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Poetry, paranoia, schizomythia : Preamble to a sociophysiological exploration of tribinary patterns of world and system

Sagarch Flawndol

ISOCPHYS-Certified Owlstain Community Member (ICOCM)

Château Methuen

Owlstain, FZ 23632


Communicated by Prof. Gennifleur Schlame, December 21, 2002.

abstract The most important tool of paranoia’s toolbox is mathematics. Mathematics, as we all know, is the study of patterns, and paranoia is the quintessential student of patterns. Paranoia exists within, and is perpetually creating for herself [1], a swirling nexus of patterns: the generation of patterns, the discovery of patterns, the description and explanation of patterns, the relationship of pattern to pattern. Paranoia without a thorough and constantly expanding knowledge of patterns — ;that is, of mathematics — is not true paranoia at all, but is, rather, schizomythia or even worse, poetry.

0.   Introduction

Schizomythia fails to see any patterns whatsoever; mathematics is utterly lost to her [2]. Poetry, on the other hand, wields language as if she were the finest of scalpels, remorselessly slicing through the delicate and tenuous linkages of patterns, dissecting and dismembering patterns until all form or function, dimension or relation is rendered meaningless. Poetry excises pattern from existence, and hence lives in a world entirely devoid of, indeed, even alien to, explanation [3]. Poetry is utterly lost to mathematics and is thus forced to carry about an unsheathed blade which she is at pains to keep from cutting herself on [4].

1.   Methods and Materials

Poetry and paranoia circumscribe a system which is completely enclosed within herself: two worlds orbiting each other [5]. The poetic world exhibits an intense dislike and disdain for description; the paranoid world is enamored of description to no end, concocting and reveling in descriptions, and descriptions of descriptions, and descriptions of descriptions of descriptions, all encased within the honey-combed amber of impeccable logic [6]. The logic of poetry is more like mud and swallows even the merest attempt at description [7].

2.   Results

The unbridgeable space between these two worlds is infinitely large and infinitely dimensional [8]. What composes this space exists within an infinite number and variety of states. The set of all these states is called the schizomythic world [9], which neither creates explanation, as the paranoid world does; nor destroys it, as the poetic.

3.   Discussion

An infinite array of schizomythological — schizomythological what [8]? What do you call something that’s neither discrete nor diffuse, neither amenable nor exactly recalcitrant to description or explanation? Something that neither embraces nor rejects mathematics [10]?

4.   Conclusion

Paranoia lugs around a bounteous toolbox [11]; poetry, if presented with a toolbox, either casts her disgustedly off the nearest cliff [12], or lets her drop blithely through her hands [13, 14], cracking upon the pavement and scattering her contents about where they’ll be tripped over and trampled into the mud until she eventually wanders off in search of less treacherous terrain [15]. But what does schizomythia do with a toolbox? That’s a question for poetry to ask, paranoia to answer.

5.   Notes and References

  1. Professor Gennifleur Schlame’s exposition of her theory of PUSSY has turned me on to the Plural Ubiquitous Synchronic Sepalian Yonicity inhering potentially and potently in the language.
  2. She plows though life with a blunt shovel of language, the broken handle of which is too short for her to dig with.
  3. “To about short have abstract comes the in and peccaried. Bored with mystical indifference. Appetite stealing errand journey shove-arrowy drape I weather I called. Empty took in and waxy walked. A opened and the kissed entwined. It thus the music walked the breech I. The the ended, the dry stone-dark knowledge like drench. All pain. That drags hot advised to convince. The purpose to do roach dice bin. Detonated it ubi kallacious; tamed. And slayed, employed from the echo’s word. Something. Derive, conflicts the principles, wobble illuminate, light little task, cry bewildered, transgress clear stress, needless torture suicide. Tell me something” (D. Udidi (Hamiltonian), The Compass of That Sea. Owlstain and Paris: Editions MSS, 2001, p. 48).
  4. And how does paranoia wield language? Paranoia’s language is, of course, the language of patterns; that is, mathematics.
  5. Gordon Krummholz, in his Pale fire (Putnam, 1962), describes how such a binary system comes to be cast in the crucible of trauma. In Krummholz’s case, tautosexual overtures suffered para-adolescently at the hands of his Scottish tutor, Walter Campbell, split the mould into the geminate worlds of John Shade, poet, and Dr. Charles Kinbote, paranoiac, the later possessing a moon, V. Botkin, capable of skewing the entire system with the tidal force of schizomythia.
  6. Paranoia sees her shadow, outlined brightly on the sidewalk, as but one shadow among many; poetry sees an angel passing between sun and self; schizomythia, nothing.
  7. “I didn’t follow I came into the sand unchoked atmosphere side of perceptions pure effusive follow the flight not free unwholesome sanity thanks on the this show the I of tank by unwilted the it that or the spring the the choice to moral concrete natural bewildered obey no stress hard adhere found mad fur her sated deasel lineaments balloon no years extended into the mud don’t know never knew never will” (D. Udidi (Hamiltonian), op. cit., p. 133).
  8. Kiko Devi et al., JSocPhys 00903, March 2002.
  9. A web, really, a synaesthetic web of language and space, of rhythm and shape. And where does paranoia exist but in this web? Poetry exists outside this web; schizomythia, in the interstices of the web, between silk and silk.
  10. A mathematics without number, space, or symbol, but, rather, a mathematics of time and rhythm; a mathematics with no need to cloak the shadow of perception in a veil of symbol.
  11. A toolbox filled with every conceivable tool, from the simplest, most overlooked, yet most practical that's needed to perform even the most extravagant of tasks, to the most elaborate that serves the simplest of functions.
  12. Ouida Willoughby Johnson, singular divastigation.
  13. “El mundo, con ser el mundo, en la mano de una nina cabe” (Rafael Alberti, Sobre los angeles. Madrid, 1928).
  14. “And should I plot a finish to this cunty scrawl? To approach that world again with budding arms. Hybrid form of choosing or of loss. Unfold blossom to uncoil total hug. This way again always Iclutch that saffron sky. It sings within my fist” (Ouida Willoughby Johnson, final divastigation).
  15. Dante, Inferno. “Poi ch’ei posato un poco il corpo lasso, ripresi via per la piaggia diserta, si che ’l pie fermo sempre era ’l piu basso” (Dante, Inferno, canto I, vv. 28-30).
  16. I would like to offer my profoundest gratitude to Professor Gennifleur Schlame. It was while participating in her workshops in which heterolexical subjectivity was intensely and intensively explored that I, quand’ era in parte altr’ uom da quel ch’i’ sono, first penetrated the Plural Ubiquitous Synchronic Sepalian Yonicity of PUSSY, withdrew the flaccid penis of the androcanon, and eclosed the sociophysiologist I’m ever, still, and always be(com)ing. Thanks, G.!