I think Miranda July's "stories" can be characterized as sort of character sketches. Each story develops a character that I wish I could think like. They all have wild imaginations and an ignorant selfishness that inhibits them from feeling silly for being themselves. I know that as I read I started to highlight the thoughts of the characters that I know I have had, but never really wanted anyone to know I had.
There are so many social norms that we as "civilized people" feel we need to follow. I know sometimes I think to myself, "This is bullshit. Shouldn't I act how I want to act?" If I'm not hurting anyone with the way I am acting then it should be fair game. The next time I feel compelled to do something that others might think is odd, fuck it. I'm doing it. And if I were to have a challenge at the end of every post, which I am thinking of doing from now on, it would be as follows:
THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE STRANGELY COMPELLED TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT.
2 comments:
Amanda,
This is a wonderful post.
And while I love the sort of liberty that it sounds like July has afforded you, I wonder how such liberty can/will actually manifest itself in the real (as opposed to the fictional) world. At the end of the day, July's characters, as interesting and quirky as they are, are also inappropriate and heartbreaking as a result, i.e. they are people in a constant state of malfunction (in the grand social scheme of things, which, like it or not, holds human societies, and our relationships--both abstract and particular--together).
Nevertheless, it's always good to assert one's idiosyncratic individuality and sensibility (if it doesn't hurt anybody or oneself in terrible physical or emotional ways)... I think...
Nice work.
Matt
'manda!
shoot me an email if you still need a contact for your project, or even your own personal interests.
avriluna@gmail.com
huzzah!
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