from impenetrable self to impenetrable unself by way of neither

[dracko]

Remember when I said I wouldn't be buying anything this month, apart from the odd bargain book or film ticket? Seems I lied: Tonight, I went to see a production of Samuel Beckett short plays directed by Peter Brook. Specifically, Rough for Theatre I, Rockaby, Act Without Words II, Neither and Come and Go. Bloody expensive and a mostly unreceptive

Comments

[seryoga]

Man, is your second paragraph a Woodie Guthrie referrence, cause if it is... then you're officially not cool anymore, dracko. Seriously.

(the last Brit that liked Woodie Guthrie was Michael Moorcock and I he's just wrong, a wrong human being in every respect)

[dracko]

I just remembered some twat had "THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS" on his guitar or something, okay. I don't think I've even a Woody Guthrie song and have no desire to.

So, Moorcock is bad? I've been meaning to check out his Jerry Cornelius stuff and maybe also his Elric of Melniboné sequence. I have yet to read either, so you tell me.

[seryoga]

Calling lame writers like Moorcock bad doesn't really say anything because we're speaking about a genre that appeals to certain demographics. I've read a few pages of Moorcock here and there - perhaps I've even read a short story by him a while back; I can't remember - and he's not so much bad as a writer that one would be hard pressed to call exciting in any way. I guess he'd work for you, since you like comics and all, but, then, I'm presuming too much. Knowing what I do know about you, I think you're the type of person that would leave this shit to comic books and let prose handle different aesthetic roles

[dracko]

From what little I've read about Moorcock, yeah, he did sound like a twat. In fact, when it comes to Jerry Cornelius, he accused comic writer Grant Morrison of plagiarism with his character Gideon Stargrave, though it was my understanding Moorcock intended Cornelius as an "open source" character in the first place.

I suppose I should see if I can find a JC short online before putting money into it, then.

Speaking of Ellis doing Bond, you should read Desolation Jones. First arc is a homage to Chandler's The Big Sleep if it was written by Ballard high on watching The Prisoner. The second arc, currently on hiatus, is basically Ellis gushing over Philip K. Dick, but it's still looking good to me. Two issues so far.

And I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but if you're into manga, you really should give WE3 a look as well. It's an American comic that understands the strengths of the genre without devolving into pathetic imitation.