Blue Octavo Notebooks

A cage went in search of a bird

February 23. Unwritten letter.


–Kafka, The Blue Octavo Notebooks (Fourth Notebook)

Excerpts / 10 Comments
May 22nd, 2009 / 6:05 pm

Anarchism as the Source Decay of Royalism

They were given the choice of becoming kings or the kings’ messengers. As is the way with children, they all wanted to be messengers. That is why there are only messengers, racing through the world and, since there are no kings, calling out to each other the messages that have now become meaningless. They would gladly put an end to their miserable life, but they do not dare to do so because of their oath of loyalty.

–Kafka, Blue Octavo Notebooks (Third Notebook)

Uncategorized / 28 Comments
May 20th, 2009 / 4:25 pm

Myths of History / Histories of Myths, with your host, Franz Kafka

The history of the world, as it is writen and handed down by word of mouth, often fails us completely; but man’s intuitive capacity, though it often misleads, does lead, does not ever abandon one. And so, for instance, the tradition of the seven wonders of the world has always had associated with it the rumor that there was another, an eight wonder of the world, and concerning this eighth wonder there were various, perhaps contradictory, statements made, the vagueness of which was explained by the obscurity of ancient times.

The Blue Octavo Notebooks (Second Notebook)

Author Spotlight & Excerpts / 2 Comments
May 17th, 2009 / 10:37 am