The poet
The evening melts into oblivion
I saw a soul perched on my skin
Beaded and bubbled in love’s warfare
The greenery is dropped in palettes
Hues of red and crimson joy
The fairies sung in unison
A drama written upon the land of sadness
The holy grail is beamoned with sacrifice
A numberless winged dews of poetry
It has the power to heal any broken soul
The sad demise of mountains high
A melodic death happens afar
The poet is now crowned with victory
Art as it is upon God’s hands.
This month, across continents, languages, and artistic forms, these writers and artists illustrate pathways towards personal and cultural endurance and survival. Though their subjects range from war to environmentalism, from mathematics to romance, the works are united by a central concern: how people preserve meaning and dignity while confronting the fragility of life. Together, they create a portrait of humanity struggling not merely to survive, but to transform pain, uncertainty, and impermanence into connection, beauty, and renewal.
The shadow of mortality and conflict appears repeatedly throughout these works. Pat Doyne honors those who sacrificed their lives during wartime, while Elaine Murray similarly forces readers to confront the devastating human consequences of war and the preciousness of life itself. Mohammad Sedigh Haghighi broadens this historical struggle, tracing humanity’s difficult movement toward democracy, liberty, and enlightenment against the forces of ignorance. Danijela Ćuk extends the argument into the present by urging humanity to abandon divisions and pursue peace. Lan Xin connects the larger world to our inner worlds, suggesting that we carry the capacity for both good and evil and that changing our mindsets can change society. Even Hamida Nazarova’s analysis of the works of Abdulhamid Cho‘lpon and Hamza Hakimzoda Niyoziy reveals another battlefield: not military conflict, but social injustice, particularly the suffering and oppression faced by Uzbek women. These works collectively suggest that human progress is measured not by conquest, but by compassion, justice, and the willingness to protect one another’s humanity.
Yet alongside destruction exists resilience. Darren C. Demaree writes of love, grief, identity, and survival, revealing how memory becomes a lifeline through suffering. Madina Asliddinova’s family saga captures the cyclical nature of existence through births, deaths, joys, and tragedies, reminding readers that life is never static but constantly renewing itself through generations. Jacques Fleury teases out themes of individual strength and determination to shape one’s own fate in Boston’s Huntington Theater’s production of Oedipus el Rey. Mai Văn Phấn similarly meditates on cycles of time, nature, suffering, and endurance, portraying resilience as something deeply intertwined with the rhythms of the natural world. Patrick Sweeney’s brief pieces linger in moments of nostalgia and connection, emphasizing how even fleeting experiences can carry emotional permanence. Fiza Amir’s poem transforms romantic loss and regret into gratitude, suggesting that pain can take on meaning through memory and reflection.
Several writers explore the emotional burdens placed upon individuals by society. Jesse Emmanuella Pheebemi’s poetry captures the crushing guilt and inadequacy produced by familial and societal expectations, while Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s poetry depicts a speaker exhausted by constant scrutiny over even the smallest behaviors. Sara Hunt-Florez mourns the loss of childhood innocence when a teenage girl is forced to mature too quickly. Sabina Tursunqulova laments in verse the loss of her childhood. J.J. Campbell presents a complex, introspective, and often melancholic exploration of the human experience. Isaac Aju reflects on how trauma can pull a person away from engaging with the world and quietly into themselves. These works expose how society often pressures individuals into performances of perfection or obedience that diminish authentic selfhood. However, Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s short story offers a possible remedy by insisting that love must move beyond isolation and enter the difficult realities of the world if it is to matter at all.
Art itself emerges as one of humanity’s primary tools for surviving emotional complexity. In Alex S. Johnson’s interview with avant-garde artist Diamanda Galás, Galás argues that art achieves its greatest power not through raw confession, but through discipline, strategy, intellect, and creative transformation of pain. This idea resonates strongly with Yongbo Ma’s interview with J.D. Scrimgeour, whose reflections on humor, mystery, music, memory, creativity, and community suggest that poetry helps people navigate the emotional contradictions of being alive. Ma Yongbo’s own poetry likewise wrestles with impermanence, mortality, and the search for meaning, while Paul Tristram’s energetic poems connect creativity with mental health and self-discovery. Paul Murgatroyd approaches art through satire and absurdity, using humor and nostalgia to examine entertainment and poetry themselves. Egamberdiyeva Diloromxon Olloberdi qizi analyzes how Uzbek author Tohir Malik explores adolescent psychology. Duane Vorhees adds yet another dimension by exploring the hidden complexity beneath the surfaces of poems, people, and places. Together, these artists insist that art is not an escape from life’s difficulties, but a way of understanding and enduring them.
Questions of language and culture also play a central role in preserving identity. Egamberdiyeva Diloromxon Olloberdi qizi explores themes of patriotism in the works of Uzbek poet Erkin Vokhidov. Rashidova Shohsanam addresses the challenge of protecting the Uzbek language amid youth slang, internet speech, and foreign influences, emphasizing that language carries cultural memory and identity. Giyosova Mohinur Yoqubjon qizi discusses ways to enhance linguistic capabilities of elementary students. Aleksandra Soltysiak’s poetry, translated by Jakub Sajkowski, similarly celebrates the balance between language, identity, nature, and beauty. Ahmedova Zamira Shokirjon qizi outlines the moral and cultural themes in Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi’s work. Italian critic Ivan Pozzoni discusses central themes of Western literary postmodernism. Christopher Bernard’s third installment of his novel Otherwise underscores books’ vital role in free thought and resistance. Fhen M.’s essay on Roger Kimball critiques approaches to literature that reduce art solely to politics or economics, arguing instead for the continued importance of aesthetics and imaginative value. Sevara Matnazarova celebrates the joy and wonder of reading. These works defend culture not as something static, but as a living inheritance requiring care, interpretation, and renewal.
Other writers focus on practical pathways toward a better future. Abdusalomova Marjona Jahongir qizi and Egamnazarova Shahina Shaxriyor qizi both emphasize determination and goal setting, presenting perseverance as a crucial force for personal transformation. Asalxon Xasanova learns to develop a realistic attitude towards her personal and academic struggles and to seek improvement where needed. Sobirova Iroda Abdulaziz qizi advocates for financial literacy among Uzbek youth, suggesting that economic understanding empowers individuals and communities alike. Sharifov Sirojiddin Shavkatovich celebrates mathematics as a profound intellectual framework for understanding the universe, presenting reason itself as a form of human achievement. Olimova Muslimaxon Odiljon qizi celebrates the success of her high school’s robotics team in their first competition. Abdumutalibov Islombek discusses students’ use of artificial intelligence technology. Mirzajonova Sabokhon turns to medical science, outlining the of iron in the human body, as does Merojxon Ahliddin qizi Majidova, who discusses treatments for liver and uterine issues. Azizaxon Shodmonova sends in a charming graduation poem saying goodbye to a wholesome elementary school year and to her teachers and classmates. Finally, Eshmurzayeva Jasmina Shodiyor qizi celebrates the new generation of educated, accomplished young Uzbek women. These works suggest that hope is not passive optimism, but active effort guided by education, discipline, and vision.
Environmental awareness forms another major thread uniting these voices. Sabrina O’ktamova discusses restoring the damaged soil of the Aralkum Desert through lichen, transforming ecological devastation into the possibility of renewal. Yeon Myung-Li celebrates a variety of animals after a trip to the zoo, including one who escaped. Timothee Bordenave proposes practical environmental conservation through innovative heating methods, while Jacques Fleury simply but powerfully urges people not to litter. Mark Young’s digitally altered maps of Australian geography blend language and vibrant color into imaginative landscapes, reminding readers that geography itself can become art. Christina Chin’s delicate haiku captures a quiet evening moment, revealing the beauty hidden within ordinary experience. Mushtariybegim Ozodbekova similarly argues that beautiful and well-maintained spaces are essential for human flourishing. In these works, caring for the environment becomes inseparable from caring for humanity itself.
Finally, several writers turn toward spirituality, longing, and human connection as sources of transcendence. Soumen Roy reflects on divine presence, interconnectedness, joy, and spiritual awakening, presenting existence as deeply unified beneath apparent separation. Yeon Myung-ji’s imaginative work explores desire, hope, art, and possibility, suggesting that longing itself can inspire transformation. Brent Yergensen’s old-style poem shows a person finding comfort just from the nearness of God. Paul Bavister’s poems look into connection, solitude, change and self-reflection. Jessie Vanderwall presents the depths of loneliness left behind after a great and soul-expanding love. Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar’s tender invitation to dance offers a smaller but equally meaningful expression of vulnerability and admiration. Even amid grief, conflict, and uncertainty, these works affirm the enduring human desire to reach toward others.
Whether through poetry, criticism, environmental activism, mathematics, storytelling, or cultural preservation, these creators demonstrate that survival alone is not enough. Human beings seek beauty alongside truth, memory alongside progress, individuality alongside community. Across all these works runs the same underlying conviction: though life is fragile and often painful, people possess an extraordinary capacity to create meaning, preserve dignity, and imagine renewal even in the face of impermanence.
Uzbekistan is creating broad opportunities for young people. In particular, Uzbek girls are showing an increasing desire to gain knowledge and a strong sense of responsibility for self-development. They are not only mastering modern sciences but are also preserving national values while earning a достойный place in society.
Knowledge and education have always held an important position in the national values of the Uzbek people. Since ancient times, special attention has been given to ensuring that girls are not only well-mannered but also well-educated. This tradition continues to maintain its significance today.
Nowadays, educational opportunities are expanding even further. Girls actively participate in schools and higher educational institutions, achieving remarkable success in various fields. Many girls are learning foreign languages and obtaining international certificates. In addition, they take part in international competitions and become recipients of prestigious scholarships and grants.
As evidence of this progress, one can mention Mushtariy Sharifova, the first Uzbek woman reportedly hired by Tesla. Through continuous learning, dedication, and self-confidence, she achieved significant success on the international stage. Her accomplishments clearly demonstrate the potential and determination of Uzbek girls. Mushtariy Sharifova advises young people: “Never give up on your dreams and always continue working on yourself.”
Despite their young age, today’s Uzbek girls stand out because of their active participation, thirst for knowledge, and ambitious goals. They achieve success in various fields and serve as sources of inspiration and motivation for other young people. At the same time, a unique harmony between tradition and modernity can be observed. While acquiring modern knowledge and skills, girls remain loyal to their cultural values and heritage. In conclusion, today’s Uzbek girls are developing comprehensively by combining education with national values. They are becoming knowledgeable, determined, culturally aware, and spiritually mature individuals. By making effective use of modern opportunities, they contribute significantly to the progress of society. Without a doubt, such active and educated young women are an important force in ensuring the bright future of Uzbekistan.
Eshmurzayeva Jasmina Shodiyor qizi was born on November 4, 2009, in the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. She is currently a 10th-grade student at School No. 185 Tashkent. She also holds a CEFR English language certificate.
The sound of the final school bell rang,
Touching the deepest strings of my heart.
Today, the cheerful melody of childhood
Has sworn to make us shed tears.
Look, silence rules the corridors,
Every corner is filled with memories.
Today, sorrowful tears fill our eyes,
As distant horizons call us forward.
The dreams we shared while studying together,
The playful mischief we made together…
Now all those questions remain unanswered,
And those times have turned into longing.
Teacher, I bow before you in respect,
I placed your pearls of wisdom in my heart.
If my words ever hurt you unknowingly,
Please forgive me, for today I cried so much.
Every single letter you taught us
Will guide us through the journey of life.
You devoted your years for our sake,
And now your sons and daughters will miss you.
Looking at our classroom one last time,
My heart aches and cries from within.
Tears slowly roll down my face,
I do not want to leave this beloved home.
Farewell, my dear friend and classmate,
I wish to rest my head upon your shoulder and cry.
I grew up with you, I matured with you,
Today, grief and sadness pierce my heart.
Do not cry, my classmate, do not cry now,
No one can escape what fate has written.
Our youth has come to an end here,
But the memories of school will never die!
Azizaxon Sherzod qizi Shodmonova was born in 2008 in Qarshi district, Kashkadarya region, Uzbekistan. Currently, she has earned the honorable title of a university student ahead of schedule and is studying at the Uzbekistan State World Languages University.
TO HELL WITH POSITIVITY!
“For years, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, successful life. Not anymore. To hell with positivity!”
— Mark Manson
Everyone goes through adolescence, and right now, I am navigating this exact phase of life. We all know that teenage years come with a wave of hormonal changes, so I won’t dwell too much on that. It is a time when everyone struggles and experiences a certain degree of emotional pain.
As I grew older, my responsibilities multiplied: household chores, studies, language learning, and, most importantly, family issues. This is the period when a person is tested the most, and knowing how to make the right choices becomes vital. However, there was a time when I completely lost interest in everything. I couldn’t focus on my studies, I felt disconnected from the world around me, and I became utterly indifferent to my own future. The underlying reason was simple: I had turned into a “coward.”
Everything began piling up at once. Schoolwork, especially language learning, became incredibly overwhelming because I had reached the most critical and decisive stage — preparing for the “IELTS” exam. Ironically, the very process I had been anticipating so eagerly turned out to be daunting and complex in reality. Unwilling to fight through the difficulties and feeling lost, I chose to escape from my problems… and I began mindlessly scrolling through Reels for temporary hits of dopamine.
No matter how much I tried to force myself to think positively or justify my slacking, the anxiety and inner turmoil kept eating away at me. My peers seemed so much more fortunate and successful than I was. It felt like they could achieve anything, while I, in my own eyes, had become utterly useless. So, what did I do next? I decided that I simply refused to go on living as a useless member of society!
I committed to a radical change. I had always enjoyed reading, but this time, in an effort to understand and discover myself, I turned to self-development literature. I opened the “Mutolaa” app and browsed through the personal growth section. The first book that caught my eye and instantly drew me in was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*. It perfectly matched my state of mind. As I read, I began questioning the values I had always blindly accepted as true. I threw toxic positivity out the window and learned to embrace “negative thinking” — or rather, looking reality square in the eyes.
Surprised, aren’t you? You read that correctly: I learned to accept the truth for what it is. The more clearly a person can see their own shortcomings, the more they grow, the more real solutions they find to their problems, and the wider their worldview becomes. I put this into practice.
For instance, I was struggling significantly with English Writing (essays). It was a painful sticking point for me. I analyzed the situation brutally, asking myself: “What am I doing wrong? Why does this feel so impossible?” I realized two things. First, my vocabulary was insufficient. Second, even when I did manage to write an essay, I was terrified to re-read it because I was scared of making mistakes. And why was I so afraid of making mistakes? Because I dreaded being criticized by my teacher. But one day, I conquered all my fears and simply read what I had written, then handed it over to my teacher. My teacher simply corrected the errors, and that was it. In that very moment, I realized that you just have to start without fear. I had been making a mountain out of a molehill.
Not everyone can solve their problems independently; many prefer to simply run away from them. I was no exception. I used to try to avoid thinking about even the smallest issues, but deep down, I knew they were draining me every single day. Eventually, I resolved to face them all. Most of my anxieties revolved around my future: “Will I get a high IELTS score? What about the SAT? Will I get accepted into prestigious universities in the US?” These questions spun in my mind like a non-stop carousel.
I tackled these issues by prioritizing the most fundamental ones.
Problem 1 & Solution: Why don’t I always speak fluently and flawlessly in English?
Solution: I realized I had been speaking mechanically. My mindset was basically, “I need to talk, I am talking, so that’s enough.” I wasn’t bringing the same freedom and emotion to English that I naturally use in my native language. The next time I spoke, I infused it with emotion just as I would in my native tongue, and I discovered it became significantly easier.
Problem 2 & Solution: Why did my closest friend betray me?
Solution: In reality, labeling them as my “closest” friend was flawed from the start. A person’s ultimate confidants are only their family and God. My friend hadn’t betrayed me; they had simply made a new friend, built a closer bond with them, and chosen to trust them. They shared their thoughts with them. This is a completely natural human dynamic. Because I had viewed them as my “irreplaceable” friend, I felt like a victim who had been stabbed in the back. The truth is that everyone has the right to choose their friends and confidants, and you cannot force anyone’s affection. Accepting this changed my perspective entirely. The situation wasn’t a tragedy, and I was not a victim.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I realized that during my teenage years, I had been exaggerating minor setbacks and artificially shaping myself into a “victim.” This victim mentality provided a temporary cushion and a false sense of dopamine, making it feel like my problems weren’t my fault. But please, do not make the same mistake!
No matter what challenges you face, whether you are to blame or not, the responsibility and accountability ultimately rest squarely on your shoulders. Always look at situations with a realistic, critical eye and filter your thoughts. Do not run from your problems; solve them. Do not fear losses, and start working for your future today. No one is going to hand you success on a silver platter. You must always strive to reach every single milestone through your own hard work!
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Manson, the author of the book that entirely transformed my outlook on life, and I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and read it too.
Il tardomodernismo
Giorgio Linguaglossa solleva un interrogativo decisivo sul concetto di arte: «Come e dove orientare la ricerca del nuovo linguaggio poetico?». Dopo la fine dell’evo moderno e di ogni ontologia estetica modernista, decretata da Zygmunt Bauman e dalla new sociology contemporanea, ogni meta-filosofo post-modernista – come Jencks con l’architettura, Danto con l’arte o Fukuyama con la storia- ha la tentazione di irrogare la sanzione definitiva di condanna a morte dell’oggetto della sua filosofia, senza fare i conti teoretici con la lezione contenuta in La condition postmoderne e nel bellissimo misconosciuto Le postmoderne expliqué aux enfants di Jean-François Lyotard: il nucleo del post-modernismo consiste nell’ammissione della caduta di ogni «métarécits», cioè della delegittimazione delle metanarrazioni della modernità e della concezione e di «univers(o)alità». L’iper-modernismo, conscio della distinzione lyotardiana tra morte del discorso e morte del meta-discorso, resuscita l’arte e seppellisce l’everything goes di Danto: contro il post-modernismo si innalza l’iper-modernismo di Virilio, Baudrillard e Lipovetsky; contro il post-moderno si innalza l’iper-moderno di Bauman (liquid society) e Beck (risk society) [la post-modernità ha sempre mantenuto una certa vagueness confusionaria tra teoria (post-modernismo) o spazio storico (post-moderno)]. L’iper-modernismo, come ogni neo-avanguardia millenials (esempio italiano il mio neoN-avanguardismo), abbandona – come consolidato- il dibattito sull’anti-«univers(o)alismo» e si inserisce in continuità antagonistica con il modernismo, a differenza del post-modernismo, liberando i suoi missili Katjuša in direzione della delegittimazione di ogni forma di «canone» e «Tradizione», schiavo della sua vena neo-avanguardistica. Però, l’iper-modernismo, è un movimento della krisis. Chiusa la krisis, ogni avanguardia/neo-avanguardia, auto-criticandosi, si suicida artisticamente, e, finalmente entra in campo il tardomodernismo. Cos’è il tardomodernismo? Prima di tutto è, insieme, teoria e spazio storico: supera a sinistra post-modernismo e iper-modernismo dichiarando la fine definitiva dell’ontologia e il distacco totale dal modernismo, naturale o caricaturale; supera a destra post-modernità e iper-modernità, ufficializzando il trapasso dall’evo moderno all’evo tardomoderno (come ripetizione storica del trapasso tra evo antico ed evo tardoantico).
L’affermazione di Giorgio Linguaglossa è falsa: «La risposta che al momento possiamo dare è che oggi, nel 2025, non si può porre mano ad alcuna ermeneutica dell’arte a seguito della Fine della poiesis, di quella che un tempo si chiamava «arte» nel tempo della storia progressiva; oggi, nel tempo della storialità (cioè della storia non-progressiva), la fine dell’«arte» trascina con sé anche la fine della critica d’arte. E qui il discorso si chiude». Giorgio ricade nel post-modernismo di Jameson (1) e Danto, formalizzando, inavvertitamente, un’utopia della distopia, con una kitchen dystopian utopia. L’arte non è morta: è morta ogni meta-narrazione universale sull’arte, cioè ogni ermeneutica (critica) letteraria fondata sull’auto-dichiarazione d’essere un’interpretazione oggettiva dell’arte. L’artista, riunito in bund, kolektivne, assemblee aeriformi, nomadi e resilienti, metabolizzato l’errore della storiografia filosofica moderna sulla distinzione aristotelica tra ποίησις e πρᾶξις, rifiuta la nozione stessa di «poesia» o anti-«poesia» come creazione fantastica di un oggetto-linguaggio e, nel nome di una concezione pragmatics dell’oggetto-linguaggio medesimo, rilancia l’interpretazione autentica dell’artista contro ogni interpretazione soggettiva del critico letterario. La critica non è morta: è diventata interpretazione debole soggetta alla meta-critica argomentativa (Habermas) dell’artista. L’artista diventa agens (engaged poetry), da faber, organizza l’oggetto-linguaggio secondo i suoi fini, sostituisce l’ermeneutica con la praxeologia, si appropria del fare arte (discorso), del dire arte (meta-discorso) e del contra-dire arte (mega-meta-discorso), acquisendo il ruolo di artista, critico e meta-critico (contro-recensioni termonucleari), contro ogni tentativo di veramusement kitchen dell’arte e contro ogni ontologia del modernismo lirico/elegiaco. Dallo scivolamento, alla trasformazione, finalmente all’opposizione aperta (riots). La kitchen poetry, ferma a Danto, ostinata nel tentare una rifondazione ontologica di un veramusement della ποίησις uscita dal nucleo dell’arte, resta nella fase dello scivolamento tra modernismo e post-modernismo, non riuscendo, ancora, ad entrare nel tardomoderno. Il tardomodernismo è una praxis distopica che annichilisce ogni forma di ontologia e di fenomenologia dell’arte, sostituendo ontologia estetica e fenomenologia estetica con una socio/etno/antropologia (anestetica) estetica, KNSEAE, basata sull’«inter-azione» sociale (disconoscimento della decadimento della triade mittente/messaggio/destinatario). La riot poetry tardomodernista non «[…] prende un frammento (in chiaro) e lo getta sulla parete bianca della tela del nulla […]»: organizza un frammento (in clearity) e – come un ariete- lo sbatte sulle mura bianche della tela dello Stato Pontificio. Papa re mondadoriano, you’re under attack!
Il Kolektivne NSEA, riunito in Prezidium, analizza e interpreta il concetto di risonanza distopica, utilizzata dalle correnti kitchen, riot e frammentiste dell’opposizione allo Stato Pontificio lirico/elegiaco. Perchè una risonanza distopica deve necessariamente implicare una risonanza caotica (Morin e Maturana), senza affrontare la Rehabilitierung del pragmatismo contemporaneo (Rorty e Putnam), e non tradursi in risonanza magnetica? Precisiamo: diventa necessario, in letteratura, con una attenta serie di definizioni e ri-definizioni, non confondere la risonanza distopica (effetto) con la risonanza caotica (strategia): la risonanza distopica è l’effetto di un senso distopico che una strategia di risonanza cagioni sul lettore. La risonanza caotica, con i suoi trojan, con la sua volontaria alternanza tra emetico ed ermetico, sibilino e acufenico, corre il rischio di attivare, nel lettore (fake), una sensazione di spaesamento (risonanza distop-utopica). La risonanza magnetica, catalizzando l’attenzione del lettore (fake), con una serie di atti, praxeologici, di dédoublement, di carnevalizzazione, di остранение, di anti-frasticità ironica, crea un campo di «interazione sociale» idoneo a costruire una relazione tra artista e lettore (fake), λόγος, orientata al racconto, con massima clearity e osservazione indiretta (partecipante), sulla verità della situazione sociale attuale, intrinsecamente distopica. La realtà è distopica: diviene necessario introdurre una praxia (la ποίησις, nel tardomoderno, si è fatta πρᾶξις) neutra – come Gedankenexperiment– in grado, attraverso una strategia di risonanza magnetica, di maltrattare e terrorizzare il lettore (fake), in modo da influenzare il perseguimento di un futuro a-distopico. L’uso di una strategia di risonanza, caotica o magnetica, crea un λόγος, di spaesamento o di terrorismo, tra un artista e un lettore (fake): cade il fondamento teoretico neo-ontologico del rifiuto della triade mittente-messaggio-destinatario. L’utilizzare un effetto risonanza, implicando una sottostante «interazione sociale», conduce all’antinomia coll’affermazione del rifiuto della triade mittente-messaggio-destinatario. Qualsiasi effetto/strategia risonanza necessita di un mittente, l’artista, di un destinatario, il lettore (fake) e di un messaggio (spaesamento o terrorismo). Il tardomodernismo risolve l’antinomia teoretica di ogni nuova ontologia estetica ri-definendo la triade mittente-messaggio-destinatario, in doppio senso (Il contributo «neon»-avanguardista alla concretizzazione di un’originale anti-«forma-poesia»), utilizzando una strategia di risonanza magnetica terroristica e rifiutando ogni forma di «poesia», e di «poesia» distopica, sostituendola con «esperimenti» praxeologici atopici. Il tardomodernismo è atopico.
The late-modernism
Giorgio Linguaglossa raises a crucial question about the concept of art: «How and where to orient the search for the new poetic language?». After the end of the modern era and of every modernist aesthetic ontology, decreed by Zygmunt Bauman and contemporary new sociology, every post-modernist meta-philosopher – like Jencks with architecture, Danto with art or Fukuyama with history – is tempted to impose the definitive sanction of death sentence on the object of his philosophy, without taking into theoretical consideration the lesson contained in La condition postmoderne and in the beautiful and unknown Le postmoderne expliqué aux enfants by Jean-François Lyotard: the core of post-modernism consists in the admission of the fall of every «métarécits», that is, the delegitimization of the metanarratives of modernity and of the conception and of «univers(o)ality». Hyper-modernism, aware of Lyotard’s distinction between the death of discourse and the death of meta-discourse, resuscitates art and buries Danto’s everything goes: against post-modernism rises the hyper-modernism of Virilio, Baudrillard and Lipovetsky; against post-modern rises the hyper-modern of Bauman (liquid society) and Beck (risk society) [post-modernity has always maintained a certain confusing vagueness between theory (post-modernism) or historical space (post-modern)]. Hyper-modernism, like every neo-avant-garde millennials (an Italian example is my neoN-avant-garde), abandons – as consolidated – the debate on anti-«univers(o)alism» and inserts itself in antagonistic continuity with modernism, unlike post-modernism, unleashing its Katjuša missiles in the direction of delegitimizing every form of «canon» and «Tradition», a slave to its neo-avant-garde vein. However, hyper-modernism is a movement of the krisis. Once the krisis is over, every avant-garde/neo-avant-garde, self-criticizing, commits artistic suicide, and, finally, late-modernism enters the field. What is late-modernism? First of all, it is, at the same time, theory and historical space: it surpasses post-modernism and hyper-modernism on the left by declaring the definitive end of ontology and the total detachment from modernism, natural or caricatural; it goes beyond post-modernity and hyper-modernity on the right, making official the transition from the modern era to the late modern era (as a historical repetition of the transition between the ancient era and the late ancient era).
The late-modernist artist
Giorgio Linguaglossa’s statement is false: «The answer we can give at the moment is that today, in 2025, we cannot undertake any hermeneutics of art following the End of poiesis, of what was once called «art» in the time of progressive history; today, in the time of historiality (that is, of non-progressive history), the end of «art» also brings with it the end of art criticism. And here the matter ends». Giorgio falls back into the post-modernism of Jameson (1) and Danto, inadvertently formalizing a utopia of dystopia, with a kitchen dystopian utopia. Art is not dead: every universal meta-narration on art is dead, that is, every literary hermeneutic (criticism) founded on the self-declaration of being an objective interpretation of art. The artist, gathered in bunds, kolektivne, aeriform, nomadic and resilient assemblies, having metabolised the error of modern philosophical historiography on the Aristotelian distinction between ποίησις and πρᾶξις, rejects the very notion of «poetry» or anti-«poetry» as a fantastic creation of a language-object and, in the name of a pragmatics conception of the language-object itself, relaunches the authentic interpretation of the artist against any subjective interpretation of the literary critic. Criticism is not dead: it has become a weak interpretation subject to the argumentative meta-criticism (Habermas) of the artist. The artist becomes agens (engaged poetry), from faber, organizes the language-object according to his ends, replaces hermeneutics with praxeology, appropriates the making of art (discourse), the saying of art (meta-discourse) and the counter-saying of art (mega-meta-discourse), acquiring the role of artist, critic and meta-critic (thermonuclear counter-reviews), against every attempt at a veramusement kitchen of art and against every ontology of lyrical/elegiac modernism. From the slide, to the transformation, finally to the open opposition (riots). Kitchen poetry, stuck in Danto, obstinate in attempting an ontological refoundation of a veramusement of the ποίησις that has emerged from the nucleus of art, remains in the phase of the slide between modernism and post-modernism, still unable to enter the late modern. Late-modernism is a dystopian praxis that annihilates every form of ontology and phenomenology of art, replacing aesthetic ontology and aesthetic phenomenology with an aesthetic socio/ethno/anthropology (anesthetic), KNSEAE, based on social «inter-action» (disavowal of the decay of the sender/message/recipient triad). Late modernist riot poetry does not «[…] take a fragment (in clearity) and throw it on the white wall of the canvas of nothingness […]»: it organizes a fragment (in clearity) and – like a battering ram – slams it on the white walls of the canvas of the Papal State. Mondadori Pope King, you’re under attack!
Chaotic resonance or magnetic resonance? Late modernism is atopic
The Kolektivne NSEA, gathered in Prezidium, analyzes and interprets the concept of dystopian resonance, used by the kitchen, riot and fragmentist currents of the opposition to the lyrical/elegiac Papal State. Why must a dystopian resonance necessarily imply a chaotic resonance (Morin and Maturana), without addressing the Rehabilitierung of contemporary pragmatism (Rorty and Putnam), and not translate into magnetic resonance? Let us clarify: it becomes necessary, in literature, with a careful series of definitions and re-definitions, not to confuse dystopian resonance (effect) with chaotic resonance (strategy): dystopian resonance is the effect of a dystopian sense that a resonance strategy causes on the reader. The chaotic resonance, with its trojan, with its voluntary alternation between emetic and hermetic, sibilant and tinnitus, runs the risk of activating, in the (fake) reader, a feeling of disorientation (dystop-utopian resonance). The magnetic resonance, catalyzing the attention of the (fake) reader, with a series of acts, praxeological, of dédoublement, of carnivalization, of остранение, of ironic anti-phrasticity, creates a field of «social interaction» suitable for building a relationship between artist and (fake) reader, λόγος, oriented towards the story, with maximum clarity and indirect (participant) observation, on the truth of the current social situation, intrinsically dystopian. Reality is dystopian: it becomes necessary to introduce a neutral praxia (ποίησις, in late modernity, has become πρᾶξις) – as Gedankenexperiment – capable, through a strategy of magnetic resonance, of mistreating and terrorizing the reader (fake), so as to influence the pursuit of an a-dystopian future. The use of a strategy of resonance, chaotic or magnetic, creates a λόγος, of disorientation or terrorism, between an artist and a reader (fake): the neo-ontological theoretical foundation of the refusal of the sender-message-recipient triad falls. The use of a resonance effect, implying an underlying «social interaction», leads to the antinomy with the affirmation of the refusal of the sender-message-recipient triad. Any effect/resonance strategy needs a sender, the artist, a recipient, the reader (fake) and a message (disorientation or terrorism). Late modernism resolves the theoretical antinomy of every new aesthetic ontology by redefining the triad sender-message-recipient, in a double sense (The «neon»-avant-garde contribution to the concretization of an original anti-«form-poetry»), using a strategy of terrorist magnetic resonance and rejecting every form of «poetry», and dystopian «poetry», replacing it with atopic praxeological «experiments». Late modernism is atopic.
Why Do You Keep Quiet At Me?
A long time ago
I tried to press ‘Normal’ to the mode of the conversations I had with my parents,
I wanted everything to become normal again,
I wanted to start laughing again with them,
I wanted the joy of the child to come back again,
But none of the things I did worked out.
I tried many times
Just to have my heart shattered again.
Mom was easier to manage
But Dad was the most difficult
Always bringing up the past
Always sounding so hostile
And my fragile spirit suffered.
It happened for a long period of time,
Me trying to become a good child
And them being too difficult to placate.
Then I decided to stop.
I decided to stop trying so hard to please
I decided to bar my soul from being wounded
I decided to start carving out joy for myself
I decided to look for love elsewhere
I decided to love myself,
Because for many years I had seen myself through the distorted views of my parents.
I had seen myself as someone who could never do the right things.
I had seen myself as someone who would be very unlikable.
I had seen myself as one who was very inferior.
I had seen myself as someone who was below the expectations they had for me,
So, on a good day, I decided to make peace with myself.
How did I do it?
I stopped to care about what anyone thought about me.
I stopped to crave for their love.
I distanced myself from people
I no longer jumped into conversations
I no longer laughed so hard.
I shielded my soul.
I became a bit rested,
Because I was no longer having arguments with my parents every now and then,
Arguments that left me shattered and broken.
I was no longer having the exchange of bitter words.
I no longer allowed anybody’s bitter words to penetrate me.
But very soon,
My mom discovered how quiet I had become,
How taciturn,
How separated,
So she started sermons about the broom that is stronger when it’s in the bunch
But becomes weak when it’s separated from the rest of the broomsticks.
I didn’t care.
Later her sermon changed to love.
‘If you don’t have love for your fellow human being, everything you are doing is a waste of time.’
I didn’t care.
Then one day she stopped being indirect and came directly to pose her question.
‘Why do you now keep quiet at me?
Why do hesitate before answering my questions?’
Silence.
I didn’t give an answer.
I just stared until she left the room.
What answer should I give?
They are the reason why I had become so quiet.
Isaac Dominion Aju is a Nigerian writer who has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Of The Net Awards. He’s appeared on international journals, including Poetry X Hunger, Kalahari Review, and Steel Jackdaw Magazine.