May 2, 2025--For fifteen years, I have been at work on a history of the idea of the free speech. I originally planned four shortish volumes, a total of about not more than two thousand pages. The first would analyze what we mean when we speak of "free speech". The second would discuss societies where there is no official word or phrase for the concept, but which have substantial freedom. The third would center on societies which have a formal free speech ruleset. The fourth would apply everything already learned to the United States of America.
When I hit two thousand pages, I just kept going. I've kept the structure, but there's always another work to glean, another section to write-- on the frontier, Don Quixote, the stirrup, Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games, the Sacred Band of Thebes, Moby Dick, The Voynich Manuscript, the corner store, the I Ching. Everyplace turns out to be somewhere where people speak freely, or are prevented from doing so, or a unique rule-set exists; everything is a subject of chatter, or a deterrent, or a a metaphor or sign; everybody was either an exemplary speaker, or a censor or autocrat, or obliviously obedient to a ruleset; or or or.
Now I want to set it free on the Internet, so it will still be in the electrons when I am no longer in the molecules (Note to self: good one!). It's now almost 16,000 pages long (no shit) and will never be finished. Its subject to a Creative Commons license. Do with it what you will (my only ask, that you treat it with respect). If you know of an archive where it will persist, please upload it!
"I just want to be dope on the mic".