Update 9

Some Thoughts

The other day someone asked me how my book was coming and we ended up getting into a conversation about Objectivism and the philosophy of art. It was all very elevated and, just remembering it, I can barely keep my pinky finger from shooting out and seizing its privileged place above it's fellow fingers.

What a mysterious and imposing 'wordle' this turned out to be.

Clearly, I'm joking (I hope that's clear, or else my sense of humor is severely out of whack.) I could (I did) characterize the conversation we had that way, but it wasn't a conversation about putting things under the correct headings in a college coursebook, or helping each other feel superior because we both knew who Ayn Rand was or could debate the artistic elements and merit of photography. It was two guys talking about stuff guys think about and care about. If we'd been doing any of that other stuff, the conversation wouldn't have been about art, it would have been secretly about us.

Update 6 - The Introduction

Progress Report

Hey everybody,

Below is a rough draft (meaning here "unfinished, tentative version") of the introduction to the book.

I've been reading about Art some, but decided it would be a good time to do some more serious thinking about the structure of this thing and try to get down on pixels some of the whys and wherefores of it. I feel like it's coming together some.

Update 5 - What is Beauty Anyway?

Some Thoughts

My reading has certainly stirred up some thoughts, but they haven't really settled back down. Aristotle has exciting little tidbits on the subject of beauty which, actually, make me wonder whether we're talking about the same thing.

Update 4 - Aristotle, Here I Come!

[In cast you missed it. You can find this month's article here.]

Some Thoughts

This is the first real double-feature week on the blog: an article released on the same day as an update. I know that, actually, Update 0 came out on the same day as an article. But, this week, I had to work on October's article while I did research for the book. Update 0 didn't require so much effort.

Update 3 - Common Sense

Some Thoughts

As I mention below, I've decided to start my reading with Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, and the reason why is very important to how I think about the book and pop-culture itself. So important that I think I’m going to have to say more about it in the Preface (but maybe it can go in the Introduction).

Also, look at him. Aristotle's so handsome.
He must be right.

In his book, Aristotle for Everyone, Mortimer Adler says this: