Physical & Abstract (New York State Fair)

Both physical and abstract, the Midway at the State Fair is the most exciting place. That’s where the rides are. You move through a place defined entirely by noise, color, lights, height, shapes, velocities, and repitition. But once the sun sets and you get your rhythm, there’s nothing like it. It’s all about “body schemas,” finding your orientation in a disorienting place. I once tried to buy an all-you-can-ride pass, and didn’t last much more than forty-five minutes. It felt like someone chopped both legs off me at the knees. I think I was reading Zizek at the time, which didn’t help. I don’t myself much like riding the rides. Like Chauncey Gardiner, “I like to watch.”

About zjb

Zachary Braiterman is Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. His specialization is modern Jewish thought and philosophical aesthetics. http://religion.syr.edu
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