Aporetica

'Outside Logos, says Aristotle, is primary matter, the principle of indefiniteness, pure potentiality, absolutely unknowable in itself. Beyond the boundary of the eidos with it's unitary formula (logos), unformed matter would appear infinite predication, a limitless spread of particularization, which would be nothing but babble. The flux is the flux of particulars. The transcendental function of language is the heightening of the abstracting and generalising power of words. To know is always to categorise, and even for Aristotle the name of that which guarantees the unity and self identity of this individual here is the same as the name of it's membership in a category: eidos means both form and "species". All philosophy takes place within the medium of nous or Logos, within which form is possible.'  -- Henry Staten

4 Poems By William Bronk And One By Shelley  The four were selected from Bronk’s book Finding Losses , which was published by Elizabeth Press in 1976                                                                                     ***   THE INABILITY She wants me to say something pretty to her because we both know the unabettable bleak of the world. Make believe, she says, what harm? It may be so. I can’t. I don’t.   The inability, not able to - or, the in-ability (the in-side of make believe ) She says, say something beautiful. You can do it - you're a writer, and, significantly, a poet, a craftsman of words Both the woman and the speaker agree. She wants an antidote to the 'unabettable / bleak', 'make believe / what harm' (let's just pretend, it's harmless anyway) - but he 'can't' or won't But is that an inability or a decision? 'I can't' is inability, but 'I don't' may be a choice (wha

What I Listened To In 2020 In The Year Of Uncertainty – Volume 1 Steely Dan with Dirty Work (1972) – back to Fagen and Becker when they began their rise and rise, song of ‘self-loathing’, radio-friendly, featuring the steady vocal of David Palmer (not a Dan insider) and the talent of Denny Dias (guitar), Jeff Baxter (guitar) and Jerome Richardson (sax). Boz Scaggs’ insatiable groove Lowdown (1976) – this must be one of the songs (and albums) I’ve heard most often, and yet it continues to surprise and to please. With proto-Toto members, Jeff Porcaro on drums, the standout performance on the song, David Paich as joint-composer and playing keyboards, and David Hungate on bass, Boz’s voice binds the elements to coalesce this historic recording.  I have a confession to make relating to Elton John – for a very long time I was not a fan. I don’t know why. But lately I found religion, to the point of overdosing. Now I willingly concede that his recording of Rocket Man (I Think It’s