Monk's motto or: Is Against the Day in favour of the Night?

[David Morris]

Hello Kai.  It's good to hear from you again.
I'll attempt stabs (not answers) at bits and pieces of your points below:

On 7/24/07, Kai Frederik Lorentzen <lorentzen at hotmail.de> wrote:
>
> "It's always night, or we wouldn't need light" (Thelonious Monk)
>
> From the beginning on I had the strong impression, that Monk's motto and the  novel's title must be closely connected (not only because they follow immediately after another). Yet I have to admit that I do not quite get it.  Let me ask you a couple of questions:
>
> If there's "always night", where would be the need to do anything "Against the Day"?

According to the quote, "It's always night" would be the natural
condition of things, with light being the exception.  This is the case
with the universe, isn't it?  At least literally it is:  vast amounts
of dark void (and dark matter as well) with points of light widely
scattered about.  But that's not necessarily a good condition.  That's
why WE (not THEY) need light.

Those that "oppose light would be against the day."

Gnostically speaking, light as an atypical condition would make sense,
because the creation is in a "dark" state (although masquerading as a
"light" state).  Light in this sense would be the wisdom (hidden
flame) deep inside that needs to be let out to strive against the
darkness.

Of your comments below, I have a very

> Your mails help me to always again take the book into my hands. Checking out the favourite passages you people name (I don't believe in 'spoilers') helps me to get a feeling for what I might be liking about "Against the Day" some day. If Heaven allows. Up to now --- Don't stone me! --- there isn't much. I don't like the ethnic  jokes, I don't like the view on women, I don't like the M&Dish humour. I haven't learned, up to now, new things about Anarchist theory, the Tarot, the functional differentiation of science, or Shambhala (issues about I, perhaps, know one or two things). So I would be grateful for any hint that keeps me hanging on.