Hi all -

After 6 months of reactionary readings, navigating[ forest passages](https://www.meetup.com/reading-philosophy/events/307710291/?eventOrigin=your_events) and [tiger riding](https://www.meetup.com/reading-philosophy/events/307668071/?eventOrigin=attendee_list), I boldly claimed that I was (at last) intending to deviate.

Certainly the world of **aesthetics** and **art theory** that I meant to delve into, however briefly, would allow us some reprieve from the onslaught of anti-modern, anti-tech, anti-democratic, aristocratic, amply vitalist, poetic, life-affirming, escapist, mythical, at-times-beautiful, at-times-concerning, ya-ya-hurricane of blabbering that I've subjected you all to for this last half year.

**Nope**. Whoops.

Are we still focusing on art? **Sure**. Is the author of some Nietzschean feminist persuasion, anti-modern and vaguely-pagan, controversial and fun fun fun, holding some new cultural currency amidst our bizarre and ever-fluctuating + increasingly-radical political landscape? **Sure**.

In short, we're reading **Camille Paglia** and her 1990 text ***Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson****.* I reckon maybe three of you will stick with this until the end and what a beautiful ride it will be. Prove me wrong.

This first session will focus on pages **1** through **139**. As always, this is what we do in this series. This entails reading from **Chapter 1** (*Sex and Violence, or Nature and Art*) through the end of **Chapter 4** (*Pagan Beauty*). If you can't read it all, **that's fine**. Come armed with opinions, slogans, and dogmatisms or, at the very least, some art and book recommendations for the squad.

I will be reading [this copy](https://www.amazon.com/Sexual-Personae-Decadence-Nefertiti-Dickinson/dp/0679735798/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RJXGZ9AIYPA1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ygXSpHvB-Cl2ENJtjShFAby37UF8ZILdSdHTfZA26a3hz4ilYPf4qB81W5k18LKJVdeuwKEt_lzBx-V8SgLAFwUsXa0SLr-AIIAGbKu8vwlEQ9_TkGhaZTEzHNMvxsTBvyA94ADrNxuXt1DB9btxHQCuYtRK-WCASFhgZNrTDGAXVe4Y_MqC10-2erYhI0O_P7EUqqWn7rfD8XuaYI3VshoUVZ32lDfuOLtN10uGXY8.B3cPy5NCq8gmCUdqTykkRIMEwt-lQX0T5QkHbtacIhc&dib_tag=se&keywords=sexual+personae&qid=1750135533&sprefix=sexual+persona%2Caps%2C304&sr=8-1) available through Vintage Books.
It is also [available here](https://dn721504.ca.archive.org/0/items/263791532sexualpersonaeartanddecadencefromnefertititoemilydickinson1990camillepaglia_201908/263791532-Sexual-Personae-Art-and-Decadence-From-Nefertiti-to-Emily-Dickinson-1990-Camille-Paglia.pdf) as a free PDF.
Message me if there are any issues procuring a copy.

We will be meeting in the **Ace Hotel lobby** on **W 29th**. There is coffee, breakfast, and booze. Message me the day of if you can't find us. We usually sit toward the back of the lobby next to the bar.

As always, this group is open to newcomers to Paglia, novices of philosophy (+ art, theory, criticism, etc.), ragamuffins, ne'er-do-wells, urchins of all sorts, etc. **All** **insights are encouraged**, just be somewhat sensible and all the way cool. Ain't no fun to be found in nodding your head along with a thinker for a hundred pages - strive to disagree, with decency.

Alright, looking forward to it - reach out to me with any questions in the meantime.

See ya then,
Hamp

Reading Philosophy and Psychology (NYC)

Hamp

andreadispenziere

LENORD MARTIN

Darlene Gedge

Aaron Della Cioppa

Liam Kruchten

Daria Denisenko

Cuillin Wise

Amy Garland

Emily Oberdorf

Karina O.

Amy Zaretsky

Nagalakshmi Ram

Theodore Kalambokidis

Brent

Sexual Personae (Art & Decadence) - Camille Paglia | Part 1 | Reading&Discussion

Ace Hotel New York

Part 2
We are going to finish the life of Antony from roughly section 38 till the end plus comparison with Demetrius.
At the end we will give Antony our usual Legacy factor score.

Mark Antony (83 BC – 30 BC), also known as Marcus Antonius, was a prominent Roman general and politician who played a key role in the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. He served as a lieutenant to Julius Caesar and later became a Triumvir alongside Octavian and Lepidus after Caesar's assassination. His life was marked by political maneuvering, military campaigns, and a famous love affair with Cleopatra VII of Egypt.

We will be referencing this reading
[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Antony*.html](https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Antony*.html)

However any other version works as well.

This is a reading group in which we read from **Plutarch's Parallel Lives** about the virtues and faults of great leaders from ancient Greece and Rome. At the end of each life, we rate them for their leadership quality, virtues, entertaining reading, and legacy.
For our leader scoreboard, check out this Google doc:
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K66HPHPO_elctuHjCLAWnv5w_3HCY8YbxEK4SgCa_Gg/edit#gid=0](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K66HPHPO_elctuHjCLAWnv5w_3HCY8YbxEK4SgCa_Gg/edit#gid=0)

For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Zita

Zita Vasilisinova

Brandi King-Herzog

Emma Rajkovic

Arthur O'Dwyer

Fernando

Cynthia

Matt Lyons

Plutarch Parallel Lives: Antony Part 2/2

Online event

A little divergence from Plutarch into Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.
This play was written at the height of Shakespeare's carrier, featuring his most soaring poetic idiom.

The play explores the intense and politically charged relationship between Antony and Cleopatra as it unfolds across two worlds: **Rome**, representing duty, order, and empire, and **Egypt**, representing passion, pleasure, and personal loyalty.
Antony struggles between his responsibilities to Rome—especially as part of the ruling **Triumvirate** with **Octavius Caesar (later Augustus)** and **Lepidus**—and his deep love for Cleopatra. Their love ultimately leads to **betrayal, war, and tragic downfall**, making it one of Shakespeare’s most powerful explorations of love and power.

Please come ready having to read the play. Any version will do.

For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Zita

Laurence T Maloney

barbara s.

Mahbuba Nimme

Dave G

Ryan Bohman

Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra

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