Cultivating Chaos (Stochastic Process)

Dear Colleagues,

Composition

In my courses, all of them composition courses,
I urge & encourage a reckless spend thrift attitude
if I can get away with it given the overall context
of SCHOOL they’ve groan-up in where each act of
mind is precious& estimated, assessed of course,
measured, rated—points taken off or added on for
various manipulative reasons pretty much makes
my efforts quixotic if not foolish.

Blow it away
Blow it away
Blow it away
I say.

Kleenex Komposition: A-Choo--blow it out your gnosis:
some mind on a page (mop) is all it is; plenty more
where THAT comes from. You may think it
significant but it’snot.

Yes, I model this—give a good bad example of composing
o what a messy job it is, slip sliding away ooops oh damnit
helter & skelter: it don’t stand still while I try to nail it.

To Introduction to Language
and Fiction and Liberal Art
students
(Courses Without Borders):

I need help. It may be obvious.

I need help building a Context for Liberal Art Learning
where Stupidity, Ignorance, Confusion, Foolishness,
Powerlessness, Inadequacy & Loss of Self Steam
become assets if not virtues: Renewable resources.
Green. Sustainable. Leeds Certifiable.

Rather than merely embarrassmental studies &
cover-it-up programs.

Anxiety, too—count that in. A certain amount of panoramic
panic. Fear & Trembling. Good stuff. Good stuff! No
smarty-pants need apply.



CHAOS.

From Indo European: gheu – to yawn, gape &
Greek: khaos: “chasm,” empty space—chaos.
Not to be confused with RANDOM (literally—
running-dom: a running, flow, continuuummm)

Nor ORDER (L. ordiri: to begin to weave;
primordial: prior to the weave: order)



CHAOS is a container notion: gap, gape,
empty space for the play of Random & Order
& their shenanigans & how them 2 Just Get Along!

These 3, and the greatest of these is
chaos.



Can you spot Chaos?
The Random?
The Order?
Tell them apart?
Say their relationship.?

Chaos: background containing source originating,
generating, mothering invention & always our
in-the-beginnings; strange beyond-er notion: an
Ultima Thule: neither order nor not order nor random
nor not random. When CHAOS breaks thru my
order-to-random ratios as if by accident, it’s an
emergency: small apocalyptic or large—& new
meaning is spoken. The WORD – Gk eirein: to say,
speak: irony.


All my courses FACTORY INN CHAOS: right smack
in the middle of our Class Room STRUCTURE—under
fluorescence and surrounded by cinderblock:

origins
originality
origination
inauguration
initiation
authorization
generation
genius
is born
if not borne





Chaos I have with me always, Chaos is simple to
invite, include. Chaos is appreciative, bears no animosity,
Chaos is kind, envieth not, does not behave itself unseemly.
But I cover Chaos like black plastic on a strawberry patch:

my agendae,
my whelm filters,
my random-to-order ratios,
my measurements,
my assessments,
my pre-determinations,
my aims & purposes
my attention efficiency:
eclipse, occlude, shut it out,
o what a friend I’d have in Chaos.

Chaos knocks and knocks.
BB Wolf at the door. I hear him
calling but he can’t come in.

“I’ll blow your house down!
Ecological reconfiguration,
I promise.” .

All I got to do is peel the plastic, rip-it good:
momentarily suspend belief & disbelief: yawn,
gape, stretch-out & admit a little abyss. Listen (“obey”).
I’ll see.

Barbara McClintock, when asked about her Nobel Prize
secret working with corn shoots said “I lean in and listen
to them.” Temple Grandin talks to cows. Chaos cultivators
& obedient.

Do you think this is just playing with WORDS?
Stupid? Ignorant? Confused? Foolish?
Of course it is! Or what’s a college
for if not an Introduction to
Language, Fiction, &
Liberal Art: making
some sense what
ever it takes.

xxxooo, Sam