THE
PUBLIC
SCHOOL
TELIC ARTS EXCHANGE

The only required text is Guattari's (which is newly published by Semiotext[e]) Chaosophy: Texts and Intervuews, 1972-1977, which is available at Skylight Bookstore on Vermont in Echo Park and at Powells.com

Will these sessions cost anything additional to the cost of the text?

A SMALL fee, but let me know if that will prevent you from taking the course.
-Robert
robtsum@gmail.com

This book is a great transition for anybody interested in the two volumes of 'Capitalism and Schizophrenia.' The essays are fairly accessible and very fun. For anyone who has been turned-off by 'Chaosmosis', this book is nothing like it. Wholesome fun for the entire family!

Robert, how many more essays are included that can't be found in "SS" and "CHaosophy'?

If you cannot afford the class, then please email The Public School with a reason and they will decide if the cost will be waived. All the proceeds go back to The Public School to keep it running.
Also, if you still need to buy Guattari's _Chaosophy_ for this course (the new one -- NOT the previous one), then you will soon be able to get it at Skylight Bookstore on Vermont in Echo Park with a 20% discount. There will be a posting when these are in the store for this course.

What essay/interview are you thinking of starting with? It might be a good idea to start with something that lays-out Guattari's fundamental attack on psychoanalysis (familialism).

The text for this class is now available at Skylight Books on Vermont in Los Feliz.

First readings for 4-18-09 from Guattari's __Chaosophy: Interviews and Texts, 1972-1977__, which you can buy at Skylight Bookstore on Vermont in Los Feliz.

'Beyond the Psychoanalytic Unconscious'
Our first reading is a short essay in which Guattari summarizes and outlines his strongest objection against psychoanalysis: the unconscious. Guattari makes a radical shift from the unconscious and supplants it with a far more politicized and extra-social "machinic unconscious."

'Capitalism and Schizophrenia'
The second reading is a Q&A that clarifies and makes more accessible the critiques and concepts mentioned above.

As an optional reading, you may want to read the interview between Deleuze and ____, which further elaborates what will be discussed in the first reading. This will be posted on a.aaaarg.org by mid-week.

As ever, Mario and Robert

First readings for 4-18-09 from Guattari's __Chaosophy: Interviews and Texts, 1972-1977__, which you can buy at Skylight Bookstore on Vermont in Los Feliz.

'Beyond the Psychoanalytic Unconscious'
Our first reading is a short essay in which Guattari summarizes and outlines his strongest objection against psychoanalysis: the unconscious. Guattari makes a radical shift from the unconscious and supplants it with a far more politicized and extra-social "machinic unconscious."

'Capitalism and Schizophrenia'
The second reading is a Q&A that clarifies and makes more accessible the critiques and concepts mentioned above.

As an optional reading, you may want to read the interview between Deleuze and ____, which further elaborates what will be discussed in the first reading. This will be posted on a.aaaarg.org by mid-week.

As ever, Mario and Robert

I can't seem to pay for class online. Can I pay on saturday at the public school?
Tdwax

yes. pay whenever.

-robert

The google checkout button has been returned to the class page.
You can purchase by following the link above.

-ak

For the next class (Saturday, May 2 at 4pm), we will be reading "Part III: Minor Politics" from Guattari's _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews, 1972-1977_. This section includes 4 brief essays: "To Have Done with the Massacre of the Body," "Three Billion Perverts on a Stand," "I Have Even Met Happy Drag Queens," and "Becoming-Woman". The reading is short, and the middle two are not as "dense" as most of G's writing can be.

We will also view some performances by DeAundrea Peek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MC7GrDS8TE
and Vaginal Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEdaUvW81Zw

As ever, Robert

For the next class (Saturday, May 2 at 4pm), we will be reading "Part III: Minor Politics" from Guattari's _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews, 1972-1977_. This section includes 4 brief essays: "To Have Done with the Massacre of the Body," "Three Billion Perverts on a Stand," "I Have Even Met Happy Drag Queens," and "Becoming-Woman". The reading is short, and the middle two are not as "dense" as most of G's writing can be.
We will also view some performances by DeAundrea Peek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MC7GrDS8TE
and Vaginal Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEdaUvW81Zw
As ever, Robert Summers

FYI:

The readings for this coming meeting -- this coming Saturday (May 2) -- which come from Guattari's "Minor Politics" (section) in _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews, 1972-1977_ are NOT in the older Semiotext(e) version.
You can buy the text at Skylight on Vermont in Echo Park. You may want to call ahead to see if they still have it: they can order it. I believe you will still get a discount.

So, readings from _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews, 1972-1977_ for this coming Saturday (May 2) are

1, "To Have Done with the Massacare of the Body" (pp. 207-214)
2. "Three Billion Perverts on the Stand" (pp. 215-224)
3. "I Have Even Met a Happy Drag Queen" (pp. 225-227)
4. "Becoming-Woman" (pp. 228-231)

Optional:

1. Antonin Artude, "To Have Done with the Judgment of God, a Radio Play" (1947) (in _Antonin Artaud: Selected Writings, ed. Susan Sontag)
2. http://www.rhizomes.net/issue11/index.html (esp. http://www.rhizomes.net/issue11/genosko.html and http://www.rhizomes.net/issue11/hurley/index.html)
3. View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MC7GrDS8TE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEdaUvW81Zw and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLYZCeayxHg&feature=fvsr

Hi All,

Thanks for the brilliant class and the insightful comments and constructive criticisms. I want to thank Sarah and Chandler for coming can bring so much to the class.

Now, for the next class meeting -- in approx. two weeks -- what would "YOU" like to read and discuss? I suggested the "Molecular Revolutions" essay, and other was interested in "The Poor Man's Couch". Any other suggestions? Please post them by THIS FRIDAY. And, then I will send out the "official" readings for the day. Also, I hope we can agree to have the meeting at 4pm (as usual) till 7pm (as is NOT usual). Let me know.

As ever, Robert

Any suggestions on the readings for the final class? Please post them, or email me robtsum@gmail.com
Also, we will run till 7pm instead of 6pm. we start at 4pm, as usual.
Finally, bring a friend so we can have a bigger group-sicle at our class-sicle ...

Here are the readings, from _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews: 1972-1977_, for May 16th: THIS Saturday at 4pm!

Re-read: Part III

"Three Billion Perverts on the Stand" (pp. 215+) -- short follow-up discussion from last meeting.

Read: Part IV:

"Molecular Revolutions" (pp. 207+)
"Desire is Power, Power is Desire" (pp. 282+)
"Gangs in New York" (pp. 291)

Optional Read: Part II:

"Everyone Wants to be a Fascist" (pp. 154)

We will be showing video clips ...

Adieu, Robert

Here are the readings, from _Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews: 1972-1977_, for May 16th: Today: Saturday at 4pm!

Optional Re-read: Part III
"Three Billion Perverts on the Stand" (pp. 215+) -- short follow-up discussion from last meeting.

Read: Part IV:
"Molecular Revolutions" (pp. 207+)
"Desire is Power, Power is Desire" (pp. 282+)
"Gangs in New York" (pp. 291)

Optional Read: Part II:
"Everyone Wants to be a Fascist" (pp. 154)

Adieu, Robert

Notes on the readings will be posted by 2:00 PM. I am posting them to lead a discussion around certain ideas and trajectories, but we can always toss these out. I will post them to this site--not a.aaaarg.org

Thanks, Robert

PS: One thing to think about is what Guattari was writing in the 70s and today's global condition (economic, political, etc.; see esp."Molecular Revolutions" ...)

TPS: Guattari, Chaosophy: Texts and Interviews, 1972-1977
May 16, 2009—final class

“Molecular Revolutions”

Introduction:

“Molecular Revolutions,” pp. 207-281
→ This is a transcript of Guattari’s (improvised) talk/presentation/performative at Columbia University, which was holding a conference on “Schizo-Culture” organized by Semiotext(e). “The Schizo-Culture Conference was the first encounter in the United States between post-’68 French theorists (Michel Foucault, Felix Guattari, Gilles Deleuze, Jean-Francois Lyotard), R.D. Lange, the New York art world (John Cage, William Burroughs, Richard Foreman), and the ‘radicle’ academic contingency (Ti-Grace Atkinson, Joel Koval, etc.)”
Atkinson and his supporters cut Guattari’s talk/presentation/performative short; LaRouche’s supporters accused Guattari and Foucault of working for the CIA, and over 2,000 people attended the conference and attendant workshops. (299)

Guattir’s (written with Suely Rolnik) Molecular Revolution in Brazil was published in 1986

Compare to today; Extermination Camps and “Molecular Revolutions”:

“For some years now we have been experiencing a process comparable to that of 1929—a full range of regional conflicts, of economic crises. There are no extreme, salient characters of a Hitler or Musilini magnitude on the political scene right now, yet extermination camps do exists [because of military and economic conditions]” (275).
→ How to relate this to today? How have things changed, from 1929, to 1975, to 2009? Are there still extermination camps? Who is responsible? How to revolt?

Guattari argues against the major revolutionary movements, practices, and tactics. He states, “a revolution of great amplitude is developing today, but at the molecular or microscopic level” (276).
→ Is this the case today? Are there molecular or microscopic revolutions? Is so-called “terrorism” a “molecular revolution”? Have the protests that emerged from twitter and facebook been a form, or a mode of, “molecular revolutions”?

After the Revolution:

Guattari states, “important things only happen after the revolution”. He also states, “[m]olecular revolution develops in relatively unknown areas … [w]e see students rebelling, playing at the barricades. We see teenagers changing life in the high schools. We see prisoners setting half the French prisons on fire. We see the president of the French Republic shaking hands with prisoners. Women’s revolt’s are moving in all sorts of directions, at many levels: against inherited politics, on the problem of abortion, on the question of prostitution. We see the struggle of immigrants or ethnic minorities, the struggle of homosexuals, of drug users, of mental patients. We find previously unimaginable social categories being mobilized in France …” (276).
→ What was happening in the US? Civil rights, second-wave feminism, and gay and lesibian rights and revolts had already emerged and gained ground … How are Frances conditions different than those in the US? (See, as an example, Insult: The Making of the Gay Self, Eribon; French Theory, Cusset)
→ How are the groups or situation or both of which Guattari mentions “molecular revolutions”?

How/Why Do “Molecular Revolutions” Fail?:

On one level, according to Guattari, “molecular revolutions” cannot fail, per se, “they are irriversable” (277).

“Molecular revolutions” are not immune to becoming molar—I mean, the molecular can become molar, which is to say, as Guattari does “each time these movements [or situations] fail because the old forms and structures of organization take power [Foucault: power is never given it is only taken], holding the rhizomatic element of desire in a system of aborescent power” (277).
→ Organizations (political parties, etc,) = “Groupsicles”?

→ Me: If a “molecular revolution” always has the potential of becoming a molar revolution (an older structure of revolution), if there is a micro-______ in everything, then even molar revolutions can become (or always already are, in a sense) molecular, but this molecularity must be activated/agitated?

Politics/“The Political” & Capitalism:

Guattari states, “[i]t all comes down to the same thing: either political objectives are the echo of all kinds of struggles, and are associated with an analysis of the phenomena of desire and of social unconscious within the present organizations, or else the bureaucratic impasses and recuperations will necessarily reoccur, the desire of the masses and of interest groups will go through representatives, and result from representation” (277).
→ Expand and explain …

Change, radical change is co-opted and muted. “revolutionary desire is turned into organizational microfascism” … (278).

“[C]apitalist power is not only exercised in the economic domain … but also on .. the semiotic subjugation of all individuals. Guattari places capitalism before speech: “[c]hildren begin learning about capitalism in the cradle, before they have access through speech” (278).
→ But, I would argue children can only learn this through speech; speech is still primary.

Guattari argues that if one (a child) escapes “semiotic subjugation”—then there is always psychiatry to fix them, put the back into the matrix: the capitalist matrix.

“Micro-fascism”:

Guattari argues that all groups (from the liberation of oppressed ethnic groups to homosexual liberation) are “microfascist” (278).

Guattari argues. “There is a microfascism of one’s own body, one’s own organs, the kind of bulimia that leads to anorexia, a perceptual bulimia that blinds one to the value of things, except for their exchange value, their use value, to the expense of the values of desire” (278).
→ How are we to understand “microfascism”? How does one not become a fascist?

How are microfascism and moleculatiry connected? They both seem viral, no? always already there, but not (sometimes) activated/agitated …

He argues (later) no one is immune to microfascism … (281). He also argues, and it is interesting to think about, that fascism, microfascism is “contagious” (passim, 281)

Later in the text/presentation, Guattari argues that we have to find the microfascism in us—esp. the microfascism we do not see; so we know we harbor certain mircofascisms, but we are blind to the others we harbor … (see p. 280)

The University as a Form of Power (and Discipline):

Guattari argues that more than psychoanalysis, semiotization is the enemy to fight, to critically undermine …
For Guattari, semiotization “is what happens with perception, with movement in space, with singing, dancing, mimicry, caressing, contact, everything that concerns the body” (279). → So semiotization and the body inscribed?

Examinations, at university, and semiotic moulding … (279)
→ Guattari and a critique of education, which he argues is tied to capitalism, to production …

The Body and Semiotization (avant Performativity):

Semiotic moulding/subjugation and the body → Judith Butler’s theorization of gender and/as performativity …

What to do? Who to Have a “Molecular Revolution”?”:

We have to search out microfascism and semiotic subjugation; we have to enact an “arrangement of enunciation” … (280; see also Chaosmosis).

“Desire Is Power, Power Is Desire”

Deleuze and Guattari re-thinking their position on psychoanalysis; Guattari argues that semiotization is important to explore … (see “Molecular Revolutions and Chaosmosis)

→ Make connections to Derrida’s Of Grammatology and Margins of Philosophy …

Ordained/authorized speech and speech acts are forms of control: one must follow the rules. There are “special institutions” for those who do not follow the rules, who have not been incorporated into semiotic subjugation …
→ The/a reason D&G are drawn to someone like Burroughs? He refuses and resists semiotic subjugation, and also someone like Artuad?

Guattari ties semiotization, the way one speaks and writes, to capitalism. I think this would enrich Butler’s (and others) critique of normalization and speech acts: would add a capitalist critique to speech act theory …

→ A rethinking of “the political” and psychoanalysis via semiotics …

→ a trenchant critique of education …

“Gangs in New York”