[Xmca-l] The moment represented as the present

[Annalisa Aguilar]

Hi all,


I have sequestered this essay by Bloch (1956) "On the Present in Literature," which appeared to me as we were discussing the present moment a fortnight ago. Which sounds as strange to me as saying, "It was a long time ago that I read One Hundred Years of Solitude." But there you go, list-mates!


This was particularly intriguing from the Bloch essay:


"The specific premises in regard to art have apparently not been sufficiently worked out in Marxism, and vulgar Marxism often obstructs these premises completely. But the Western world, as long as it remains barred from the future, regards only the grand hotel called sadness as the field mostly for its muse, be it a frivolous or a comfortable one. Thus the present time, which is currently in an extreme transitional period, is reduced in its perspective, the latter being its most genuine poetical feature."


With the subsequent poignant phrase: "The mere means turn out to be reified ends in itself and are thus praised, even those means that are not always unavoidable or still necessary."


This reminded me about notions of prefiguration which has been in the conversations of taking action in the present moment.


Also, by coincidences, there is much physical-contact relevancy to the recent Radiolab podcast, "La Mancha Screwjob" and its discussion of the meta-narrative. Hint: Confusion abounds. Again, for me anyway, this is all about Right Now, The Present Moment and how it slips through our fingers even if we might (try) place it in a pretzel hold.

http://www.radiolab.org/story/la-mancha-screwjob/


What I found interesting is that it isn't the actual present moment Bloch is discussing, but the _portrayal_ of what he calls, "now-time." Which is the original Now and which is the copy Now?


Kind regards,


Annalisa


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