Thinking Swiss

Zermatt

samhitt — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 20:59:00 GMT

Zermatt is a busy place on a Sunday afternoon. I tried the local barley soup waiting for Sky to arrive from Basel. Not bad. Now to find some good chocolate. You think everyone in Switzerland is rich (average income nearly $80,000/year) and speak English. Not true. The spectacular train ride from Saas Fee went pass some run down farms and outside the tourist areas blank stares greet us non-German speakers. I like Switzerland. It actually rains here and waterfalls carry the still melting snow down to the raging rivers. I’d like to come back next year and bring Wendy. This is probably my last blog. Look forward to seeing everyone! Hope you all have a great time in Colorado. Give the newly weds my very best.

Race

samhitt — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:33:00 GMT

I come to Switzerland to understand black America? At breakfast this morning I inadvertently start a debate between AD, young articulate black poet in graduate school at Clemson and Michael, older passionate and equally articulate black New Yorker originally from the South in the expressive arts program. Only two black guys in Saas Fee as far as I can tell. AD is hard at work on project exploring Clemson’s racist past, built around old plantation, trying to get conversation going about race. Michael wants to expose America’s hidden racial narrative that endlessly reproduces itself, i.e. black student-athletes playing football on the same ground slaves picked cotton. He’s critical of AD’s project that limits itself to acknowledging and exposing past practices at Clemson while avoiding the persistent structural problems of racial dynamics in both north and south. They are equally poetic and fiery, agreeing on the fundamental issues but not on the means to address them. Michael’s frustration and AD’s naiveté. Michael’s expressive hands, use of metaphors and images. AD’s rap style and sincerity. As the conversation grows louder, students move away. I stay to the end, feeling responsible for the indigestion I’ve caused. They shake hands and lower their beautiful black baritones as I slip away. Another day of philosophic inquiry begins.

Finish Line

samhitt — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 17:19:00 GMT

Time is a blur of classes, conversations, readings and general confusion. That’s what it feels like as I approach the finish line. Last night after Slavoj Zizek’s talk I walked down the hill with him. The back of his shirt was wet with sweat. What a performer! Here’s a few choice quotes, aphorisms, quips and other nonsense gleaned from my messy notes.

God is dead and I’m not feeling well either - Nietzsche’s last written words

God was already dead but just didn’t know it - Zizek

The man who is happy has already given up hope - Genet

Not only are we not infinite we are not even finite - Zupancic

One needs to be blind not to see - Zupancic

To make the ancients speak we must feed them our blood - Critchley

The comic character thrives by his vices. The tragic character is destroyed by his virtues - Giovanni

A lunatic is not someone who believes he is a king but a king who believes he is already a king - Lacan

The world must be placed in the subject in order that the subject can be for the world - Deleuze

Nothing is worse than wishes that come true - Wilde

Love is to give what you do not have - Wilde

Nobody is perfect but I’m a nobody - Nobody The Perfect

Sunday

samhitt — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 19:57:00 GMT

The clouds have moved in. It’s cool again. Sinuses flared up last night and have had an upset stomach. Feeling better this morning, hopefully will have enough energy for hike to waterfall this afternoon. It’s our day off from classes. Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky gave talk last night. Gifted black musician, video artist, intellectual, world traveller does it all from a thin, steel gray iPad. Everything reduced to data points that are cut and pasted to make art/music. Free. Weightless. Soft. Everywhere. Talks fast in carefully crafted whole sentences. And he gets around. Last stop Easter Island. Before that Antarctica. Flying to the North Pole tomorrow. However, uncharacteristically at a loss for words when questioned about the commercialization of the internet. A bit too much corporate name dropping for me. Hope everyone is well. Home in ten days.

Half Time

samhitt — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 17:18:00 GMT

The dandelion greens are enormous. They’re everywhere, on the hillsides where rye and barley used to be grown, coming up in cracks in the pavement and as weeds in the many little front door veggie patches. Haven’t seen anyone picking them. The sheep have returned and they like them. A couple dozen graze above our classroom, each with a bell tied around its neck. The sheep are literally above us, in a little paddock surrounded by electric fence. Have to bend your head back to look uphill and see where all the noise is coming from. Dandelions, clovers, vetches and everything else is being mowed down and then they’ll be moved. At least we’re hoping so. Today we begin three days on Jacque Derrida: THE DEATH PLENTY AND THE MEDIA. I’ve learned to google everything I don’t understand (or never heard of) and paste the URL into a notes document. During the lunch break and in the evening (if I can stay awake) click on the link to see what I’m missing. Getting used to the wikipedia style. Try it with Monsieur Derrida, my current favorite continental philosopher. In the local dive last night over a glass of cheap red wine discussed anarchism with big-shot architect. Ideologically he was way off in right field (the libertarian wing of the movement). Came home early. Oh, finally found some good dark chocolate! Great late afternoon snack. Guess I’m just about half way done. See you all in about two weeks.

Week Two

samhitt — Mon, 9 Jun 2014 09:30:00 GMT

Could that be angelica? Yes, indeed, a four foot beauty growing in a corner of the strawberry bed I walk by on my way between living quarters and eatery. Check first to see if anyone is looking, then casually break off some new growth. Very delicious after a breakfast of Swiss muesli and yogurt. So many wonderful little gardens tucked in among the tall chalets planted with leeks, lettuce, cabbage etc. And the Swiss walk everywhere. Yesterday to the mountains with their aluminum walking poles and designer pack backs. It’s a national obsession. On the streets little electric delivery vehicles making their morning rounds, so quiet you hardly hear them coming. Not sore this morning (probably will be later) after venturing up to the deep snow above timberline yesterday. The wildflowers! Species I’ve only seen in books in bloom on south slopes, among rock rubble.

Last class yesterday evening with ‘wolfii' (EGS founder Dr. Wolfgang Schirmacher). I got brave and asked for advice in writing about the psychology and politics of hope. Long silence. Figured my choice was not ponderous enough for philosophical interrogation. Then some truly profound advice and insight (from my hastily written notes):

Four lessons from his colleague the French philosopher Jacque Derrida: postpone judgment, act decisively without belief, let go of anthropocentrism and let be without the burden of metaphysics. Then deconstruct the present in order to construct a life. Unforced forgiveness, easy sovereignty, a simple joy in understanding, a lesser meaning given to the impossible, living, just living.

Wow! This is getting fun. Today another German, Siegfried Zielinski. Hope you are all well and thriving.

Friday

samhitt — Sat, 7 Jun 2014 22:06:00 GMT

Still here studying away, recently with EGS founder Wolfgang Schirmacher. Extremely eccentric. Delivers a steady stream of disconnected antidotes, jokes, insults, autobiolgraphical details and general nonsense. Almost walked out the first day. Now I go with the flow. He teaches by slipping in bits of wisdom when you're not paying attention. So you have to listen and concentrate. Very memoriable educational experience. His writing style is dense but the ideas are very interesting. Have to write something every day. Wish me luck! Getting to know my fellow students. John, my roommate from Portland, Styliani the photographer and scholar from Denver, AD the hiphop artist etc. We share "bitten by wolf" stories. Sunny today. Sent some photos to Laura via viber. Hope they came through. Got in a short walk. Will have time for longer hike on Sunday (I hope). Miss everyone and hope all is well at home. Sleeping well in the cool mountain weather.

Hoederlin

samhitt — Wed, 4 Jun 2014 23:24:00 GMT

German troops during WW I were given poems by Hoelderlin to inspire defense of the fatherland. In our final day with Critchley we study his unfinished tragic play Empedocles. Hegel, his college roommate called Hoelderlin "the beautiful soul". He wrote beautiful but impossible prose. Can't even understand my notes! But did climb up to the the shrinking glacier this morning. Learned that after Europe's 400 year mini iceage (1400-1800) this glacier threatened to take over Saas Fee. A cross was erected at the glacier's tongue by the town's people in 1803. And the glacier retreated. So miracles do happen. Maybe I'm learning something.

Day Two

samhitt — Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:42:00 GMT

Walk up the mountain this morning before class. A light drizzle. Snowy peaks in the clouds. Felt good to be moving. Yesterday, six hours with Prof. Simon Critchley on "Tragedy's Philosophy" arguing that tragedy articulates a philososphical view that challenges the authority of philosophy. That's right. Mind bending. I got about ten percent but still recovering from jet lag. Today shooting for double that. B'fast with A.D. Carson, black rap artist/basketball player from Clemson Univ. in South Carolina. Ask him what's its like being in the south. "It's like being on the plantation", he says. Grew up middle class black in southern Illinois, studied creative writing at SIU, now in Ph.d program at Clemson. Check out his website AydeeTheGreat.com. Another two days with Critchley. Then into the unknown. Nick from western Colorado says the upcoming profs are awesome. Woke up this morning feeling in this time zone, finally. The daffodills and tulips still in bloom. It's light until 9:30 pm. But I'm here. Saas Fee is empty, between winter and summer seasons. Chalet construction everywhere. It's kinda like Vail. Mountain resort town with views to die for. People from everywhere, asking big questions. Some looking as disorientated as I. The old timers sit by themselves, engaged in advanced discussion. Students largely on their own. Very little administration. No tests. Just a supervised thesis. My kind of education. I love it.

Arrive in Saas Fee

samhitt — Sun, 1 Jun 2014 18:20:00 GMT

Great start! Met Dr. Diane Davis and Dr. Victor Vitanza at the Zurich train station. Also, a couple students from Chicago but didn't get their names (will remedy that when we meet for our first dinner in 20 minutes). Read about Davis and Vitanza on the EGS website. They both got Ph.ds at EGS in addition to their Ph.ds at other universities. They have been teaching here for more than a decade. I'm still suffering from jet lag (hard to keep on subject) . . . Saas Fee is a mountain paradise! Giant snow capped peaks all around. Walked up a trail on the sunny side of the valley (it's cold here!) for an hour or so. My roomate John is a forest activist and philosopher from Portland. Nice guy. We talked so long I haven't had time to unpack yet. Will send some photos next time. Much love to everyone.

The Day Before

samhitt — Wed, 28 May 2014 23:15:00 GMT

Hello All,

Day before leaving for Saas Fee. HELP! The garden is screaming DON'T GO. I'm off to see Dr. Oti to about a sore tooth, then to check with Credit Union to alert them to my travel plans, get vitamins, visit Travel Bug, etc etc. The pull of home gravity is hard. Not looking forward to doing this by myself. But will be traveling with Sky for a few days at the end. Look forward to that!

Au Revior,

Sam