Balanced Man

by Fritz Peters

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Arthur Anderson “Fritz” Peters was the author of both novels and memoirs, which touched on themes of spirituality, mental illness, homosexuality, self and society, always through the lens of an unrelenting individuality and nonconformism. Peters’ most successful novel was Finistère, published in 1951, which sold over 350,000 copies and was an influential and unapologetic work of early gay literature. Due to instability in his family life, Peters spent his childhood between Europe and the United States, often nurtured by those adults who were able and willing to assist. Central to his upbringing was his aunt Margaret Anderson and her partner Jane Heap, creators of The Little Review literary magazine, along with other members of their circle, such as Gertrude Stein. Most notably, the esoteric teacher George Gurdjieff interacted closely with Fritz from an early age and was hugely influential in Peters’ life and literature. Boyhood with Gurdjieff, Peters’ most popular memoir, paints these figures and their projects in a thoughtful and intimate light.

Reviews

[Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short book by Peters that fills in little details in the mythos of Gurdjieff. Much of this was regarding Gurdjieff’s ultimate purpose and his educational lineage.

Much of the book is Peters discussing his own experience and the impact of learning from Gurdjieff. He complained at length about people that reach out to him for inside information about Gurdjieff and his lack of such information. His interpretation of the teachings lacked the reverence that many other authors view it. He had a very practical and down to earth viewpoint, land light on theory. His quotes at length other authors and points out where they get off track. For example:

“As for Miss Merston: she incorrectly assumed that I was unaware that everything was done by Gurdjieff’s orders (nothing could have been more obvious or apparent at the Prieuré,) and finally her letter tells me only that she decided — for reasons which I do not fully understand — to be a perpetual student. The concepts of “exoteric”, “mesoteric” and “esoteric”, quite frankly, do not interest me at all. Where are you when you have finally arrived at the proper label for something? I can tell you exactly where you are: you have a label… period.

In the meantime, what has happened to living…? recognizing that each day is a new beginning, being willing to be elated, to suffer, to weep, to laugh… in short, to live? Gurdjieff lived all the time, and I sometimes wonder if his books were not destined to be some sort of revenge for the stupidity he encountered everywhere in his life.”

I felt like Peter’s was somewhat jaded or resentful of Gurdjieff’s followers. That he’s seen them make the same mistakes over and over again. That nobody understood Gurdjieff but Peters. Maybe that’s true. Maybe it’s not.