"There isn’t much relevant about the island, other than it was a mass of concrete and metal. It could have been Tokyo, Alcatraz, or even Los Angeles, and not much would change. It was an island, close to the water, but blooming with unnatural creation. It was difficult to grapple with."
“It is from the beginnings of Western society that we can observe a scathing remark can go unpunished so long as it is accompanied by a joke.” On Molière, satire, and power.
"[H]uman interaction is essential, but unavoidably fails due to the tremendous barrier that language and death pose to the individual." On Beckett's Murphy.
"Grand generalizations about the nature of popular music have limited our conversations to its cultural appeal and not its genuine, artistic qualities." An appeal.
"Where do Freud's spiritual studies fit in with his rejection of theological moral standpoints? Can his personal studies be reconciled with his public persona?"