Pessimistic But Hopeful: Music Against Nihilism | Phaentompoet Newsletter March 2025
Reflecting on pessimism versus nihilism. Then, on how creativity creates creativity, or how opportunities lead to more. Finally, upcoming projects and upcoming events. Jazzetry audio included.
(image also the cover of BODYELECTRONIC)
I have a poem I like to perform recently called “Superlative”. I originally wrote it because I noticed that Trump spoke in similar patterns as an old boss of mine: they were always concerned about the best and the worst things they’d ever seen. I began to notice that superlatives were a form of rhetorical persuasion, another method of linguistic manipulation. But the wildest part about superlatives is that they present themselves as objective facts, when in fact, they are always highly contextual and in flux (example: the best today here and now may not be the best there and tomorrow). I end the poem with this line: “Worst always seems to worsen.”
People always confuse pessimism for nihilism. Just because my outlook of things is bleak doesn’t mean I’m simply going to roll over and let the worst happen unchallenged. What I believe is that my pessimism creates the bounds for my optimism, that my pessimism makes optimism real and reasonable compared to the nebulous kinds of hope that are so often fed to us like fast food.
I say all this to say I’m very pessimistic about the future of the USA. And by future I don’t mean in a vague way, I mean next week, I mean tomorrow. Because that’s how fast it is happening and will happen. And the consequences are going to be severe and widespread. All the executive orders seem random and ridiculous, but there is a real evil genius to all of these actions. To use tariffs for so many reasons: to isolate us from the world and specifically our allies, to tank the world economy (by tanking the US economy), to create conditions to exploit US resources the way we’ve been doing to other countries, to bolster the status of Russia in the world (at everyone else’s expense). To change the name of the gulf to permit fracking. To fire all of the people who work for national parks to open the door for timber production. To remove air traffic controllers to privatize the industry. To allow the healthcare bubble to burst. To allow our food and water qualities to diminish. To allow climate disasters to ravage in order to clear up the spaces for real estate.
And frankly the stage has been long set for all of this. Most politicians are paid out– we play little language games here in the USA (hence my interest in politics and language). What I mean: semantics (similar to the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America) are a vital tool used in politics to loophole or forego legal boundaries. A hugely important and recent game of semantics is in regards to political finances.
In American Politics 101, when discussing elections and campaigning, most political science professors will show the recent data regarding campaign fundraising/spending and who wins elections. The data is clear: more money, higher probability of winning. Truer every year (with Trump actually being a strange anomaly given that he aimed to spend as little as possible and really tended more to pocket campaign money than spend it. Though, then again, one could argue that his money, or at least the optics of his wealth, are precisely why he won 2 elections).
That same class may also go on to talk about monumental Supreme Court cases that set legal precedence, and toward these recent years, will surely mention the salience of the Citizens United case in 2010. Here, under interpretations of the due process clause of the 14th amendment and the freedom of speech part of the 1st amendment, it was ruled that these non person entities are bestowed due process of human rights (basically, if slaves get to be people, then so do corporations) including and especially the right to freedom of speech (wherein these nonpeople freely speak the language of money). Basically this: corporations can spend however much money they want on political action and cannot have this freedom infringed upon.
While there were previously restrictions on campaign spending and on lobbying, after that case, no more. Lobbies still do exist and are still limited, but now they operate under political action committees, organizations that are constitutionally offered open reign to spend money.
So now we exist in a world where ALL of our politicians are funded by political action committees. And most politicians across the aisle are funded if not directly by AIPAC (and most are, and it’s public information), then maybe more indirectly by shared Israeli interests (via strange and specific PACs like Ron DeSantis’s Never Back Down Inc. PAC or Make America Great Again Inc or the Trump 47 CMTE, or via shared interest PACs like Keystone Renewal PAC or National Association of Realtors or Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers or Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees PAC, etc etc etc).
I say this to say a few unfortunate pessimistic truths you likely already know or suspect: politicians and the rich elite will sell us out. Have already. We are watching in real time Columbia University sell out via allowing ICE to detain a student and hold them in a facility 1300 miles away in Louisiana.
Things were already increasingly bad and are accelerating to get even worse. Money and resources are always useful, but they will ultimately not save us.
We are all we got. This was true before and will be true after.
I recently submitted an application to a poet laureate position. To be honest, I can’t really imagine myself in a role like that, and if they knew my poetry, I would also be surprised if they let me take that role. But a friend nudged me to apply and I think that someone with my sensibilities should take on a more public role, whether or not they “want” to.
As I am often known to say, I’ve already written a poem on this matter. The title is in French: “Poète Lauréat / Poète Maudit”. Poet Laureate is a latin term, meaning poet crowned with laurel leaves as a signal of distinction. Poète Maudit is a French term that means poet at the edge of society– I think our contemporary examples are more musicians than poets, but think 27 club types of artists with immense talent but also with immense turmoil. The poem reflects on what is sacrificed in the desire to take a public role because there are indeed inevitable sacrifices to be made.
I mention this because the state of the world is the only reason why I am applying. It seems necessary to take any opportunity I can to do the work of poetry and share art with others, especially young people. And it all comes back to the previous conversation: we cannot allow nihilism to take root, we cannot keep confusing pessimism for hopelessness. Hope is created, and created through practice and community. I still don’t really like the idea of taking such a role, but if I can inspire action against hopelessness in any way, I want to take that chance. Anyway, applications are in– wish me luck!
All of this is important to note because it bumps up my time schedule on some of my art projects. It doesn’t seem smart to release a project called PROPAGANDA if this public role becomes real.
So now is the time– or at least very soon!
I keep thinking about words from Toni Morrison and they seem just as pertinent here:
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”
PROPAGANDA is coming soon! How soon? I dunno, but soon!
I have a visual made for one song/poem ready to go. I have some more visuals on the way for more singles.
And then PROPAGANDA: a poem album with original music. It will be sold as a poetry/lyric zine with a QR code to the audio, but technically speaking, the audio will be free and accessible (or rather a name-your price) on Bandcamp.
I am also planning on having some shows and maybe a listening party to celebrate the release. Again, soon!
Also soon is a musical rendition of MISEDUCATION!
I’ve been working with friend and musician Angie Ráfaga on this project where the entirety of MISEDUCATION will be recited with original guitar compositions. We have been practicing for some weeks now and things are coming together in really exciting ways.
Soon enough we'll demo some poem songs at open mics, building up to perform a few live shows together.
While it is an audio project, I imagine the audience will be reading along with the book, so I’ll have copies available for purchase for that experience.
It’s all really exciting and I cannot wait to share this work with you all. We are also thinking about having a recorded version available to stream.
In the meantime, check out Angie Rafaga’s EP called Ráfagas de Angie
Upcoming March Events
Oral Fixation on Sunday March 16 at 7pm at the Clocktower Cabaret
(copied from instagram)
I will be reading a poem so near to my heart, my beloved "Breasts" 🥰
The show features a really amazing cast including comedians, singers, and poets.
I have been performing poetry at the clocktower for many many moons now! It truly is a joy each and every time: something new, something surprising, something fun
If you have not yet been to a show, let this be the one you try
To add even more incentive, I actually have some special discount codes for you all to use. You can use the discount codes ORALS10 OR INDULGE20 to get $10 off your tickets
If you're nervous about seeing me perform or that the poem is "inappropriate" just know that i performed this same poem once for an entire middle school 😅 did i get invited back the next year? yes! was it with the stipulation that my poems are pre approved? also yes! 😂
point is: it'll be a great time, and poetry is for everyone!!
hope to see u there on Sunday! ✨🌱💚
Attack of the Queer Ecosphere! A virtual reading on Mon. March 24, starting at 6:30pm EST.
Featuring Yasmine Bolden, Emdash, Aerik Francis, Jacob J. Billingsly, Isaac Pickell, and Allya Yourish.
Email alocasiamagazine@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
Closing out this newsletter with audio from my last performance, which was Jazzetry at the Trident in Boulder, CO last Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Aside from “Pride” and “US American Comedy” all of these poems are included in the PROPAGANDA project.
I had a great time, it felt really magical. So much so they let me go a little over time, haha.
But you can hear the set for yourself– let me know what you think!
Setlist:
Pride
Mutual Constitution
Free Freeness
Casually Cruel
US American Comedy
Left To Fend
I Want A Precedent
Thanks for reading/listening!!