My mind has been a bit scattered as of late, wrapped up in architectural projects, while engaging in silly political debates in the Melba forum. I was looking for some comic relief and came across Crumb's Book of Genesis and The Wolverton Bible while perusing amazon. It seems to me that religion does need to look at itself more humorously, getting off its high horse once in a while.
It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
I'd read about Crumb's Bible. I'm assuming it is as mad as he is (and I mean that in a positive way). Did you see the documentary on him in France? He's out there for sure.
ReplyDeleteBut whatever it takes to weather the storm, Gintaras. In the meantime, though, I wouldn't get too drawn into political arguments at the Escape. I miss Donot and Barton, and keep hoping we can lure them over here -- maybe if you asked them? Maybe we can get a different strand going on something of interest to them?
At some point I'll see if we can't get Strether to show up here, too. She has her hands full at the moment -- she's just had a healthy baby boy! -- but maybe we can discuss some Henry James which I think I'm finally ready for (although I did just order the newest non-American Byatt novel which sounds fantastic).
Fortunately all the others I enjoyed talking with at Elba are here at least on occasion. There are some really weird and crazy people over there..... Sort of like bad performance art.
"..... Sort of like bad performance art."
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way of describing it, av. I guess it is the American History thing that keeps some persons from responding, which is why I'm opening it up a bit with these lead topics.
Apparently, Crumb is quite reverent on the subject, from what I've read, not as daring as one would imagine, but I so loved his similarly packaged "Illustrated Crumb" and book on early Blues, Country and Jazz muscians that I felt compelled to add his "Book of Genesis" to my shelf.
You'll have to report back on how you like it -- I just saw illustrations of Adam and Eve who looked quite familiar..... In a profile in the New Yorker maybe? But then he's serious in his way about those characters of his.
ReplyDeleteAs for opening up the conversation, seems like there's a broad field here to consider -- literature, biography, history, public policy, and "current events" for lack of a better term. I still have an entire shelf of "Robert Whelan books" to tackle as well.
With people as widely read as this group, I'm confident we'll come up with a common interest and some books to read together.
Interesting to read about if not read:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/books/16garner.html
Graphically, the Wolverton Bible is much more interesting than Crumb's Book of Genesis. I haven't had a chance to read either yet, but it seems Crumb played his latest graphic novel pretty close to the bone, which is a little disappointing.
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