We concluded our discussion of how by talking about conforming to the rhythm of thought, which is not a paradox, but still difficult. Jack Kerouac, who is known as a novelist primarily, very much a beat writer, spent a lot of time thinking about spontaneous prose in that paradox. So now, we're going to look at some of his ideas in a document called Essentials of Spontaneous Prose and another document, which is a list called Belief and Technique for Modern Prose List of Essentials. So let's just look at a few of these things. All right, so Max, set up. When it becomes the sketching from memory of a definite image object, the object is set before the mind, sketching set in memory where it becomes the sketching from memory of a definite image object. Do you have anything to say about how that might work? >> It's really interesting for Raven, there's a lot going on. The object of writing is treated here as though it were something that you were sketching. So- >> Sketching as in- >> So there's a lot of >> Pictorial. >> Pictorial, yeah, so he's taking kind of a visual approach to it. >> It's like the Imagist Manifesto- >> Yeah. >> With its focus on the image, a definite image object. So there's not only a fantasy of spontaneity of being able to bypass languages, natural inhibitions or constraints, but of the similar fantasy that the images had definiteness. >> Yeah. >> An image object. What's the great thing, what's the positive thing, Max, really quickly, about seeing something you'll describe in words as an image object? What's a good thing about that? What's fortunate about that? >> Well, he's he's combining image with objects. It was a thing with representation, which I think is sort of in line with the modernists that we've seen so far. In some ways, while there is a bit of a fantasy, as you said, of bypassing language, he's also recognizing that the object is its representation, that is what we get- >> And also that the word, if done this way, can be thought of as itself an object, right? So that language becomes material. Okay, Molly and Anna, let's talk about the next one, time being of the essence in the purity of speech. Sketching language is undisturbed flow from the mind of personal secret idea words blowing as per jazz musician on subject of image. Molly, your thought on this? >> Well, if time is of the essence in the purity of speech, you can't wait until later to write about something you've seen. >> Nice. >> It needs to be- >> Do it now. >> The language needs to be an undisturbed flow. So you sit and you let everything out, write it all down before you can stop- >> From where? >> From the mind- >> Yeah. >> Of personal secret idea words. >> And the two of you, what about blowing as per jazz musician on blowing on? >> With the effort of the blowing, you also choose different notes to sort of get all around your subject your, piece of music. And I feel like it's sort of the same thing with writing, only it comes- >> It's a difficult analogy because while superficially standing back from it, you can see writing spontaneously as like bop, jazz, with its riffs and spontaneities. When you actually think about the blowing, it's hard to see, create the analogy, right? So the instrument is to what in writing on a clear, right? Maybe a typewriter or something. Blowing, we know in jazz you need the breath. I don't know the answer to this question, so good luck. >> Well, I mean to me, blowing seems like it's a pretty simple act, like if you're blowing out birthday candles, you just blow as hard as you can. >> Yeah. >> But when you're blowing into an instrument, there's a lot of consciousness there. Even if it is spontaneous, you're consciously manipulating- >> Okay, so the analogy is the consciousness. >> That it's there. Maybe it's spontaneous because you don't know maybe what notes you're playing or where you're going to go next, but you're still manipulating the keys in a certain way. >> Anybody want to try this blowing? It's an analogy. So blowing in the area of jazz improvisation is like what in the area of writing? What's the equivalent of blowing or a breath? It has to be something in the act. I mean, I think for Kerouac, typing was a very important thing. He famously, when he could, he typed on a teletype role, so that he didn't have to take any time, time being of the essence, to change the paper. And so I just don't think there's an easy parallel and I think that's the problem here, but that's what's so good about it. All right, let's turn to Ali and Dave, not selectivity of expression. All right, not selectivity, which is in quotes, but following free deviation association of mind into limitless blow on subject sea of thought blow as deep as you want. I could ask you to speak without any selectivity or to write without any selectivity. What is that? Is that possible? >> Well, I've tried to do free association or just I've tried to do this type of writing and it's really, really hard I think. And so, especially the challenge, I think, comes from maybe the fact that we've been trained, most of us, our entire lives to be selective and to be thoughtful- >> What are some examples of selectivity in expression, Max? Examples of selectivity, you're doing it now. >> Syntax sentence structure. >> Syntax. >> Subject matter. >> Subject matter, right, you stay on the subject. >> In a larger sense, it's thinking about your audience not saying the wrong thing. >> Thinking about who the audience is, thinking about staying on message. Emily, you've been thinking about this. >> Even just a decision to speak or not speak is the kind- >> The decision to speak or not speak. He is, again, fantasizing, he is imagining what is probably theoretically impossible. You said it was really hard to do. My thought would be, it's impossible to do, but it's a great goal following free deviation. This is Emily Dickinson saying, the brain within its groove runs evenly and true, but let a splinter swerve ’t were easier for you to put the current back when floods have slit the hills. The mind will go where it's going to go and this is following that free deviation association of mind and limitless blow on subject seas of thought. All right, Emarice and Emily, lag and procedure, I love this. No pause to think of proper word, no pause. But let's get to the second parts in a minute. No pause to think of proper word, that's similar to what we were just talking about, Emarice. >> So it's saying let go of that selectivity, be uncensored, listen to that intuitive source within yourself. >> There's a word lag and there's word pause. Emily, what does that suggest? >> The pause implies something intentional, lag implies something that sort of happens in accident, a sort of system break down. >> Emarice, pause and lag, what part of the world are these words from? >> Pause is conscious, they both deal with movement. So he's talking about the movement of flow of thought. >> They also both deal with time- >> Yes, yeah. >> Pause and lag. No lag, no pause, go, do it. First thought, best thought. And now, we'll get to the second part of this. No pause to think of proper word, but the infantile pileup of scatological build upwards till satisfaction is gained. This is about how infantile it is to be an adult. Do I have to say this, who holds it all in, constipation. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Pause, lag like I've gotta get to my desk, I've gotta get my Sonic book out, I've gotta get it just right. I'm going to wait, I'm good. I have to do it, I have to do it. >> [LAUGH] >> And then- >> [LAUGH] >> When satisfaction is gained, well, he thinks that that is a, all right, see there, I did it. >> [LAUGH] >> He believes that that is the wrong way to go, right? If you gotta go, go, man. Don't take that thing that your body is producing, the blowing, the air, the speech, the spontaneity, don't pile that up until you get to the point where you finally, I wrote it and satisfaction is gained. That is a theory, it is quasi Freudian, he's being anti Freudian. Let's not have a situation where we create this relationship between id and ego where the id does all its fabulous thing and the ego makes sure it gets really constrained. And you have no sense of the poopiness of what you're producing, yeah. All right, let's look at the list of, okay, you're ready for that? So basically, if you've gotta go, go. Belief and Technique for Modern Prose List of Essential, let's pick out some favorites. Number 10, no time for poetry, but exactly what it is. Molly. >> No time to force it into a rhyme schemer meter, just exactly what the words are. >> So the distinction, the opposition is between poetry in one hand and exactly what is on the other hand, which sort of leaves poetry kind of in the dust. Again, what would poetry be in that? >> Like a formal constraint. >> The opposite of exactly what is, of course, you want to embrace exactly what is and no time for that. No time for meaning, I have no time, I have no patience for it. But also, we don't have the time for it, we have to do exactly what is there. Again, this ideal, this fantasy and possible fantasy that language is what is and that poetry is what isn't because you submit to a constraint. 21, struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind. We've been saying this, but let's try it again, Ali. >> Yeah, I mean it kind of goes back to the rhythm of thought. It's just in the sense that you can never be wrong if you're kind of doing this type of writing because it's just the product is almost already given internally. You just have to kind of access it. >> It exists, intact. >> Yeah. >> Why mess with it if it exists, intact? >> Yeah. >> And so again, there's this body of the blowing, it seems to be a transmission through a transparent language or through a language that doesn't behave as an alien thing, as an alienated thing, right? So thought becomes language without a lot of interference. Again, very difficult to imagine. Okay, one more, you're a genius all the time, Max. >> Aside from sounding like something out of a self-help book. >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, it really does, something like that. >> It is interesting because he's sort of destabilizing the idea of genius that we are all geniuses and we're all geniuses all the time. >> We're a genius if we blow deeply, if we- >> Sure, yeah, we all have access to genius, that genius isn't something that geniuses are endowed with, but rather that we can always tap into a genius at any time. >> If you think that you're a genius all the time, Les, I think, would hold you back because whatever you were doing would just be great. >> Be in love with your life. He says, be crazy, dumb saint of the mind. I mean, you just want to take, you just want to get up right now and go do it, don't you? Go. >> Okay.