Anne Waldman

After hearing a soundbite of "Uh Oh Plutonium" on UBU: John Giorno Poetry Systems a.k.a The Dial-A-Poem Poets , I looked into Anne Waldman.

A poet, protester, musician, writer, etc etc etc. Anne Waldman and her work are often associated with the Beat Generation. There are many articles about her here.


I'm so obsessed with this song right now:

Colors in the Mechanism of Concealment:

Friend's Videos

Here are some links and videos made by friends:



Black Magic Rollercoaster is great. Thomas is skilled at mimicking genres. Mostly inspired to make stuff for Alamo Draft House's various competitions, his videos show great style and a suburb sense of humor. Whether it be the Unnecessary Sequel Trailer Contest, or the 48-Hour Bloodshots Horror Film Contest, or in the case of my personal favorite that I embedded below, the BPM 48-Hour Music Video Contest, it proves that Thomas has a cool brain.



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You should definitely also check out the unnecessary sequel "SON OR DAUGHTER? OF GLEN OR GLENDA?" because it is very very well done. Wiley does a really amazing job in it, tough role too. You may know him from Dazed and Confused and Waking Life. He made a little video that I'm in. Made from footage taken through his infrared camera of a little walk we took around my old neighborhood. Nothing crazy, very simple and sweet. What's awesome is that it looks like it's winter and we're on another planet, but actually it was summer in Austin, Texas. Here's a link to that: Going for a Walk, it's on his blog:New of The Dead.



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Speaking of things I'm in, but really this has very little to do with me, Jason directed and Ben produced and edited this Super 16mm film called Rut. It Won Best Overall at the 2006 Open APPerture Film Festival, got Viewer's Choice at the 2006 Jumpcut Film Festival, and an Audience Award at the 2006 Cinematexas Film Festival, and was Feature at Fantastic Fest 2006. I'm only in it for a second, dressed as Dorthy and holding a shotgun! Which made for a great photo op that got published in the Daily Texan, even though I barely did anything. That was one of the best costumes ever!

It's worth seeing eventhough it's in a little flash box as opposed to how beautiful it was in its original format. strange subject, odd tone to the film, interesting, really well shot.

Here's a link: "Rut"


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Speaking of little videos with me. My friend Brandi made this little thought provoking flower half outta footage from us karaoking and half outta I'm not sure what. She describes it as: "simpletone explores night setting." It's both kinda terrifying and sorta sweet...

dear deena




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There's much more I want to share at this moment but I'm tired of blogging. I'll come back and put more friend's videos up soon. And hopefully soon enough I'll put some stuff I've been working on as well. I went on an erasing spree recently, caused by Vincent Gallow. I'm afraid to write his name here now. He had one of my videos on youtube taken down due to "copyright infringement" because I mention him in the description. I didn't use any footage or music or anything that he has a copyright on. When I posted the little homemade video, of which I did the sound & music too, I threw together a description. It read "Vincent Gallo went looking for his lost love tripping on mushrooms and it was very difficult. He put all his blood sweat and tears into this journey, but to no avail. As if in a dream, he heard the eerie voice of a mysterious woman detective that could find his lost love." And that was enough reason for him to get it taken down and accuse me of copyright violation. Ugh! I'll also mention that he took down footage from the original movie that the song "Come Wander With Me" by Jeff Alexander was in. As you may know, he used that amazing song in Brown Bunny, which I really liked.

Anyways... tangent!

construction one

There's this house being constructed down the street.



I have been going there a lot lately.





At risk of being too metaphorical, I just had a major operation that I am recovering (very well) from. I will have to build my life back together very soon. In identifying with the concept of being under construction, I guess I was drawn to this place.




I am glad that I was because it is such a great place to hang-out.




There is a sense of privacy and openness. This vacancy inside a construct.








Without a roof the sky's the limit!




And also a sense of progression. Look! Another layer has been added:





It appears someone's been playing soccer...

Music Sharing

Generally, I have observed a huge mischaracterization of music sharing ("piracy"). I happen to be amongst a community of music lovers, collectors, and sharers. These things tend to go hand in hand. Many of my friends are in bands. I have learned about artists I probably would have never discovered if not for music sharing and because of that I have gone to their shows, bought merchandise, and further promoted. Spreading the word is free marketing. The only artists I imagine don't benefit from music sharing are big labeled artists who are already banking and don't need promotion because they are already huge.


I'm sure there are some real pirates out there, people who only download music and never buy it, never pay to go to shows, never buy merchandise, nothing, they just are free loaders. The ones that make music sharers become menacingly characterized as pirates who who want to ruin the music industry. I don't know them. But NONE of the people I know are like that. They have HUGE collections of purchased music (cds and records) and also HUGE collections of music they got for free. You can't stop people from making each other mix cd's, that's just cruel. Mix cds are one of the best things in the world! Or burning each other disks.

In the world I live in: It's fair trading. I bought this amazing album and want to share it, and someone else bought an amazing album and wants to share it! Someone hears a record at a friend's house, then goes and downloads it easily and freely and listens to it constantly, then s/he looks up when a the next show happens in the area, gets a bunch of people to go pay to see the band! Someone loves a particular song and sends someone a free mp3 of it, then that person wants to go buy the album! Etc etc etc. These are the kinda of scenarios I encounter when it comes to sharing music.

The types of music sharing scenarios that I know of help the music industry and they are made up of genuine music lovers.

I understand the concern, believe me. And it's money. I get it. Hm...I wonder, would a band rather to never be heard of or be popular, loved, and free? I mean, if those were the only choices...

I know there is a fine line that becomes a slippery slope between music sharing and piracy. But I also think that we live in a digital age where there is tons of access and exposure. With the good comes the bad, and with the bad comes the good. This also means that someone can steal my idea pretty easily, but it also means that someone can like my idea who would have never had access to it.



One more philosophical query... if a band worked hard, and they got a huge fan base of loving listeners out of people downloading their mp3s for free unbenounced to them, is all their hard world lost? Probably this means that they will be doing better as a band. And by better I mean: selling more cds, t-shirts, show tickets, etc. And by better I also mean happier because people know who the hell they are and like their work.

Again, this need not apply to big huge bands on big huge record labels who are already living in luxury. I imagine music sharing doesn't help them one bit, but, aren't they already banking?




I realize the piracy and copyright issues in our modern interwebbing world is a can of very complex worms that I haven't quite gotten a handle over. But in general, I'll say my little say. I think the first priority of art is either to be private or public. If you make it for yourself, no problem. If you are making it hoping for an audience, once you go public, isn't the goal to create as many listeners as possible???? To see if people relate to your work and if they do then you CELEBRATE THAT! If it is for money, than you should go back to college or go to college and get a degree in marketing or business or something and I promise that you will be more likely to bank.

Operative Report

For a year they couldn't figure out what was wrong, then I got tentatively diagnosed with a pretty rare and highly misunderstood: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. For more information about the diagnostic process, I have abridged two of the DOCTOR'S LETTERS. One who ended up doing the surgery, and the other, writes a humorously verbose letter. I find it hilarious (in my weird textual sense of humor) the way he tries to cover all his ground.

After about four or five months of physical therapy with two different therapist's approaches, I still wasn't better. I resorted to a seemingly draconian surgery based on a nebulous diagnosis because I figured, what other choice do I have? To be in chronic pain and unable to use my right hand (I am right handed) and wait for it to magically disappear didn't seem like a good option. So I risked the surgery, also because I had faith in these surgeons: Dr.Ducic and Dr.Marshall. They were planning on taking out my first rib, scalene muscle, and doing other things I couldn't recall because I don't have the medical vocabulary. See, they were going to remove those things hoping that might work because it sometimes does relieve symptoms of TOS. Turns out I made the right decision; upon opening me up they did indeed find the real cause of the pain I'd been suffering for a year and a half...





(A drawing a few weeks before the surgery)

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OPERATIVE REPORT
SURGEON: BLAIR MARSHALL

Preoperative Diagnosis: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Postoperative Diagnosis: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome


INDICATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE:
Patient is young woman with impingement of her brachial plexus on the level of the thoracic outlet. She was evaluated preopertively and found to be a good candidate for the first rib resection. She was aware of the risks and details associated with the procedure in fact a 50% chance of improvement of her symptoms. She was willing to proceed.



These collages I made a few weeks before the surgery, includes copies of my real X-RAYS.
If you click on em you can see em bigger.



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PROCEDURE:
After Dr.Ducic performed the incision division of the scalenes and neurolysis of the brachial plexus, we were called into the room. The tubercle of the first rib was identified. The subclavian was retracted superiorly and we dissected onto the periosteum of the rib and then dissected circumferentially around the rib. We extended this underneath the subclavian and the brachial plexus up posteriorly to the level of insertion on the transverse process.

There was a quite strong verticle angle of the rib in this location, suggesting that it may have in fact certainly been the cause of her symptoms.

We dissected all the way to the vertbral body and then ligament was divided. Initially we transected the rib between the subclavian and brachial plexus, and then sequentially took out the posterior aspect of the first rib all the way back cleanly off the vertebral body at the level of the ligament, and then anteriorly, taking care to avoid the injury to the brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and vein, anteriorly to the level of the manubrium.

One this was done, the wound was packed. Hemostatis was obtained, and then a Penrose drain was placed and the wound was closed in laters with absorbable suture. I, Dr.Blair Marshall, was present for the entire thoracic portion of the prodecdure and responsible for the conduct of the case.



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So that's just Dr.Marshall's operative report; still waiting Dr.Ducic's. He took the scalene muscle out, re-arranged nerves and veins, clipped arteries, somethingsomething. I'd like to read it because he said some crazy stuff was going on in there and all the medical terminology slips my mind. I'd like it in writing.

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New Leaf

I've been going through some bloggers and have decided to turn a new leaf, I mean, it is fall. Mainly I've been writing only on things generally classified as "the arts." No I will continue with all that because it is a part of my life and I think sharing is important. I don't know where I'd be without the sharings of others.

However now I've decided to expand my sharing and write WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE WRITING ABOUT. In other words, I've been sifting through some other people's blogs and I liked the personal parts of them. I'm not gonna get all livejournal, but I am going to share other tidbits about me, other than what impresses me in music, visual art, or film, etc.


Oh by the way this tracks what I listen to on my computer and ipod, so not all the CDs or records, but still does show a substantial amount, enough to call it my music profile: lastfm: DeenaOdelle

DR LETTERS

Dr. letter regarding surgery part one:

Although longer and more confusing, this letter is far more entertaining. Especially the end. What's even funnier is that my Dad and I were sitting there as he dictated this overly eloquent and verbose letter. And I have trimmed it down pretty considerably.



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Dear Dr.McMahon:

As a follow-up of today's introductory evaluation of Ms.Hyatt, I write this letter. The patient is being seen for a possible right upper extremity thoracic outlet syndrome. I spend most of our time today listening to the patient's complaints.

In brief recapitulation, the patient is a twenty-five year old white female with initial swelling of the right hand over a year ago. She underwent subsequent evaluation in Austin, Texas with a subsequent evaluation for persistent symptoms. Chronic adema combined with intermittent pain in the upper arm, forearm, and hand, as she points in the latter to the fourth and fifth digits of the right hand (those which appropriately correspond to the ulnar nerve). She notes as well appreciable pain in the neck. She also has a history of a left iliac vein thrombosis, which was rather extensive secondary to May-Turner's syndrome with an angiolysis in 2001 and subsequent stent placement but not further problems. The patient has been ongoing with physical therapy for the last seven weeks with some appreciable benefit.

The patient remains on significant medication, including Neurontin 300 mg b.i.d., cyclobenzaprine q.h.s., and additional medications she does not recall.

At this point, the patient is noted to have bounding pulses and bilateral radial arteries on standing at military posture, Adson position remains unaffected. Yet, with hyperabduction of the left and right upper extremities, there is adiminution of pulses.

I think most importantly, at this point, the patient is out of school on the basis of pain with any movement of her right hand and arm, as she is right handed. Her function is minimal without great consequence.

At this juncture, the patient has recently and locally seen Dr.Ivica Ducic, whom I know and admire. I was not aware that Dr.Ducic had any interest or expertise in thoracic outlet syndrome, but I do know him to be an excellent individual and surgeon. I know that the patient will be seeing dr. Blair Marshall, who is another outstanding individual. Dr.Marshall is a thoracic surgeon, having finished her training at the University of Pennsylvania and is well known locally, having come through the general surgery program at Georgetown University Hospital and having rotated at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

I have stated that many surgeons have many different opinions about TOS. My own opinion, in regard to Ms. Hyatt's history, I would probably say that I favor some element of TOS in her history; however, at this juncture, I do not see anything that would push me to recommend surgery. Physical therapy, which probably restores individuals to a reasonable function in 50% of the cases, is my recommendation. If, however, the physical therapy does not deem successful, surgical intervention may be necessary.

I have further stated to Ms.Hyatt and her father who is accompanying her today that there are numerous, different opinions about thoracic surgery, even if surgery is recommended. I am en enthusiast for a rather traditional first rib resection through a transaxillary approach, taking down all of the attachments tha might effect the ipsilateral subclavian vein, artery, and/or brachial plexus. Other individuals favor a supraclavicular approach with release of nerve entrapment and scalenus anticus division, etc.

My recommendation is that if the patient were to have surgery, she should have one definitive surgery, minimizing the chance for complications or repeat operation where most of the problems come to fruition. On that basis, I recommend the patient defer surgery until it absolutely needs to be performed. This is not to put her in a position of severe end-stage nerve-related symptomatology, but rather until a point where she has proven that she does not benefit adequately with physical therapy, and that she must do something, even if surgery is felt to be a diagnostic maneuver.

I apologize for waxing too eloquent and being verbose. Again, I have stated that there are numerous individuals who think in wildly conflicting ways with regard to this entity, and it is well known to be most often treated in Denver and Dallas where two surgeons in those same communities are very aggressively minded. However, at the same time, it must be kept in mind, at least over the past decade, that thoracic outlet syndrome ........


Finally, Dr.McMahon, at some point......

Again I apologize for this lengthy note, and I ask Dr.Marshall to send me a copy of her evaluation of this patient.

Thank you for allowing me to participate in the evaluation and care of Ms.Hyatt.

Sincerely,

Paul D. Keirnan, M.D.



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Dr. letter regarding surgery part two:

This is the surgeon who ended up operating on me, as he predicts in the letter.




Dear Scott:

I had the pleasure of seeing Mrs.Hyatt who is currently 25, and, for the past year, has been experiencing symptoms related to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in her right upper extremity, primarily related to pain, pins and needles, and also coldness/loss of pulse with arm elevation/abduction. She is having most of the symptoms corresponding to the ulnar nerve.

On physical examination, she did have a positive Tinel's sign and tenderness of right but not left brachial plexus. She did have a visually loss of pulse (right hand becoming pale with arm elevation).

Based on her presentations and current findings after a lengthy and detailed discussion, I would summarize my conversation with her as following: I instructed her to obtain a consultation with Dr. Blair Marshall in thoracic surgery for her to discuss whether the 1st rib would need to be addressed at the same time, and I would be planning to perform a brachial plexus neurolysis and anterior scalene muscle removal.

I explained to her that, based on her discussion with Dr. Marshall, the 1st rib can be removed at the same time when the decompression of the brachial plexus and anterior scalenectomy would be performed.
As far as the part of the surgery that I will perform, that would be done through a suprasubclavicular approach with the limited incision that I am using. The possible risks and limitations have been discussed with the patient. Considering that she is currently undergoing physical therapy and is planning to do it through the end of June, then that would be approximately three months of the therapy. Should her symptoms go away by that time, certainly surgery would not be necessary, but based on how abrupt the loss of her pulse is with her current problems with tingling are, I suspect most likely physically therapy might not address her problem and she will require surgery.

In the meantime, thank you again for involving me in the care of this kind patient.

With warm wishes.

Sincerely,

Ivica Ducic, M.D., Ph.D.

Yellow Fever

I have serious yellow fever. And it's actually an amazing thing to have.

Yellow Fever, the band from Austin TX. They just keep getting better and better. Some changes in arrangement underwent; which forced Jennifer to be the one and only frontwoman and damn can she take that stage. This woman has an amazing voice. Ahh I hate to do comparisons but if it will help I'll throw out there: White Magic, Cat Power, with more rock, I already don't like doing this comparison. Ohh, I have an idea! Listen to every song. Then buy their stuff. And if you can, go to their shows.

Ross McElwee

Ross McElwee makes documentaries. "It seems I'm filming my life in order to have a life to film, like some primitive organism that somehow nourishes itself by devouring itself, growing as it diminishes." -RM



Read more about him here (PBS Frontline).

I absolutely love all of his work but if you are to pick only one I would say Sherman's March.

Sherman's March: A Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love in the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation, (1986) Autobiographical documentary on life, love, nuclear preparedness, and the various neuroses of General William Sherman.

- Sundance Film Festival
- Best Feature Documentary USA Film Festival, (Dallas)
- Cinema du Reel, Paris National Board of Film Critics, runner-up Best Feature Documentary, 1986
- Selected by Library of Congress National Registry International Doc. Assoc: Top 20 Documentaries of All Time

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And if you can't get over Charleen, which you most likely won't be able to, then you have to pick-up Charleen or How Long Has This Been Going On?.

Charleen, (1978) Portrait of North Carolina native Charleen Swansea, a protégé of Ezra Pound, poet, and innovative teacher in the public schools.

- Best Documentary American Film Festival (NYC)
- Red Ribbon Award Best Feature Documentary of 1980, Boston Society of Film Critics


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And then of course, you should watch Bright Leaves.



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Oh! There's this:

Christian Bök

This is an online flash version of Chapter E .

WARNING: IT IS INTERACTIVE

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This picture of Christian Bök during his marathon reading of Eunoia:





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Last night I was thumbing through Chirstin Bök's lexical exprmnt:

(I am quoting now straight from blogcritics.org's Mike Daley)

Eunoia. I picked this book up, with its accompanying CD, at Word on the Street in Toronto a couple of weekends ago. The deal is that Bök (pronounced "book") has written a novel that uses the five vowels, but only one chapter at a time. So chapter one is "A", and all of the words in the chapter contain "a" as their only vowel.

It's quite amazing what he does, and clearly virtuosic, which I like. Now, as a guy who can't tell his metonyms from his synecdoches, I am loath to offer much in the way of criticism or analysis. I'll leave that to bookish English-teachin', poetry-lovin' babes, in whose company I like to be seen.

Let me just say that to hear this stuff read aloud, as the author does on the disc, is a striking sonic experience, and very interesting from a musical standpoint. Here's why. With the constant reiteration of the short and long forms of one vowel, albeit punctuated with a variety of consonant closers and openers, a kind of rhythm and melody emerges. Vowels ARE the carriers of tone in language, doncha know. Of course, this melody and rhythm is always present in spoken language, and implicit in written language as well. But the sameness of the vowel sounds (which are really just timbral profiles, which are themselves just formant registers [language babes love when I talk linguistics]) really points up the musicality of the speech.

What's interesting too is that Bök doesn't shy away from giving affective labels to the different vowels ('u' is obscene, apparently). All of this, in my bök, is a recipe for fun. I'll be chewing on this one for a while. Side note: I'm reminded of one of my mum's (9 months gone yesterday) favourite jokes, which is in the form of a newspaper headline: "'Sex before marriage? Not in my book!' claims angry Noah Webster...."

Oldtimes 2

TIME STAMP:
Wednesday, June 07, 2006

TITLE:
worth living

BODY:
Life is very much a possession.

9:06 AM - 8 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
Thoracles Odinrocker


One of the more interesting depictions of the consequences of suicide upon the dead comes from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series: As in Catholic exegesis of scripture, those who commit suicide are condemned to Hell; Gaiman has them turn into gnarled trees, void of leaves. The Sandman remarks that after an one hundred year absence from visiting Hell (the later quarter of the 19th century and the first three-quarters of the 20th) what was once a grove has turned into a dense and sorrowful forest. I find the image to be heart-breaking, particularly in taking into consideration the commentary on modern society's effect(s) upon human moods etc implied in Sandman's remarks.

I am bound to ask by the subject matter of this blog: are you thinking about suicide? Because if so, I better be the person you take with you....We cannot carry the Post Deenaism torch without you to guide the haphazard way.

Posted by Thoracles Odinrocker on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 at 10:10 AM
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Exeter


The thought that a day may come when Deenaism becomes Post is more than a little upsetting.

Posted by Exeter on Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 5:39 AM
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The Bashamo


old school jonathan, you're the sweetest!

Posted by The Bashamo on Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 10:37 AM
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The Bashamo


I am thinking about suicide as a subject matter, not as a course of action.
I'm way too much of a positive thinker and I have way to much to do to be suicidal right now. Maybe later.
But the plan is that I'll have eaten so much fatty foods, drank, smoked, etc that I won't have to deal with too much of a decline and I'll die early enough after having done enough.

Posted by The Bashamo on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 at 10:54 AM
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anna


i don't know enough about philosophy to make an educated argument, but i can share my opinion. the only time suicide seems logical - if you can even call it that - is if you know your life from this point on will be devoid of any significant pleasure. although a masochist may look forward to pain, i'm not really considering him. so, if you know you will only experience pain from here on out, you may as well kill yourself. the problem is that we can never know and therefore, may deprive ourselves from something wonderful. however, if we're dead we won't know what we're missing anyway.

Posted by anna on Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 8:52 AM
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Christopher el Mexicano Barbudo Rojo


There is, to be sure, something to what you are saying here, but might I suggest, to help differentiate between the types of suicides which you enumerate, that we, perhaps, reintroduce the concept of the martyr?

I, of course, decry suicide of all types, as it is the ultimate attack on all life, on your own, and on the world's, it is, from a subjective point of view, a final and ultimate attack on reality--but of course, reality still wins. But to abandon one's life for the sake of another, if that be suicide, is a very different sort of thing--I don't know if that is what you mean by a "bold suicide" or not, but that is all I can think that it might mean. I would highly recommend that you read G.K. Chesterton's comments on suicide in his book Orthodoxy; as much as the work is not "serious" philosophy, it is one of the finest and most thorough treatments of the issue I have ever read.

Happy thinking, enjoy the fatty foods, and God Bless.

Posted by Christopher el Mexicano Barbudo Rojo on Thursday, June 08, 2006 at 9:01 PM
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Thoracles Odinrocker


There are only two suicides that currently come to mind as being even close to "right" or justifiable:

1) Hunter S. Thompson. He is the expression of a right that is often ignored by many, but is always there nonetheless: the right to die. At the end of his life he couldn't even make it up a simple flight of stairs on his own. For someone who embodies the ideal of freedom, being held hostage on the first floor of one's own home is a terrible prison ("In prison I hear there's time to be good, but the first thing you see is the last thing you should" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club). There is something to be said for dying well, and you have to ask yourself if extending a life of physical pain and torment accompanied by psychological deterioration is a life worth living at all. What good can you accomplish for yourselves or others other than to remind them of the person you once were, and to placate their fears of a world without you - particularly when the world with you has become a burden to them beyond what is considered a reasonable cross to bear which brings me to my second suicide....

2) Jesus/God. Okay, so all of you Catholics out there are now most likely too furious with me to continue reading my argument, so go ahead and stop now and write that dastardly response that is itching under the cuticles of your righteous fingers. For the rest of you: according to Christian scripture God gave himself in the form of Jesus - a being who is/was 100% Divine and 100% human - in order to save us all. God did not have to do this, as God can do anything, but since he rigged the game in the Garden of Eden...heck even from Lucifer the Morningstar's rebellion (but this is another discussion that calls for much wine and some pompously proposterous cheese), he felt it was necessary to die an unnatural death (ie a violent one; one not brought about by time and old age...which one would also have to wonder if Jesus would EVER had died since he was, well, God...man we need to open up a Circle K with all these cans of worms...). He for-knew his death (see the Garden of Gethsemene (totally butchered the spelling, I am sorry)) and he allowed it to happen. Of course this is only suicide if you view allowing your death to take place at the violent hands of another when you could have easily stopped it as suicide. Anyway, for those of you still reading, you must really hate your job. Get back to the TPS Reports. That'd be great. Uh huh. Yeah.

Posted by Thoracles Odinrocker on Friday, June 09, 2006 at 7:37 AM
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Christopher el Mexicano Barbudo Rojo


Hi, I'm Catholic and I don't think that my response is particularly righteous or anything, in fact, I merely wanted to say that I more or less agree with what you said about Christ (Hunter S. Thompson is another, as you put it, can of worms); the point, however, is the one I would employ to call Christ's "suicide" a sacrifice. There is and must be a differance. The man who throws himself on the grenade that his friends might not perish does not commit suicide, nor does he who allows himself to be crucified that we may live. That's all really. (oh, and your point about Christ not dying a natural death, being God and all, is a good one: it puts the sacrifice in context. He did not merely give up life like a mortal would, for all mortals must die, but Christ gave up eternal life. Death, after all, is the wage of sin, and since Christ had not sin it stands to reason that he would have suffered not death. Amazing really.)

I hope that wasn't a "dastardly" response.

Posted by Christopher el Mexicano Barbudo Rojo on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 12:48 PM
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Oldtimes

Severe judgmental culturally elite complex writing literary industry commercial prospects. This is fucked up serious damage.


TIME STAMP:
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

TITLE:
difficult gems

BODY:

key phrases to look out for:

- severe judgment
- This is fucked up
- culturally elite
- neatly equated
- complex writing
- serious damage
- commercial prospects
- literary industry

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Citing Ulysses as the ultimate scare text, he claims, that its frequent placement on top-ten lists of the best books of the twentieth century "sends this message to the common reader: Literature is horribly hard to read. And this message to the aspiring writer: Extreme difficulty is the way to earn respect. This is fucked up. It's particularly fucked up when the printed word is fighting other media for its very life."

Even while popular writing has quietly glided into the realm of the culturally elite, doling out its severe judgment of fiction that has not sold well, and we have entered a time when book sales and artistic merit can be neatly equated without much of a fuss, Franzen has argued that complex writing, as practiced by writers such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett and their descendants, is being forced upon readers by powerful cultural institutions (this is me scanning the horizon for even the slightest evidence of this) and that this less approachable literature, or at least its esteemed reputation, is doing serious damage to the commercial prospects of the literary
industry.




-From a Harper's Article (you know about this Timothy)


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Do I agree?

There's plenty of accessible literature out there being sold and even SOLD-OUT. What's wrong with studying some difficult gems? What's wrong with pushing the limits? So maybe some people get left behind but there's always BEST SELLERS. There's still a middle between Donald Barthelme and The DaVinci Code.

And then there's movie adaptations.

Literature. Hmm...

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COMMENTS:

12:47 PM - 7 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove
The Timothy Corporation


I do, I do.

Posted by The Timothy Corporation on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 12:58 PM
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anna


so maybe some people get left behind, but there's always left behind. now that's great literature.

Posted by anna on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 1:03 PM
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DeenaOdelle


there was a movie adaptation of that in 2000.
the IMDb tagline for the movie = "the future is clear"
bullshit!

Posted by DeenaOdelle on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 1:07 PM
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Exeter


As a card-carrying member of the countrys cultural elite please excuse me while I get out my soapbox. I think its grossly short sighted to say that the force feeding of difficult literature to popular society is such a bad thing. Furthermore I think that as painful as it may (or may not) be, its necessary. Not everyone enjoyed taking basic science and math classes in school, but without some sort of basic bank of societal knowledge about these things communication would be impossible. The same is true of literature.

This concludes the intellectual diarrhea.

I love D.O.H.

Posted by Exeter on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 2:00 PM
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Thoracles Odinrocker


The problem is we no longer have to courage to say something sucks, or I don't understand it (and just because you personally don't understand it, doesn't make it stupid), and we have no idea what constitutes "good literature." I'm not saying that I do, but I do know that there is a difference between "good literature" and "writing that is good only because it makes you turn the page." The latter is a psychological device that can be expertly crafted, but will not push the bounds of literature to new levels of anything except summer-time book sales and terrible movie adaptations. Our children will not read The DiVinci Code; they will read Tim O'Brien's work.

Posted by Thoracles Odinrocker on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 2:57 PM
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The Timothy Corporation


Accessibility and experimentation are not mutually exclusive. There are plenty of writers able to push the boundaries of language and narrative form without sacrificing one iota of their readership. To me, that's the definition of literary genius.

(Name-dropping time! Writers like Alice Munro, George Saunders, and Robert Coover are perfect examples of authors who maintain that balance.)

ps..My mom LOVES the Left Behind series.

Posted by The Timothy Corporation on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 6:25 PM
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Christopher el Mexicano Barbudo Rojo


An observation, perhaps even a thought: There is more to the quote than the idea that "difficult" literature is being force fed, so I think. The problem, and I do believe it is a problem, and grevious one, is that there has been established a great gulf between what academics might call literature and what people are reading. No doubt there is a lot of literature that is accesable, but there is, it must be stated, much that is not. Why? Joyce, and he does deserve to be cited here, and the other modernists, especially later in their careers, filled there works with as much "stuff"--to use the technical term--as was possible. This makes it difficult for your average, even for your exceptional, reader. Anyone can pick up pretty much any 19th century novelist of poet and read and enjoy with little effort or education; the same cannot be said regarding many of the "greats" of the 20th century. The modernists, in an attempt to make literature more rich, made it also more obscure, this necessarily limited their audience. We have seen over the last many decades an increasing academization of literature. It is becoming a specialist field. This is not yet so clear in prose as in poetry, which is will serve as a more stark example. Poetry is no longer written for people, but is written for poets and critics. Eliot himself said that only a poet can criticize a poem. This is a new and exclusionary idea. Poetry is no longer for the people. Prose is going the same way. "But what?" you say, "there is so much literature being printed." And to be sure, there is. But compare this to the prose of a century ago. In the 19th century, newspapers were filled with serialized authors such as Dumas, Hugo, Tolstoy, and Dosteoevsky--names which are not venerable merely because they are old--imagine such a thing today. Imagine even serialized novels. Difficult, I know. Why? That is a big question which I should not attempt to answer in a blog comment. But it must be acknowledged that literature occupies a very different, and much more narrow, space in the lives of people today. At least one factor affecting this, is, I strongly believe, that people do think "real literature"--a term that you will hear them say--is too hard. Perhaps the idea of real literature needs be redefined (or, for that matter, defined at all). You see the same thing in philosophy and music. Few today will read Aristotle for leisure or listen to Palestrina for contemplation. No, there is an aversion to the "difficult stuff." I do believe that "cultural institutions"--we call those universities where I come from--force an idea about literature on people, and I believe this idea is very incorrect. We are losing the middle ground, so it seems, between literature as something to be enjoyed, and literature as something to be studied. Before guys like Joyce & co., it was not necessary to "study" literature. Anyone can enjoy Milton without getting all of his references; without getting all of his references--and who does?--Pound's Cantos are unintelligable. This is a big difference, and I would argue, a big problem. Ok, that's the observation and the thought, I shall close with a recommendation: Read Dana Gioia's book, Can Poetry Matter, and perhaps also some works on criticism and literature by G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis. Pushing the envelope may be a good, but not at the expense of the letter.

Ingmar Bergman

Mr. Bergman finally fully confronts his famous fear of death today July 31 2007.



Luckily he's got nothing to show for himself except over 50 films, nominated for awards, won some awards, 168 works for the stage, television, and radio.... tax evasion, jail time, nervous breakdown, marriages to Ingrid von Rosen, Else Fisher, Ellen Lundström, Gun Grut, and Käbi Laretei, a daughter Linn who became a novelist, relationships with all his leading actresses: Harriet Andersson 1952-55, Bibi Andersson 1955-59 and Liv Ullmann 1965-70, an inspiration to many and most obviously to Woody Allen.


That brand of extreme laziness will not leave much of an impact.
Except maybe the cover of the The New York Times.

---



Now I will state that I have a profound appreciation for Mr.Bergman's work.

I know that some find him bleak and melodramatic, but I must pronounce that there is a Bergman film for everyone! If you've only seen a few of his films and you've decided he's always this or that, you must know that he does provide us with such a breadth. He made over 50 films, trust me, there is one for you.

I have seen a whole lot but somehow still only like 30%. I'm normally not much of a list person but I've decided to make a list.

Here the Bergman films I've seen
Clumped in descending order of likeness:

- Persona (1966)
- Scenes from a Marriage (1973)
- Wild Strawberries (1957)

- Hour of the Wolf (1967)
- The Passion of Anna (1969)
- Cries and Whispers (1973)
- Fanny and Alexander (1982)

- Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
- The Magician/The Face (1958)

- The Silence (1963)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
- Winter Light (1962)

- Summer with Monika (1953)
- Autumn Sonata (1978)

- Sawdust and Tinsel (1953)
- Port of Call (1948)
- The Serpent's Egg (1977)
- Prison (1948)

---




Thank you, Mr.Bergman, for your immense contribution to this world.

Brad Neely

Brad Neely lives in Austin, too (comme moi). And he's funny. real funny. and smart. pretty damn smart.

Watch these specimens of humor and you will inevitably crave more. After that inevitably happens you can go to this link that I have so usefully provided you with. Have fun!


This is a rap about George Washington:





This is part of his series "Baby Cakes":




This is part of his series "Professor Brothers":

Gertrude Stein

"A writer should write with his eyes and a painter paint with his ears."

"To write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write".

"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences."

"Poetry is I say essentially a vocabulary just as prose is essentially not. And what is the vocabulary of which poetry absolutely is. It is a vocabulary based on the noun as prose is essentially and determinately and vigorously not based on the noun. Poetry is concerned with using with abusing, with losing with wanting with denying with avoiding with adoring with replacing the noun. It is doing that always doing that, doing that doing nothing but that. Poetry is doing nothing but using losing refusing and pleasing and betraying and caressing nouns. That is what poetry does, that is what poetry has to do no matter what kind of poetry it is. And there are a great many kinds of poetry. So that is poetry really loving the name of anything and that is not prose."

"The great thing about language is that we should forget it and begin it over again."

-Gertude Stein (b.1874)




---

Ever since Chris lent me a copy of Tender Buttons I've developed a mild obsession with Gertude Stein. There's a lot to say about her. Many people say many different things. Some post-modern / avant-garde / whatever-you-want-to-call-it literary movements such as "L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E" of the 1970's have claimed her. She lived from 1874 to 1946, so obviously she wouldn't have described herself then in those terms. In fact, I'd be curious what she would think of it. Some feminists have claim her. Some get annoyed with her use repeatition. Some disregard her work as nonsense. Some say her writing is akin to cubist's painting. It's important to note that she did roll with some cubists such as Picasso. She was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania but resided mostly in Paris, France. Quoted to say, "America is my country, but Paris is my hometown."

Wikipedia says: "These stream-of-consciousness experiments, rhythmical word-paintings or 'portraits,' were designed to evoke 'the excitingness of pure being' and can be seen as an answer to Cubism in literature. Many of the experimental works such as Tender Buttons have since been interpreted by critics as a feminist reworking of patriarchal language. These works were loved by the avant-garde, but mainstream success initially remained elusive."

I will say only: it's clear that Stein was experimental, subversive, and innovative as a writer and bold as a personality; she certainly thought outside the timeframe in which she lived. So naturally she wasn't initially taken well by critics because her writings "did not represent a familiar world and could not be read in familiar ways" (to quote Ulla E. Dydo).

Cute tidbit!!! The famous sentance she wrote in Sacred Emily (1913): "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" was heavily promoted by her life partner Alice B. Toklas; for example, she sold plates with the sentence going all the way around.

The sentence is often interpreted as "things are what they are."
Stein: "When I said. 'A rose is a rose is a rose.' And then later made that into a ring I made poetry and what did I do? I caressed completely caressed and addressed a noun." (Lectures in America, 1935)

Many critics of the time disregarded her work as "nonsense." Her response? "Listen to me."

And my response? I'll use you Stein's words: "A master-piece ... may be unwelcome but it is never dull."

---

Here are some audio links (thank you once again UBU) that you can listen to:

The Making of Americans: A family history and history of whole humanity. Written 1903 - 1911. Only very early notes were written in 1903 in New York; basically the novel was rewritten and rewritten in Europe. recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35.

Matisse: Written in Paris, early 1911; Recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35.

If I Told Him: A Complete Portrait of Picasso: Written late Aug. 1923 in Nice / Antibes, where Stein & Toklas went to see Picasso. Picasso returned to Paris early September, but Stein, working steadily, stayed on for 3 full months, far longer than her usual, short visits.

--

If you are really interested in Gertude Stein, then you sould know that Ulla E. Dydo is one of the world's foremost Stein scholars.


Hahaha of course! someone has created a myspace profile of her with audio recordings.


---

Internet thumbnail version of the portrait Picasso did of Stein (1906):

Leslie Hall: Gem Sweaters

Leslie Hall has turned her obsession with gem sweaters into a web museum, comedy sketches, music videos, live performances, and more than anything, a cause.

Laura Balch

Along with being a close friend of mine, Laura Balch is a neverending talent parade! Her drawings, her embroidery, her comic books, her music, and so on and so forth. She's simply fantastic. She has an understanding of the darkest depths but maintains gracefully adorable and clumsily romantic all with the finesse of a lady.





She describes her music: "a girl looking out her window at the moon." And she comically states: "laura balch playing everything she can in varying degrees of ineptitude."




Here's a link to her MUSIC, far far from overly produced, the recordings are done in a low-fi intimate setting. It makes you feel like you're hanging out with Laura, which is something everyone would want to do.

Her previous comic "Cottontales" starred a bunny rabbit and took us through an unexpected funny touching adorable and well-drawn journey.

She is now working on a new comic, which I'm proud to say that I am one of the characters in. "Sheena Riot" is based on me but at age 12. Here's a link to Friends of Pendragon Park.

Here's a little taste of us:





Here are summore of her drawings:












Some of her embroidery:








Are you in love with her mind yet?

Richard Serra

Tired of living your life inside boxes? All those hard lines and perpendicular angles got you down? Well you should be inside one of Richard Serra's sculptures then.

Be there or be square.



I got a chance to see his work at MOMA NYC. Extremely cranky from plate spinning, wild goose chasing, and spreading myself thin, I still couldn't help but notice that Serra's sculptures are fucking incredible. Inside the kind of spaces that Richard Serra creates, I felt e x p a n s i v e. The only relatable experience I can conjure up is being in the desert (Wadi Rum, Jordan). However, this is the industrial equivalent.


The installation process:



A walk through with MOMA voice over:





Here I am:
"

Takeshi Murata

I was reminded by Ivan and Eric that Takeshi Murata (American, b. 1974) is featured in the Hirshhorn Black Box circa right now. Nick and I went the other day and were blown away. Who needs drugs when you've got this brand of hallucinogenic video art right in front of you? Of course, then one can't help but wonder about the coupling.

Murata digitally re-works and re-joins various motion picture images individually rendering and altering the pixels into his own creation. Described as "electronic painting," the effect is like "visual quicksand."


I'm not sure if there is much better than a pixelated psychedelic soup where a huge beast emerges. Oh wait, I think there is something better: an epileptic pink dot where Rambo emerges. I can't stop thinking about manly entities disguised as cubed rainbows flowing out of waterfalls!


In Monster Movie (2005), Murata samples from a video of the B-movie Caveman (1981). In Pink Dot (2006) we get Rambo. Also, the music in each piece couldn't have been a better fit. Monster Movie, 4 min: sound by Plate Tectonics. Pink Dot, actually a 5 minute loop: 20 minute soundtrack by Robert Beatty


Here's a little taste of "Pink Dot" though without all the movement this is near pointless:

Death of The Author???

About the responsibility of text:

Anti-Death: Author is "origin" / "cause" of text.

Pro-Death: Author is "function" / "effect" of text.


Any thoughts or comments please...

Belaire CD Release

TODAY! Belaire'a first full length comes out: "EXPLODING / IMPACTING" (buy)


Here's how they describe themselves: "Belaire is a synth-prog-pop band from Austin, TX all about making some good music and colorful visuals. We come from previous & current projects including Fancy Feast, Voxtrot, and Arkay."


They are one of my very favorite Austin bands filled with great people.

While I'm on the subject, why don't I just link you up with some other Austin bands of varying genre niches? This way you can check them out yourself real quick because maybe one or more of them will catch your interest:

- Yellow Fever

- Octopus Project

- Horse Plus Donkey

- The Diagonals

- Pataphysics

- Cry Blood Apache

- The Black

oh the austin music scene is so good...

Nam June Paik

If you aren't already familiar with Nam June Paik (South Korean born-American, b.1932)'s video art than I am glad to be of service. Check-a-check-him-out!

Nick and I went to the Portrait Gallery which for some odd and awesome reason has not one but TWO Nam June Paik video installations! Happy day. As it's obviously a very visual and auditory experience, I won't bother trying to explain it much in words.

1. Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii,: a multimedia work in neon, 49-channel video installation map of the United States, with various representative sounds and pictures emanating from each of the 50 states.



2. Megatron/Matrix: 215 monitors driven by eight computers continually changing laser-disc images.

This youtube video ain't so hot but it can give you a bit of a feel. However keep in mind it is missing the right HALF of the installation.



I was first introduced to him long ago by way of the Hirshhorn Museum in DC- his piece that is aptly titled: "Video Flag". The title explains all that I would, it must just be seen, but here's a picture of me in front of it:

Sound Advice

Went to Wonderland in DC for some dancing and I got it got it. I was so happy to run into an old friend who happened to be DJing (DJ Elsewhere) with his two-man DJ team Sound Advice. I danced like crazy. Sweat sweat sweat. Gimmie some room.

Avant-garde shorts from 20's-30's: Central Europe

I barely made it in time, but managed to get over to the The National Gallery of Art (Washington DC) to see the "avant-garde shorts" part of the series "Modernity and Tradition" in the large auditorium. I love that auditorium. And it was such a pleasure to be able to see these films there in their original format.

The program included works from Hans Richter (of course, a staple), Jerzy Gabrielsky, Jerzy Zarzycki and Tadeusz Kowalski, Stephan and Franciszka Themerson, Alexandr Hackenschmied, Elmar Klos.

Thanks to UBU, here's a little taste of what I saw:







I wish I could share with you my favorite: "The Highway Sings" by Elmar Klos! It's a four minute Czech tire commercial from 1937. It starts out with the tire-maker singing about how happy he is to have made his little baby, and that it will grow-up adn be ready to serve its master. Then he sets the tire free- it then sings while rolling over hills and bouncing and rolling through streets. The tire sings of being so excited to find and serve it's master. Then rolls right into the hands of a mechanic who proceeds to promptly put the tire on a car. Then the tire is rolling under the car and is singing about how happy it is to have finally made it. So great.

Yo Majesty

Rell and I went to see Yo Magesty at Beauty Bar. It was CRAZY AWESOME!!! These three ladies have it going on: they have the diva who goes nuts and often takes off articles of clothing, they have the smooth hypnotic rapper, and the enthusiast who keeps the vibe going and keeps the crowd pumped. They are all lesbians which makes it really interesting because they take on that "you a nasty girl" anthem- getting the girls to get it going on the dance floor. However, they seem to be somewhat mocking that male chauvinism in the same breath. The songs are fun and smart.

At first, as usual in Austin, everyone was having trouble moving. But I mean come on, these ladies were giving us all the cues on how to MOVE so finally the crowd got a little less white (metaphorically) and started shaking it. By the middle of the show, people were getting up on stage and going crazy. They got brought back to their place. Then Yo Majesty started hand-picking people (mostly hot girls) to go on stage. Rell and I got picked and basically were back-up dancers for the rest of our time on stage. It was really fucking fun. The crowd was pumped and people were getting nasty in the best way possible.

If Yo Majesty rolls by your city you best be going with your dancing shoes on and leave your attitude at the door.






They had the whole place screaming FUCK DAT SHIT

Dan Deacon

This man is amazing:



Went to see him at Emo's Austin. It was a truly unique experience where he created a very happy participating audience. He handed out the lyrics to "Wam City" and had everyone singing along. Rell got to be one of the four choir members which involved wearing a WIZARD CLOAK. He had another sing-a-long to "Silence Like The Wind." He told stories that were fantastic. And he started a dance contest instructing everyone to create a circle because we're having a dance-off. The rules were 1) dance if you get tapped 2) be sexy 3) not be a coward.

Here's a little taste. I got tapped so you can see me (barely) out of the corner of the camera's eye in the middle:



And here's part of him telling a story:



If Dan Deacon comes your way, drop everything and go!
You will be the happiest person alive.