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Bucky's Mind
Archived From January 28, 2007
Psychic Phenomena on Vimeo
I've been spending a lot of time lately with a late-70's interview with Buckminster Fuller, conducted at the end-range of his life and career by a really inspiring Los Angeles public-access television figure called Damien Simpson, who apparently died shortly after the airing of this segment. This interview, it seems, is only available on a DVD called "Buckminster Fuller: The Lost Interviews," along with a handful of other late-era New Age television segments. Bucky loses his marbles progressively throughout the interviews, but manages to say some pretty unforgettable things about his certainty in the afterlife and the will of the Universe in deciding the course of his career.
It's the kind of thing that makes me wonder if Buckminster Fuller wasn't just a crazy person with a total commitment to action. Some other notable Fuller interviews can be seen here and here.
"One of the most important things to me in my commitment was that I never become the head of a cult. I must always remember, 'it's just a little me.' I'm not a special messiah."
-- Buckminster Fuller
<< | Posted on January 28, 2007 at 11:41 PM | >>
Comments (19):
Um, also, I can't tell if you are making fun of Buckminster Fuller or not, but he actually had a really intense life, and he's right about everything.
Posted by A. Verne @ January 29, 2007 12:45 AM
Andrew, I know. I'm making a dome of out twigs and superglue in the kitchen right now. Sometimes, I think, you need to be a little bit nuts to do what needs to be done.
Posted by Claire @ January 29, 2007 9:57 AM
Yes, exactly. Your post caused me to revisit the introductory lecture to the 42-hour "Everything I Know," and what he says about everything being natural, we just can't comprehend the scope and capacity of nature.... it was blowing my mind.
Because it's crazy.
Posted by A. Verne @ January 29, 2007 11:00 AM
he's right about everything.
Everything? That's pretty messiah-like belief in the man.
Sometimes, I think, you need to be a little bit nuts to do what needs to be done.
I seem to have become unwittingly involved in a project like that. It doesn't pay, the hours are nuts and I've passed up one or two career opportunites because my current paying job is stable and offers me a reasonable amount of flex time for shenaigans like that.
I prefer 'stubborn'.
Posted by Brian @ January 29, 2007 1:07 PM
all i can say, is that the more work i do to reach my ultimate design, the crazier and crazier (and more articulate about it) i get.
p.s. i saw a geodesic dome in olympia on my bus ride from portland. a wolf was standing next to it. whatever he was, the northwest needs it.
Posted by ashby @ January 29, 2007 7:54 PM
i whole-heartedly believed this post would be about Get Fuzzy.
Posted by eliza @ January 29, 2007 11:49 PM
there are many fascinating aspects of bucky, personality is surely worth a mention. (john cage on bucky's personality)
the dymaxion world of buckminster fuller is a great read, covers all the big ideas with many illustrations. lots of 2nd hand copies knocking about amazon.
making sound with a dome theme, i'm taken with them.
Posted by miranda @ January 31, 2007 1:39 PM
Yeah, it's supposed to skip. Bucky never says anything! Psychic Phenomena! Get it?
Maybe I should stick to writing.
Posted by Claire @ February 1, 2007 5:55 PM
[here in Providence, there is a street called Westminster Street, but folks who've lived here all their lives mostly all say "WestmINIster". (as Damien Simpson called Bucky "'BuckmINIster' Fuller".
~Could this have been a calculated mispronunciation, similar {though skewing in the opposite moral direction} to Bush43's SODOM HUSSEIN? *probably not~
OMG I just did that thing, where all you have to do is SUGGEST that some awful thing might be the case, and POOF off goes the idea to wreak whatever havoc! oops, my bad.)
I wonder if 'the 100th Monkey' theory could be brought usefully to bear on this question of common mis/pronunciations?*]
Posted by ro6ot @ February 19, 2007 7:54 PM
I saw this for the first time last night and I have to think that Bucky was a buddhist by nature, even if he didn't think so. His idea that the universe helps you because you are in line with it is very profound. And no I don't think he lost his marbles during his dialogue with Damien. I found him quite cogent and intelligible.
Gotta see the other interview on that DVD. I am rejuvenated!
Posted by Dave @ June 17, 2007 8:54 AM
Thank you for posting this. Not so much for Mr.Fuller, but for Damien Simpson.I used to watch his show in the 70's.It was like church to me.He was so ahead of his time.
Posted by Rita @ September 8, 2007 4:39 PM
Rita, wow! I can't find much information about Damien Simpson online...he seems like such an amazing character. What do you know about him?
Posted by Claire Evans @ September 8, 2007 4:46 PM
Rita and Claire, Damien Simpson was and amazing person. He was also a wonderful teacher.
Posted by irma @ September 9, 2007 3:41 PM
Bucky never lost his marbles in this interview as stated in your text. He was making perfect sense while conversing with a guy who only somewhat gets it. Wake up.
Posted by Pete @ September 22, 2007 11:47 AM
I saw the old 2 part interview with Damien Simpson too... my copy has an added-on piece from a few years later (early '80's?) with a co-host named Stacie. The show then had a different host who talked of Damien Simpson's "change in direction"???
There is a site for the "UMS" church, which he founded. How and when did he die?
Posted by John @ October 24, 2007 2:32 AM
The 42-hour lecture RBF gave titled "Everything I Know" is also available for streaming download viewing at http://memeticdrift.net/bucky/index.html
Posted by A. Verne @ January 29, 2007 12:27 AM