I am a researcher, creative writer, and former university instructor. My philosophical outlook is deeply influenced by the great rationalists of the 17th-century. Advocating for a life guided by reason and an acceptance of the absolute necessity of whatever occurs (everywhere and at all times), I see myself as bearing Spinoza’s torch in particular.

Visit my Bio page for more info. Here is a decent third-person summary, though.

M. A. Istvan Jr., a forensic gynecologist by day, has long been a holy fool whose sacred purpose boils down to celebrating, in the same spirit as the Lakota sun dance or the Hopi corn dance, the Spinozistic godhead of which everything—from black holes to hydrogen bombs—cannot help but be an expression. Literary art is his primary medium. Among the visual and auditory and olfactory and tactile arts (which he practices to some extent as well), Istvan believes that literary art has a loneliness-dismantling power to plumb the otherwise-inaccessible depths of the invisible inner lives across species—a special power among so many others: whether it be to unveil hypocrisies, or to tease out the implications of psychological and physical scenarios, or to pose what-if thought experiments that allow us better to see who we are and make wiser decisions, or to highlight commonalities between even the most alien phenomena, or to rally and direct us to the noblest ends.

Safe Space Press provides a platform for quality artists of various genres and styles. We especially want to help heterodox and transgressive writers—misfits and outcasts—who, despite being maimed by cancel culture, crave the truth (no matter how ugly or uncomfortable). In our age of fragility and moral sanctimony, “safe spaces” have become refuges from uncomfortable truths and unsettling conversations. Rather than advocating retreat from potentially triggering topics, rather than upholding the right not to be offended as the most important right of all, Safe Space Press functions as a sanctuary for the fearless thinker willing to explore the gritty guts of private and public reality—yes, even if they have the evil optics of whiteness. Our mission is to champion truth-seekers, regardless of how uncomfortable or controversial their ideas may be and regardless if they are on the bullied end of identity politics. It is a place where raw, unfiltered voices can scream, whisper, and rant without getting sanitized by the squeaky-clean standards of the so-called civilized world. It is a space, in effect, that regards the pursuit of truth as paramount—a space where the dangerous and liberating facts of reality can be confronted head-on, without the anesthesia of contemporary platitudes. Here we do not coddle the soul but fortify. We fortify it for the arduous journey of self-overcoming and the reining in of the passions toward a central mission—one hopefully more worthwhile than simply getting famous for mukbang or twerking. Think of it as a crucible where ideas are tested, not shielded. Think of it as a place where intellectual safety comes from the freedom to explore and question everything. Visit the Safe Space page for more info.

In addition to showcasing my own artwork (such as my music), the artwork of my friends (especially C-Ride, Duke, and Space Jesus), and the artwork featured in the publications of Safe Space Press, the site provides a platform to sell various products (see Princess Imprints, Quirky Jerky, Atelier Aaliyah, and also perfume decants) and to offer various services (such as editing and ghostwriting, coaching and training, counseling and instruction).

If there is a primary purpose of the site (at once cyber school and digital dive bar), it is to disseminate my writings: my rants and reflections, my critiques and poems, my books and essays—all of which I see, ultimately, as a literary unfolding and celebration of the self-necessitated foundational power of which we (like black holes and broken beliefs, like fractal ferns and flickering flames) are the necessitated expressions. If there is any practical purpose of this unfolding and celebration, it is to ignite critical thought and self-transformation in those who dare to read and reflect deeply; it is to dismantle the comforting lies of our time and awaken the inner hero in each of us; it is to remind you that beauty and brutality, the sublime and the grime, can coexist.

In essence, this site is a multifaceted platform that combines artistic expression, philosophical exploration, and practical offerings. It is designed to challenge, inspire, and provide resources for those seeking to engage deeply with ideas and pursue personal growth.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), a towering figure in literary and intellectual history, deeply resonates with my beliefs and outlook. What stands out to me especially is that, despite the important emphasis he places on self-reliance and self-determination, he finds it important to honor the Spinozistic understanding that humans—and all their thoughts, desires, and actions—are as organically determined as trees and rockslides. The quotes I have chosen, purposefully placed throughout the site to illuminate key ideas and provide moments of reflection, reflect his deep understanding of human nature, morality, aesthetics, and philosophy.

Goethe has such a knack for seeing the universal in the particular. His interdisciplinary curiosity and ability to synthesize diverse fields of knowledge are so unparalleled that he deserves a spotlight. In addition to writing lyric poetry and drama and scientific treatises while also serving as a cultural icon and statesman and muse for artists of every genre—this is the man who crafted one of the greatest works of Western literature and testament to the grandeur of human potential: "Faust," a work that masterfully explores themes of ambition, desire, and redemption.

By weaving Goethe's words throughout this site, I honor his influence and invite you to see the world through the lens of his boundless curiosity and aesthetic sensibility and understanding that everything is interconnected by necessity. Goethe's wisdom serves as both a bridge and capstone to what I wish to convey, which is ultimately that peace and joy can come from accepting our oneness with protozoa and ferns and stars and nuclear power plants alike—accepting that we are all equally mere necessitated modes of one self-created fundamental reality.

The quick but perhaps too nonliteral answer is simply this: navigate this site with a spirit of exploration and a willingness to challenge your own preconceptions. This is not a platform for passive consumption. It is a crucible for active engagement and personal transformation. Use the search function like a miner’s lamp to find specific themes or topics. Treat the site as a living, breathing entity that evolves with your engagement and reflection. Allow yourself to get lost in its depths, but know that you can always find your bearings. Indeed, in bright neon green on either side of each page at all times is a rope back to the top of the particular page (on the right) as well as a rope back to the launch point (on the left).

Although at times it could feel like spelunking in a vast cave system (part exploration, part revelation, with the occasional moment of sheer bewilderment), there are guideposts. Most of the central pages of my site have my header, which lists out every section and subsection. Yes, there are several pages—such as those for my list of quotes or fragrance discussion or landing pages for members of my crew the Residuals—whose links are found mainly in other pages. However, I do have a comprehensive site map that you can always turn to in a crunch (click here).

This site is a sprawling web of ideas and reflections, a digital labyrinth where readers can lose themselves—and, ideally, find themselves in the process. I have wide-ranging interests. Music is huge. So are editing and fitness. But the writing stands at the core. I sacrifice most of myself to the literary arts. My Blog and my Substack constitute the centerpiece of my purpose.

Of course, I might answer this in a more figurative manner—more perhaps in the spirit of one of my biggest influences: Nietzsche. The crucial element of this website is the connection it fosters—not just between you and the texts, but between you and your deeper self. It is about the moments of clarity that emerge from the chaos, the unexpected insights that jolt you out of complacency, the shared experiences that remind you that you are not alone in your struggle. As you engage with my writings and the thoughts they provoke, you are invited to question, to grapple, to transcend. The site is a tool, a means to an end. That end is your own self-overcoming, your own rise toward becoming a creature who sees itself as a mode of team cosmos. This site is a mirror, a sounding board, a lifeline—a place where the act of reading becomes an act of living more fully, more consciously, more gratefully.

The most important aspect, ultimately, is not the content itself, but what you do with it—how you allow it to challenge you, to break down the old idols within you, and to pave the way for the creation of values most fitting your own mission. With the right amount of honesty, with the right amount of courage to have open conversations with yourself and others on this collective unfolding of the hive Being, you can find that mission.

Yeah, check my credits page for a more detailed list. But I will say shout out to all my boys who stuck up for me even when their girls call me monster behind closed doors. Much love if you stuck up for me. Fuck you if you didn’t. And especially fuck you if you talk behind my back for writing “disturbing things” even as you still go around rapping Biggie’s most violent and child-predatory lyrics.