Magus Magnus

Heliogabalus: Priest of the Sun, Emperor of Rome

On the teenage pansexual Roman Emperor Heliogabalus, high priest of Sol Invictus – the Unconquerable Sun.

Antonin Artaud wrote about Heliogabalus as The Anarchist Crowned. I take the boy-priest seriously in his fanatical identification with the Sun God, and understand him in his primary goal of imposing – in a proto-monotheistic manner – Sol Invictus on the Roman Empire.

Decadence, excess, the fascination of all facts and myths pertaining to him – how much are lies and libels dated after his death and Damnatio memoriae, official erasure from history of disgraced persons? I wish to affirm, from facts, conjectures, and calumnies alike, the mythic essence of the Heliogabalus “true tale” in all its transgressive glory.

The soundtrack for my musings, John Zorn’s album, Six Litanies for Heliogabalus, incorporates classical musical structures, serene medieval chanting, and punk rhythms with stylized screaming: three elements I consider applicable to my Heliogabalus book, and to my work in general – the classical, the truly religious or spiritual (for the medieval chanting), as well as contemporary artistic disruption… postpunk postmodern postlangpo exuberance.

Pictures →

A Gaze Free from Constraint
On the Steps of the Temple at Emesa
Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun

drone: poetic monologue for monotone

My conceptual writing/theater piece utilizing various government documents on unmanned combat air vehicles (including the Department of Defense’s 25 year roadmap for unmanned systems). I’m working on two versions: one book length, with an extensive, riddled “payload dump” from the DoD, and a performance-ready 15-minute poetics theater piece. Neither version is suitable for children, due to the rowdy buzz of vibrators and the obscenities of empire.

“Ouroboros”
prospective chapbook-sized collection from a larger work titled Imposter!: instances, regrets

Immodest pleasures of conquest, this shadowed mix of moonbeams and intent.