Ecstatic Swoons

"A man's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes." —T.H. Huxley

Inside this issue:

• How markets manufacture intelligence and politics modernized (Nick Land)

• Raymond Carver and American working-class masculinity

• Passage Press hosts democracy vs. monarchy debate at Harvard

• New books out from indie scholars Adam Robbert and Eric Jacobus

• Upcoming seminars and a new Other Life meetup in Northern California

Editor’s Note

Things remain a little crazy over here with the new baby and many irons in the fire, but from where I’m sitting the world has never looked brighter for the world of independent Arts and Letters.

My own work seems to move at a glacial pace nowadays, but I guess I’m coming to appreciate and embrace that. Once you have kids, your sense of what you can accomplish before your death suddenly compresses miserably, but that really forces you to decide what’s worth doing. It’s painful at first, but I’m beginning to feel the focus and contentedness that comes from the humility.

Looking out, I’m now seeing impressive non-fiction books coming out from indie scholars almost weekly now.

Matthew Stanley is organizing a retreat for members of the community in a couple months.

As for myself, the Youtube and podcast feeds are now pumping again. I’ve resumed my series on Nick Land’s 1994 essay “Meltdown,” after receiving more than a few requests for this.

And my friends at Zorp—whose content operation I’ve been helping for more than a year now!—are finally preparing to launch Nockchain as soon as this Monday.

The book is coming slowly but surely, we’re getting a little closer each week.

What I've Been Reading

The Ecstatic Swoon by Robert D. Zaretksy. Stendhal (Henri Beyle) encouraged the personal and passionate response to art. There is a real medical diagnosis known as "Stendhal syndrome," which occurs when art overwhelms a viewer. Stendhal criticized superficial art consumption as early as 1817—rushed museum visits and sensory overload are not new problems—advocating instead for long and subjective exploration of one's own feelings over academic context or book learning. Art offers a "promise of happiness" through transcendent glimpses. As Stendhal wrote in one of his guidebooks:

New book by Adam Robbert on the askēsis of sustained attention. Adam Robbert, a long-time member of the Other Life community, has published Practice in Still Life: Fragments, Essays, and Lectures (Side View Press, Feb 2025). The collection gathers 16 pieces examining the craft of sustained attention, drawing on diverse sources including saints, mystics, monastics, 20th-century phenomenologists, and contemporary ecological and media theory. I'm very happy to see Adam’s patient work culminate in this beautiful print edition.

Johannes Gutenberg: A Biography in Books by Eric Marshall White: Review by Joseph Hone. Gutenberg's European printing press, using movable metal type and a press, developed independently of earlier Asian precedents. Scant evidence exists regarding Gutenberg's character, though legal documents portray a litigious, risk-taking former manufacturer of pilgrim mirrors, likely not a goldsmith.

The 42-line Bible involved some harebrained innovations, such as filing down type pieces to fit more lines per column, increasing output. Gutenberg later invented casting entire lines of type into slugs for reprinting the Catholicon, predating Linotype technology by centuries. Following a legal dispute, former partner Johann Fust and protégé Peter Schoeffer established a separate press, elevating the technology with works like the 1457 Psalter.

The Gutenberg Bible's appeal stems from its tangible qualities in the hand, and its durability, not its primacy or particularly fancy aesthetics (the “illuminated manuscripts” of the time were far fancier).

Stuntman and indie scholar Eric Jacobus publishes book on the theory of violence. Eric Jacobus, known for his stunt work in God of War (2018) and founder of action design studio SuperAlloy, has authored a new book, If These Fists Could Talk: A Stuntman's Unflinching Take on Violence (Feb 2025). Developed through independent study across anthropology, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory, Jacobus proposes the "reciprocal, object-based aggression" (ROBA) hypothesis to differentiate human from animal combat. I spoke with Eric about his research years ago so just as with Adam Robbert, I’m delighted to have this book on my shelf!

Around Town

Raymond Carver, Working-Class Bars, and Masculinity. A debate erupted following recommendations by Alex Perez that young American men should read authors like Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, and Denis Johnson, frequent working-class bars, and listen to Bob Dylan's Love and Theft. Perez argues this is practical advice. Critics reacted strongly, which Perez found "strange," questioning why such seemingly regular activities would provoke anger. He attributed the backlash to a "seething, sad," and "toxic" segment of literary men, noting that mentioning American masculinity and Ray Carver causes them to "flip out." Perez is now compiling a reading list for the young American man, after multiple requests.

Democracy vs. Monarchy Debate at Harvard. Passage Press organized a debate at Harvard University between political theorist Danielle Allen and Curtis Yarvin, co-hosted with the John Adams Society. The event drew attention from The New York Times and a video will be released soon (estimated 1-2 weeks for editing). Some attendees were spotted wearing Xenosystems hats, referring to the Nick Land book out last year with Passage. Lomez said the event was an example of productive engagement across ideological divides.

Call for GamerGate History: Lomez also issued a call for book proposals for an official history of GamerGate.

Millerman School Promotions: Michael Millerman is offering a 50% discount on his philosophy courses (covering thinkers like Strauss, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Plato, Aristotle) via direct message.

Cosmos Hiring: Brendan McCord announced that Cosmos is hiring an Editorial Lead to shape the voice of the "philosopher-builder movement."

Coming Up

• Seminar on the Gospel of Mark: A discussion on the Gospel of Mark will be held online on Thursday, May 22, from 7:30 AM - 8:45 AM CDT. Focus includes the concept of parrhesia, which appears in this Gospel quite revealingly. Free for members; attendees should prepare observations or questions.

• Other Life NorCal Retreat: An in-person Other Life community gathering is being planned for Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27, 2025, in the Sierra-Nevada foothills (Highway 4 area, CA). The tentative theme is "Slow Work: Build Now to Peak Later." Activities may include discussions, writing time, winery visits, hiking, etc. RSVP now so Matthew can plan.

• Classical Leadership Retreat in Greece: Alex Petkas is organizing a Classical Leadership Retreat in Greece from October 5th-12th, 2025. Focusing on rhetoric, oratory, and leadership lessons from history, the retreat includes a 6-week online lead-up and visits to significant sites like Athens, Corinth, etc. The retreat is restricted to men, and space is limited.

• New Book Release: Frédéric Gros's A Philosophy of Shame is scheduled for release on May 20/June 10, 2025.

• Zorp Nockchain Launch: I’ve been working closely with Zorp, who are preparing to launch their novel blockchain on Monday, May 19th. Zorp is a company that emerged out of the Urbit ecosystem and I've been assisting with their content operation for more than a year now. This is the closest I’ve ever been to the launch of a deep tech product in the works for about two years now. It’s quite exciting.

Reply with comments, questions, or a brief word about what you’re working on!

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Sincerely,

Justin Murphy