EE Cummings on “Krazy Kat”
EE Cummings was a big fan of Krazy Kat and his foreword to a collected edition on Herriman’s iconic comic strip can perhaps best be described as “very EE Cummings” in all that this can entail, so here’s some bonus quotations: #krazykat 1/6
“Let’s make no mistake about Krazy. A lot of people “love” because. and a lot of people “love” although, and a few individuals love. Love is something illimitable; and a lot of people spend their limited lives trying to prevent anything illimitable from happening to them.” 2/6
“Krazy is herself. Krazy is illimitable — she loves. She loves in the only way anyone can love: illimitably. She isn’t morbid and she isn’t long-suffering; she doesn’t “love” someone because he hurts her and she doesn’t “love” someone although he hurts her.” 3/6
“She doesn’t, moreover, “love” someone who hurts her. Quite the contrary: she loves someone who gives her unmitigated joy. How?” 4/6
“By always trying his limited worst to make her unlove him, and always failing — not that our heroine is insensitive… but that our villain’s every effort to limit her love with his unlove ends by a transforming of his limitation into her illimitability.” 5/6
“If you’re going to pity anyone, the last anyone to pity is our loving heroine, Krazy Kat.” 6/6