don’t become a well-rounded person. well rounded people are smooth and dull. become a thoroughly spiky person. gow spikes from every angle. stick in their throats like a pufferfish. if you want to woo the muse of the odd, don’t read shakespeare. read webster’s revenge plays. don’t read homer and aristotle. read herodotus where he’s off talking about egyptian women having public sex with goats. […] you didn’t come here from nowhere. there are reasons why you’re here. learn those reasons. learn about the stuff that was buried because it was too experimental or embarrassing or inexplicable or uncomfortable or dangerous.

bruce sterlin | the wonderful power of storytelling | via ninakix [emphasis mine]