Every manifestation of this theme is, it seems to me, another provocation or imprecation to ponder the distinction between perception and imagination. -- MD

What an abyss of uncertainty whenever the mind feels some part of it has strayed beyond its own borders; when it, the seeker, is at once the dark region through which it must go seeking, where all its equipment will avail it nothing. Seek? More than that: create. It is face to face with something which does not so far exist, to which it alone can give reality and substance, which it alone can bring into the light of day. 
     Marcel Proust, Swann's Way
     (in the Combray section, the madeleine passage) 

The entire universe does not satisfy the contemplation and thought that lie within the scope of human endeavor; our ideas often go beyond the boundaries by which we are circumscribed.
     Longinus or Dionysius, On the Sublime
     (translated by T. S. Dorsch) 

The memories of childhood have no order, and no end.
     Dylan Thomas, "Reminiscences of Childhood" 

See:

Reservations Recommended: 333 he made a comment on the comment 

Reservations Recommended: 354 Matthew seems to be on the edge of being drunk most of the time 

Introduction to the Complete Peter Leroy (so far): 43 the work keeps trying to — or threatening to — burst through the boundaries 

Herb 'n' Lorna: 63 the border between the mechanical operations ? setting the stones and other ornaments, cutting, stamping, and buffing ? and the artisanship of those who actually made the gold and silver settings or those who carved figures in ivory 

Reservations Recommended: 291 It is turned out in some damned style or other, but since we are a mere food critic we are unable to say just what style it is. It is one of those styles that know no boundaries, within which tin is as good as gold — l'esthétique du mal, perhaps, or langue-en-joue. 

Little Follies: 984 Even at eleven, I could see that my imagination was, much like the foggy future of the Tars, a place without visible boundaries, perhaps with no boundaries at all, a place where I could get lost if I wasn't careful. 

Little Follies: 23 nibbling at the elusive, ever-receding twilight line of this moment

Where Do You Stop?: 11 Well, where are the edges of things? Where in space-time, for instance, does one phase of your life end and another begin? Where do you mark the onset of an idea, a discovery? Where do you mark the end of a belief? Where does my table end and the keyboard of my computer begin?  

A Topical Guide to the Complete Peter Leroy (so far) is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, dialogues, settings, and businesses portrayed in it are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. 

Portions of A Topical Guide to the Complete Peter Leroy (so far) were first published by Voyager, Inc., as part of The Complete Peter Leroy (so far).

The illustration at the top of the page is an adaptation of an illustration by Stewart Rouse that first appeared on the cover of the August 1931 issue of Modern Mechanics and Inventions. The boy at the controls of the aerocycle doesn’t particularly resemble Peter Leroy—except, perhaps, for the smile.