From: "Edward Moore" <monsieurtexteem-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: ????dumbfounded object (in the nursery)
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 09:04:30 PDT



>Everywhere is always a god-free zone.

If that is the case, then why use the word "zone"?  Is it because you're 
looking for a place where "god" doesn't "fly"?

>Surrealists with quotation marks? Who do you mean? 

Simply that "surrealism" is now an archaism; and anyone who calls 
him/herself a "surrealist" today is simply regressing, looking naively 
backward, seeking the safety of the nursery.  Of course you will think, 
by this, that I am just trying to be provocative -- but that is not 
true.  I would never deny the relevance of studying surrealism, and even 
of making use of some of its techniques (which I have done so myself).  
However, there was a tendency in the Surrealist movement (as you should 
know, Mr. INMAN, since you're doing some sort of dissertation) toward 
hermeticism, an isolated form of often non-serious "revolt" that 
Bataille called "Icarian."  This was extremely religious in nature.  I 
suggest you read Bataille's essay _The "Old Mole" and the Prefix Sur-_.  
Although,it will probably strike you as flabby philosophizing.

>Perhaps Chris was trying to make us think that Surrealism would be a 
>good thing to discuss on this surrealist list rather than this flabby 
>philosophising.

A-ha!  The movement toward hermeticism.... an attempt to protect your 
little "surrealist" zone from my "un-surrealist" (?) writings!

>I get the impression that Edward Moore is capable of rather 
>better than he has given here, I would like to see something that 
>gets down to the nitty gritty. I have found so much of this 
>irrelevant in the extreme that I have ceased reading it. Which means 
>that I have probably missed the only good bits.

That is a very telling statement, which I feel dismisses your own 
dismissal of Derrida, and your ostentatious comment about my 
"capability."  I see much narrow vision on this list -- probably due to 
missing "the only good bits."

>As a founding member of this discussion group

(!) You most definitely need to read Derrida...

>I often feel that I 
>have a special responsibility for it, along with Pierre, Barratt etc. 
>I regret not being able to participate more fully at present, but my 
>dissertation is due in in a month and panic is setting in. I hope 
>after that I can be more active again. 

Read _Limited Inc abc..._.  Also, I should say that I have had a very 
pleasant and enlightening exchange with Pierre.  I don't know how he 
feels about it, but I did not find anything he had to say (or Luke 
Pellen, or others who responded to me) to be "boring."

Furthermore, your feeling of responsibility to this list, and your 
self-proclaimed role of "founding member" means little to me.  I will 
continue to follow through with MY role of poison and cure...


Edward Moore
<monsieurtexteEM-AT-hotmail.com>




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