Philosophy
- An Existentialist Take On Christmas
Sure, everyone loves Christmas. And what's not to like? Good company, good food, exchanging gifts, the priceless look of uninhibited happiness in children, to say nothing of the delicious milk and cookies left by the fireplace? :) But have you ever...
- Picking Up An Existentialist Babe
Suppose you're wandering around an art museum and you stumble upon a suicidal hottie who's read a bit too much Sartre or Camus for her own good and who's more than overwhelmed with existential angst. If there's no hope of talking her out...
- A Bug On Google Search...kafka's Cockroach
"Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis becomes Google doodle" Anniversary of author's birth honoured with image from classic short story by Liz Bury July 3rd, 2013 guardian.co.uk Did you feel OK when you woke up this morning? Spare...
- Kafka Again
"Why Kafka Matters" by David L. Ulin June 24th, 2013 Los Angeles Times In the July/August issue of the Atlantic [see below], Joseph Epstein uses the release of Saul Friedlander’s book “Franz Kafka: The Poet of Shame and Guilt" to pose the larger...
- Kafka Manuscripts
"Swiss bank to lift lid on hidden Kafka works" by Imogen Foulkes July 19th, 2010 BBC News Safe deposit boxes believed to contain manuscripts and drawings by the late author Franz Kafka are due to be opened at a bank in Zurich. The move is the latest...
Philosophy
Franz Kafka...existentialism...birthday today
Much admired by the counter culture of the 60s...Existential representation by Franz Kafka.
The Writer's Almanac...
Today is the birthday of Franz Kafka, born in Prague (1883). He was unhappy for most of his life: terrified of his tyrannical father, plagued by a whole host of psychosomatic illnesses, and tormented by guilt and anxiety. He described himself as "peevish, miserable, silent, discontented, and sickly." He wrote surreal, dark, and pessimistic stories like "The Metamorphosis" (1915), "In the Penal Colony" (1919), and "The Trial" (1925). That's the image of Kafka that generally survives today.
But he was also a productive and well-liked employee at an insurance company, and worked tirelessly to prevent workplace accidents in the lumber industry. He kept up a rigorous fitness regimen and loved fresh air: "I row, ride, swim, lie in the sun. Therefore my calves are good, my thighs not bad, my belly will pass muster, but my chest is very shabby." And he found love and happiness in the last year of his life, with a woman named Dora Diamant. Even though Kafka was suffering excruciating pain from tuberculosis, Diamant later said, "Everything was done with laughter," and "Kafka was always cheerful. He liked to play; he was a born playmate, always ready for some fun."
The Writer's Almanac...
Today is the birthday of Franz Kafka, born in Prague (1883). He was unhappy for most of his life: terrified of his tyrannical father, plagued by a whole host of psychosomatic illnesses, and tormented by guilt and anxiety. He described himself as "peevish, miserable, silent, discontented, and sickly." He wrote surreal, dark, and pessimistic stories like "The Metamorphosis" (1915), "In the Penal Colony" (1919), and "The Trial" (1925). That's the image of Kafka that generally survives today.
But he was also a productive and well-liked employee at an insurance company, and worked tirelessly to prevent workplace accidents in the lumber industry. He kept up a rigorous fitness regimen and loved fresh air: "I row, ride, swim, lie in the sun. Therefore my calves are good, my thighs not bad, my belly will pass muster, but my chest is very shabby." And he found love and happiness in the last year of his life, with a woman named Dora Diamant. Even though Kafka was suffering excruciating pain from tuberculosis, Diamant later said, "Everything was done with laughter," and "Kafka was always cheerful. He liked to play; he was a born playmate, always ready for some fun."
Franz Kafka [Wikipedia]
Kafka manuscripts
More on Kafka
- An Existentialist Take On Christmas
Sure, everyone loves Christmas. And what's not to like? Good company, good food, exchanging gifts, the priceless look of uninhibited happiness in children, to say nothing of the delicious milk and cookies left by the fireplace? :) But have you ever...
- Picking Up An Existentialist Babe
Suppose you're wandering around an art museum and you stumble upon a suicidal hottie who's read a bit too much Sartre or Camus for her own good and who's more than overwhelmed with existential angst. If there's no hope of talking her out...
- A Bug On Google Search...kafka's Cockroach
"Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis becomes Google doodle" Anniversary of author's birth honoured with image from classic short story by Liz Bury July 3rd, 2013 guardian.co.uk Did you feel OK when you woke up this morning? Spare...
- Kafka Again
"Why Kafka Matters" by David L. Ulin June 24th, 2013 Los Angeles Times In the July/August issue of the Atlantic [see below], Joseph Epstein uses the release of Saul Friedlander’s book “Franz Kafka: The Poet of Shame and Guilt" to pose the larger...
- Kafka Manuscripts
"Swiss bank to lift lid on hidden Kafka works" by Imogen Foulkes July 19th, 2010 BBC News Safe deposit boxes believed to contain manuscripts and drawings by the late author Franz Kafka are due to be opened at a bank in Zurich. The move is the latest...