Jess Karlin is dead!

kapoore

For me it's the nature of the internet that people use alter egos, say things they might not have said face to face, and so on. I do it myself, and Tarot has always had people who used different names, for example Eliphas Levi who was not really Eliphas Levi. The persona of Jess Karlin had several personalities. Given his purist philosophy toward occult Tarot, I can imagine that he would be very vitriolic about a photoshop deck. But he could change. When I first read some of his long blogs he wrote poisonous and sarcastic things about A.E. Waite. At one point I was interested in the occult war between the Crowley people and A. E. Waite and so I went looking for those quotes by Jess Karlin and they had been scrubbed. Instead I discovered that Karlin had changed his mind about Waite. He had written an essay on Waite's Chariot card. He also had developed strong opinions on other cards. For example, he drew distinctions between the Waite art in the 3 of coins and the 8 of coins--that the 3 of coins had hidden symbolism showing superior craftmanship to that of the 8 of coins. The 8 of coins was more assembly line work while the 3 of coins was true craftsmanship. Anyway, I'm sorry that he blasted your deck, and my guess is that he did not appreciate your art. Photoshop definitely is complex and to do it well is a high skill. And you apparently survived him if that is any consolation.
 

gregory

He was vicious towards individuals and women on the whole. He did not approve of ANY "concept" decks at all, either. Or anyone overweight. Especially if they read the cards.

He knew a lot - but some scholars who know a lot deserve to be completely ignored on the basis of their other behaviour. "Karlin" "was" one such.
 

cirom

For example, he drew distinctions between the Waite art in the 3 of coins and the 8 of coins--that the 3 of coins had hidden symbolism showing superior craftmanship to that of the 8 of coins. The 8 of coins was more assembly line work while the 3 of coins was true craftsmanship.

Well with all due respect, that interpretation and 3 and 8 of coins connection is hardly the deepest insight in Tarot, Even I connected those dots, and I don't share a fraction of the knowledge the all knowing JK boasted of.


Anyway, I'm sorry that he blasted your deck, and my guess is that he did not appreciate your art. Photoshop definitely is complex and to do it well is a high skill. And you apparently survived him if that is any consolation.

Survived? Hopefully so, but then surviving his opinions on that score wasn't particularly difficult since he didn't seem to know that much about it in the first place. Nor for that matter was it particularly important. Just like so many other critics in our community, they start to actually believe that their public opinions carry more weight than they actually do. That their reputation entitles them to then expand into areas that they are clearly less qualified to do. They start to believe their own hype especially if they can get their own ratings up by pissing off a few known people along the way, and start to view themselves as some behind the scenes king makers that can seriously impact how a book or deck is valued by the rest of the community. Whereas I personally consider they make a minimal difference especially in this day and age when there are ample images and reference sources available on line that enable people to come to their own conclusions.
My issue was not his opinion or his trashing, but that like some sleazy tabloid reporter, he changed my words, took them out of context, and misquoted them. The fact that Eliphas Levi and others may have also have changed their names in the past, may add some historical comparison and romance in the eyes of some. But in my eyes its just another narcissist hiding behind an alias. He can call himself Micky frigging Mouse for all I care, although I would prefer he just use asshole, that way it would take the guesswork out of it.
 

Macavity

JK and I had a few erudite (I probably flatter myself. LOL.) Email exchanges. But I think I was never sufficiently "famous" to interest him? Not to negate those who experienced genuine distress with JK, but <thinks> Back in 2002, when I first embraced Tarot, things were kinder HERE too? Such is the way is the internet generally now though... :)

JK (and others) perhaps helped me to decide: Unless my livelihood might depended on it, I would remain ever an "amateur" (latterly lapsed) Taroist. It simply wasn't worth the hassle. The "demise" of JK, welcome or not, is still somehow the end of a (Tarot) era. :D
 

Lee

I think it's important to distinguish between writings and actions. He obviously is free to write whatever he wants. It's his actions that people (including me) take exception to. I've had my own little run-in with him many years ago. We take it for granted that people who have the same interests will mean well toward each other, and that's usually true, but in this case it's not true. He takes positions and does actions for no other purpose than to upset and aggravate people. As Ciro suggests, it's easy for people to be dismissive of the harm he's done if they haven't personally experienced it.

P.S. Nice to see you, Macavity! :)
 

gregory

Shame he will be enjoying the new attention this thread is giving him :(
 

Lee

I really don't care if he is or isn't. I think it's more important that people know the full story so they can avoid him if they choose.
 

EricBowers

Oh, Glenn Write isn't dead. I just banned him from my Esoteric and Occult Tarot facebook group.
 

Richard

Thank goodness this forum has safeguards against trolls. We may chafe under the restrictions, but it is far preferable to the kind of disruption caused by JK (and clones), whose main interest was to destroy intelligent discussion by insulting the other participants.
 

The Happy Squirrel

JK and I had a few erudite (I probably flatter myself. LOL.) Email exchanges. But I think I was never sufficiently "famous" to interest him? Not to negate those who experienced genuine distress with JK, but <thinks> Back in 2002, when I first embraced Tarot, things were kinder HERE too? Such is the way is the internet generally now though... :)

JK (and others) perhaps helped me to decide: Unless my livelihood might depended on it, I would remain ever an "amateur" (latterly lapsed) Taroist. It simply wasn't worth the hassle. The "demise" of JK, welcome or not, is still somehow the end of a (Tarot) era. :D

I like this post. Not sure why.

No idea of this JK is. Looks like that is a good thing.