The Denial File
What We Can't Think About—and Why
Mortal Grossness
Bruce Floyd | August 5, 2011
This morning, another bright and hot one here, easing toward the end of torpid July, I sit in my study, sip coffee, listen to “Bolero” …
Reading Ernest Becker in 2011
Daniel Liechty | August 1, 2011
Recently a person contacted me to say that he had read Ernest Becker’s 1974 book, The Denial of Death, and felt that it was more …
Cell Phone Denial
Bill Bornschein | July 21, 2011
First, a bit of disclosure. Influenced by Neil Postman, I tend to be a late adopter when it comes to technology. Getting the lay of …
A Clean Slate?
Bruce Floyd | July 19, 2011
“. . . a person’s past inescapably clings to him and . . . becomes his fate as soon as he tries to get rid …
The Psychic Bartender: Opportunity Knocks
Kirby Farrell | July 14, 2011
Old pal Kay comes into the bar for the usual vegetarian stew and a glass of refreshing philosophy with a head on it. It’s slow …
The Shadow Line
Bruce Floyd | July 11, 2011
In the Author’s Note to his short novel “The Shadow Line,” Joseph Conrad responds to critics who find traces of the supernatural in the work. …
And the Pursuit of Happiness…Maybe That’s the Problem?
Daniel Liechty | July 5, 2011
Fourth of July weekend 2011 is history, and America is back to work this morning. A little tired, a little elated, yesterday’s grilled meats repeating …
The Psychic Bartender: Face to Face Book
Kirby Farrell | June 30, 2011
It’s deadly quiet in the bar. Where are the customers? Isn’t anybody thirsty? Ah, right. They’re home “doing” Facebook. You can see why Facebook is …
Rich Irrelevancies and Contradictions
Bruce Floyd | June 20, 2011
And so, for Kierkegaard, the ‘”good” is the opening toward new possibility and choice, the ability to face the anxiety; the closed is the evil, …
The Psychic Bartender
Kirby Farrell | June 17, 2011
Problem # 31 — sexual intoxication A Congressman comes into the bar, drops his pants, and shows everybody: 1. a cellphone photograph of his majority …
A Call for Songs
Bill Bornschein | June 13, 2011
A call for papers is a standard way of generating interest and scholarship for a given academic subject. With this post I’d like to suggest …
And when did you stop beating your wife…?
Daniel Liechty | June 6, 2011
Well, May 21st came and went, without occurrence of The Rapture, as famously predicted by Harold Camping. As rumor has it, Camping has reset …
The Psychic Bartender
Kirby Farrell | June 3, 2011
You know the problem. Between swallows, the voice at the bar hammers you with a life story you’ve heard a million times. “I’m a success, …
The Resentful Center
Bruce Floyd | May 30, 2011
In almost every person, to one degree or another, lies the rankling idea that he or she, this person we are talking about, is nothing …
Steve Earle, Me, And Ol’ Causa Sui
Bill Bornschein | May 26, 2011
Musician and author Steve Earle has long traded in stories of limits and transcendence of limits. This is the case in his latest offering. Perhaps …
The Psychic Bartender’s Handbook
Kirby Farrell | May 23, 2011
Guy comes up to the bar and bends your ear: “Listen, Joe. I’m in finance. I’m worth billions. I got limos, seven houses, a private …
Cross-Species Altruism? Something to think about…
Daniel Liechty | May 19, 2011
I had a very strange experience earlier this week that has really stuck with me. I don’t want to over-interpret it, but it really got …
On The Porch
Bruce Floyd | May 16, 2011
Most members of the EBF, I’d wager, have heard of Wittgenstein’s little fable of the fly in the milk bottle. Earlier this afternoon, while I …