Archive for August 26th, 2009
He writes; why?
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 26, 2009
He writes; why? (August 27, 2009)
Consider the alternative reasons offered by authors for writing and then publishing.
“I write to compensate lack of satisfaction; this huge gap between my dreams and my reality. I compensate my shortcomings by exhibiting my knowledge and the better image I have of my character.”
“I write because there is a blind spot in my fictional novel and I keep turning around that inaccessible spot. I often come close to this blind spot and thus I have to keep writing follow up novels with that original blind spot in my mind.”
“I write because I am ashamed. I am ashamed of my character, my behavior, an event, moments of utter feelings of failures and depressions. All writings are based on what we cannot confess or testify about. The third person in novels encourages this urge for trying to divulge the blemish we kept inside us.”
“I write because I had so much pleasure reading books that I felt the need to pay back my dues”
“I write because I need to impose my name grandly.” There is this anecdote; James Joyce (the author of Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake) was penniless at 18 of age and he wanted to see a theater at Dublin; the lanky and skinny James faced the usher saying “I am James Joyce”. The usher let him in for free.
“I write because I have no other talents and I love to read literature”
“I write because I could not discover any serious purpose for my life; writing might open up my resources for imagination”
“I write because I have no compulsions for changing the world, taking to the streets, or marching in demonstrations, or going into politics”
“I write novels not because people like to read stories but because I like to read my stories.”
“I write for the pleasure of giving pleasure to my readers. Otherwise, there are no readers available to read or authors to publish.”
“I keep writing because there are always expensive emergencies such as repairing the roof; buying a newer car, extending expensive gifts for entertaining clients, publishers, and other writer friends.”
“I keep writing because I am addicted to seeing my photos and name exhibited all around the place and in the media.”
Garbo or Dietrich?
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 26, 2009
Garbo or Dietrich? (August 26, 2009)
The French author Jean d’Ormesson who writes for the daily Le Figaro tells this anecdote. Jean was having lunch for the first time with Greta Garbo. He kept humming the song of a movie “Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt”. Garbo had no reaction. Jean sang the entire song. No reactions from Greta. Jean finally said “I had admired so much in Bleu Angel”. Greta Garbo destroyed Jean with a look and also finally said “You are confusing me with Marlene Dietrich”
A couple of years later, Jean were having lunch with Marlene for the first time. Marlene liked Jean and invited him for tea next Tuesday afternoon. Jean was in ecstasy and went on accumulating his cuteness by telling Marlene his adventure with Garbo. Marlene Dietrich coolly looked at Jean and told him: “My invitation for tea at avenue Montaigne… consider it canceled”
It appears that depressed people prefer to watch movies; the more the better, the more stupid the lovelier. Only people in excellent mood read books; no wonder why people don’t read as frequently anymore as before television. Pictures have soothing effects on depressed people, especially when the dialogue is pretty simple, the sceneries gorgeous, and the topic easy to comprehend.
No wonder why people likes old smooth movies such as “The countess in naked feet” by Ava Gardner, “The snow of Kilimanjaro”, “Pandora”, “The shop around the corner” of Lubitsch; “The Big Sleep” of Howard Hawks; “The train will whistle trice” or “A man for eternity” of Zinneman; “Casablanca” of Michael Curtiz; the “Cheetah” played by Claudia Cardinal, Alain Delon, and Burt Lancaster and realized by Lampedusa and Visconti.
The ransacks of Rome, Reform, Renaissance…
Posted by: adonis49 on: August 26, 2009
The sacs of Rome, printing, Reform, and Renaissance; (August 24, 2009)
The writer and polemist The Aretin was a feared guy by Emperors and Kings; they were cowed into the defensive until their promises are obliged and delivered.
Aretin lived in Rome before 1525 and then moved to Venice to become a famous and respected personality. It happened that the illustrious painter Titian visited Rome in 1545 and was awed by what he discovered. Titian wrote to The Aretin describing his enchantment of Rome. The Aretin replied: “You are regretting that you didn’t visit Rome 20 years earlier. If you are awed by what you are seeing now then what you would have done observing Rome when I left it?”
This answer is truer nowadays than even 50 years ago.
Now you would say “If you had seen the Cote d’Azur, the Riviera, Peking, or Rio de Janeiro 50 years ago!”
No, this is not nostalgia matter. Rome was indeed ransacked in 1527 by the French at the order of Emperor Charles Quint. The invading troops looted almost everything for months during Pope Clement 7 who loved art and encouraged artists and learned people to settle in Rome.
Consequent to that ransacking most artists and learned spirit immigrated to various regions in Europe. The new printing discovery played as a catalyst for the Luther reformists and the dispersed artists and spread Renaissance in Europe.
Rome was ransacked several times by the Christian “heretics” coming from France, Germany, and central Europe.
Christian heretic sects evolved since 325 after the Nicee conclave and the following conclaves as Emperor Constantine decided to unite the divergent dogmas into an Imperial orthodox dogma. The heretics in the Orient fled Byzantium Empire to Persia, the Arab Peninsula, and reached China with their brands of Christianity.
Wars that invade key and civilized rich cities instead of subjugating entire countries and people had beneficial results to disseminating civilizations.
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