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Being qua Being

Pedro Américo / Public domain / Wikimedia

I have been reading the chapter on metaphysics in Anthony Kenny’s A New History of Western Philosophy. For the most part, I don’t understand what the various philosophers are talking about. I read and re-read paragraphs, but can’t make sense of them. I have distilled some meaning from the effort, though. I think, at the very least, I have arrived at a starting point for my own consideration of metaphysics.

Introducing the chapter, Kenny describes the subject as the study of Being qua Being, or Being as Being. I didn’t grasp the importance of that phrase or its nuances setting out, and without that central clarity, haven’t been able to put my ideas about metaphysics into context. Precise language is crucial in any philosophical conversation, and especially in a discussion as abstruse and abstract as metaphysics.

So, before going farther, I have to distinguish between my philosophical definitions of ‘Being’ and ‘existence’. I have to emphasize here that what follows are my own definitions; I don’t know if others give the same meaning to these two crucial words, which in my view overlap, but are not identical. That said, I believe the universe exists, whether or not it is perceived; it comes into being when it is perceived.

The implications of that statement are astounding! I can’t even begin to work them out. But its central claim is that without consciousness, there is no Being. So a central concern of metaphysics has to be: How does a universe without Being differ from a universe with Being? I’m going to jump ahead here, and hint at the importance of this comparison, which is to say, assert why metaphysics is a fundamental philosophical dimension that needs to be borne in mind as the backdrop of all philosophy.

A universe without Being has no meaning. Time, space, the consciously held relationships between constellations and physical objects… everything that gives our universe meaning vanishes. I can’t even talk about what exists at that point, because nothing exists in a conscious framework. Existence itself becomes utterly devoid of meaning, not to mention purpose. That fear of nullification has led us to believe in an eternal, omniscient being in the fabric of our universe.

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Back to the starting point: Being qua Being, what does that mean? There are two senses in which the word Being with a capital ‘B’ can be taken. It can be treated as a verb, or as a noun. “I am being” is one statement; “I am a being” another.

Prince Hamlet’s anguished soliloquy is steeped in both senses:

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep…

Shakespeare, Hamlet

In the here and now, Hamlet is Being, intensely. He is thinking and feeling deeply about his world, trying to make sense of it, and in doing so, exposing himself to the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’. If he decides to end his suffering by ending his life, he will no longer be ‘a Being’ in the present sense of the word, his universe simply vanishes, perchance giving way to a new universe viewed from the perspective of a new, in the present tense unknowable, Being.

I am Being every conscious moment of my life, and the things that exist in my universe ‘come into being’ as I experience them; I am a Being as long as I am capable of that kind of consciousness, even if I happen to be in a dreamless sleep, and am not conscious, I am a Being because I might wake up and begin experiencing my world again.

More to the point, I am Being when I experience my world as such, and sense a continuum in my experiences; when I encounter another creature capable of experiencing the world consciously, I become aware of a Being other than myself. When I step outside my conscious boundary – or imagine myself to be doing so – I view myself as a Being.

My existence as a Being will come to an end before I have figured out the implications of Being.

Full potential

This quotable form Anony Muse, ties into the dynamics of human will, and back to Descartes’ existentialist declaration of thinking as the foundational criterion of human-being.

We usually associate ‘identity’ – as in the definition of who and what we are – with a collection of attributes we claim to possess. But that’s not even half the story. We are defined as much by what we aren’t, as by what we are. If there was no ‘other’ beyond self, there could be no such thing as human will. And, to my way of thinking, will is the active element of human-being.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that willing is the truly essential component of human-being.

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If I consider the vast catalogue of ‘not me’, there are three major categories out there. There are things that aren’t me, that I know can never be; there are other things that I do not want to be; then there are things I wish I could be, but am-not.

The latter is the gravitational force of human will. In fact, ‘what I do not want to be’ is also a part of human willing… the part that says ‘I want to be who I am, not that tempting other option’ or ‘I want to be more assured of my beliefs as a human being, and not drawn in that other direction’.

Willing is a dynamic gravitational triad consisting of: who I think I am; who I think I want to be, but am-not; and the effort I must expend becoming what I am-not, but want to be.

So, when I say to myself, ‘I am living up to my potential’, I am saying I do not need to change, I am content with inertia. I do not want to become anything other than what I am.

Popsicle licks

My life of crime started young, ended early. But in that brief span, when I plunged into the netherworld of social dis-grace, I learned enough to last me a lifetime… not as a penitent, it turns out, but as a grateful celebrant. What am I most grateful for? That’s not easily set down in a sentence. But if I had to take a stab at it, I’d have to say: The knowledge that real joy comes from giving, not taking; from sharing, not possessing. Can’t say I’ve always lived up to that precept, but the farther I stray from it, the more it tugs at me like a bungie cord wrapped around my neck.

From The Mural Gazer, Just for Kiks

Sometimes you don’t want to put a period to the end of a paragraph, because what you’ve said has implications that go on and on. Those, to me, are the moments I write for, those instances when an episode in your own life, transcribed into fiction, makes sense of everything in that particular frame of reference.

Just for Kiks, the Mural Gazer story I’m working on right now, is based on one of my real-life experiences. As a child I loved Popsicles. I could happily slurp them up all day, and take one to bed with me at night. They were magical flavours that melted in your mouth and infused your whole being. But I wasn’t allowed to have more than one a week. I didn’t realize it at the time, but part of my ecstasy was the very fact the Popsicles were a rare treat, which would lose their exciting tang if I could have one whenever I wanted – but that another part of this story.

Fact was, I did want Popsicles all the time, and was secretly yearning to get my way.

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So one day, when I saw my mother’s purse unattended on my parents’ bedroom bureau, I snuck in, opened it up, took out her wallet, and snatched out a bill. I was too young to realize what denomination I had filched, all I knew was, paper money bought more than coins, so – living up to the saying ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ I went big time.

Pilfered lucre in hand, I hurried off to Besners Corner Store to complete my transaction. I slapped my mother’s twenty down on the counter, and said to Old Man Besner, “I want all the Popsicles I can buy with this.”

Old Man Besner’s white, bushy eyebrows arched, over his horn-rimmed glasses, his eyes popped out, almost touching the lenses, then he frowned. I knew something had gone awry before he said a word, a sense of doom closing in as if the atmospheric pressure might crush my skull and stave in my rib cage. “Where did you get that?” he demanded.

If I’d done my math, I would have better understood the condemnation in his voice. Popsicles cost something like five cents apiece at the time, so one dollar would buy twenty of them; twenty dollars, four-hundred. But that wasn’t the miscalculation that really counted. Even if I’d only stolen a nickel, and got away with the purchase of one Popsicle, I’d have broken a rule… more importantly, I’d have broken the trust my parents, and by extension the world beyond, placed in me.

At that age, that was all that mattered. Break the rule, take the punishment. Dad offered me a choice: a week without TV, or the strap. A week without Leave it to Beaver, Bonanza, Gunsmoke… that would have been prolonged torture, so I accepted the medicine of quick, sharp corporal punishment instead, which he administered halfheartedly.

It took me many years to figure out the implications of my life of crime. In fact, I’m still working on it. But it comes down to this, my working mantra: Give with joy and grace; receive with gratitude and appreciation. It’s giving that brings real joy into our lives – giving support when it’s needed; of our talents, when we can make life better for others; even our lives, when the ultimate act of giving is demanded of us, and we have the courage… In fact, the whole meaning of life is defined by what we give of ourselves, and how we do it. And being conscious of that equation is part of being uniquely human.

Make a ReachOut! Reading video

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During my ‘Writer in Residence’ shifts at Askew Creek Bookstore, (usually 10 AM to 4 PM Fridays) I am offering to record and produce readings by Chemainus Valley writers. Authors at any stage in their development, who want to get people into their works – be they fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or non-fiction – can sign up for a spot to become online storytellers, and I’ll get back to make arrangements. No charge, although I would encourage participants to join the CVCAS, and/or the Federation of BC Writers.

Get in touch and we can make arrangements for your ReachOut!.

CraigSpenceWriter.ca

Ode to the lowly slug

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Walking the trails in Wul’aam wood
we happened upon a slug
now there’s a dude misunderstood
more than any kinda bug.

He glides along his trail of goo,
hugs the forest floor,
looks like a lump of doggie doo,
not easily adored.

People hate em, they bait em,
they poison em in traps,
but the slug’s not doing any wrong
deserves those harsh attacks.

Although he’’s not really nice to hug,
he’d stick to your loving face,
it’s wrong to think the lowly slug
don’t deserve an honoured place.

So when you’re walking the forest trails
and Gastropod slimes your way,
mind your step, avoid the snail 
and don’t be so afraid.

People hate em, they bait em,
they poison em in traps,
but the slug’s not doing any wrong
deserves those harsh attacks.

CraigSpenceWriter.ca

Online readings & trailers – How to begin?

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I’m not going to be able to pack everything we need to know about setting up to produce video readings and trailers into a single blog post, so if there are topics within this topic you’d like me to explore and expand on, get in touch and let me know.

And if you’re really interested in the subject, don’t take my word for it, go online and get other perspectives. My take on what makes an effective video reading or trailer for websites and social media is unique; there are plenty of other variations on the theme you’ll be able to find, conferring with Dr. Google.

That said, let’s get underway. Before you actually do anything in the physical realm, play and replay an imaginary version of your video in your head, and view each showing from a different seat in your mind’s-eye theatre.

Take one: an artist’s POV. Ask what you want people to take away from your video? And what you want them to do? Buy your book? Attend a reading? Absorb a philosophical perspective and share it? Change their attitude about something? Know who your viewer is, and what you want to say to him before you set out producing your video.

Take two: put yourself in the ‘average viewer’s’ seat. What’s going keep her there? What is it about your story you want to emphasize? Do you want to make her laugh? Arouse her sense of curiosity? Send chills up and down her spine? Disgust her? Get her to like you? Wax philosophical? Wonder what comes next?

Take three: now you’re sitting in the producer/director’s chair. You have to figure out what’s possible and how to make what’s possible happen in the final cut. As you play through the video, ask yourself what kind of equipment you’ll need to make each scene happen? What skills you might have to acquire? How long it’s going to take to produce your masterpiece? Who you’ll need to involve in the production?

Take four: You’re the Production Manager. Your job is to figure out who and what you will need to bring together, when and where in order to get the video trailer or reading done. Once your assessment is finished, you should have a pretty detailed, step-by-step chart of how to get from scene-one to your finished video.

Now you know what you want to do, it’s time to set your ‘system’ up so you can keep track of how you’re doing. Even a simple video project can generate dozens of files, sticky notes, emails, and so on. Having all that data stored in accessible, navigable locations is absolutely essential.

I use three Adobe programs to generate elements of a video production: Photoshop (composite photos and slides), Premier Pro (assembling the video), and Audition (sound production). I also use stock sound and image services to get material I can’t photograph or record myself. Most productions require dozens of photos, videos and sound clips. All those elements have to be organized and coordinated, if you don’t to lose your way.

Typically, I open a folder for the entire project in File Manager on my Mac. It will contain sub-folders, the Premier Pro project file; and the final MP4 video. The sub-folders will be labelled: Photos-Images, Video, Audio, Slides, Elements, Correspondence, Text, and so on. You get the idea.

Once I start assembling and editing the video in Premier Pro, I will create a similar set of folders for Photos-Images, Video, Slides, Elements and Audio. As I need materials, I import them into the mirrored Premier Pro project folders, and when they are placed in the video, I colour code them, so I’ll know what’s been used and what’s on deck.

Although Premier Pro lets you import whole folders from File Manager into a project, I don’t do that. I prefer to transfer them one at a time. If it’s a larger production, I will also colour code imported files in my Mac’s File Manager, so I can ignore them when I’m looking for materials later.

All this may sound bureaucratic and tedious, and if you’re among those who can keep a dozen balls in the air at the same time and grab them on the fly, you may be able to do without the bother. I’m not. I find a structured process for gathering, storing and retrieving materials during a video production allows me to focus on the aspects of a project I really enjoy, the creative activity of transcribing a vision from my imagination into the mind-space of an audience.

Online Readings & Trailers – What you need?

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This episode from The Mural Gazer, is an example a reading video production.

Part 1: Equipment & Training

Why might you, as a writer, want to consider posting online readings and book trailers? The obvious answer: the Internet is where more and more people are going these days to browse and buy. One need only mention Amazon.com to appreciate how book sales and distribution have been affected by the global transition to eCommerce.

Still, many are reluctant to give up the Underwood typewriter and weighty, leather-bound volumes as iconic symbols of true literature; and many more are prepared to blame technology – and especially the Internet – for the serious declines in writers’ incomes over the last couple of decades.

Are they right?

Yes and no, I think. But as a writer I can’t afford to overlook online options for getting my stories into the hands and minds of readers. So online readings and book trailers, as part of a self and direct-to-web publishing strategy, are approaches whose time has come. The conventional route of finding a publisher, who will get my book printed, then distributed to to bookstores, is still appealing, but exploring other possibilities makes sense.

And even if I do get my manuscript accepted by a publishing house, I still have to promote it on my own, and sell as many copies as I can, if I hope to supplement my income in any meaningful way. So ipso facto, I need to feature my books on my own web site or Facebook page. An online presence is essential for writers – especially little known writers – and it has to be done-up in genres a tech-savvy population demands: which translates into easy, quick, graphic, and catchy, which narrows down to video readings and book trailers.

The secret to producing a good online reading or book trailer is inspiration. You have to see it as a creative work in its own right – as art.

What equipment and skills do you need to do video promo of your books? A mobile phone and Rick Mercer demeanour are all you really need. But since most of us don’t have Mercer’s gift for gabbing; and jiggly, poorly lit, echoey recordings of halting speakers aren’t likely to impress audiences; an investment in equipment and training might pay off.

I do almost all my production on Adobe’s integrated photo, video and audio suite (costs about $50 per month). I use my iPhone quite a bit – and its video quality is more than adequate for most web and social media productions – but I also use a Cannon T7i, digital camera, and have an inexpensive studio set up that includes diffused lighting, green screen, tripods and so on. I’d say the whole kit and caboodle cost me under $3,000.

That’s a significant expense in my case, but the ability to create readings and trailers that are a cut above jiggly, poorly lit and echoey makes the investment worthwhile.

Training is another matter. Some younger, tech-savvy authors will also have the skills and equipment needed to do catchy video trailers and readings. Most will not. I’ve acquired my skills haphazardly, during a 30 year career as a journalist and communications manager. I’m not saying it’s an impossible undertaking, but the learning curve for most writers would be awfully steep, and would only be surmountable if they were energized by a passion for the process.

So for most the only realistic option would be to hire someone to produce their readings and book trailers, these days in a manner that observes all the COVID-19 protocols required. Professional video production can be prohibitively expensive, but quality video for authors’ web sites and social media channels can be reasonably priced, especially if some aspects of the production can be done by the authors themselves. A price of $100 per minute is possible, and three to four minutes is usually plenty of time to capture and deliver the essence of your message.

Another option could be a recorded reading workshop or circle – conducted totally online in the COVID-19 era. As well as ending up with a video reading or trailer that could be used to promote your books, you would get the support and encouragement of a group of like minded participants, who want to improve their story-reading skills and delivery. A three session workshop, with five participants, might cost $200 per person.

Thanks for joining me in this blog post. Next up: Online Readings & Trailers – Creative Steps

Let sleeping dogs lie

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How do you define that precise moment when habit becomes ritual? It’s like pressing the button on a camera: first you frame the shot, then you focus, then – almost without your expecting it – the shutter opens and the effulgence is etched onto digital sensors, where it will reside forever… or as forever as we can possibly make anything in the neural network, where all our images and imaginings truly reside.

I can’t re-conjure the precise moment when I decided to make the bed with Cerberus lying on top of the tussled blankets and sheets, but there must have been a tipping point when that morning rite was sanctified, became official, obligatory, so fixed that Cerby won’t get up now until we’ve done our thing.

As for Mel, she doesn’t think it’s funny anymore. If she thinks about it at all it’s with annoyance.

There’s a trick to making the bed with your dog lying on it. Psychically, you have to place the canine at the very centre of the activity… think of her weight, depressing the mattress, as the locus of gravity in your suburban universe. Then you have to animate that gravity with consciousness – sanctify it as more than a mindless force, pulling everything downward, bending the universe toward a dark place from which nothing, not even an essence as ephemeral as light, can escape.

You have to imagine the warp as part of a continuum, like the yellow centre of a daisy, that holds the petals in place and draws your picture together in time and space… but with petals that aren’t sharply defined, that bleed into infinity by imperceptible gradations of awareness… memories shading off, one into another.

What is memory, after all, if not the whole of our past and entirety of our future, the infinitely large and small coalescing in the exact epicenter of mind? Once you’ve got that right, you tug, and smooth, and straighten, and – magically – everything works out… the bed gets made and the dog’s still lying there on top of the coverlet when you’re finished.

Mel and I used to share the bed-making duties. Some days she’d do it, some days me, sometimes we’d each take a side and work together. I suppose if we’d continued in that vein, Cerby would never have become so central to the process. Melanie wouldn’t have allowed it.

“It’s ridiculous,” she says. “The dog shouldn’t even be on the bed in the first place.” But she leaves it at that, lets the sleeping dog lie, while she busies herself getting ready for work on weekdays… for shopping, gardening, visiting friends and relations, or whatever on weekends and holidays. With Mel, there’s a ‘look’ for every occasion, and she’s meticulous about getting things just so. I’m sure people think her a bit too elegantly coiffed and dressed, but they don’t understand how hard it is for her to hold things together without breaking down, flinging papers about, smashing dishes.

Some days, when I remember, I compliment her on how good she looks. She appreciates that. If we didn’t have a past, it would be like flirting again and falling in love. “Beautiful” describes her best, but I have trouble using that word – it makes me feel unworthy, like I’m complimenting a goddess, who can see right through me.

Sound studio to go

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For authors who want to accompany their online stories with reasonably good quality audio, but who don’t want to go through the expense or bother of building an in-home sound studio, or learning the intricacies of complicated recording equipment and programs, this simple, very portable sound studio can be a workable alternative.

All you need is: a mobile phone that can display text and and do audio recordings at the same time; a blanket, and a comfy chair.

For most, this idea will cost nothing to implement, and will only take a few minutes to learn. So Click the play button above, and watch this six minute how-to video. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me.