[AGL] alienation and sense of impending doom while living in Xanadu

[michelemason]

And a very good day to you. I wrote before, but you did not answer. I 
have to assume you don't remember me. In about '70, before the 
earthquake in Jan '71, you came over and helped us paint the living 
room/bedroom a "mustard" color. We had tea, or wine—can't remember—and 
a really nice evening. Have missed you from time to time and very much 
hope you will remember me. Had red hair, loved to dance, never missed a 
party on 22nd or ghetto, or "folk-sing" at the union, usually road 
behind Clark, went with Porterfield for a time. Name used to be Miller, 
but now is Michele Mason. I'm planning a trip in your vacinity—might 
get over to France if you wanted to tourist me around. You can still 
smoke over there can't you? Would love to see you (I prefer the country 
as well).
Best Regards, Michele

On Sep 29, 2006, at 10:58 AM, gilbert shelton wrote:

> Hi Mike,
>
> Don't despair.  I would describe my own attitude in Paris as angry
> despair punctuated by periods of enjoyable times, such as when my old
> friends come to visit and I can go touristing with them.  Out in the
> country where I spend most of my time I get the feeling that the
> neighbors actually like me, even if it's obvious that I would rather be
> left alone.  It's not Xanadu of course, but it really is 73° often.
> Hard to discern if my personal life is "keeping up" with what is
> available.  Tell Madelon I'm sorry I didn't get over to Orleans to 
> visit
> while she was there.  That sounded like an interesting project but it's
> some distance from here.
>
> Gilbert
>
>
> Michael Eisenstadt wrote:
>
>> according to literature, the average man/woman lives a life
>> of silent dispair.
>>
>> many in real life opiate themselves with their living descendants,
>> many (most?) of us here at Austin ghetto are childless. about
>> half and half married and living alone. Connie is in Houston,
>> Karen (childless) is in Austin, so is Fontaine. Ewie in Hawaii,
>> Byron (childless) in Indonesia, Gilbert (childless) in France,
>> Jon Ford in Palo Alto, Wayne (childless) in semi-rural Virginia,
>> Gerry near Silver Springs, NM
>>
>> in flights of fancy we long for Xanadu. Xanadu is out in the
>> country, friendly locals, easy grocery shopping, and the
>> weather. Oh dear! the weather in Xanadu is 73 Fahrenheit
>> all the time. a great place to be when dealing with our
>> poisonal devils.
>>
>> it is very dangerous to live in Xanadu if your poisonal life
>> is not keeping up with what is available out there.
>>
>> not easy to live in NYC or Paris without a better than
>> average despair coefficient. imagine the alienation of
>> being alone in such a place.
>>
>> still and all one could be living in the ninth arrondissement
>> surrounded by minorities and dog shit but go down the
>> street and stand on a blvd and look towards the west
>> and see the architecture receding into the haze and feel
>> oneself lifted up by its majesty out of one's poisonal funk
>> for a moment into pure transcendance of self .
>>
>> that can also be managed in the country with a natural
>> landscape which will lift you up likewise. trouble with
>> the country lifting, it soon reduces itself to the inanity
>> of rural life, to use Marx's phrase and you're back in
>> your poisonal funk maybe even worse than in the city.
>>
>> Mike (childless)
>
>