Excerpt from the end of 'A Schizophrenic to Strindberg: An Unanswered Letter'

The singing that the birds do at the start of the day is your song, Strindberg. It gathers you up, and puts you down. It sends you to the edge, but picks your motion up like a new steer that is set for a fine life. This life is our life, but do not be afraid. The singing I speak of has been heard by all, as they rest in weary beds and know happiness to be a thing we can obtain. It is like a transaction between two men of business as they negotiate to the sound of fresh water at a waterhole that stands in the middle of nowhere. This nowhere is an elsewhere that contains all, but does not let go. It does not let go, because it always lets go in the middle of what we least expect. I can hear your voice, only because I am listening intently. This is my promise to you.
I am like a hole that is dug too deep. But luckily you have found me nonetheless, Strindberg. It is a nicety I will always treasure as the gold is at the end of the rainbow, and the seeds of a larger chasing are in the back of the coach. This coach is pulled by dreams as it embarks upon your most ardent passion. This passion is the well, as I am the water. This passion is the tree that never stops growing, and has a hundred years to be what it might not otherwise be. Come, this is for the end of things, which we are almost at. The day has not forgotten you, but neither will I. I will be here for you whenever you need, and whenever the time is right.
This is the time to say goodbye, Strindberg. It is only because I have addressed you in this fashion that I know life has its self once again. This seems a strong thing to say, but I do not say it lightly. The end of things is only a beginning, as the start of things is only an ending. I cannot be more pleased for you Strindberg, as you nestle up to that favourite place of yours outside the reaches of the solar system, that place known as heaven. But come, did you really make it to heaven? Your life was one of suffering, as your Inferno is a great testament to. But as I have said, your schizophrenia cannot be the only thing that is left. We must
forgive all your transgressions as we accept your life. This life was a great one, and this much we will know to be sure.

Yours truly,

Dr Paul Fearne

The 'New' Modernity

There has been much discussion as to the creative direction the new millenia will take. We saw 'modernity' in the 20th century, and towards the later part, 'post-modernity'. But, now, as is warranted, there must come a break from the past, and a leap into the present. We have had the harmonic, the atonal, the structured, and the fragmented.  We have even had a combination of these invectives (namely through the melding of harmony and atonality of the Estonian composed Arvo Part). But what now?

In the mental health wing of Royal Melbourne, where I was recently incarcerated, I heard a word uttered that was even more onerous that the words - "your ECT is due". A writer and academic had been admited, and she said to me that the newly accepted paradigm is called 'meta-modernism'! The sound I made at this remark is the same as that I let escape my lips when no one turned up to the launch of my new book! I was horrified! Have we, as a species, so lost our imaginations in this technological age, as to be so simple as to continue with the same fussing about with old and expired vocabularies (I even write this as a former philosopher who adored the word 'meta' in all it's uses).

Here is my neologism - 'modemity'. It speaks for itself. It is the same as the word modernity, but different. I once coined the neologism 'heterogeneous homogeneity' to account for just this synthesis of past and present.  More words on this anon (as the great man once coined).

American Contemporary Poetry

Have never really gotten into American poetry. Have always loved Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman, but contemporary American poetry has always left me dry.  I have always been a Europhile, because I have always wanted to win the Nobel, so, having done my research, I determined that was the best course of action.  But in recent years, people from all over the world have been winning it. The are still predominantly winners who are influenced predominantly by Europe however. Has an American won the Nobel in the last 10 years? Someone?

Launch of Leaves Literary Journal 2

We are about to launch Leaves Literary Journal 2; at RedWheelbarrow books, 7, 26 April. See you there!

http://leavesliteraryjournal.blogspot.com.au/

Internet TV

For the first time today, I used the internet on My TV.  I think I am the first person to ever do a retweet from their TV!

Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria Recovery Workshops

Yesterday, my co-facilitator and I, ran our first workshop for the Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria about recovery strategies for those suffering mental illness. The workshop covered some aspects of philosophy, including on Wittgenstein and 'aspect-dawning' via Jastrow's famous duck-rabbit example (taken from gestalt psychology). we also spoke a little about art as therapy, and how to maintain yourself in a therapeutic and professional relationship with treating doctors.

August Strindberg and Schizophrenia

In a few months I will be releasing my new book, A Schizophrenic to Strindberg: An Unanswered Letter.  The book is written as an epistolary novel addressed to the now dead August Strindberg.  Strindberg lived in the 19th century, and became famous for plays such as Miss Julie and The Father. His plays were performed around the world during his life time, and are just as famous and well-known (revered, treasured and misunderstood) today. He didn't just write plays, but novels, poetry, history and even painted. My book will have one of his paintings on the cover. He was in every sense of the word a polymath.

He wasn't adverse to scandal.  One his books, The Red Room, was a contemporaneous depiction of the cultural, artistic and literary life of his peers.  He defamed many of his contemporaries in the novel, and indeed one individual who read the book, and who was named and written about in it, was to die one week later.

He got his start as a playwright by receiving a stipend from the King of Sweden for an early work, Master Olaf.  His plays were performed regularly in his homeland in the early days, but after repeated controversies, found it difficult to have theatres perform his work. He founded his own theatre, The Intimate Theatre, which was an important outlet for him, when others wouldn't perform his plays.

He went to trial twice for his work, once for blasphemy, the other for obscenity.   He was tried in Sweden for blasphemy. Strindberg was overseas at the time, and was not going to attend the trial, but as his publisher was to stand trial in his absence, Strindberg returned to Sweden to face the charges.  When his train arrived at the station, a large crowd had gathered to greet him.  When he was acquitted,  there was a galla dinner held in his honour.

In his fifties, Strindberg wrote a book called Inferno, which was an autobiographical account of schizophrenic experiences he had earlier had.  The material he used for the book came from a diary he kept, which was posthumously published as The Occult Diaries. Karl Jaspers famously studied Strindberg's psychosis. Inferno has many traces of the schizophrenic experience.  Strindberg believed that lightning strikes in the area were specifically directed towards him, he believed that someone in the room above him was trying to kill him by using a sort of electrical machine to send charges of electricity through the floor. He got deeply involved in the occult, and saw signs and symbols of larger meanings where ever he went.

It is Strindberg's schizophrenia that interests A Schizophrenic to Strindberg: An Unanswered Letter.  As someone who has suffered from schizophrenia, I enter into a sort of one way dialogue with Strindberg about his life, work and indeed his madness.

Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria Workshops

Next week I start work for the Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria running workshops regarding recovery strategies in the context of the roll out of the government's National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is a ten week course, to be held at the Dax Centre at Melbourne University.  The Dax Centre is an an art collection for those who have had experience with mental health issues. The course uses traditional understandings of recovery such as the biopshycosocial model of amelioration.  I will also be using my lived experience of art and writing to guide sufferers through their own journeys. Creativity and mental illness are long held research interests of mine, and am excited to employ this knowledge to help others. If you are interested in attending, just email me at fearne[at]hotmail[dot]com. See you there!

Launch of Leaves Literary Journal

Two weeks ago we launched the first edition of Leaves Literary Journal at Red Wheelbarrow Books.  It was a great night. We had about 25 people turn up. Our readers were in fine form, who included Bronwen Manger, Bronwyn Lovell, Initially NO, Stu Hatton, Matt Hetherington and Hoa Pham. They each read selections from their poems in the journal, and other assorted pieces. Red Wheelbarrow books really supports Australian poetry, and it was an honour to launch the journal there. Submissions have been coming in for the second edition, so stay tuned! You can read the journal here.  Submissions are now open by emailing three poems and a short bio to leavesliteraryjournal [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Launch of Leaves Literary Journal

On Friday the 22nd of February, I will be launching my new poetry journal called Leaves Literary Journal at Red Wheelbarrow Books. We have a great night lined up of readings.  There will be Stu Hatton, Hoa Pham, Matt Hetherington, Bronwyn Lovell, Bronwen Manger, Initially NO, and me, Paul Fearne. Red Wheelbarrow Books is located at 105 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, and the festivities will commence at 7pm. You can read the journal here. It will be a great night.  Red Wheelbarrow Books is a store dedicated to the cultural life of Melbourne, and has had many great events there. Hope to see you there!

What the night will have

I am sitting here, like never before.  What I want is something other than all.  What I want is to sit beside the sea as it laps up against me, and sense what I know most.  Despite the night, we crawl.  Despite what I have said in leaves of autumn, I will believe once again.  But when the treasures of the dawn are at their most solemn edge, here the lack will cover us in our golden thread.  Believe me when I say I do not have the stomach for this.  But that is fine, for when the dancing of the twilight is near at hand, here sense will prevail in darkest places.  But what we must not be sure of, is that which hounds us to our dying day.  And that is that when the shards of inconsistency are at their most precious, we will find a way to survive, and have it come to us like we never knew how.  Be quiet now, there are things we must not say.  And in saying them, I will hear forever in that lonely stream that has glass on its bed, and the dreams of everyone as its demise.

Appearance on ABC 1

This Tuesday (the 15th) I will be appearing on ABC 1 at 5:15am.  It is a replay of my performance at the 2012 Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne. The show has been broadcast previously on ABC News 24, but it is special to have the program broadcast on ABC 1.  I was in fine form, and speak about my PhD, my books, and my life with schizophrenia. I also speak about some of the volunteering I have done with Mind Australia and the Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria.

For those interested in my books, you can buy them on Amazon.  You can buy my Diary of a Schizophrenic here on the Amazon site.  It was a diary I kept in 1998 during a psychotic episode.  It speaks about writers such as William Blake, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Homer, Virgil, Walt Whitman and the artists such as the Pre-Raphaelites.  I was reading all the great classics during my episode and was about to commence my honours year at Melbourne University.

My second book, A Schizophrenic on Artaud, can also be bought on Amazon here.  It is a poetic exploration of the French poet and drama theorist, Antonin Artaud.  Artaud lived at the start of the twentieth century, and was in about 20 silent films, wrote great poetry, and his theories of drama are still very highly influential today. He suffered from schizophrenia.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Leaves Literary Journal

I have recently published the first edition of my new poetry journal called Leaves Literary Journal.  It was great to gather up some of the great poems by some of Melbourne's best poets, and have them readily available to be read by the world. In this first edition we have Initially No, Stu Hatton, Matt Hetherington, Anna Ryan-Punch, Bronwen Manger, Bronwyn Lovell and Hoa Pham, and me.  There poems are great, and you can read them here at Leaves Literary Journal. Please consider submitting for the next edition, and happy reading!