I Have Forgiven Jesus . . .

Is a new track on Morrissey's new album, and it's characteristically hilarious and deathly serious. The sentiment is something like, "god gave me all this desire I didn't quite know what to do with." But you know what? St. Bernard did! Check out his desire in all its synesthesiatic glory (the visual, invocatory and oral drives are clearly crossing their wires!). Thanks to DJ Mirko for that link. In other news, I finally finsihed what I hope is the next-to-last version of my essay on spectral voices ("ghosts"), which I've put online here in the event my computer goes up in flames (the mutha effin' fire alarms in my 12-ft. ceiling home keep twerping at 3.a.m. argh!). I've been working on this article for four years (it started as a piece of the CSCA Conference called "commodity terrorism"). It is the blueprint, of sorts, for the book I am supposed to start writing in July on speech-as-ghosts. The theory parts will become their own chapters, the 9-11 stuff will become a case study, and to it I'll be adding the case studies of charismata (speaking in tongues), one of the canned laughter (the laugh-track in sitcoms), one on the answering machine, and I think, now, one of William S. Burroughs' taped "cut-up" experiments. Years ago I started collecting these obscure recordings and bootlegs of Burroughs' playing with tape machines. I never knew why I liked them, but now I'm glad I have them. They're creepy, of course, and that's the point. Actually, I think the case study will orbit Burrough's "cut-ups" and the backward masking rumor panic of the 1980s/1990s (remember, religious authorities and the afflicted were warming concerned parents that there were hidden, backward messages promoting suicide in Judas Priest and Ozzy Osborne records?).

Anyhoo, I'm excited about the new book project and look forward to some uninterrupted time for reading and writing.

Speaking of books, I need to get my butt in gear for the revisions of "Modern Occult Rhetoric." The press is supposed to have it by July 2. Ack! Between here and there, though, I've got two intersession courses to teach; that will be exhausting.

Finally, I'm tentatively planning a road trip to visit friends in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Fayetteville, and sites in between. It would also be great to visit my folks, as well as Eric and his family in Maine. That would make for a good summer of traveling--3 weeks, at least.

Well, I need to get ready to go up to school. Much photocopying to be done.