1.07.2010

Tom Robbins, muditte philosopher emeritus

“Religion is not merely the opium of the masses, it's the cyanide.” -Tom Robbins

Tom's novels have inspired millions of mudittes through the decades. Starting in the early '70s with 'Another Roadside Attraction', Tom's works have been eagerly awaited by his legions of devotees.

Tom's books are well researched, they all focus on ancient history and mythology, each puts us in touch with some aspect of our present day delusional culture. All are witty, well written and scathing attacks on the 'establisnment. All are very funny.

Tom uses humor to slip past our veiled preconceptions, he understands that 'facts' are relative to the paradigm of the viewer, that 'facts' can never change the viewer's interpration of his senses input, that the only way to slip behind the viewers veil is misdirection. Like the old Torjan Horse we only allow that which we percieve as harmless behind our gates.


Tom's greatest work, in my opinion is 'Skinny Legs and All' in it he confronts our veils of perception, challenges our views on time and space. In it he encapsulates the convoluted history of Arab-Isreal's shared stories and destinies. Tom is a teacher, he understands that we, fauna-flora-mineral-microbe-forces-fairies and Gaia herself, all share this one life equally. That none has dominion over another, that none is more blessed than any other. Tom is, like so many other great thinkers before him, a Pantheist, so was Sitting Bull, so are we all who understand that we are undifferenciated, that we are 'the mud'.

Every seed is awakened and so is all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our animal neighbours the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land. -Sitting Bull

Interview with Tom in January Magazine