23 Comments

"Drugs and alcohol, and the tendency to indulge them, are mere symbols of an independent nature." No so sure! I know plenty of mind-numbingly boring as fuck drunks! But I agree that all creative people and people who don't have their spanx in a twist and can still respond honestly to art are Lotus Eaters looking for a high... laughing and weeping an dancing around naked just watching good theatre - with or without the Moonshine! That Twitter is lead paint, no doubt about it. Hope Notes turns out more noble! Thank you for your insights :)

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Apr 14, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

"We drown at birth our novels and dramas and films and symphonies in a noisome sea of Twitter, doom-scrolling, and silliness."

The Granny Goodness-style cultural death camps that are our universities don't help, either.

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author

A worthy new reference. Thank you!

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Wait. There’s a Generation Alpha? Makes me wonder if Generation Z is so screwed up because they thought they were the Omega and have figured out that they weren’t. There is no pinnacle. Just a never ending recycle. “But I though I was a special individual, just like all my friends!” as one of my students wrote once.

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author

'Minimally exceptional.'

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Apr 9, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

Well I listen to a Sunday morning podcast- but without ever really listening until this am- after a troubling, bilious week of trials & tribulations.... Inother words I’m in lock down, self imposed house arrest - in the dog house - which is preferred anyhow. But now- things are turning back around go figure karma ain’t so bad after all - Kerry, dharma bum at ♥️ Japheth Ryder’s little sister

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Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

I didn't realise you were so young! Yes, your generation is terribly serious and moderate.....disappointing 🤣🤣🤣🤣 my boys are generation Alpha apparently, and both swear they will never drink alcohol....no idea why?

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author

Millennials are a lost cause. I had hopes for Gen Z. But... we need Generation X to assert themselves. The last interesting generation!

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Apr 9, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

Generation X are knackered 😂 My boys are Gen Alpha, so my 12 yr old tells me, and given how we're raising them (be curious, don't take everything at face value, and so forth) it's going to be interesting to see how they turn out.

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author

They'll turn out... very normal. Which is rare!

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They are lovely lads, so far, so good 👍

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Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

Mr. Gage, being 60 this year has sent me to reflecting on my life. I was never an artist. I play the trumpet, but was never a musician. I wrote reports and budgets, but was never a writer. I plays in school, but was never an actor.

No, I was never an artist, but I do appreciate good art.

Maybe it is enough to be able to fix what others break. When asked what my job is, I always replied, fix others fuck ups.

Most just called me a mechanic.

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author

A mechanic is far more useful than an artist, and both need eachother.

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Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

Yes we do. My good friend, The Samsara Guru is an artist. I only wish that I could paint, or use a camera like he does. You can find him at American Greatness.

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Wonderful! Thanks

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Apr 8, 2023·edited Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

I am of the impression that it is our Liver which lets us pull inspiration from the void. And you have to feed it certain compounds, otherwise its all just DMT like gibberish. Or dry psychosis symptom, which what you describe while talking about the youths. Youths who will have dopamine issues in a sec or two anyway. Who knows, what will tommorow, that never comes, bring us next time.

Have a nice one your self mate, cheers.

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author

Cheers to you too, mate.

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While I disagree with your position in the first essay, I do like the new word in "a 'worship' of writers". (You might have meant 'workshop', but I think this bon mot could have legs.) :)

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Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

Still gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it

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Apr 8, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage

So when I visited my cousins house in Duluth, MN in the summers- I was always disturbed by the repro of Picasso’ The Guitar player from his Blue Period. I would turn it around, I would put in the closet - but it was Poe - the Telltale Heart ❤️ in there - in the dark - in the moonlight🙅🏻‍♀️

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author

That's funny. Listening to Wagner does the same to me. Something about it just jolts my brain.

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That's funny. But just as a note, I used to place posters of famous artists in my living area so that when my visitors failed to remark on them, I wouldn't feel so bad when they also failed to remark on mine. :)

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