world without masking your thoughts. It may be that when you are old you will wear purple and take shit from nobody, but before you get there, a lot of women do a lot of self-censorship. Men do too, of course. But those of us who are not demanding that women play dumb can sense the barrier, the reticence, that gets in the way of real connection. I think men are also socialized to think they want what the alpha-males want. They are lonely for forthright women, and I suspect that most don't even know that's what they want. When women like you or Liza put up these postings, it's the forthrightness that is admirable, even more than the reasoned approach.
(That may all just be how I see things. I fell in love with my wife before I ever saw her face. I heard her voice from the back seat of a friend's car, and her voice was powerful and there was not the slightest hint of hesitation or doubt in her absolute right to say exactly what she wanted to say. I was a goner. Before we married, she told me that one thing she hated was that everyone kept asking her why she didn't smile more. I said, "thank god for a person who only smiles when she means it." Then we got married. She passed away last year after 39 years of marriage and 10 years of ovarian cancer. I will miss her forever. End of disclaimer.)
Thank you so much for sharing this insightful and beautiful response Stuart. I hadn't thought of the distinction you point out—that the forthrightness is often appreciated more than the reasoned approach. I don't yet understand why, but this is bringing me comfort for some reason (I'm sure I'll get it worked out in my head over the coming days). I do agree with you regarding the social conditioning of women, and how it often leads to them growing up to be people-pleasers. I often see that in conversations with women—while I enjoy passionate debate, many bond over shared problems and experiences, quite a few of which are foreign to me simply because I am at such a different place in my life than so many women my age. What perplexes me is how many women reinforce their own mental subjugation (I've had quite a few women tell me they have no interest in things happening in the world, they just want to "raise their babies"). While I do understand and empathize with women to a certain degree because at one point there was a substantial lack of equality regarding women, today, I have to come to the conclusion that much of women's "plight" in modern western civilization is self-imposed. So many women label men as the bogeyman for their problems while either not realizing or refusing to realize the current status of their life is the result of their choices and actions.
I appreciate your thoughts on sharing more writing that involves discussing the current divide between the sexes. I think my perspective on the matter is so marginal, I might draw the ire of the majority of people who would read the piece, whether they're male or female 😅 But I may dedicate more page space to it in 2025.
Your last paragraph is such a beautiful tribute to your wife. She sounds like such a special human, and you sound equally as special. I cannot possibly address her in the past tense when your memory of her and love for her is still so vibrantly alive. I only smile when I mean it as well, so I don't smile often. But I did when I read your inspiring tribute to her ❤️
Thank you, Rebecca, for taking my remarks kindly. I have a horror of "mansplaining," so I'm always quite hesitant to approach topics like this one. (That's my flavor of self-censorship.) I want to add that, although I would welcome more discussions on topics that might be volatile, you have a following to build, and I do not. I can speak freely, while your best judgment may lead you to stay your course. If so, so be it; either way, I'm glad you're out there.
My two cents on "reinforcing their own subjugation:" I think one common way of coping with a long-term bad situation which one did not choose is to convince oneself that one in fact did choose it, that it is what one really wants. Sort of "Stockholm syndrome lite." To me, that seems more sad than perplexing, but I think I understand what you mean: it's hard to put yourself in their frame of mind to understand "from the inside" where their attitude comes from, because your own head is in a very different space.
I was afraid at first to add that last paragraph about my wife, because it's pretty personal and still raw. But now I'm glad I did. Thank you for smiling, and for wanting to.
How could I fault you for mansplaining when I at times "shelaborate"? (Just a small joke. You indeed did not mansplain one bit.) I appreciate your understanding of the need for discernment when building something. I think I would be able to do it in a way that may foster some passionate discussion, but (hopefully) wouldn't turn into total chaos in the comments section.
I absolutely agree with you regarding "Stockholm Syndrome lite." I've thought this as well. And it is sad. But when I see American women calling for the revoking of my right to vote, to own property, and to be an equal citizen in the eyes of the law, my sympathy wanes. There have been men and women over my lifetime who have attempted to subjugate my mind and body in the worst ways. I never let them win. I've earned my freedom and I intend to never relinquish it one bit for any reason at all. Maybe that's the difference. These women I see advocating for the subjugation of their own sex grew up in a country and in a society that recognizes their autonomy. They have taken their freedom for granted in the worst way in large part because they've never experienced anyone who's truly threatened it. How can you miss something you've always had?
I'm so glad you shared the paragraph about your wife. And I thank you for your bravery in sharing it. I shed some tears over it and hugged my husband for a good minute after reading it. Your beautiful story is worth sharing. If there's one thing this world needs right now (and will always need), it's proclamations of love and beauty, which you and your wife are a moving example of ❤️
I think it's less gendered than that. I think if you asked a lot of men as well, particularly in the working and middle classes, they would say they have no interest in things in the world and want to raise their children (probably wouldn't use the word 'babies'). A very common statement among men is "I hate my job but I do it for the kids."
Political involvement involves a large amount of effort for uncertain results, and in the USA, identification with one of two ideologies, both of which many people find, if not offensive, at least not worthy of the wholehearted embrace the parties want. You yourself have said upthread you're not religious enough for the right and not Marxist enough for the left. (A position I share myself.)
The vast majority of people are never going to be the next William Shakespeare, George Washington, or Marie Curie. But I'd bet even in these dark years a majority of people can raise a child to maturity--and that's something that a lot of people find satisfying. So, for many people it may in fact be rational to have no interest in things in the world (realistically, you can't change them in most cases) and want to raise babies.
I agree with your thoughts regarding gender. I always take into account outliers (I myself am one), which is why I mentioned not all women or men. It’s true many men also prefer to check out of reality these days, they simply often do it in different ways.
I wonder if it’s smart to willingly be ingorant of the world around you while being in charge of rearing the next generation? I don’t simply mean politics. I mean philosophy, current events, economics… reality itself. We have a generation entering the workforce that has to take a parent with them to job interviews. A record amount of children are on all types of psychotropics due to social anxiety disorders. I have conversations with college aged kids who can’t even make eye contact during a one-on-one chat. To me, there’s something critical not happening right now among a predominantly female population raising children. The anecdotal and scientific evidence is right in front of me. I think it’s perfectly rational to want to be a stay at home mother. I don’t think it’s rational to context drop though, and pretend it gives you a get out of jail free card from reality.
You could always be a libertarian--they usually don't have a problem with women working, it's up to the individual's choice. I prefer a more robust welfare state, personally, though not to the level of full socialism (Norway not Venezuela). I think the new version is 'classical liberal', which for you might carry the advantage of alluding to the Old-School Western Culture you enjoy (and which I agree is often beautiful and impressive.)
Overall, I agree trying to base your individual life off a political bucket is a bad idea--you see lots of leftists ruining their lives trying to live according to their principles exactly. It's tricky for bright right-leaning women unless they want to spend all their time bragging about the size of their brood. Nothing wrong with saying 'this far and no farther'--it's good that women have the right to work outside the home and have their own credit cards, you don't have to have a 50% representation in every area of work or make all the women in video games ugly.
Also, you can be an aesthetic conservative and a political liberal. You can think the stuff in the Met's prettier than the stuff in the MOMA and still vote Democrat or dislike Trump or whatever.
I’ve tried every political affiliation and I always end up the black sheep. Have you seen the conversations on social media between male libertarians? One very common discussion is whether or not a “voluntary sex slave” relationship with a woman (and they very much so intend the woman to be the “sex slave”) violates the NAP. Creepy stuff. I’ve had good conversations with individuals from every affiliation, but once they group up, that’s when things tend to get a bit dicey. The best I can come up with myself is I’m a Voluntaryist because I believe in consent in all things. But in general people do not recognize that as a legitimate political philosophy. That’s fine, I do. After my latest fumble with groupthink in yet another politically charged group, I saw my way out and took a page out of Isabel Paterson’s playbook: “I don’t join groups.” lol
In fact I had not seen those; I haven't checked in on the libertarians in a while, I was spending all my time getting creeped out by the frogtwitter crowd, who instead spend all their time fanboying about Nazis and bodybuilders.
I had forgotten John Norman was a libertarian. I see he's still around in spirit...and in body, apparently, at 93. I can't really blame you for not wanting to hang around that.
(FWIW given the popularity of 50 Shades and ACOTAR and, heck, even Gor in its time I suspect there are actually a few guys who would find takers for that sort of thing, but probably not the basement-dwelling libertarians. A substantially larger number would find women willing to fake it temporarily.)
I also don't think they're entirely serious, things like 'Your Body, My Choice' are more intended to anger the sorts of women who made it impossible to talk to women you're interested in public without getting thrown out of college for harassment. Of course, as has happened with 4chan and similar areas before (Hitler jokes are the classic example), jokes have a way of not becoming jokes after a while, so you're right to be wary.
The thing I've realized is increasingly, among the young, a large portion of the sexes just hate each other.
Not joining groups makes politics difficult, but from an artistic point of view it does allow for more integrity. So maybe I.M.P. had the right idea!
You hit the nail on the head. My artistic integrity is my top priority, above all else. That'll piss any group off eventually, because no matter the group, they expect to come first. 😅
Well, this poem just sent me over to Amazon to pick up your first collection. (First because I'm one of those people who always starts at page 1 and reads straight through.) As to the poem itself, I enjoyed it. Sometimes the meaning of a phrase seemed to be hiding just around the corner, but that never got in the way of the clarity of the theme. The interspersed fragmentation of place and time struck me as meditative rather than dreamlike. It reinforced the sense that in this subjunctive world of "if," the boundaries between places and times are not rigid; that worked well for me. There were some interesting word choices that prevented me from reading it complacently -- for instance "hurdled" where I strongly expected "hurled," which made me pause and think instead of hurrying on.
I liked "These brutish fiends who jabber in the gym" particularly just as a line. (The whole third stanza, BTW, has something stylistically in common with Eliot. I can hear it.) Other later lines drop interestingly into various verse forms -- I can't read "Soldiers were sent off to fight in fracas" without hearing echoes of Beowulf. You probably don't need me to tell you this, but you seem to be one of the poets who actually understand how the poetic line is supposed to function. So much of what I have seen published recently seems to be prose with linebreaks (I almost want to say, taking a term from the left, "performative linebreaks") which don't do anything but mark the writing as poetry rather than prose. ("Look, it has linebreaks, it must be a poem!")
Sorry, I tend to obsess on technical aspects of poems, but this is intended as an appreciation, not a dissection. Thank you for sharing this poem.
Sir, this made me cry in the very best way. Someone on the internet just took time out of his day to analyze my poem. Absolutely made my day and thank you so much for your kind words and insightful analysis!
I am listening to a book about Dorothy Kilgallen, written by Mark Shaw. Kilgallen was a journalist and celebrity in the first part of the 20th century who unfortunately died a tragic death which is somewhat mysterious to this day. Kilgallen was a woman who was a mother of 3, and yet also had a very lucrative career up until her death. She is but one example of a woman who could juggle motherhood and career quite effectively, so it can be done.
What do I know from poetry? But your words are interesting together, some rare choices. I am thinking a lot about whether there is a conservative aesthetic and would like to know what you think. My thoughts are just beginning to crystallize here: toonsday,substack.com. "What's wrong with the right."
Wow wow wow! I think you are great. Trying to follow. If there is a way beyond the obvious paradoxes, you might have it. ("Fighting will not be tolerated in the stadium." "There will be no fighting in the war room.") I have to study you more. It is a pleasure so far. I like you. A lot. Men need women like you. I can tell you that women need men, too. If you recall the story of the Blind Men and the Elephant? Perhaps men and women see differently, for a reason? survival? Many men have gone to prison, and women to work for the govt meat market- and sleep with animals. How sick is that?
It is refreshing to find someone who understands the polarizing situation women are facing right now is in large part due to women's own adopted, collective mindset these days. I am in a similar situation-I am a career-oriented woman who also upholds traditional values. My Substack deals with classical thinking. I write for a publication that upholds traditional values throughout every published work. But I believe women shouldn't pigeonhole themselves into basing their individual lives off of political buckets. For my beliefs, I'm viewed as an untouchable by the left because I don't parrot everything they say. My little time spent with today's feminists reveals a movement still steeped in socialist and Marxist ideology. As an advocate of free mart economics, I can never view the path to freedom for women ( or anyone) as one that leads to a governmental doorstep. Conservative groups often label me a feminist because I'm not overtly religious, and don't believe children should be a woman's lone purpose. Quite frankly, it's a mess right now and I feel women often actually had more possibilities open to them before the modern feminist movement took over. I often don't broach the subject in my writing because it's such a nuanced topic that can easily be miscommunicated, with messaging that gets lost in the fray of online debate. But seeing your work is giving me pause to rethink my approach-maybe I'll start talking a bit more about this in my own work. Your poem is beautifully written with a wonderful musicality to it. I look forward to your forthcoming poetry collection!
Thank you, Rebecca! Great to hear that I am not alone! I definitely think that you should write about it—I haven't written much about female issues on here because my Substack audience skews very heavily male (go figure), but I think that we should have more conversations like these! You are absolutely right—the feminist movement has just made things worse for women. There are more options now but absolutely no guidance one way or another. It has also just created polarization, and there are increasingly fewer women who see motherhood and career success and equally important feats.
I don't know why the rest of your male audience is here, but I started over at the Pens and Poison magazine website. After being out of circulation for many years, I was trying to get my poetry in print and finding that the submission guidelines at most literary journals were distinctly unwelcoming. I belong to that demographic which has been hogging the mic for centuries and I check literally NONE of the boxes I'm supposed to check. I understand why things are like that, and I am not resentful, more just disheartened. The attitude expressed at the P&P website was a breath of fresh air, and I felt that anyone who had guts enough to buck the trend and stake out a space for good writing (even to declare that there is such a thing borders on heresy currently) deserves my support, so here I am, clogging up your comment boxes.
We are very glad you’re here! And we’ll get around to publishing the first edition of the mag soon hopefully, we are quite behind 😅
I also have a largely male audience. I think because we cover subject matter with a reasoned approach, that appeals more to the male reader than the female reader. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to all men or women. But I have conversations with men quite often who are desperate for publications that don’t make them out to be the bad guy. So, in their search, they find us. That’s a big reason why I haven’t delved too much into the topic yet—I don’t want to alienate them. But, I do think it’s possible to cover it in a way that’s objective and common sensical. You definitely do. I look forward to reading more of your work in the coming year!
I am part of Liza's largely male audience, and although I can only speak for myself, I would welcome any and all discussions. I like people who are willing to be real. You and Liza may have a largely male audience, not because of your reasoned approach (or not only that) but because a lot of men would like women to say what they really think. In my experience women, moreso than men, get socialized to be pleasers. There are enough of those ego-driven alpha-male types out there that it can be hard to get along in the world without masking your thoughts. It may be that when you are old you will wear purple and take shit from nobody, but before you get there, a lot of women do a lot of self-censorship. Men do too, of course. But those of us who are not demanding that women play dumb can sense the barrier, the reticence, that gets in the way of real connection. I think men are also socialized to think they want what the alpha-males want. They are lonely for forthright women, and I suspect that most don't even know that's what they want. When women like you or Liza put up these postings, it's the forthrightness that is admirable, even more than the reasoned approach.
(That may all just be how I see things. I fell in love with my wife before I ever saw her face. I heard her voice from the back seat of a friend's car, and her voice was powerful and there was not the slightest hint of hesitation or doubt in her absolute right to say exactly what she wanted to say. I was a goner. Before we married, she told me that one thing she hated was that everyone kept asking her why she didn't smile more. I said, "thank god for a person who only smiles when she means it." Then we got married. She passed away last year after 39 years of marriage and 10 years of ovarian cancer. I will miss her forever. End of disclaimer.)
Thank you so much for sharing this insightful and beautiful response Stuart. I hadn't thought of the distinction you point out—that the forthrightness is often appreciated more than the reasoned approach. I don't yet understand why, but this is bringing me comfort for some reason (I'm sure I'll get it worked out in my head over the coming days). I do agree with you regarding the social conditioning of women, and how it often leads to them growing up to be people-pleasers. I often see that in conversations with women—while I enjoy passionate debate, many bond over shared problems and experiences, quite a few of which are foreign to me simply because I am at such a different place in my life than so many women my age. What perplexes me is how many women reinforce their own mental subjugation (I've had quite a few women tell me they have no interest in things happening in the world, they just want to "raise their babies"). While I do understand and empathize with women to a certain degree because at one point there was a substantial lack of equality regarding women, today, I have to come to the conclusion that much of women's "plight" in modern western civilization is self-imposed. So many women label men as the bogeyman for their problems while either not realizing or refusing to realize the current status of their life is the result of their choices and actions.
I appreciate your thoughts on sharing more writing that involves discussing the current divide between the sexes. I think my perspective on the matter is so marginal, I might draw the ire of the majority of people who would read the piece, whether they're male or female 😅 But I may dedicate more page space to it in 2025.
Your last paragraph is such a beautiful tribute to your wife. She sounds like such a special human, and you sound equally as special. I cannot possibly address her in the past tense when your memory of her and love for her is still so vibrantly alive. I only smile when I mean it as well, so I don't smile often. But I did when I read your inspiring tribute to her ❤️
Thank you, Rebecca, for taking my remarks kindly. I have a horror of "mansplaining," so I'm always quite hesitant to approach topics like this one. (That's my flavor of self-censorship.) I want to add that, although I would welcome more discussions on topics that might be volatile, you have a following to build, and I do not. I can speak freely, while your best judgment may lead you to stay your course. If so, so be it; either way, I'm glad you're out there.
My two cents on "reinforcing their own subjugation:" I think one common way of coping with a long-term bad situation which one did not choose is to convince oneself that one in fact did choose it, that it is what one really wants. Sort of "Stockholm syndrome lite." To me, that seems more sad than perplexing, but I think I understand what you mean: it's hard to put yourself in their frame of mind to understand "from the inside" where their attitude comes from, because your own head is in a very different space.
I was afraid at first to add that last paragraph about my wife, because it's pretty personal and still raw. But now I'm glad I did. Thank you for smiling, and for wanting to.
How could I fault you for mansplaining when I at times "shelaborate"? (Just a small joke. You indeed did not mansplain one bit.) I appreciate your understanding of the need for discernment when building something. I think I would be able to do it in a way that may foster some passionate discussion, but (hopefully) wouldn't turn into total chaos in the comments section.
I absolutely agree with you regarding "Stockholm Syndrome lite." I've thought this as well. And it is sad. But when I see American women calling for the revoking of my right to vote, to own property, and to be an equal citizen in the eyes of the law, my sympathy wanes. There have been men and women over my lifetime who have attempted to subjugate my mind and body in the worst ways. I never let them win. I've earned my freedom and I intend to never relinquish it one bit for any reason at all. Maybe that's the difference. These women I see advocating for the subjugation of their own sex grew up in a country and in a society that recognizes their autonomy. They have taken their freedom for granted in the worst way in large part because they've never experienced anyone who's truly threatened it. How can you miss something you've always had?
I'm so glad you shared the paragraph about your wife. And I thank you for your bravery in sharing it. I shed some tears over it and hugged my husband for a good minute after reading it. Your beautiful story is worth sharing. If there's one thing this world needs right now (and will always need), it's proclamations of love and beauty, which you and your wife are a moving example of ❤️
I think it's less gendered than that. I think if you asked a lot of men as well, particularly in the working and middle classes, they would say they have no interest in things in the world and want to raise their children (probably wouldn't use the word 'babies'). A very common statement among men is "I hate my job but I do it for the kids."
Political involvement involves a large amount of effort for uncertain results, and in the USA, identification with one of two ideologies, both of which many people find, if not offensive, at least not worthy of the wholehearted embrace the parties want. You yourself have said upthread you're not religious enough for the right and not Marxist enough for the left. (A position I share myself.)
The vast majority of people are never going to be the next William Shakespeare, George Washington, or Marie Curie. But I'd bet even in these dark years a majority of people can raise a child to maturity--and that's something that a lot of people find satisfying. So, for many people it may in fact be rational to have no interest in things in the world (realistically, you can't change them in most cases) and want to raise babies.
I agree with your thoughts regarding gender. I always take into account outliers (I myself am one), which is why I mentioned not all women or men. It’s true many men also prefer to check out of reality these days, they simply often do it in different ways.
I wonder if it’s smart to willingly be ingorant of the world around you while being in charge of rearing the next generation? I don’t simply mean politics. I mean philosophy, current events, economics… reality itself. We have a generation entering the workforce that has to take a parent with them to job interviews. A record amount of children are on all types of psychotropics due to social anxiety disorders. I have conversations with college aged kids who can’t even make eye contact during a one-on-one chat. To me, there’s something critical not happening right now among a predominantly female population raising children. The anecdotal and scientific evidence is right in front of me. I think it’s perfectly rational to want to be a stay at home mother. I don’t think it’s rational to context drop though, and pretend it gives you a get out of jail free card from reality.
You could always be a libertarian--they usually don't have a problem with women working, it's up to the individual's choice. I prefer a more robust welfare state, personally, though not to the level of full socialism (Norway not Venezuela). I think the new version is 'classical liberal', which for you might carry the advantage of alluding to the Old-School Western Culture you enjoy (and which I agree is often beautiful and impressive.)
Overall, I agree trying to base your individual life off a political bucket is a bad idea--you see lots of leftists ruining their lives trying to live according to their principles exactly. It's tricky for bright right-leaning women unless they want to spend all their time bragging about the size of their brood. Nothing wrong with saying 'this far and no farther'--it's good that women have the right to work outside the home and have their own credit cards, you don't have to have a 50% representation in every area of work or make all the women in video games ugly.
Also, you can be an aesthetic conservative and a political liberal. You can think the stuff in the Met's prettier than the stuff in the MOMA and still vote Democrat or dislike Trump or whatever.
I’ve tried every political affiliation and I always end up the black sheep. Have you seen the conversations on social media between male libertarians? One very common discussion is whether or not a “voluntary sex slave” relationship with a woman (and they very much so intend the woman to be the “sex slave”) violates the NAP. Creepy stuff. I’ve had good conversations with individuals from every affiliation, but once they group up, that’s when things tend to get a bit dicey. The best I can come up with myself is I’m a Voluntaryist because I believe in consent in all things. But in general people do not recognize that as a legitimate political philosophy. That’s fine, I do. After my latest fumble with groupthink in yet another politically charged group, I saw my way out and took a page out of Isabel Paterson’s playbook: “I don’t join groups.” lol
In fact I had not seen those; I haven't checked in on the libertarians in a while, I was spending all my time getting creeped out by the frogtwitter crowd, who instead spend all their time fanboying about Nazis and bodybuilders.
I had forgotten John Norman was a libertarian. I see he's still around in spirit...and in body, apparently, at 93. I can't really blame you for not wanting to hang around that.
(FWIW given the popularity of 50 Shades and ACOTAR and, heck, even Gor in its time I suspect there are actually a few guys who would find takers for that sort of thing, but probably not the basement-dwelling libertarians. A substantially larger number would find women willing to fake it temporarily.)
I also don't think they're entirely serious, things like 'Your Body, My Choice' are more intended to anger the sorts of women who made it impossible to talk to women you're interested in public without getting thrown out of college for harassment. Of course, as has happened with 4chan and similar areas before (Hitler jokes are the classic example), jokes have a way of not becoming jokes after a while, so you're right to be wary.
The thing I've realized is increasingly, among the young, a large portion of the sexes just hate each other.
Not joining groups makes politics difficult, but from an artistic point of view it does allow for more integrity. So maybe I.M.P. had the right idea!
You hit the nail on the head. My artistic integrity is my top priority, above all else. That'll piss any group off eventually, because no matter the group, they expect to come first. 😅
Soldier on, Liza! 😊❤️
Well, this poem just sent me over to Amazon to pick up your first collection. (First because I'm one of those people who always starts at page 1 and reads straight through.) As to the poem itself, I enjoyed it. Sometimes the meaning of a phrase seemed to be hiding just around the corner, but that never got in the way of the clarity of the theme. The interspersed fragmentation of place and time struck me as meditative rather than dreamlike. It reinforced the sense that in this subjunctive world of "if," the boundaries between places and times are not rigid; that worked well for me. There were some interesting word choices that prevented me from reading it complacently -- for instance "hurdled" where I strongly expected "hurled," which made me pause and think instead of hurrying on.
I liked "These brutish fiends who jabber in the gym" particularly just as a line. (The whole third stanza, BTW, has something stylistically in common with Eliot. I can hear it.) Other later lines drop interestingly into various verse forms -- I can't read "Soldiers were sent off to fight in fracas" without hearing echoes of Beowulf. You probably don't need me to tell you this, but you seem to be one of the poets who actually understand how the poetic line is supposed to function. So much of what I have seen published recently seems to be prose with linebreaks (I almost want to say, taking a term from the left, "performative linebreaks") which don't do anything but mark the writing as poetry rather than prose. ("Look, it has linebreaks, it must be a poem!")
Sorry, I tend to obsess on technical aspects of poems, but this is intended as an appreciation, not a dissection. Thank you for sharing this poem.
Sir, this made me cry in the very best way. Someone on the internet just took time out of his day to analyze my poem. Absolutely made my day and thank you so much for your kind words and insightful analysis!
I am listening to a book about Dorothy Kilgallen, written by Mark Shaw. Kilgallen was a journalist and celebrity in the first part of the 20th century who unfortunately died a tragic death which is somewhat mysterious to this day. Kilgallen was a woman who was a mother of 3, and yet also had a very lucrative career up until her death. She is but one example of a woman who could juggle motherhood and career quite effectively, so it can be done.
What do I know from poetry? But your words are interesting together, some rare choices. I am thinking a lot about whether there is a conservative aesthetic and would like to know what you think. My thoughts are just beginning to crystallize here: toonsday,substack.com. "What's wrong with the right."
Wow wow wow! I think you are great. Trying to follow. If there is a way beyond the obvious paradoxes, you might have it. ("Fighting will not be tolerated in the stadium." "There will be no fighting in the war room.") I have to study you more. It is a pleasure so far. I like you. A lot. Men need women like you. I can tell you that women need men, too. If you recall the story of the Blind Men and the Elephant? Perhaps men and women see differently, for a reason? survival? Many men have gone to prison, and women to work for the govt meat market- and sleep with animals. How sick is that?