petethepool

Some people just want to watch the world stretch

Yes, but that's just one argument. Basically, it boils down to whether or not you think the artist's job is to establish a sense of hope - either at the end or throughout - in a work of art. I find the utter bleakness of some stories (and American Psycho isn't even entirely bleak: damn it if it isn't funny at times, despite the gut-wrenching mutilation; plus, the implication is that it was all imagination - that these Wall-street guys are so far up their own asses that they literally are living in their heads) - the utter bleakness can be just as compelling as stories with a pervading sense of hope - East of Eden is a wonderful example of a text full of the tragedy of real life, but with love and hope running throughout. The Road is probably the perfect example of a bleak text with an odd ray of light at the end. And the Ass saw the Angel is a text that I remember finding quite oppressive, without hope...

Anyway, it all depends on what you believe the role of the artist should be. I like the idea of a philosophy of hope in art - and I believe it is probably harder to construct (than a simple bleak landscape (as yer man above suggests)) without sentimentality or romanticism overflowing...

One more point I would make, is that one can argue about the surface of most literature being supercilious. As Oscar Wilde said of Dorian Gray - "Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril."

Did you witness many war crimes? - were the American troops respectful to the citizens? - and do you think Iraq is in a better or a worse place now?

I thought they weren’t showing Activision products at the show?

I love this! I've done it last 2 years and intend to start mine tomorrow too.

First question for someone who tries and fails to keep a proper calendar every year; do you have any other suggestions for trying to create short-cuts to different memories each year? I always struggle to remember what I've done when I look back. I use OneDrive and it throws up 'on this day in x year' with old photos, so I was thinking I could take a photo every day or something as a way of making 2022 a more memorable year for a start.

Second question would be: do you change the content year on year, for instance in relation to developments in positive psychology etc., or does your format tend to stay the same?