Within Rigid Limits: Transmission in

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The Incredulityof Saint Thomas, by William Daniels, a paintingof a paper model of a paintingby Caravaggio. Daniels's work
was exhibitedJastmonth at the Transmission Gallery, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Recently, soldiers from the 6th Platoon Iraqi [Tour de force]


Marines completed the oil-platform defense train-
ing at the Al Basrah Oil Terminal. The intense WITHIN RIGID LIMITS
training they received included how to stand a
proper watch, how to work and fight as a team, and From Eunoia, by Christian Bok, a five-chapter
how to defend against terrorist attacks on the ter- "univocallipogram," in which each chapter uses a
minals. When these soldiers assume control of se- single vowel. Eunoia also obeys many "sub-
curity, they will ensure the safety and stability of sidiary rules," which include: "All chapters must
the maritime environment. allude to the art of writing. All chapters must de-
scribe a culinary banquet, a prurient debauch, a
AL QAEDA THREATENS ALL IRAQIS pastoral tableau, and a nautical voyage .... The .
The chief murderer of Al Qaeda in Iraq has de- text mus.t exhaust the lexicon for each vowel, cit-
clared war against all Iraqis. He has also lamely ing at least 98 percent of the available reper-
toire." The extract below is the entirety of the
attempted to justify the murder of civilians. The
chapter devoted to "i," Eunoia lfJill be published
people of Iraq have had enough. next month for the first time in the United States,
"These thugs clearly hate us; they do not share . by Soft Skull Press.
in our national pride or our belief in a unified
Iraq," said one Iraqi. "They only wish to kill our
women, our children, our future. We must not and for Dick Higgins
will not let them."
Horror stories are told in homes and shops of Writing is inhibiting. Sighing, I sit, scribbling
friends and family members casually murdered in ink this pidgin script. I sing with nihilistic
while going about their daily business. These are witticism, disciplining signs with trifling gim-
simple folk trying to make the best of their lives. . micks-impish hijinks which highlight stick
How many more suicide bombs have to go off sigils. Isn't it glib? Isn't it chic? I fit childish in-
before Al Qaeda realizes that there is no room for sights within rigid limits, writing shtick which
them in the land of the two rivers? might instill priggish misgivings in critics

28 HARPER'S MAGAZINE / JUNE 2006


blind with hindsight. I dismiss nitpicking criti- in fits, whilst writing things in spirit-writing? If
cism which flirts with- philistinism. I bitch; I it isn't-it is I: it is I .. :
kibitz-griping whilst criticizing dimwits,
sniping whilst indicting nitwits, dismissing Lightning flicks its riding whip, blitzing this
simplistic thinking, in which philippic wit is night with bright schisms. Sick with phthisis in
still illicit. this drizzling mist, I limp, sniffling, spitting bil-
ic spit, itching livid skin (skin which is tingling
Pilgrims, digging in shifts, dig till midnight in with stinging pinpricks). I find this frigid drisk
mining pits, chipping flint with picks, drilling dispiriting; still, I fight its chilling windchill: I
schist with drills, striking it rich mining zinc. climb cliffs, flinching with skittish instincts. I
Irish firms, hiring micks whilst firing Brits, might slip. I might twist this infirm wrist, crip-
bring in smiths with mining skills: kilnwrights pling it, wincing whilst I bind it in its splint,
grilling brick in brickkilns, millwrights grinding cringing whilst I gird it in its: sling; still, I risk
. grist in gristmills. Irish tinsmiths, fiddling with climbing, sticking with it, striving till I find
widgits, fix this rig, driving its drills which spin this rift, in which I might fit, hiding in it till
whirring drillbits. I pitch in, fixing things. I rig winds diminish.
this winch with its wiring; I fit this drill with its
piping. I dig this ditch, filling bins with dirt, Mind's grim with nihilism still find first light
piling it high, sifting it, till I find bright prisms inspiring. Mild pink in tint, its shining twi-
twinkling with glitz. light brings bright tidings which lift sinking
spirits. With firm will, I finish climbing,
Hiking in British districts, I picnic in virgin hiking till I find this inviting inn, in which I
firths, grinning in mirth with misfit whims, might sit, dining. I thirst. I bid girls bring
smiling -if I find birch twigs, smirking if I find stiff drinks-gin fizz which I might sip whilst
mint sprigs. Midspring brings with it singing finishing this rich dish, nibbling its tidbits:
birds, six kinds (finch, siskin, ibis, tit, pipit, ribs with wings in chili, figs with kiwis in
SWift),whistling shrill chirps, trilling ehirr ehirr icing. I swig citric drinks with vim, tippling
in high pitch. Kingbirds flit in gliding flight, kirsch, imbibing it till, giggling, I flirt with
skimming limpid springs, dipping wingtips in girlish virgins in miniskirts: wink, wink. I
rills which brim with living things: krill, miss living in sin, pinching thighs, kissing
shrimp, brill-fish with gilt fins, which swim in lips pink with lipstick.
flitting zigs. Might Virgil find bliss implicit in
this primitivism? Might I mimic him in print if Slick pimps, bribing civic kingpins, distill gin
I find his writings inspiring? in stills, spiking drinks with illicit pills which
might bring bliss. Whiz kids in silk-knit shirts
Fishing till twilight, i sit, drifting in this birch script films in which slim girls might strip, jig-
skiff, jigging kingfish with jigs, bringing in fish gling tits, wiggling hips, inciting wild.shindigs.
which nip this bright string (its vivid glint Twin siblings in bikinis might kiss rich bigwigs,
bristling with stick pins). Whilst I slit this fish giving this prim prig his wish, whipping him,
in its gills, knifing it, slicing it, killing it with tickling him, licking his limp dick till, rigid, his
skill, shipwrights might trim this jib, swinging prick spills its jism. Shit! This ticklish victim is
it right, hitching it tight, riding brisk winds trifling with kink. Sick minds, thriving in kin-
which pitch this skiff, tipping it, tilting it, till ship with pigs, might find insipid thrills in this
this ship in crisis flips. Rigging rips. Christ, this filth. This flick irks critics. It is swinish; it is
ship is sinking. Diving, in, I swim, fighting this piggish. It stinks.
frigid swirl, kicking, kicking, swimming in it
till I sight high cliffs, rising, indistinct in thick Thinking within strict limits is stifling.
mists, lit with lightning. Whilst Viking knights fight griffins, I skirmish
with this riddling sphinx (this sigil-I). I
Lightning blinks, striking things in its midst print lists, filing things (kin with kin, ilk with
with .blinding light. Whirlwinds whirl; ilk), inscribing this distinct sign, listing things
driftwinds drift. Spindrift is spinning in in which its imprint is intrinsic. I find its

. ,
thrilling whirligigs. Which blind spirit is whin- .
ing in this whistling din? Is it this grim lich,
missing links, divining its implicit tricks. I
find it whilst skindiving in Fiji; I find it whilst
which is writhing in its pit, lifting its lid with picnicking in Lim. I find it in Inniskillin; I
whitish limbs, rising, vivihc, with ill will in its find it in Mississippi. I find it whilst skiing in
mind, victimizing kids timid with fright? If it Minsk. (Is this intimism civilizing if Klimt
is-which blind witch is midwifing its misbirth, limns it, if Liszt lilts it?) I sigh; I lisp. I finish
binding this hissing djinni with witching writing this writ, signing it, kind sir: NIHIL
spiritism? Is it this thin, sickish girl, twitching DICIT, FINI. .

READINGS 29

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