American Bacchae

Tutor Skyped me last night at 3 am. Apropos of whatever was on his mind, he said, "Social Enterprises now have as many bottom lines as there were once gods on Mt Olympus. It takes only two to make tragedy, and three for farce. Soon Ovid's Metamorphoses will be taught in business school. They call it 'story telling.' The best stories drive metrics. If only they might read The Bacchae. Reason rules the polis and the great god Dionysus calls for Hillary's head." Tutor may be drinking again. I worry about him sometimes. "If this is what a lifetime of reading gets you, Tutor," I said, "we are better off ignorant." He said,  "You are in good company." Then he hung up. 

Comments

[Cackety Dishwitz]

I was thinking last night about 3 am that it must be tough for people who have done extraordinarily badly under unique circumstances to reprise that performance. Take GW Bush for example. A low bar was set for him and he failed to clear it repeatedly. Absolutely outstanding at failing up. Now he stabs at a canvas with bright red acrylics and just can't get it right. How can I get back to those glory days he wonders. Stab stab. Smear. Splat.

[Phil Cubeta]

Fail often, fail better. I think one of Samuel Beckett's tramps said that. Tried to hang himself but the rope broke. The human comedy, played as tragic comedy, in two acts, where a third might be expected.