Coincidance, Week Six

"Introduction to Three Articles from the Realist"

This is one of Wilson's longest discussions of his antiwar philosophy. He also talks about sadism and masochism, and says that anxiety over the apparent desire of the masses to suffer "run through all my novels and even haunt the one play I have written." Wilson's antiwar beliefs also run through many of his works. That's why I have links to antiwar.com, Come Home America and Peace Exchange Bulletin up on the right side of the page; it seems like a continuation of RAW's efforts to support antiwar movements.

"The Doctor With the Frightened Eyes"

Wilson's article about the "sharkishness" of reality seems like the key to the end of Illuminatus!, the attempt by the American Medical Association to immanentize the eschaton. It also reminded me of the policeman at the beginning of the book, the expert on Egyptian mouth-breeding fish, James Patrick Hennessy, who "had a five-year-old retarded son whom he loved helplessly; you see a thousand faces like his on the street every day and never guess how well they are carrying their tragedies."

I suppose it doesn't make any difference to the rave review of the "Suddenly Last Summer" film Wilson's essay, but the Wikipedia article on the film notes that many people associated with it attacked it: "Several people involved with Suddenly, Last Summer later went on to denounce the film. Despite being credited for the screenplay, Tennessee Williams denied having any part in writing it. He thought Elizabeth Taylor was miscast as Catherine, telling Life magazine in 1961, 'It stretched my credulity to believe such a 'hip' doll as our Liz wouldn't know at once in the film that she was 'being used for something evil'.'Williams also told The Village Voice in 1973 that Suddenly, Last Summer went too far afield from his original play and "made [him] throw up". Gore Vidal criticized the ending which had been altered by director Joseph Mankiewicz, adding, 'We were also not helped by ... those overweight ushers from the Roxy Theatre on Fire Island pretending to be small ravenous boys.' Mankiewicz himself blamed the source material, describing the play as 'badly constructed ... based on the most elementary Freudian psychology'."

The article goes on to note that the film was a box office hit and garnered two Academy Award nominations. It didn't win, but Liz Taylor picked up a couple of Golden Globes.

"Thirteen Choruses For the Divine Marquis"

Wilson's thesis that many Americans are devoted to sadism would seem to track well with the success of Fifty Shades of Gray and the lack of success of the antiwar movement in convincing anyone that it's a problem when America keeps killing innocent people with drones.

Ninth Chorus -- This would seem to be another way to discussing the SNAFU principle from Illuminatus!, e.g. communication is possible only between equals.

Eric Frank Russell, mentioned in the Fifth Chorus, was a science fiction writer who penned a classic work of libertarian SF, "And Then There Were None." It's part of a novel, The Great Explosion, which won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award from the Libertarian Futurist Society (the same award won by Illuminatus!)