Maggie Nelson

Explored idea of cruelty as transformative Artaud sought new theater, new consciousness through cruelty. Aristotle spoke of the transformation – expurgación of  violent emotion thru theater.  Any value in this idea?
Often work is a lot lessening suffering. We look at suffering as something to help us identify what needs to be fixed, changed, altered.  But what if cruelty is also instructive? Part of the point. 

Knowing about cruelty often isn’t enough to stop it. We are interested even cleansed but the identification of it. Not so simple as negative lesson. Shame and guilt insufficient to  make change. Truth doesn’t alter.  Truth can reset , clean let’s it go

Clear that cruelty of male on female body no longer useful.  Or hard to see situation in which it is.  Women have already reclaimed that ground.  Yoko Ono cut piece and Marina Abromovich. Rhythm Zero. Remove the male and open themselves to public control. Direct manipulation, hurting if the body.  End of zero, man tried to get marina to use gun on herself. Vulnerable open showed how much aggression poised.

Important to have choice in seeing the cruel art. Staging a shooting in class or holding tv anchor hostage puts real fear in people who don’t know if it’s art. No longer expression. Also under estimated the audience and over estimates the artists.

People to review Viennese actioniat. Otto Muir Turcartin. I be área Family Tyranny 

Risk transfer – Some work transfer all the risk on to other people. Same problem at US. War for $   Transfer physical risk to other people in other countries. Debt onto other generations. All since Vietnam. 
Sierra. Pay prostitution to shoot up and tatoo. Claims conditions of society excuses his use of it for his benefit.   Brecht- use theater to create space to know more. Alienation to question, provide new space.

A shimmer a difference Reflecting mast-triss Rend our liquid round place us precisely On a foot, a pebble, a shore lift us into the past, the long Forgotten futureYou wield influence Coaxed, whispered, slithered, slippedClouded and rained, The patient persistence of a quavering leaf, a bubbling stew, A stream drying to dust. It’s form marking the soil A solid moment year The insistence of motion

Let us hear the estimate Follow the feet The act leading, feelings swamping Bouncing light, less bright But ours, for us, seeking through the night.