Jesse Hilson > Recent Status Updates

It’s an easy, entertaining, even humorous read that is full of examples of good (and bad) quantitative graphic design. The most interesting so far, was the graphic showing Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, the size of the army, how it dwindled, their direction, the retreat, the plunging temperature during the retreat, and the time frame. So cool. These numbers were based upon multiple sources from the French army.

Fascinating. Always with an eye on how graphs, maps, and charts can be manipulated for distortions and misinformation.

I’m in the home stretch of this book and eager to be away from dear old Friedrich. The twentieth century interposes itself between us and colors and shades him too unfavorably for me to really absorb this and take it to heart. A lot of thr end is about nationalism and “European values”

I can’t catch all of the meanings in this book. I can only hope that its subtle divisions and distinctions teaches my mind to sharpen and refine its thought, for the purposes of writing

Burning through this. The thing that stands out to me, and that spurs on some of my own thinking and writing, is the style above all. I know it’s translated from German, but I feel that Nietzsche excels in his sinuosity and mockery

Don’t read this while tired.

Dense, “flowing like the Ganges”

Reading the Vintage mass market paperback, the Kaufmann translation.

It’s clever and detailed and, I can’t imagine it getting any gayer. I’m curious about this genre of writing called New Narrative which is mentioned in the intro to this book, which I skimmed. What’s the relationship of NN to autofiction?

It’s whimsical and funny. Lots of sex in the section I just read. This is pre-AIDS we must know. And apparently Fredric Jameson is the basis for the character Martin at a house party. Oh behave.

It’s good, very whimsical and inventive, light like some kind of pastry. A love story, so far.

Almost done. This book has an intimidating text block but the pages, they do fly by.

Burning through this. It’s a page turner. It has a tone and a structure and a tempo that is “interesting,” although we hate that lukewarm tepid word. I hope to finish this book soon and have some perspective. I have some quibbles already, maybe they’re nothing

This is working, it’s going, but I’m trying to formulate some critiques of the book as I read.

Interesting and stylish, it’s got a certain tempo that seems to be connected with the topics of its lengthy paragraphs

Faulknerian prose style, I might say, although that doesn’t fully explain it. There are long unfurling sentences which I like. It’s maximalist. It requires some patience.

I think if I finish this book it will be because I was in the right mood, every time I pick it up. It’s a trial.

I have a reaction, a response to this book, that is colored by so many other things, chief among them my perceptions of how Traylen is on social media. Philosopher first, comedian second, digital citizen third? It’s very interesting.

I haven’t read enough philosophy to fully “get” all the aphorisms and thought-bombs in here. But it is brilliant, and in a way I don’t want it to end.

It will one day make sense to speak of Traylenism

Hysterically funny in places and philosophically challenging in all places. Traylen is like some kind of prophet. I prefer his books (this is the first I’ve read) to his online waggery.

A long way to go. Traylen is a very funny, very thoughtful writer with a well-read, dense literary style. By “dense,” I mean light and fluffy but when you try to pass through it you will inevitably clunk your noggin on the hard surface.

Post-war success for Samuel Beckett, his plays. And this vexed him badly, too.

Made it through World War Two. Beckett downplaying his considerable activities with the French Resistance as “Boy Scout stuff.”

Skipped over the chapter on Murphy because I assumed it would spoil the novel which I haven’t read yet. Boy, Beckett was a mess. He traveled back and forth to European cities plus London so many times, when he was skint. Unemployable and drunken, terrible relationships with his family, a weirdo apparently w/ everyone else