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A Confederacy of Dunces: quotes (32)

Although residing along the Mississippi River [This river is famed in atrocious song and verse; the most prevalent motif is one which attempts to make of the river an ersatz father figure. Actually, the Mississippi River is a treacherous and sinister body of water whose eddies and currents yearly claim many lives. I have never…

Zeno’s Conscience: quotes (31)

You mustn’t take offense, Zeno, because that would grieve me. I know you’re a good sort and you know many things, without knowing it, whereas my professors know exactly what they know. consciousnessItalo Svevophilosophical literatureTriesteZeno’s Conscience

A Confederacy of Dunces: quotes (31)

The scene which met my eyes was at once compelling and repelling. The original sweatshop has been preserved for posterity at Levy Pants. If only the Smithsonian Institution, that grab-bag of our nation’s refuse, could somehow vacuum-seal the Levy Pants factory and transport it to the capital of the United States of America, each worker…

A Confederacy of Dunces: quotes (30)

Another working day is ended, gentle reader. As I told you before, I have succeeded in laying a patina, as it were, over the turbulence and mania of our office. All non-essential activities in the office are slowly being curtailed. At the moment I am busily decorating our throbbing hive of white-collared bees (three). The…

Zeno’s Conscience: quotes (29)

Never again, neither before nor after, was I able to feel in that way the beauty of that music born from those four strings like a Michelangelo angel from a block of marble. Only my state of mind was new to me, and it led me to look up, ecstatic, as if at something totally…

MISHIMA: 50 years on

November 25th marks the date of Mishima’s death fifty years ago. See these articles: The Importance of Being Mishima Yukio — Yukio Mishima’s enduring, unexpected influence — Yukio Mishima’s dark fantasies of imperial Japan — Mishima in the World: 50 Years Later — Mishima: Historical Visionary aestheticsDamian FlanagandeathembodimentHosoe EikōIrmela Hijiya-KirschnereitJapanjohn grayKishin ShinoyamaMishimaphilosophical literaturephotographysuicide

A Confederacy of Dunces: quotes (29)

By one-thirty the cross was almost finished. It lacked only the little gold leaf letters that spelled GOD AND COMMERCE which Ignatius had ready to apply across the bottom of the cross . . . “Now to the filing,” Ignatius said busily. “Then off to the factory. I cannot tolerate social injustice.” . . . Ignatius went behind the…

A Confederacy of Dunces: quotes (28)

He was four workers in one. In Mr. Reilly’s competent hands, the filing seemed to disappear. He was also kind to Miss Trixie; there was hardly any friction in the office. Mr. Gonzalez was touched by what he had seen the previous afternoon – Mr. Reilly on his knees changing Miss Trixie’s socks. Mr. Reilly…