Month: December 2011
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On the sorry state of gift giving
In modern culture, the ethos of gift giving has come to resemble the genre of the apologia. The defendant–guarded, vigilant–is made to choose between pre-emption, exculpation, and exoneration. These are her weapons. “But I wasn’t sure what to get you.” A reminder of how tenuous our acquaintance, how limited our imaginations. “I know, I know, I…
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On the meaning of sighs: A philosophical conversation followed by a lullaby
The following is a short excerpt from a philosophical conversation I had recently with one conversation partner. Afterward: an afterthought, an extra thought, a lullaby of a kind. — She wrote, I sigh. Yes I sigh. The cosmic breath, of all men, of all women Of more creation, loss and love to come. I…
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On layaways, one-click drunk shopping, and being an idiot
Philosophers are idiots. Evidence for this claim abounds. First off, we’re easily confused. Because of this, we spend much of our days asking for explanations concerning the most elementary truths. Second off, we don’t readily understand topics that everyone else immediately gets, so we’re always asking people to slow down and show us again how…
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On night visions and homecomings
On the way to the airport well before dawn, my middle sister told me about the recurring nightmares she’d had when she was a girl. There was the one about the angry man with the red eyes. The one about my mother who’d become the mean witch from the Wizard of Oz. And the one…
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On fata morgana
The boy I was in third grade headstrong for summer. The last day of school promising happiness, bringing sadness. Friends, acquaintances, occasional playmates all departing. Alone walking home. An error in desire. An intimation, surely, of errors to come.
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 