A Kafka Fragment from His Lost Writings

As I was looking for a book in the K section of our library I discovered a small volume titled "The Lost Writings of Franz Kafka." The book is a collection of previously unpublished works by the famous Czech author. I was quite familiar with Kafka's existential and surreal stories such as The Metamorphosis and The Trial. I was not aware of the quantity of unpublished morsels he'd left behind when he passed. Kafka's friend and executor, Max Brod, ignored Kafka’s instructions to destroy them after his death, and published many of them posthumously.

These "lost writings" include fragments, letters, and incomplete narratives that delve into Kafka’s characteristic themes of alienation, bureaucratic absurdity, and human frailty. As I read this collection it brought to mind many of my own fragments, which I never shared because they seemed incomplete. 

According to the Afterword by Reiner Stach, Kafka submitted only 350 pages of his written output for publication, but his fragments now fill more than twelve volumes.

The pieces in this book vary in length from a few lines to a few pages. Despite their brevity they frequently pack a punch. Here's one that I especially liked. Notice how each sentence contributes new information that expands the meaning of the whole. It's like watching a portrait artist produce a quit sketch at an art fair, line by line. I believe it would make a great prompt for a writing class to see where the students go as they expound on it. Then again, the searing moment in time that it captures really needs no accompaniment. 

There are many waiting here. A vast crowd disappearing into the darkness. What do they want? There are obviously certain demands they want to make. I will listen to them and then make my reply. I will not go out onto the balcony; I couldn't even if I wanted to. In winter the balcony door is kept locked, and the key is somewhere else. Nor will I step up to the window. I will see no one, I will not have my head turned by a spectacle, my desk is the place for me, with my head in my hands, that is my posture. 

It captures something poigant and tangible, doesn't it?

The Farmer and the Serpent: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash

One of the things I inherited from my grandmother was her complete set of the Harvard Classics. Her 1937 version, which I now have, is 51 volumes in length. Volume 17 contains fables by Aesop plus tales by Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm brothers. 

It's fascinating how relevant and timeless these stories are. This fable by Aesop can be found in Volume 17 of the Harvard Classics, 1937 edition. "The Countryman and the Serpent" is about a farmer whose son accidentally steps on a serpent's tail, which results in a series of unfortunate events for both the farmer and the serpent. Here's the story, followed by a few comments.

The Countryman and the Serpent

A Countryman’s son by accident trod upon a Serpent’s tail, which turned and bit him so that he died. The father in a rage got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail. So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of the Farmer’s cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the Farmer thought it best to make it up with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to the mouth of its lair, and said to it: “Let’s forget and forgive; perhaps you were right to punish my son, and take vengeance on my cattle, but surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?”

“No, no,” said the Serpent; “take away your gifts; you can never forget the death of your son, nor I the loss of my tail.”

Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.

* * * 

Let's summarize.

• The serpent bites the farmer's son, killing him
• The farmer seeks revenge on the serpent by cutting off part of its tail with an ax
• The serpent retaliates by stinging the farmer's cattle
• The farmer tries to make amends with the serpent by bringing it food and honey, but the serpent refuses
• The serpent says that injuries can be forgiven but not forgotten 

Two thoughts come to mind. 

First: In the land of "an eye for an eye" everyone ends up blind.

Second: When will we see an end to this madness in Gaza? 

What will it take for this tsunami of sorrows to cease?

 

Veteran's Day: The Book "And There Shall Be Wars" Speaks Volumes

Bud Wagner in North Africa
Anti-aircraft machinegun operator

My father-in-law Wilmer A. "Bud" Wagner was the second man in Northern Minnesota to be drafted into World War II. He carried a small pocket camera and kept a diary from beginning to end, from Camp Claiborne to Ireland to North Africa and the Italy Campaigns. 

When Susie and I were dating in the 1970s, Bud brought out his diaries and asked me to give an opinion as to whether they would be of interest to anyone. At the end of the weekend I gave him my verdict: "Yes!"

So began his journey toward becoming an author. His keen day by day observations were then amplified with a lifetime of research and reflection to provide readers with important insights through the eyes of a young soldier from rural Minnesota.

Bud Wagner -- cook, machine gunner and company agent -- had the privilege of being on the first convoy to make its way across the Atlantic for the European theater. And the good fortune of having survived the duration of the war without becoming a casualty in North Africa and Italy, which included beachheads at Anzio and Salerno.

The book is a joint project involving the research skills and memoirs of WW II veteran Bud Wagner and his son Lloyd Wagner (Masters in Literature). When I encouraged to amplify his diaries and make a book of them I had no idea of how invested he would become in this project. He greatly exceeded my expectations and, with Lloyd's able editing, he has produced a fascinating manuscript that includes a large quantity of original photos and other documents.

When the manuscript was published, he sent a copy to retired General John W. Vessey, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Vessey's name appears four times in the book, including a diaryentry noting that John Vessey's promotion to Captain took place in Bud's "peep." (It was only after the war that the learned these all-purpose vehicles were called jeeps.)

Here is General Vessey's letter to Bud regarding this memoir titled And There Shall Be Wars.

"Dear Bud, ... Thanks not only for the copy of the book, but also for putting those wartime notes into a permanent record. It is an important addition to all the "stuff" historians record. I couldn't put the book down once I got into it. It brought back a lot of memories reading about times, places, and people from 55+ years ago." 

~ retired General John W. Vessey, 

former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Just today I was forwarded an email from one of Susie's classmates who just finished reading Bud's diary/memoirs. Her comments were so poignant I requested to share them here. She wrote:

Bud and his mud-covered "peep"

This is Sarah Grandson (Sundberg). I have a copy of your father’s book that you gave me at the 50th reunion in July, and just finished reading it. What a treasure!! You and your family are so fortunate that your father kept a diary. You had asked me to let you know what I thought, so here goes.

1. He kept a lot of his personal feelings to himself, so I thought it interesting how affected he was by the death of one of the fellows who he wasn’t as close to when they were fighting in Italy (don’t remember the name), but I suppose after seeing so much death and destruction anyone would really start questioning the purpose. It was amazing how well he actually handled all the destruction around him.
2. I was surprised how poor the quality of the Army “peeps” were as his was always breaking down, a certain amount due of course, to the conditions. You can feel his frustration with it. 
3. It’s amazing at how adaptable the human species are. To go from a tight, secure family environment to preparing for war, then to the thick of it, and handle the emotions as well as your father did, is remarkable. 
4. Those men suffered so much and complained so little. Hunger, cold, heat, lack of a safe place to sleep, danger of losing their life, etc, etc. they truly were the “greatest generation”.

Disabled German tank.

Here's another response to the book, this one from James Wiita, a friend in the local music and arts scene who completed his own first book this past winter, Rock On, Duluth!

Reading Bud is like a daily talk with someone, though one sided. You can pick right up where you left off, it’s so personal it shows his human characteristics, and what to anticipate with each entry.

It seems to show every aspect of “army life “ -- the important details and accuracy mixed with the training -- moments with friends and music, faith, along with frequent headaches and  times of boredom.

You can easily see the kind of soldier he became, and how his superiors and others viewed him. The entries give vivid clues. Not in a slighting way, but this man was definitely on the spectrum. There are so many indicators it’s fascinating.

Read the rest of James Wiita's remarks here:

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2024/02/james-wiita-on-bud-wagners-and-there.html

One of the surprises for me was Bud's love of poetry. There are numerous poems included in the book. One of my favorites is titled, "You're A Machine Gunner Now." Another is titled "A Battalion Agent" which you can find in this blog post titled "War Poems Tell Stories."

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-battalion-agent-war-poems-tell-stories.html

When I was in Italy last year my visit coincided with Italy's Liberation Day. On that day Italy celebrated the Allies victory over fascism. There were nationwide expressions of gratitude to the U.S. for its role in defeating Mussolini. You can read about my experiences here:

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2023/05/liberation-day-italy-celebrates-victory.html

One last link

Various Ways of Looking at History with Commentary (and a Book Offer)

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2023/04/various-ways-of-looking-at-history-with.html 

Memories from a Cross-Country Train Ride, with a Pair of Lessons

"Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed."
– Thich Nhat Hanh

The year I turned eight my parents allowed me to skip school for three weeks to go on a cross-country trip with my grandparents. (With permission from my teacher, of course.) My family was living a suburb of Cleveland at the time. My grandparents were going out West to see my Aunt Ellen, Uncle Dale and my cousins in Winnemucca in Nevada. It took three days to go from Cleveland to Reno. Uncle Dale picked us up. I'll never forget the lights as we drove through Downtown Reno at what must have been midnight.

My mother is fond of saying, "It's funny the things we remember." That trip with Grandma and Grandpa is chock full of memories. Here's a story from that adventure.

* * * 

We didn't have sleeper cars on this journey. As I remember it the three of us sat side by side with me at the window throughout that cross-country excursion. One highlight was riding through the Rocky Mountains at a relatively high altitude with a deep gorge alongside the tracks to my left. Grandma pointed across the gorge to a train hugging the mountain going the opposite direction and said, "That's where we will be in a little bit." In other words we were on the same track and they were ahead of us by about 15 minutes,

When we reached the far end of this turnabout she had me look down into the valley where there were a dozen abandoned, run-down cabins and bins. Grandma said it was a ghost town, which gave a new meaning to the word "ghost."

This story here is about an experience that took place on the plains, most likely in Nebraska while heading east. It was the middle of the night. I was awake and staring out the window, scanning the darkness when I noticed a very unusual sight. On the ground alongside the tracks we were on there were two streaks of glowing orange. The streaks were glowing like the embers after a fireplace has been spent, throbbing with heat. 

What was it? It was spooky. So I woke my grandmother who was seated next to me and she didn't know either. On and on it seemed to go for miles. 

Suddenly our train began to slow, then the lights went on and we came to a stop. The mystery was explained.

There were two railroad tracks running parallel across the prairie. As it turned out, a passenger train on the other track had come to a halt because the last five cars had jumped the track. The glowing was produced by friction on the limestone that held the railroadties and track in place. Our train stopped, essentially in the middle of nowhere, so that the passengers on the disabled train could be rescued and transported to the next station along the way. 

* * *

LESSON ONE
Occasionally in life we experience mysteries that we don't understand. From the vantage point of the future these mysteries become quite clear. There are simple explanations which we may have understood from the start had we more experience.

LESSON TWO
When our train stopped to help the passengers on the other train, our passengers were inconvenienced for a bit. Not only was there a delay in reachng our destination, there was a need to cram all the extra passengers into our railroad cars. So it is that when people's lives go off the rails or they have simply jumped the track and are stuck... The lesson is clear. The engineer of our train could not, in good conscience, simply ignore the disabled railroad and pass on the other side. Nor should we.

See: The Parable of the Good Samaritan

If I may paraphrase a famous president:
"Ask not what your neighbor can do for you,

but what you can do for your neighbor."

80 Years And Still Swinging: The Glenn Miller Orchestra Returns to Duluth

Wednesday evening I slid down the hill to hear the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the West Theatre in Duluth. There were still a few seats available but the turnout was strong, especially considering they had also performed a well-attended afternoon concert here as well.

Reader publisher and theater owner Bob Boone, decked out in a tux, opened the show by welcoming us warmly and telling us about some upcing shows we shouldn't miss. Pick up a Reader to stay current and get the dates on your calendars.

From 1939 to 1942, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was the best selling recording bad in the country. This was the big band swing era and Glenn Miller memorable music is with us still today.

In 1942 Miller enlisted to serve in the war effort, from which he never returned, disappearing in a plane crash while crossing the English Channel in 1944. His music lived on, however, as did his orchestra which still travels the country performing as many as 200 shows a year. The various musicians rotate over time but this is the same Glenn Miller Orchestra that thrilled the nation at the end ofthe 30's.

A bouyant crowd was demonstrably lifted by this lively big band carrying on a grand tradition. Here are many of the songs they performed, including Moonlight Serenade, the one they opened ad closed every show with.

Moonlight Serenade

String of Pearls

Pennsylvania 6-5000

I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem

I Know Why And So Do You
Vocalist Jenny Schwartz has a velvet voice and confident style that lit up the room. One was certain that she'd been transported here by time machine when she sang,  "Why do I see rainbows when I'm in your arms?"

The big band played two sets with a 20 minute intermission. Here are some of the other tunes they delivered with gusto.

The Blue Room

Boom Shot

Our Love Is Here To Stay

I'm Beginning to See the Light

Sentimental Journey

Glenn Miller also did songs from the Tommy Dorsey songbook and others.

Puddle Wump

Tuxedo Junction (Erskine Hawkins)

The Nearness of You

Sweeter Than The Sweetest

The Little Man Who Wasn't There

In the Mood

American Patrol (for veterans)

Chatanooga Choo Choo

For an encore they did Little Brown Jug, swing style.

The music is historic, but they are now
contemporaries of our modern age. 

Follow them on their Facebook page here:

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

The Clash of Sovereignties: Jacques Ellul's The Politics of God and the Politics of Man

An Election Day Reflection on Theology and Human Governance

I was first introduced to the writings of Jacques Ellul in the mid-Seventies through an article in Radix magazine. Ellul was a French lawyer/theologian/philosopher and author of something like 40 books. What interested me, besides his perceptive thinking and pointed writing, was how he wrote differently based on the audience he was addressing. His secular books such as The Technological Society and Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes have become classics, providing understanding of key forces shaping contemporary life.

The Politics of God and the Politics of Man, one of his many books directed toward Christian audiences, (e.g. False Presence of the Kingdom) was one of the first Ellul books that I read/purchased. From the very start he shows a keen understanding of how political structures work. The book opened my eyes to a different way of looking at political influence.

  

He begins by examining the biblical narratives, particularly focusing on the stories from the Old Testament. He argues that the Bible presents a distinct form of political thought, one that is inherently suspicious of human institutions of power and authority. Ellul proposes that while God's politics are centered around justice, mercy, and humility, human politics often succumb to pride, violence, and self-interest.

The "Politics of God," in Ellul's view, is fundamentally different from human political systems. It is not about domination or control, but about service and sacrificial love. Ellul uses the example of the prophets and their often contentious relationship with the rulers of Israel to illustrate his point. The prophets serve as the voice of God, calling for repentance and justice, and standing in stark opposition to the corrupt practices of kings and rulers.

In contrast, the "Politics of Man" is characterized by the pursuit of power and the maintenance of control. Ellul critiques the ways in which religious institutions often align themselves with political power, betraying the very principles they are supposed to uphold. He is particularly critical of how the church has historically sought to legitimize political authority, often at the expense of its prophetic mission.

We saw in the era of the Medicis, we saw it in the Church of England, and we see this compromised position today.

The book is important because of its ongoing relevance to contemporary political and social issues. Although the book focuses on biblical times, Ellul draws parallels to modern political dynamics, encouraging readers to question the ways in which power is exercised and justified in their own contexts. His critique of the complicity between religion and politics remains pertinent, urging a re-examination of how religious communities engage with political systems today.

Ellul's background as a theologian and philosopher shines through in his nuanced analysis. There were many "Aha!" insights, which makes me think I should go back and read it again.

He does not merely offer a critique but also provides a theological framework for understanding the relationship between faith and politics. His insights are grounded in a deep understanding of scripture, yet he presents them in a way that is accessible to readers from diverse backgrounds.

If you can find a copy of this book I believe you'll be rewarded by Ellul’s incisive analysis of both religious and political institutions. For those interested in theology, political philosophy, or the intersection of faith and public life, Ellul’s work is a thought-provoking contribution. 

The Origin and Meaning of Godwin's Law

This week a friend of mine brought up Godwin's Law with regards to Dems and Left-leanng media comparing Trump to Hitler. I was unfamiliar with this expression so I Googled it and found this:

Godwin's law

Also known as Godwin's law of Nazi analogies, this internet adage states that the likelihood of a comparison involving Hitler or Nazis increases as an online discussion continues.

* * *

Through further research I learned that Godwin's Law was an internet adage coined by attorney and author Mike Godwin in 1990. It asserts that as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of someone making a comparison to Nazis or Adolf Hitler approaches certainty. Initially meant as an observation about how quickly online debates deteriorate into hyperbolic comparisons, Godwin's Law has become a widely recognized rule of online discourse.

The law highlights a tendency for individuals to invoke extreme comparisons, particularly referencing Nazi ideology, when emotions escalate in arguments. These comparisons often derail conversations, making it difficult to engage in rational debate. Although not an official rule or policy, Godwin's Law serves as a caution against the use of inappropriate or exaggerated analogies that trivialize historical atrocities.

In contemporary use, Godwin's Law is sometimes invoked to call out fallacious arguments and to encourage participants to remain on-topic and avoid reducing discussions to the lowest common denominator of debate. Over time, the term has also been used as a reminder to maintain a level of respect and seriousness, especially when discussing sensitive topics. Godwin himself, however, has clarified that the law does not apply in discussions where comparisons to Nazism are relevant or warranted based on the context. 

So there you have it.

* * * 

Have you ever called someone a Nazi? I did once. How do you feel about that today? Leave a comment and I may disclose the circumstance of my own experience.

Orwell Observations from Life on the Margins: Down and Out in Paris and London

Life at the bottom is no piece of cake. This is one fact you notice from reading George Orwell's memoir Down and Out in Paris and London. The book details what a life of menial labor and poverty consists of. 

The book is divided into two parts, the first being Orwell's experiences in Paris and the lessons he learned, such as how the starving manage to subsist, as he was one of them. In the latter part of his Paris life, Orwell works as a dishwasher in a hotel restaurant kitchen and lives in a slum. He also writes about the conditions at a charity hospital in Paris. 

Much of the book features stories about the array of characters he meets along the way along with details of the squalor and indignities people endure to survive. Occasionally, however, he steps back to interpret what he's seen, sharing conclusions he's drawn from his experiences. What's fascinating, disturbing or discouraging (depending on yout point of view) is how relevant these matters remain,

In chapter 22 he questions how there has come to be such a disparty between rich and and poor. More importantly, why do the middle classes side with the rich and separate themselves from the "vermin" who slave away all their waking hours doing work that is demeaning and sometimes useless?

Orwell concludes: I believe that this instinct to perpetuate useless work is, at bottom, simply fear of the mob. The mob (the thought runs) are such low animals that they would be dangerous if they had leisure; it is safer to keep them too busy to think. 

A little further on he elaborates.

They (middle class) side with the rich because they imagine that any liberty conceded to the poor is a threat to their own liberty. Foreseeing some dismal Marxian Utopia as the alternative, the educated man prefers to keep things as they are. Possibly he does not like his fellow-rich very much, but he supposes that even the vulgarest of them are less inimical to his pleasures, more his kind of people, than the poor, and that he had better stand by them. It is this fear of a supposedly dangerous mob that makes nearly all intelligent people conservative in their opinions. 

Fear of the mob is a superstitious fear. It is based on the idea that there is some mysterious, fundamental difference between rich and poor, as though they were two different races, like negroes and white men. But in reality there is no such difference. The mass of the rich and the poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit. Change places, and handy dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief? 

Everyone who has mixed on equal terms with the poor knows this quite well. But the trouble is that intelligent, cultivated people, the very people who might be expected to have liberal opinions, never do mix with the poor. For what do the majority of educated people know about poverty? In my copy of Villon's poems the editor has actually thought it necessary to explain the line "Ne pain ne voyent qu'aux fenestres" by a footnote; so remote is even hunger from the educated man's experience. From this ignorance a superstitious fear of the mob results quite naturally. The educated man pictures a horde of submen, wanting only a day's liberty to loot his house, burn his books, and set him to work minding a machine or sweeping out a lavatory. "Anything," he thinks, "any injustice, sooner than let that mob loose."

* * * 

What. are your thoughts about Orwell's observations? How are things different? And how are they the same? One thing that appears to have changed over the past century: we seem to have a lot more bread and circuses.

I'm interested in your thoughts. Comments welcome.

* * * 

Related Links
Orwell-related blog posts

George Orwell's "How the Poor Die": Exploring Themes of Inequality, Neglect and Other Grim Realities

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2024/09/george-orwells-how-poor-die-exploring.html

George Orwell on Wells, Hitler and "Patriotism vs. the World State"

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/07/george-orwell-on-wells-hitler-and.html

Orwell on Media Mischief

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/11/orwell-on-media-mischief.html

Orwell's Homage to Catalonia Is Instructive on Many Levels, Plus a Good Read

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2021/08/orwells-homage-to-catalonia-is.html

Public Introspection: George Orwell's Why I Write

https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2016/08/public-introspection-george-orwells-why.html

Shooting an Elephant
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2011/05/shooting-elephant.html