Last Night's Closing Session

The attendance wasn't bad for the final session. Thanks to all those who came and to anyone who didn't the Blog is still available of course. Combined with the photocopies that you should have I think the Blog provides a rich source of pointers and leads for writing your essays or continued interest in 'The Subject'. Don't forget that at the foot of every Blog window you must follow 'Older Posts' to reach the earlier Blog posts.

I forgot to mention that I had a second pass at glossing the Lacan/Rose text and you may find some improvements there. I am convinced that Lacan wanted us to maintain speculation by making us face the most profound and rigorous questions (as do all the best thinkers) and in this respect, it is OK to tussle with his ideas trying to give them a personal understanding. I think he would prefer that than for anyone to KNOW and fix them solidly.

Lacan was adamant about challenging an American-isation of Freud's thought which made it pragmatic for use by capitalists and so, I am suspicious of anyone (including Slavoj Zizek who seems to use Lacan a bit too knowingly. I prefer the constant disruption and disturbance Lacan provides and I don't believe that he intended to spawn a generation of ambitious, arty professionals with little sense of conscience and a disdain for sex (which is how I believe I have seen him interpreted by Zizek and his followers).

Anyway, it was good to hear more from you and about your essays last night, and to look at a few more ways to use the Booklist. There was much reference to memory, memoir, history and biography. On reflection -we should have considered On Kawara at this point. I hope that it is clear that to air each other's projects in a public forum is always an effective way of learning from each other. BTW David Hume's dates are 1711-1776.

Everyone should have essay guidelines now, including rules for the Harvard system of reference, and everyone should know what they have to do before handing in the essay to room G12 (ground floor of the old building) by the deadlne of 4pm on December 1st.

I wish you luck and hope you write something that is really satisfying to yourself and interesting for me. It's only by taking care and more care to form, and form and form your writing into something that is a clear communication and contribution to others, that you can begin to feel the satisfaction and effectivenes that writing can provide.

So work hard, in bursts, and rest, and return with fresh eyes until there is nothing more you can improve before handing in. When you've handed in give yourself a reward and go and see http://www.ica.org.uk/Examined%20Life+22238.twl at ICA -it could be good!

Best wishes, and thanks for all your contribution. In the perfect art school there will of course be a constant stream of 'Subject Studies' to tap into see http://al-blues.blogspot.com/
Paul O'Kane