How The Light Gets In

 

 

Sevan Naccashian is a name that will probably mean little, if anything at all, to you but, until recently, she was the greatest living artist.

 

Born in Armenia, Sevan was proud of her heritage but not in a nationalistic way. Her pride was not in the borders of the country but in the culture of the country- the old churches hidden on the hillsides, but mostly the people.

 

Sevan had a great interest in people and her favourite writers were those who dealt with people in a very tender, but sometimes tragic, way. One writer whom she admired deeply was the Armenian-American writer William Saroyan. In the end of the book The Human Condition (one of Sevan’s ‘bibles’) a stranger turns up at the door to tell the family of the death of their son. The family invite the stranger in, as he has no place to go, and treat him as a son. Sevan said this was, to paraphrase, because that even though their son was killed humans are family unto one another.

 

Upon seeing her work I wrote to Ms Naccashain to express my admiration. It took two letters (and a background check) before she replied. We started working on a play together which faded away but we then wrote a book which explored the boundaries between paintings and poetry (both maintaining that there is no boundary).

 

This then turned into a very good and deep friendship where we would correspond through email on a virtually daily basis (with obvious reasons for not i.e. holidays, internet problems etc) even if the email was ‘go and check out this art show’ or ‘read this link’. We would send each other our work for feedback, sometimes the feedback from her would be nothing or ‘nice’. This was when I knew that the work should be, usually, discarded to some obscure notebook.

 

Sevan was an important member of her community and spoke fondly of her friendship with her postman. She also was on the juries for art and film shows and even (for a short time) taught art to children in school. Children were important to Sevan and she would often tell me fond stories of her brother’s children.

 

Sevan was an incredibly strong person and even when things in her life seemed bleak never lost the will to fight. Her favourite song was Leonard Cohen’s (whom we spoke about for not just hours but years!) Anthem which contains the lines

 

There is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in

 

The song and the phrase I started to associate with her and when, visiting Fruad’s house in Hampstead, I happened upon a card that said ‘blessed are the cracked for they let in the light’ which I then sent to her.

 

For all of her flaws and damage Sevan was truly blessed as was I to have known this truly great person who, probably, never achieved world wide fame (she had international fame and her CV is highly impressive) only due to a lack of business knowledge and drive (once, living in Montreal in winter under six feet of snow, she pondered applying to become a grass cutter thinking it was her perfect job).

 

Upon the death of her father, Sevan returned to Montreal and soon afterwards she joined him once more.

 

The space that has been left in the world can never be filled but I do not think she would want us to be sad at her passing rather she would probably just email me the words of the song

 

The birds they sang

At the break of day

Start again

I heard them say

Don’t dwell on what

Has passed away

Or what is yet to be.

 

…

 

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.

 

 

‘till next time

 

 

 

 

The Human Half: Autism and Emotion

 

Donna Williams wrote a book called Nobody Nowhere, the book is a memoir of her life up until she was diagnosed with autism. Ms Williams (now Samuel) writes about how her difficulties seemed to come down to one thing- she had too much emotion.

 

When people develop they instinctively develop natural defences, natural masks, in order to survive/live within communities. Culture around them is moderate in order to make people feel safe and comfortable, any extremities coming in the safe mediums of film/music/literature etc, safe environments that one can leave at any time.

 

However, for Ms Williams the natural masks were not in place therefore she had to try to create a mask but not understanding societal norms made this impossible as each mask was too extreme and did not allow her to fit in. She lived, like many people with the condition, under the constant fear of the ‘you’re so weird, what’s wrong with you? you’re so weird’ comments that may seem innocuous but if you have no natural defences cut to the quick.

 

Carrie Fisher, daughter of Hollywood royalty, initially resisted the call of Hollywood as she said that all anyone really wants is to be normal and, with bipolar disorder, Ms Fisher ended up using medication as “drugs made (her) feel normal”.

 

The most revelationary part of Ms Williams’ book is when she admits that she is scared of emotion, as the protagonist in Nausea (Sartre) when is confronted by emotion he shouts “filth” and runs away to the hotel to hide.

 

The openness of those with autism should not be a problem, indeed it is not a problem for them, however, it becomes a problem in relation to other people as most people have their masks in place that they hide behind.

 

Often the negative reaction comes not from disliking the person but because they a) don’t understand them or b) like them far more than they are liked in return or c) they envy them (just look at Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands)

 

Simon Baron-Cohen’s comments that autism is ‘extreme male brain’ is deeply problematic as it completely rejects the emotional component of being (this subscribes to a stereotype of maleness and those who are openly emotional (or consider careers in female dominated occupations such as childcare or nursing) are considered inferior, effeminate and, often, homosexual.)

 

Women generally subscribe to male stereotypical social conventions, such as in relationships where men are expected to ‘make the first move’ showing off their ‘manliness’ (strength, confidence etc) and those with problems understanding (or a disgust for) social conventions, body language and so forth are often distained by women who, generally, refuse to break the gender stereotype in such conventions.

 

Baron-Cohen’s theory also takes away the possibility that the extreme analytical mind comes not from a lack of emotion but rather from a fear of emotion (too much emotion).

 

(From The Big Bang Theory) Sheldon: As I said, the entire point of emulating Spock was to rise above human emotion, which I’ve spent a lifetime mastering

 

Many things become gender based and women, with autism, (sometimes) decry how they are not represented in the media as men are. This raises the question- is media representation of someone/something true?

 

Given the complexities of mental health issues it is impossible to display fully the realities and, although one may see the male as being beholden as a genius, for the reality one must look at how those around him treat him

 

(From The Big Bang Theory)

 

Seibert: (to Sheldon) You’re obligated to take (a vacation). And I’d also like you to know the most-often received suggestion in my suggestion box you installed without asking me is can Dr. Cooper take a vacation? Okay, settled, then. I’ll see you all on Monday, except for you.

 

Sheldon: But if I don’t come into work, what am I supposed to do with myself?

 

Seibert: Read, rest, travel. I hear Afghanistan is nice this time of year.

 

Sheldon: Sarcasm?

 

Howard: No. You should go.

 

 

There is a theory from mysticism (Jewish I believe) called The Unified Heart Theory and the premise of the theory is that every heart is connected but has lost the connection and it is only through openness that the connections can be reformed so instead of attacking these people who are different (or giving them patronising comparisons such as ‘neurotypical’) and blaming the media for its representation remember these are people who are in a daily fight for their identity

 

Spock: …But remember, like me, you also have a human half.

 

Sheldon: Well, I’m not going to dignify that with a response.

 

 

And in the words of Cy Coleman & Joseph A. McCarthy…

 

 

 

I’m sentimental

So I walk in the rain

I’ve got some habits

Even I can’t explain

Could start for the corner

Turn up in Spain

Why try to change me now?

 

I sit and daydream

I’ve got daydreams galore

Cigarette ashes

There they go on the floor

I go away weekends

And leave my keys in the door

But why try to change me now?

 

Why can’t I be more conventional?

People talk

People stare

So I try

But that’s not for me

‘Cause I can’t see

My kind of crazy world

Go passing me by

 

So let people wonder

Let ’em laugh

Let ’em frown

You know I’ll love you

Till the moon’s upside down

 

Don’t you remember

I was always your clown

Why try to change me now?

 

 

‘till next time!

 

Excess and Mastery

 

So, let me tell you about a fellow you all know but whom I like talking about, possibly the last great polymath, and with the greatest name ever, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

 

Goethe (or Wolfie as my friend says) worked in poetry, plays, autobiography, novels and short stories. He also did pioneering work on colour, geology and botany (although away from initialising new thoughts on each matter how important it was in the grand scheme of science has even the most dewy-eyed school boy such as myself (slightly) sceptical) however, Goethe once said that just because one is a genius does not mean that one can do everything, indeed “It is in self-limitation that a master first shows himself.”

 

Shakespeare, ironically, wrote, as did my grandfather to chastise me for my monosyllabic replies to his letters, “Brevity is the soul of wit” and even through the irony attached the premise is still the same- it is through self control that we can begin to understand and explain the world. Just because one has the ability to burn down forests does not mean that one should. There are those who go through life considering themselves to be good or bad and that there is no choice. However, if one considers the great and the terrible in the history one will see that these folks had one thing in common- the potential for great evil or great goodness. One cannot argue against the genius of Napoleon and Stalin however, one can say that their spirit was not as lofty as their genius otherwise they could have used their exceptional gifts to make the world a better place and if one is familiar with the histories of Christ and the Buddha one will see that they chose to be/do good (as one is as one does) even though each one, arguably, had more power than every tyrant that has ever lived.

 

Albert. E once said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Here Einstein is seeking the clarity that comes from knowledge. Knowledge may seem like a vast and complex concept but each and every strand comes down to a simplistic core- a single notion. The vast complexities of being, of politics, of economics and so forth are neither vast nor complex. Everything comes down to a basic principle- find that principle and you will understand the truth of each concept.

 

 

Philosophy is the mother of all of the great intellectual endeavours (mathematics, science et al) however, each strand was taken and developed into a new concept with new strands, with new children yet every new strand, every new discipline, returns to the same reason for its birth- How? Why? What If?

 

Einstein is quoted as saying “I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world” (Spinoza who in his Ethics attempts to bring simplicity to everything from the conception of God to the affects) and it is through simplicity that harmony can be found (“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible”- A.E)

 

But to leave you with a word of warning, to quote an unknown source, “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” Which means that I best be going…!

 

 

‘till next time!

Global Warming

I was recently in a discussion about apocalyptic events and, as is the vogue, global warming was brought up.

 

Global warming is one of those sensitive subjects that makes people jump into their cars and drive to London to attend a multi-media demonstration. Also it appears increasingly more obvious that a person’s intelligence is judged on their attitude towards global warming (at least this will, hopefully, stop people banging on about their IQs, a test that was invented to show people are not stupid, just some need more help than others), so, anyway, me being pretty dumb (but not remotely pretty) wondered how this was an apocalyptic event given the history of climate changes (five great extinction events so far) with ice ages and so forth. It was quickly pointed out to me that I did not understand science and that this was worse than the other events. I smiled and nodded whilst inside I banged my head against the wall.

 

So, being as The Kinks said, a Dedicated Follower of Fashion, I decided to talk about GW (how hip am I?! O yeah, me and GW go waaaaay back…) here.

 

Possibly, the greatest cataclysmic event in terms of the environment happened some 65 (.5 to be precise) million years ago when some dinosaur scientists speculated about the impact (tee hee) of that meteor in the sky. It turns out that the impact (tee hee) was pretty bad for the dinosaurs but the cowardly furry mammals hid in the ground and emerged later when the dust had, literally, settled with a strange notion that iPhones were the height of evolution.

 

 

The difference between that event and the current event is that we are here (hello! *waves*). We view these events through the prism of the I (tee hee, once more) and with all prisms the image is distorted.

 

If we fell off of a mountain into a river the air would be broken by our scream, the surface would be broken by our impact but then we would be eaten as we decompose and vanish from thought thanks to the great ambivalence and indifference of nature. We, and I stress this, we all are not important. We live, we die, we become extinct. That is the way of nature and this desperate search for some greater meaning for our very (personal) existence is absurd- life has no meaning so the meaning of life is to find meaning, not to make one’s self into a God (these times matter because I am alive).

 

I get accused of being a nihilist and one person even stated that it would be horrible to be in a relationship with me given my nihilism. Here we have a case of people using words that they do not understand, thinking that their opinion is gospel (ironically whilst shouting that there is no God). The truth is, as far as truth can be known, we exist within space and time and this is our space and time and what is important is to try to do the best for the world and all those in it. And as for global warming, yes it is real, yes we can try to soften the impact (wait for it…) but it is hard for me to believe that humans are most catastrophic than a meteor (there we go…) but just to be on the safe side the next time I, am forced to, watch Deep Impact I am going to be rooting for the meteor.

 

Remember what it says in Jurassic Park (anyone else bothered that the symbol for the film is the Tyrannosaurus Rex which was from the Cretaceous period?) life finds a way and I am sure it will continue to do so long after we are gone.

 

 

‘till next time!