THE FORBIDDEN HISTORY OF ALFRED JARRY’S OCCULTATION…

NEAR THE END, A CIRCULAR SORE OPENED IN JARRY’S RIGHT BIG TOE, WHICH TURNED INTO A STRANGE VORTEX OUT OF WHICH MINIATURE PATAPHYSICAL MANUSCRIPTS AND OBJECTS BEGIN TO EMERGE…FLOATING AT FIRST ABOVE HIS BED, AND THEN DISAPPEARING OUT THE HOSPITAL WARD WINDOW AND INTO THE STREETS OF PARIS.

ENORMOUSLY INTRIGUED, JARRY EXCITEDLY POKED FIRST HIS FINGER, THEN HIS ENTIRE ARM INTO THIS SWIRLING MIASMA, TO THE DISMAY OF ALL IN ATTENDANCE (WHO INSISTED, THEREAFTER, ON REMAINING NAMELESS). FINALLY, HE STUCK HIS HEAD IN. THE NOW CHURNING VORTEX SUCKED HIM DOWN ENTIRELY, LEAVING ONLY A BIZARRE SPIRAL SPINNING IN THE AIR. AFTER A PROLONGED INTERVAL, HIS DELIGHTED FACE POKED BACK OUT. HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD ENTERED AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, WHICH HE CALLED HIS BIG T…O…E…HIS BIG “THEATER OF EVERYTHING”, ON THE OTHER SIDE, THEN HE DISAPPEARED AGAIN, (ALMOST) NEVER TO RETURN.

HIS FRIENDS CAPTURED THE HORRIFYINGLY MARVELOUS VORTEX IN A JAR, WHICH PASSED FROM ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER OVER THE YEARS…ALWAYS HIDDEN AWAY AND GUARDED JEALOUSLY…ALWAYS CONSIDERED TOP SECRET. AS EACH THIS SELECT GROUP OF JARRY’S NOW GROWING  CADRE OF FOLLOWERS NEARED THE END, THEY DESCENDED INTO THE VORTEX INSTEAD.

WHEN THE Collège de ’Pataphysique WAS FOUNDED BY “THOSE IN THE KNOW” (WHO ALSO INSISTED ON REMAINING NAMELESS)THE JAR CONTAINING THE VORTEX WAS GIVEN OVER TO THEIR PROTECTION…THE PROTECTION OF THE HIGHEST AND MOST VENERATED SATRAPS…AND TO THIS DAY, IS USED FOR INDIVIDUAL OCCULTATION OF THE SELECT WHEN THE TIME ARISES.

AS THE STORY HAS IT, OCCASIONALLY, ONE OR ANOTHER OF THESE PATAPHYSICAL VOYAGERS….AT TIMES JARRY HIMSELF…WILL EMERGE FROM THE VORTEX, SECRETLY WANDER THIS MUNDANE UNIVERSE IN DISGUISE, AND THEN RETURN TO THEIR NEVERENDING IMPROVISATIONS WITH THE UNKNOWABLE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF THE VORTEX IN JARRY’S BIG T…O…E…


Another encounter with the BIG TOE Vortex and the Theater Of Everything may be found HERE.