The French philosopher Henri Bergson put forward in his 1907 book Creative Evolution the theory that all living organisms evolved from one and the same vital impulse, but at some point in its advancing this impulse diverged in two separate directions – one favouring instinct, which we see most illustriously demonstrated in the life of insects with their hivemind organisation and their ability to efficiently carry out tasks which our all-too-human minds cannot fathom their grasp of; and the other favouring intellect, which we see at play in animal life and most emphatically in ourselves.
I’m glad I stumbled upon this-was pulled in by William Schaff artwork, an old friend of mine. You write very elegantly and it’s nice to read an essay about McCarthy that is so thoughtfully written for a writer like him who was so methodical. He is spare but voluminous, I don’t understand how he does it. Probably my favorite novelist, I’ve read most of his books, I really enjoyed the Passenger a lot. But have you read “The Keluke Problem?” I was just recommending it yesterday-it’s an essay he wrote about the unconscious and language. It’s wonderful, and fits right into the theme of your essay! Anyways, check it out if you haven’t
Schaff is an old friend of yours? Very cool, like a lot of people I discovered his artwork through the album covers he did for bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Songs: Ohia.
And thank you! There is a kind of private magic to the way he writes, I've never seen anyone else quite replicate the effect he has on me.
I've been meaning to read The Keluke Problem for ages, but have just never gotten around to it. Now seems to be a perfect time to correct that. Thanks!
Yeah, when I was reading the article and got to the part about McCarthy I was wondering if you were building up to that essay, given the similarities in theme. You would enjoy the essay, I think it comes out of his work at the Santa Fe institute late in his life.
Yeah, I know him from being around that same music scene about 20-25 years ago although I haven’t spoken to the man in years. I love his artwork, and it fit very well with the vibe here
I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I remember seeing the interview McCarthy did not long before he died and I recall him mentioning it and piqueing my interest. Maybe getting some input from the man himself will even inspire a follow-up piece to this one.
And yeah I've loved his artwork since first seeing it in my late teens, his images definitely fit with McCarthy's worlds.
Loved The Road as a college student, then tried Blood Meridian and just wasn't ready for it—this was 10 years ago, and the juice didn't seem worth the squeeze.
Tried The Passenger when it came out and made it 100 pages in, but didn't have a framework to extrapolate meaning from those damn dream (dreamlike?) sequences. Am willing to give it another chance.
I enjoyed The Passenger but not as much as I'd hoped I would, it doesn't feel as essential to me as most of his earlier work. And yeah, those dreamlike sequences weren't doing a lot for me either, they kind of felt like McCarthy doing Pynchon. Fun, but not really what I'd go to McCarthy for.
In my opinion the best route into his stuff (after The Road) is The Border Trilogy. If you get through that I think you'd probably be acclimatised enough to read any of his other books. The Crossing - the second in the trilogy - is my favourite of his novels. I adore Blood Meridian, but I think the trilogy is a little bit more mature, warmer, and less eager to dazzle on every page.
And thank you very much. I'm always happy to spread the love for Phil Elverum. Back when I was seriously trying to make my own music (which I'm slowly getting back to) The Glow Pt.2 was the template for how I wanted the production to sound. That album just feels like it's teeming with life to me.
Thank you, Brian! I still have to give Federenko’s full summary a read, but I read the interview that you linked. It really chimes with McCarthy’s own idea of language that he presented in his essay The Kekulé Problem, which I somehow hadn’t read but that was linked by James Benson Sarsgard in another comment here. I’m sure both would have hugely informed this essay had I read them beforehand. McCarthy suggests that language might be a “parasite”, which I think is an intentionally provocative way of framing it, but I do think it gets at the fact (or what now seems to be fact) that thought and language are separate faculties with divergent channels of evolution. It seems that language is grafted onto our minds (I’m imagining a brain surrounded by scaffolding) to allow complex communication, but that it is not intrinsically related to – and is perhaps even anathema to – the form of thoughts themselves and our pre-linguistic mental faculties. It reminds me also of Wittgenstein’s idea of the Language Game, as well as Herman Hesse’s Glass Bead Game. It’s something I want to look into a lot more, so thank you for linking Federenko’s work.
As for the “demotion” of the intellect, I’ve been feeling a similar way myself. I’ve spent far too much of my life stuck in my head – never to the absolute neglect of my body but enough to start relating to the body primarily as a burden (I don’t feel that way anymore). I think excessive use of the intellect will inevitably lead to warping after a certain point – the world is not supposed to be of purely contemplative concern to us, and I completely agree that we need to nurture our animal instincts more. I think too many of us are becoming thought-sick, which often leads to inhuman behaviour (Excessively human? Un-animal?)
I’m really glad to hear that running has been able to do that for you. I wish that I could say I’ve been as disciplined when it comes to exercise – it’s been on and off for me this past year – but when I have been in periods of consistent exercise paired with lots of time outside (and regular meditation) I’ve experienced something very similar to what you describe. Rewiring is a very apt way of putting it. The world feels a shade brighter, a more resonant octave starts to sound in things. The most noticeable sign for me that it was working was simply in how beautiful trees appeared. I mean, I like trees as it is, but about 6 months ago, after a solid few weeks of living well in my body (by my standards) I went outside and was bowled over just by looking at them. It’s not just trees, everything appears more beautiful, but for me they seem to be particular harbingers of it. Over the past few months, when I find myself admiring trees (without having to force anything, without having to think about it, when I just feel it) it seems to be a sign that I’m on the right path.
On top of this, my body seems to be making a very hard-to-ignore effort to keep me on that path – I’ve suffered with insomnia for most of the last ten years, but it’s a very specific type of insomnia that comes from repeated jolts in my chest like shots of adrenaline that hit over and over again every night without fail before I eventually manage to sleep (or don’t). I’ve had myself checked out medically multiple times and it doesn’t seem to be a medical issue, I’m fairly certain it’s psychosomatic. I’ve not yet managed to make the jolts stop, but the only thing that has helped (besides alcohol, which I’m not about to let myself rely on) is regular exercise and meditation. It feels as though my body punishes me when I slack off from treating it with the respect it deserves, so I have no choice but to change my life for the better, or suffer a very apparent consequence.
Tech/internet addiction is something that has crept up on all of us it seems, but as of tomorrow I’m switching my sim card over to an old Nokia phone with very limited capabilities. I can’t allow myself to live the way I’ve been living anymore, and constantly carrying around a portal to the “cesspools of online media”, as you put it, is one of the main things that has to change.
Thanks again for this comment, Brian. I agree with the sentiment completely, and I’m glad that things are improving for you.
I’m glad I stumbled upon this-was pulled in by William Schaff artwork, an old friend of mine. You write very elegantly and it’s nice to read an essay about McCarthy that is so thoughtfully written for a writer like him who was so methodical. He is spare but voluminous, I don’t understand how he does it. Probably my favorite novelist, I’ve read most of his books, I really enjoyed the Passenger a lot. But have you read “The Keluke Problem?” I was just recommending it yesterday-it’s an essay he wrote about the unconscious and language. It’s wonderful, and fits right into the theme of your essay! Anyways, check it out if you haven’t
https://nautil.us/the-kekul-problem-236574/
Schaff is an old friend of yours? Very cool, like a lot of people I discovered his artwork through the album covers he did for bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Songs: Ohia.
And thank you! There is a kind of private magic to the way he writes, I've never seen anyone else quite replicate the effect he has on me.
I've been meaning to read The Keluke Problem for ages, but have just never gotten around to it. Now seems to be a perfect time to correct that. Thanks!
Yeah, when I was reading the article and got to the part about McCarthy I was wondering if you were building up to that essay, given the similarities in theme. You would enjoy the essay, I think it comes out of his work at the Santa Fe institute late in his life.
Yeah, I know him from being around that same music scene about 20-25 years ago although I haven’t spoken to the man in years. I love his artwork, and it fit very well with the vibe here
I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I remember seeing the interview McCarthy did not long before he died and I recall him mentioning it and piqueing my interest. Maybe getting some input from the man himself will even inspire a follow-up piece to this one.
And yeah I've loved his artwork since first seeing it in my late teens, his images definitely fit with McCarthy's worlds.
What an incredible piece of writing. I've bounced off McCarthy a few times, but this is powerful motivation to give him another shake.
Thanks, Ryan! Yeah, it took a few attempts before he clicked with me too, but now he's an absolute favourite. Which McCarthy book(s) have you tried?
Loved The Road as a college student, then tried Blood Meridian and just wasn't ready for it—this was 10 years ago, and the juice didn't seem worth the squeeze.
Tried The Passenger when it came out and made it 100 pages in, but didn't have a framework to extrapolate meaning from those damn dream (dreamlike?) sequences. Am willing to give it another chance.
I enjoyed The Passenger but not as much as I'd hoped I would, it doesn't feel as essential to me as most of his earlier work. And yeah, those dreamlike sequences weren't doing a lot for me either, they kind of felt like McCarthy doing Pynchon. Fun, but not really what I'd go to McCarthy for.
In my opinion the best route into his stuff (after The Road) is The Border Trilogy. If you get through that I think you'd probably be acclimatised enough to read any of his other books. The Crossing - the second in the trilogy - is my favourite of his novels. I adore Blood Meridian, but I think the trilogy is a little bit more mature, warmer, and less eager to dazzle on every page.
Thank you for this. I plan on taking your advice.
Love your substack btw. Have become obsessed with The Glow, Pt 2 because of your MANSION essay.
Well I hope McCarthy sticks for you this time!
And thank you very much. I'm always happy to spread the love for Phil Elverum. Back when I was seriously trying to make my own music (which I'm slowly getting back to) The Glow Pt.2 was the template for how I wanted the production to sound. That album just feels like it's teeming with life to me.
Thank you, Brian! I still have to give Federenko’s full summary a read, but I read the interview that you linked. It really chimes with McCarthy’s own idea of language that he presented in his essay The Kekulé Problem, which I somehow hadn’t read but that was linked by James Benson Sarsgard in another comment here. I’m sure both would have hugely informed this essay had I read them beforehand. McCarthy suggests that language might be a “parasite”, which I think is an intentionally provocative way of framing it, but I do think it gets at the fact (or what now seems to be fact) that thought and language are separate faculties with divergent channels of evolution. It seems that language is grafted onto our minds (I’m imagining a brain surrounded by scaffolding) to allow complex communication, but that it is not intrinsically related to – and is perhaps even anathema to – the form of thoughts themselves and our pre-linguistic mental faculties. It reminds me also of Wittgenstein’s idea of the Language Game, as well as Herman Hesse’s Glass Bead Game. It’s something I want to look into a lot more, so thank you for linking Federenko’s work.
As for the “demotion” of the intellect, I’ve been feeling a similar way myself. I’ve spent far too much of my life stuck in my head – never to the absolute neglect of my body but enough to start relating to the body primarily as a burden (I don’t feel that way anymore). I think excessive use of the intellect will inevitably lead to warping after a certain point – the world is not supposed to be of purely contemplative concern to us, and I completely agree that we need to nurture our animal instincts more. I think too many of us are becoming thought-sick, which often leads to inhuman behaviour (Excessively human? Un-animal?)
I’m really glad to hear that running has been able to do that for you. I wish that I could say I’ve been as disciplined when it comes to exercise – it’s been on and off for me this past year – but when I have been in periods of consistent exercise paired with lots of time outside (and regular meditation) I’ve experienced something very similar to what you describe. Rewiring is a very apt way of putting it. The world feels a shade brighter, a more resonant octave starts to sound in things. The most noticeable sign for me that it was working was simply in how beautiful trees appeared. I mean, I like trees as it is, but about 6 months ago, after a solid few weeks of living well in my body (by my standards) I went outside and was bowled over just by looking at them. It’s not just trees, everything appears more beautiful, but for me they seem to be particular harbingers of it. Over the past few months, when I find myself admiring trees (without having to force anything, without having to think about it, when I just feel it) it seems to be a sign that I’m on the right path.
On top of this, my body seems to be making a very hard-to-ignore effort to keep me on that path – I’ve suffered with insomnia for most of the last ten years, but it’s a very specific type of insomnia that comes from repeated jolts in my chest like shots of adrenaline that hit over and over again every night without fail before I eventually manage to sleep (or don’t). I’ve had myself checked out medically multiple times and it doesn’t seem to be a medical issue, I’m fairly certain it’s psychosomatic. I’ve not yet managed to make the jolts stop, but the only thing that has helped (besides alcohol, which I’m not about to let myself rely on) is regular exercise and meditation. It feels as though my body punishes me when I slack off from treating it with the respect it deserves, so I have no choice but to change my life for the better, or suffer a very apparent consequence.
Tech/internet addiction is something that has crept up on all of us it seems, but as of tomorrow I’m switching my sim card over to an old Nokia phone with very limited capabilities. I can’t allow myself to live the way I’ve been living anymore, and constantly carrying around a portal to the “cesspools of online media”, as you put it, is one of the main things that has to change.
Thanks again for this comment, Brian. I agree with the sentiment completely, and I’m glad that things are improving for you.