ROBERT MORRRIS, VITO ACCONCI & PERFORMANCE ART

Robert Morris the artist has died. I go in and out of the art world depending on who’s exhibiting and what I am writing and editing. I never met Morris.I knew Don Judd through John Wesley as well as other leaders of performance art and minimalism. I worked with the late Hannah Wilke and also especially Colette.

Read more »

ADOLESCENT PORN

I try to keep my adolescent humor to myself. For instance, the main street of Princeton is called Witherspoon. It's named after John Witherspoon, a president of the university and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Reese Witherspoon the actress is a descendant. For neither of these reasons I silently refer to the street as Withersporn. I keep it to myself. But I'm checking a book out of the library and accidentally call the street Withersporn. I am embarrassed and profusely apologize to the librarian. "Relax," she says. "At least once a day I find myself writing 'Princeton Public Library'."

Suicide was something adults did

Suicide was something adults did when they got in a really bad mood. Failure at suicide resulted in hospitalization, which was shameful and thus a secret. The adult had simply “gone to Toronto.” Sharing such a secret made children friends.

Read more »

T h e L a t e T w e n t i e t h C e n t u r y

The poet James Wright (1927-1980) was wholly of the twentieth century, dead now these 38 years.  Like William Dean Howells (1837-1920) he was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, wrote a few books, and died in New York City.  Howells was a bigger deal, editing The Atlantic; like his hero Silas Lapham, Howells faded away. Wright seemed to die young. My interview with Wright appears in the print edition of Unmuzzled OX.

EMOTIONAL

Emotionalism is everyone’s philosophy, pervasive as greed, producing some marriages and all divorces. People know their parts. Excitement is the goal of the coolest gambler, ambition pervades society because – triumph excuses hysteria. People mount hysteria, a mountain whose feet they suck. But history violates hysteria. What violates the judgement sculpted in sand, lost at each turn of the moon? Conviction.

GROUNDHOG

Our North American Ground Hog Day seems to secularize the British Candlemas. Both occur February 2. A sunny Candlemas presages a cold spring.

Read more »

DO I LOOK DIFFERENT?

Her: Do I look different?
Him: You look much better. Your new apartment and new job in this new town have transformed you and made you radiant.
Her: That’s not it.
Him: What is it then?
Her: I lost twenty pounds.

JENNIFER AND BARACK

I really love Obama. I also love Jennifer Lawrence but our relationship is special and secret. Obama's hair has gotten gray and he's cut it short and I'm not enamored of the look. But his ears seem to stick out even more. I think that's a sign of intellect and vigor. He's a great president and an even greater guy.

Read more »

Me when Unmuzzled OX was young pic.twitter.com/pVFve30Pyv

— Michael Andre (@MAndreOX) July 10, 2016

SWEET SIXTEEN

At the New Year’s Peace Gathering Saturday night in the Princeton Chapel, pretty much everyone pounds a drum and chants Give Peace a Chance. Sprouts directly descended from those sprouts sold in 1969 at Woodstock are for sale here. Suspicious brownies. www.peaceweavers.com Sweet 16!

Read more »