Hey, you may or may not resonate with this, but thanking your readers for "putting up with" your deep dive into the Twins really struck me, because I see myself in that language. I'm autistic, with special interests (not as a disease to cure, see also disability justice), and it's interesting to see the language I also sometimes use (to talk about my explorations into things that bring my life incredible meaning, emotion, and intellectual stimulation) reflected back at me. From my perspective on the outside, I empathize, AND there's also something alienating about it. Because it seems to imply, when I read it, that what you're putting out into the world is barely tolerable, instead of something that other people are actively excited about and value. Not everybody agrees, obviously, but such is life. (Something something Siegmund "Was rechtes je ich rieth, andern dünkte es arg" something something.) But I would imagine the people who do value it are the ones who will be reading that last sentence. I am!
As a total aside, I'm someone who engages with myth and mythic people as part of my actual religion/spirituality, and this essay added to the ever-growing itch in my brain to write or talk about the ecstatic/magical nature of music (which from my perspective is perhaps amplified when it's overtly entangled with spiritual figures). But also the urge to just leave that alone because some things are better felt than talked about. So idk.
this comment means the world to me (esp w one of the better Siegmund quotes.) you're so right about the last line (which i might change.) i feel so guilty all the time for diverging from the things i'm supposed to be doing even though the things i am doing might in fact be the things i'm supposed to be doing. it's been a long road of unlearning productivity doctrine as i come to terms with who i am psychically, and i def have a long way to go. <3 thank you for your support and for your kind words
You're so welcome! Selfishly, the fact that you did write that as the last line helped me think about my own tendencies from a different perspective. It was a good reminder for me, so oddly enough I'm grateful, even though it sucks that these struggles are so relatable to so many people. <3
kate wagner...you are a super cool person. I got into the Ring thanks to an ex-wife who divorced me for a variety of reasons, but the alchoholism certainly didn't help. I curated a complete set of records and have lugged them with me for over forty years. Some years, at the end of winter, I like to start at the begining and try to make it through. This winter, I succeeded thanks to a boxed set of CDs from Bayreuth that came my way when I inherited someone else's huge classical music collection. I have it stacked upstairs in random grocery store boxes. I started writing and listening to the Ring and then I read your detailed study of Wagner's music and what a treat it was. Your work is very much appreciated.
Hey, you may or may not resonate with this, but thanking your readers for "putting up with" your deep dive into the Twins really struck me, because I see myself in that language. I'm autistic, with special interests (not as a disease to cure, see also disability justice), and it's interesting to see the language I also sometimes use (to talk about my explorations into things that bring my life incredible meaning, emotion, and intellectual stimulation) reflected back at me. From my perspective on the outside, I empathize, AND there's also something alienating about it. Because it seems to imply, when I read it, that what you're putting out into the world is barely tolerable, instead of something that other people are actively excited about and value. Not everybody agrees, obviously, but such is life. (Something something Siegmund "Was rechtes je ich rieth, andern dünkte es arg" something something.) But I would imagine the people who do value it are the ones who will be reading that last sentence. I am!
As a total aside, I'm someone who engages with myth and mythic people as part of my actual religion/spirituality, and this essay added to the ever-growing itch in my brain to write or talk about the ecstatic/magical nature of music (which from my perspective is perhaps amplified when it's overtly entangled with spiritual figures). But also the urge to just leave that alone because some things are better felt than talked about. So idk.
Thanks for writing!
this comment means the world to me (esp w one of the better Siegmund quotes.) you're so right about the last line (which i might change.) i feel so guilty all the time for diverging from the things i'm supposed to be doing even though the things i am doing might in fact be the things i'm supposed to be doing. it's been a long road of unlearning productivity doctrine as i come to terms with who i am psychically, and i def have a long way to go. <3 thank you for your support and for your kind words
You're so welcome! Selfishly, the fact that you did write that as the last line helped me think about my own tendencies from a different perspective. It was a good reminder for me, so oddly enough I'm grateful, even though it sucks that these struggles are so relatable to so many people. <3
kate wagner...you are a super cool person. I got into the Ring thanks to an ex-wife who divorced me for a variety of reasons, but the alchoholism certainly didn't help. I curated a complete set of records and have lugged them with me for over forty years. Some years, at the end of winter, I like to start at the begining and try to make it through. This winter, I succeeded thanks to a boxed set of CDs from Bayreuth that came my way when I inherited someone else's huge classical music collection. I have it stacked upstairs in random grocery store boxes. I started writing and listening to the Ring and then I read your detailed study of Wagner's music and what a treat it was. Your work is very much appreciated.