Having once been a psychotherapist who’s never hesitated to turn the therapeutical gun barrel toward himself, Mathias B. Freese ramps up his radical reflexivity in this latest work, from confessional first-person narration to third-person “stories” starring “characters” named Matt. (This genre could be called meta-Matt.)
“I write to know perhaps something about who I am,” Freese writes. “I write to arrive at some awareness, however dim, about self or other, for when I have that fleeting moment of awareness, I feel at one — true.” Truly, Again. Again and Again. is a song of himself.
Rocker Billy Idol proves to be an unlikely but apt echoer here: “When there’s nothing to lose and there’s nothing to prove, well, I’m dancing with myself.” As a one-man show, Freese puts the “dance” in “abundance,” stressing an author’s singularity, the innerness of writing, the sharing — rather than the proselytizing — purpose of artistic expression. In other words, as Freese says, “a book is one person’s awareness as he or she sees it.”
More than a few times, Freese had implied that Again. Again and Again. would probably be his swan song, his “final stirrings,” his ultimate testament. How laughable, considering both his prolificacy and “urge and urge and urge” (as Whitman would gush). Sure enough, the author is no longer so sure that he’s expressed enough, and it seems that yet another stirring idea spurs him to create again. Again and…
Reviews
“If thought-provoking is what you are looking for, pick up this book! Due to the openness and honesty in his writing, he really stokes the deep mental embers of life. In this collection of essays and stories, he shares much of himself on a personal and spiritual level. It is impossible to read this book and not self-reflect. It is highly relatable, well-written, and has just the right amount of humor to keep the heart ticking (pun intended). Mental salve for the tired soul.”
– Amazon reader
“Reading these pieces again reminds us of the profound depth of intelligence that is Mathias Freese. His eloquent words are never presumptuous or distancing, but instead invite us into the sphere of his insightful mind, a jurisdiction that becomes a golden opportunity to engage and be in his moment. Mathias is wise, thoughtful, inspiring – and a very fine writer.”
– Grady Harp
“Aside from being extremely thought-provoking, this collection is also fun to read, and quietly educational. Shot through with literary quotes, snippets of philosophy, history, and general social interest, it gives a reassuring sense of chatty intimacy.”
– Rose Auburn
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