the discretion of monsieur horsemouth (what heaven's name is that?)

'the only memoirs of any interest have been those written by indiscreet individuals' - edmond de goncourt 

but horsemouth (as a diarist) is very discrete. so much so in fact that he will not give you the proper names of things. 

- 'a meeting'. 

- a meeting of what? 

- the communal endeavour. 

- well what in heaven's name is that? 

this circumlocution perhaps began as a security procedure (back when horsemouth was paranoid. legitimately paranoid perhaps. but paranoid none the less). it became a game in misdirection (where does horsemouth live? the seaside towns). above all horsemouth is a fabulist who would rather live in a world of fiction (and is prepared to make some efforts to get himself there).

horsemouth's memoirs will therefore not have the ring of truth, they will not be of interest to later historians. 

with the goncourt brothers there is a marvelous indiscretion (requiring the establishment of an academie goncourt to ensure publication of the journals after their death). their truth was not an agreeable truth but a disagreeable truth larded with harsh bon mots. it is june 1857 and the girls are speaking javanese, one vomits another cries. 

yesterday horsemouth had toothache. he did some laundry but failed to get out and do the shopping (he'll do that today). up to aldi.

horsemouth can't help note the similarity between the commune (1871) (at least as portrayed in peter watkins' film from 2000) and the portuguese revolution (1974) - endless people in rooms (or the streets) endlessly talking. the media infrastructure of today is over-layed on the events of then - one problematic is replaced by another (at least in peter watkins' film) - during a break in the historical action the actors discuss how this will change their political feelings about now (the now of 2000).

and while horsemouth was typing this the parisian people were out in the streets fighting pension reform (2023) (or had they all gone home by this point? certainly the media has gone quiet). 

ok horsemouth should get on.