Nicholas Katsafanas
Modal fictional texts ... using a statistical analysis of Big Pun's rhyme schemes to compose fractal prose (geometric expressionism) ... sf short stories & shit
Selected Stories
"Now Out Thru the Rectum Gates!"
Syllables: 3281; Quotient: 88.20%
"Even the Livestreamers You Agree w/ Politically are Pieces of Shit"
Syllables: 316; Quotient: 93.35%
"Untitled (or: Individualism & the Immanence of ibn Arabi)"
Syllables: 1772; Quotient: 85.05%
"Ice Hookah w/ the Tzatziki"
Syllables: 4540; Quotient: 89.60%
"Patriotism Runs Counter to Ordinary Human Morality"
Syllables: 8803; Quotient: 85.06%
"You Can't Actually Physically Burn a PDF"
Syllables: 6968; Quotient: 86.73%
"Koreatown Bok Choy (Ch. 6: What is the point of numbers?)"
Syllables: 6790; Quotient: 77.16%
"The World Divides into Facts (A Treatise on Portals)"
Syllables: 15330; Quotient: 80.80%
"Dinner & Drinks"
Syllables: 1994; Quotient: 70.40%
@nickkatsafanas
377SPM
There’s “measurement” and “division”; there’s “self-similarity“ and “syllabic interval”.
There are two crucial elements that, at this point, it’s imperative for us to define if we’re going to continue to write in metrical structures. The first is the syllable, which is a simple unit; the syllable is unitary, a simple mathematical unit. But the second element is the echo. The echo is relational, something that exists only as a derivative of the unitary syllable. The echo is a mist, a notable participation in Likeness across two or more of these units, separated by a reasonable spatial distance, connected temporally via speech.
The echoes, in aggregate, become a measurement of self-similarity.
The line or block of text is composed of “syllables” and the echoes are the “measurements of likeness” between these fundamental elements. This will be the case for either in an individual line or a block of text that’s then either left as a block or then diced up into set intervals after the fact.
The section or sentence is a “self-similar line”, and the text is a “self-similar wave”, both of which come into being via measurement. The measurement defines the “mode” — a quotient range (>.667; .650-.800, etc) is just a variable restriction, like a mode.
These blocks of text could also be called “macrotones” in a sense, and by that I mean they have a measured quotient of self-similarity (which expresses itself via sound) that defines the unit, that can’t be divided without changing essentially. A macrotone of .754 even if divided equally into two will change essentially, it will no longer be .754. Whereas a microtone takes a tone and divides it — a macrotone is an aggregation of sound.
But the best example of all of this isn’t in Whitman or Pound or Ginsberg or Ashbery; it’s just the last line of the first verse of Big Pun’s “Twinz.”
“Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know
that we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddily”
“[D]ead [i]n the [m][i][d]dle of [L][i]ttle [I]t[a][l][y] [l][i]ttle [d][i]d we know
that we r[i][d]dled some [m][i][d]dle[m]an who [d][i][d]n't [d]o [d][i][d]d[i][l][y]”
[31]:31 1.00
The self-similarity of “1.00” — peak fractal lyricism? There are no fixed syllables per line here, and there’s no fixed pattern of stressed syllables, and there’s no technical end-rhyme, because although “Italy” and “diddily” might technically rhyme, in the incessant referencing back upon itself of the line, this outright rhyme is diluted by various the D’s, soft I’s, and L’s that ricochet violently across the line, engaging in fractional portions of consonance and assonance. An echoing. What I might even call a modal slant rhyme.
EXAMPLE:
"Untitled (or: Individualism & the Immanence of ibn Arabi)": Echo Maps
—Episode I
742:879 — 84.4%
01. 70:82 — 85.4%
I wh[i]pped my [c]o[c]k ba[c]k
[i]nto m[y] l[i]ght g[r]ey Uni[q][l][o]
[s][l]a[c]ks [o]n[l][y] to [q]ui[c]k[l][y]
[r]e[c]og[n][i]ze [I] [n]ow [s][p]orted
a [s]izeable [p]iss [s]t[ai]n
[r]ight on the f[a][c]e
of the [p]ants—
the [t]rousers con[s][i][s]t[e]d
of a n[ew] [t][wo]-[t]one g[r]ey [s]t[r]ucture
the [r]egu[l]ar [l]ight shade
of the f[a][c]to[r]y [p][r]int
[c]ont[r][a][s]t[i]ng with the
[d]ark [s]tain of [a][cc][i][d]entally
ex[p]unged u[r]ine
02. 82:92 — 89.1%
[C]om[p][l]i[c]ating [m]atters [s][l]ight[l]y
was [a]n [i]n-[p]er[s]on
[m]eeting I was re[q]uired
[t]o a[tt]end
b[y] m[y] [c]ount
in [l][e][s]s [th]an [th]irty [s][e][c]onds
[s][o] I [s]ub[s]e[q]u[e]ntly [s]tood in a
[f][r][o]zen [m][a]nn[er] in [f][r]ont
of the b[a]th[r]oom [m]i[rr][or]
g[l][a]ncing a t[a]d [f][l]u[mm]oxed
[a]t th[i]s p[i]ss [s]tain
which I [f]igured'd
[b][e] i[mm][e]d[i]atel[y] [v][i]s[i][b]le
to a[n]y [p]er[s]on occu[p][y]ing
[m][y] re[m]ote [v][i][c][i][n][i]ty
03. 68:83 — 81.9%
I[n] a[n]oth[er] v[er]sion of
this [w][or]ld
I'd [c][a]sua[ll]y [w]al[k]
[b][a][c]k to
my [s]eat and [s]it
[b][y] [m][y][s][e]lf at [m]y [d][e][s]k
[a]s the [p]iss [d][r]ied
[a]t a n[a]tu[r]al [p]ace
[b]ut my [s][c]h[e]dule
in[s]t[ea]d [c]oerced m[e] to
[b][e] in the [p][r][e]s[e]nce
[o]f [o]thers who
id[ea]ll[y]
I'd [p][r]e[f]er [n]ot
to [n]otice a [l]arge [p]ee
[p][r][i]nt on my [f]avo[r]ite
g[r]ey U[n]iq[l]o [p]ants
04. 63:76 — 82.9%
W[e]'d en[t]ered th[i]s [s][ee]ming[l][y] [i][rr]efuta[b]le
[r][e]a[l]ity in the [w]orld [w]here
the [c]on[c]e[p]t of
in[t]e[ll]igence had [b]e[c]ome
[b]a[s]i[c]a[ll]y a [p]ure [p]o[l][i]t[i][c]al [c]on[s]truct
that no [a][c]tual o[p][i]n[i]on
was [e]ver [e]x[p]r[e]ssed th[a]t
[l][a][c]ked a [s]u[rr]e[p]t[i]t[i]ous
[f][a]sc[i]st o[l]igarch [f]un[d][i]ng
[i]ts [d][i][ss]emination
05. 138:164 — 84.1%
[A][n]n[a] [P]au[l]i[n][a] [L]u[n][a]
S[a]nt[a] Ma[r]ia de [P][r]ad[a]
[c]an [p][o]p [o]n[t]o [n]etwork [t][e]l[e]v[i]s[i]on
as [a]n [a][ll][e]g[e]d [a]n[t]i-war [a]ct[i]v[i]st
and [t][e]ll an [A]meri[c]an [p]o[p]u[l]ace
[th]at [th]e [d]ef[i]n[i]t[i]on of war
is [s]u[dd]en[l]y Boots On The Ground
that uni[l][a]te[r]a[ll][y] a[ss][a][ss]i[n][a]ting
the [a][c]ting [l][ea]der of a [s]ove[r]eign [n][a]tion
with [n]o [C]ong[r]essio[n]al
[a]pp[r]oval at [a]ll
is [a][c]tually [n]ot in f[a][c]t
an [a][c]t of war
and all [o]f [u]s [sh][r][u]g our
[sh]oulders [n]on[ch][a][l][a]nt be[c]ause
[i]m[p][l][i]c[i]t[l]y we've [c]ome
to [c]on[c][l]ude
that [e]ve[r]y o[p][i]n[i]on
[e]x[p][r][e]ssed [i]s [s][i]m[p][l][y]
an [e]xt[e]nsion of [th]is
or [th]at [s]u[rr]e[p]t[i]t[i]ous[l][y]
[o][p]e[r]ating fascist [o][l]igarch
06. 106:126 — 84.1%
E[v]ery o[p][i]n[i]on [i]s [b][a]cksto[pp]ed
[b]y a [p]aid [a]dver[t]iser
e[v]en art[i]f[i]c[i]al [i]n[t]e[ll][i]gence [i]s
[b][a][s]ica[ll]y the [s][a]me [l][u[r]]id [f]orm
of [r]eg[ur]gitation and
[f]or th[a]t m[a]tter
our [s]in[c]ere op[i]n[i]ons—
now [th]at I [th][i]nk of it—
are [e][ss][e]ntia[ll]y [s]t[i]ll just [s][i]m[i][l]ar
[a]b[s]tr[a]ctions of [p]erh[a][p]s [a]n
even [m]ore e[l][u][s]ive ty[r]a[nn]y
[c]on[s][u][m]e[r]ism as a [n]ar[c]otic
[i]n[d][u][c]ing a faux [i]n[d][i]v[i]dual[i]sm
where [i]n[d]e[p][e]n[d][e]nt o[p][i]n[i]ons
[b]e[c][o]me [s][ee]ming[l][y]
[c][o]n[c]e[p]tua[ll][y] ach[ie]va[b]le
07. 115:137 — 83.9%
[S][c]r[a][p]ing a [p][a][p]er [t]owel
[a]gainst [a] d[o][ll][o][p] [o]f [p][ee]
[s][ee][p]ed in[t]o my U[n]i[q][l]o [p][a]nts
[f]or ex[a]m[p]le was
[n]o in[d][e][p][e]n[d][e]nt [a]ct [a]t all—
there [e]x[i]s[t][e]d a [f]orm
of [i][mm]a[n]ent [m]a[t]erial[i]sm
I was con[v][i]nced [w]e
[w]ere [m][i][ss][i]ng
and [v]ia [s][ai]d o[v]er[s]ight
we'd [i]n[s]t[ea]d adopted
the [r]e[l][i]g[i]ous zea[l]ot[r]y
of the [s]o-[c]alled [M]ar[k]et Advo[c]ates
where a [s][i][m][i][l]ar [a]uto[n]o[m]y was
[a][ll][e]ged to o[cc]ur
ex[c][e]pt [i]n th[i]s [i]n[s]t[a]nce [i]t [a][c]ted [a]s a
[c]ul[m]i[n][a]tion of [c]ount[l]ess
[s]o-[c]alled Rational De[c][i]s[i]ons
[m][a]de by [I]nte[ll]igent [I]nvestors
08. 100:119 — 84.0%
The [M]ar[k]et was of [c]ourse
the [m]o[r]o[n]ic [f]i[n]al arbiter
of ve[r][a][c]ity [a]nd [f]air[n]ess
and [sh]a[m]a[n]ic [sh]it[s][t][ai]ns
at [p]l[a][c]es like The [C][a]to [I]n[s][t][i]tute
[s][p][r]ead this go[s][p]el
of a [C]h[r][i]st-L[i][k]e bond mar[k]et
for [d]e[c][a]des until
just [l]i[k]e the [c][a]se of
A[nn][a] [P]au[l]i[n][a]
[d]e [P][r][a][d][a]
we [b]egin be[l][ie]ving
that [n]o—
[a]ctua[ll]y
[a][ss][a][ss]i[n][a]ting
heads of [s]t[a]te
out of the [b][l]ue is [s]im[p][l][y]
[N]ew [D]i[p][l]oma[c][y]
[n]ot eg[r]egious and [i]n[d][e]f[e]n[s]i[b]le
acts of [b]ar[b]a[r]ic [i][d]io[c]y
—Episode II
316:378 — 83.6%
01. 113:137 — 82.5%
I was [c]on[s]i[d]ering
how it [c]ould [b]e [p]o[ss]i[b]le [D][e]nver
who a[ll][e]ged[l]y [s][p]orted
the [b][e]st [b][a][s][k]et[b]all [p][l]ayer
on the [p][l][a][n]et
[i]n [N][i][k]o[l]a Jo[k]ic
[c]ould [p]o[s]si[b][l]y [l]ose
a wh[o]le ass [p][l]ayoff [s]eries
to a Minne[s][o]ta [s][q]uad th[a]t
h[a]d th[r][ee] k[ey] [p][l]ayers hurt—
up t[o] and in[c][l][u]ding
their [s][o]le [s]tar—
all of which
[c]on[c][l]uded with a [s][o]mewh[a]t
[c]at[a]stro[ph]ic [f]in[a]ncial im[p][a]ct
on my [v][e]nture [s]wap [p]ort[f][o]li[o] [w]h[e]n—
[w]hile [w][ai]ting for the [A][v]e[r][y]'s
la[v]ato[r][y] to o[p]en u[p]—
a middle [a]ged [A]sian [f]em[a]le
[p][o][pp]ed [o]ut
[a]nd [a]mbled [p][a]st [m][e] [m][ee]kl[y]
02. 58:66 — 87.9%
As I ste[p]ped in the [b]athroom
it [b]e[c]ame [c][l]ear
this [A]sian [l][a][d][y]
una[p][o][l][o]g[e]ti[c]a[ll][y] [d]e[m]o[l]ished
the [r][e][s]t[r]oom
[l]eaving [b]ehind h[er] an od[or]
[r][e][m][i]n[i][s]cent of [b]a[b]oon
[r][e][c]tum—[i]t [d][i][d]n't
ex[a][c]tly h[e]lp th[a]t
it s[ee]med to b[e]
[a] h[u]n[d][r]ed [d]eg[r][ee]s
in there
03. 145:175 — 82.9%
A P[r][e]sid[e]nt [c]l[ai]ms
a [c]ount[r]y's [e]ng[a]ged
in a [t]e[rr]o[r]ist [w][ar]
[w]ith [our] [s]t[a]te
[f]or give or [t][a][k]e
[a] h[a]l[f] [a] [c]entu[r]y
[b]ut on[l]y [a][f]ter
[b]eg[i][n]n[i]ng an obv[i]ous[l][y] i[ll][e]gal
[c]om[b]at o[p]e[r]ation and [n]o [p]er[c][e]nt[a]ge
of the [e]l[e]cto[r][a]te asks
the [si]m[p]le [q]u[e]stion
of how this [f][i][f]ty year [c]on[f][l][i]ct
[c]ould [p]o[ss][i][b][l]y have [b]een
[l][e][f]t [e]ntire[l]y unaddr[e]ssed
in an [e][l][e][c]tion
that o[cc]urred a m[er]e
[t]wo y[ear]s ago—a h[a]lf [c]entu[r]y
[s][p][a]n of [t][e][rr]or[i]sm
[c]omes to the [a][tt][e]nt[i]on
of our [s][i]tt[i]ng [P][r][e]s[i]d[e]nt
[l]i[k]e [a] bout of amnesia
[l]i[k]e a [r]e[c]o[ll][e]ct[i]on of [l]ong [p]ast
childhood [s]exual [t][r][a]u[m][a]
to an in[e]b[r][i][a]ted [m]iddle [a]ged hu[m]an
and this [s][ee]ms en[t]irel[y]
[r]ational to [e]ve[r][y] A[m][e][r]ican
—Episode III
449:515 — 87.2%
01. 115:138 — 83.3%
When I s[a]t [b][a]ck down
at the [b][a]r [a]fter
n[ea]r[l][y] [v]omiting
[i]n the sh[i]t[s]t[ai]ned
[l]a[v]a[t]o[r][y] of the [A]ve[r][y]
[C][ur]t [s]tarted [t]o [t]ell [m][e]
[a]ll [a][b]out his [s]o-[c]alled
un[c][ea][s][i]ng [s]e[m]i[n]al [ur]ge—
how [b][e][i]ng [d]o[m]i[n]ated
[b][y] a [l][i][m][i]t[l]ess [d]es[i]re
to ej[a][c]u[l]ate was
[a][c]tua[ll]y a [m]ethod
of [m][ay][b]e [b]r[ea][k]ing a
[ph]i[l]o[s]o[ph]i[c]al [p][l][a]ne
of [s]orts
[th]at [th]e [b]ody [i]s [i]t[s]elf
is a [p]ortal
and the [c][u]nt was a
metaph[y]s[i][c]al t[u]nnel
and the bu[ss]y of Ant[i][q]u[i]ty
was a [s][a][c][r]ed g[a]te[w][a]y
"[E]ve[r]y[w]here you [l]oo[k]
[e]ve[r]y[o]ne's [e]ja[c]u[l][a]ting"
02. 118:140 — 84.3%
I rot[a]ted my s[k]ull
[p][a]tient[l]y
as [C]urt [c]on[t]inued
to ex[t]r[a][p]o[l][a]te
[o]n this [i][d]ea [o]f the
[d][i][a]go[n]al [l][i]ne
[o]f the [s]e[m]i[n]al [s]t[a]te
and the un[d]er[l][y]ing
[m]o[n]ism of [t][r]ans [p]orn
"I [c]ould [p]en a [d]oc[t]o[r]al
[d][i]sser[t]ation on the
[i]n[d][i]v[i]s[i]ble one[n]ess
of girl [c]o[c]k and
I th[i]nk [i]t'd [r][ea][ll][y]
b[r]ing [s][o]me m[u]ch [n]eeded
int[e][ll][e][c]tual [r][e][s][p][e][c]t
to the [a][r][e][n][a] of [p]or[n]og[r]aph[y]"
he [a][ll][e]ged
and I [n][o]nch[a][l][a]nt[l]y [c][a]lled
the [p]i[ss]y [b]arten[d]er over
to in[q]u[i]re if [I] was [p][r]o[n]oun[c]ing
the [c]unt[y] [B]elgian [b]eer
I wan[t]ed [t]o [d][r]in[k]
[c]o[rr]e[c]tl[y]
03. 96:103 — 93.2%
The [s]emi[n]al [p][r][o][p][e]n[s]ity
he [n][o]ted
as o[pp][o]sed to [f][l][o]wing
[f][r][ee][l][y] [i]s [i]n[s]tead
[i]n[s]t[i]tut[i]ona[l]ized and
[c][o]n[f]ined to
[c][o]n[c]eptual cham[b]ers
where it [r]e[f][r][a][c]ts
[b][a][c]kward onto itself
[b]ut th[a]t [c]an [i]nd[i][c]ate
a va[r]iet[y] of [c][o]n[c][l]usions [r][ea]ll[y]—
[b]e[c]ause of [c]ourse
an [i]n[s]t[i][t]u[ti]on
[c]ould [b]e a [c][o]n[c]en[t][r]a[ti]on [c]am[p]
[or] a wh[or]ehouse—
the [i]n[s]t[i][t][u]te as a [b]a[s]i[c] [c][o]n[c]e[p]t
is [t][oo] [b][r]oad [t]o o[pp]ose
04. 74:86 — 86.1%
[P]uri[t]a[n]ism of course
was the [t]o[t]a[l]i[t]arian
[s][e][m]i[n]al in[s]ti[t]ution
[p]ar [e]x[c][e][ll][e]nce
dee[m]ing the [a]ct
of b[l][a][s]ting [l][oa]ds
as [e][ss][e]nt[i]a[ll][y] [i][ll][e]gal
as a wh[o]le—
r[ea][ll][y] you [c]ould [c]om[p]are
[l]arge [s]wathes of [p]o[l][i]t[i][c]al [s][y][s]t[e]ms
and [ea]sil[y] f[i]lter th[e]m
[th][r]ough [th]e [p][r][i]sm
of m[a]n's n[a]tural [s]t[a]te [o]f
[p]er[p][e]tual [e]jacul[a]t[io]n
05. 46:48 — 95.8%
I'm [e][ss][e]ntially
I gu[e][ss]
[C][ur]t [s][ai]d
[w][or][k]ing to[w]ard
a Th[eo]r[y] of [P]er[p][e]tual
Eja[c]ul[a]t[i]on
with [s][p][e][c][i][f][i]c [r][e][f]e[r]ence
to the [A]nc[i]ent G[r]ee[k]s
and [s][a][c][r][e]d t[ai]nt pl[ay]
if that m[a][k]es [s]ense?