March 23rd, 2010 / 9:30 am
Snippets
Snippets
Nick Antosca—
If you could live one writer’s life instead of your own, whose would it be? (My picks: Nabokov and James Salter. Despite Salter’s melancholia over having missed out on going to the moon by quitting flying.) Alternately, whose life would you least like to live? (Malcolm Lowry. Alcoholic. Wife attacked by dogs.) Typing this just reminded me of that old list of 5 Writers More Badass than the Characters They Created.
Don’t sell Lowry short. The fucking squatter shack he lived in, in British Columbia, burned down and he almost lost the only draft of Under The Volcano, though all his other writing was destroyed. It took him like ten years of rejections to get Volcano published and it took him something like ten weeks to get from BC to New York for the release of his book because he had to be hospitalized various times along the way for alcoholism. Then he choked to death on his own vomit in his sleep. Dude was fucking cursed.
Don’t sell Lowry short. The fucking squatter shack he lived in, in British Columbia, burned down and he almost lost the only draft of Under The Volcano, though all his other writing was destroyed. It took him like ten years of rejections to get Volcano published and it took him something like ten weeks to get from BC to New York for the release of his book because he had to be hospitalized various times along the way for alcoholism. Then he choked to death on his own vomit in his sleep. Dude was fucking cursed.
anthony bourdain
anthony bourdain
what’s wrong with being drunk while your wife is attacked by dogs?
what’s wrong with being drunk while your wife is attacked by dogs?
What Would Anthony Bourdain Do, i often ask myself
What Would Anthony Bourdain Do, i often ask myself
I know. That’s why I’d never ever want to have his life.
Yeah that’s a pretty good one.
I know. That’s why I’d never ever want to have his life.
Yeah that’s a pretty good one.
William Gass. So fat, but he has so many books and he talks about his dick so much that I’m a little intrigued.
William Gass. So fat, but he has so many books and he talks about his dick so much that I’m a little intrigued.
I don’t think I could deal with being obese.
But if I could, George RR Martin would be a fun choice. Or Benjamin Franklin.
I don’t think I could deal with being obese.
But if I could, George RR Martin would be a fun choice. Or Benjamin Franklin.
Oscar Wilde or Yukio Mishima.
I like the pattern of education, self-discovery, brilliance and tragedy.
Oscar Wilde or Yukio Mishima.
I like the pattern of education, self-discovery, brilliance and tragedy.
Most: Wendell Berry or Larry Brown.
Least: Charles Bukowski.
Most: Wendell Berry or Larry Brown.
Least: Charles Bukowski.
Hayden –
I get Mishima, but WIlde? Ten years in prison, breaking rocks? You really are a masochist.
Me, I’d go for Chekov’s life. He seems like he was a pretty decent guy, and happy. Except that he had to live in Russia.
Rimbaud got to be a gun runner and live a life of debauchery in Africa. On the other hand, he also got shot and had his leg amputated.
This is going to sound trite, but I think I might have to go for Shakespeare. At least he got paid for his work, and he got to drink with Jonson.
Hayden –
I get Mishima, but WIlde? Ten years in prison, breaking rocks? You really are a masochist.
Me, I’d go for Chekov’s life. He seems like he was a pretty decent guy, and happy. Except that he had to live in Russia.
Rimbaud got to be a gun runner and live a life of debauchery in Africa. On the other hand, he also got shot and had his leg amputated.
This is going to sound trite, but I think I might have to go for Shakespeare. At least he got paid for his work, and he got to drink with Jonson.