January 30, 2005
On Faulkner
Iffen I can do an "On Dylan" I can do an "On Faulkner". Here's the deal: Sanctuary. Billy wrote that for filthy lucre. No problem there. But to write in the 1930's about a sorority girl who gets compromised, and takes the pistol up the puss, well that's balls. Must have chapped Hemingway's butt, I figure. With his "darlings" and all. Bill Faulkner rocks.
Posted by Velociman at January 30, 2005 1:42 AMYeah...what struck me as odd is that Temple Drake's captor was impotent. Then he found a surrogate lover for her, and shot the bastard afterwards. Very weird shit.
And Hemingway indeed was an ass-kisser in some respects, but he did stand his ground and refuse to join the so-called proletariat authors. He never paid for this careerwise, but Fitzgerald certainly did. They were both raging alcoholics, which kinda makes me think that Zelda Fitzgerald sociopathic antics are what made the difference.
Posted by: Sadie at January 30, 2005 4:26 AMWell, Papa did have lots of issues with babes and booze, but then I think that was one of the central issues confronting WWII men our parent's age. That wierd business about the native girl in the last book comes to mind. And... I know that both of my parents seemed to drink their way through life, it was just 'unmanly' for my dad to add Miltown's to the mix like my mom did.
What Hemingway did was put that shotgun in his mouth and reach up with his toe and pull the trigger. I doubt if that was a pretty sight. And let's face it -- Fitzgerald was a pussy.
Bob
No mention of Thomas Wolfe. That troubles me. Wolfe went to Munich in 1933 and picked a fight with a bunch of brownshirts in a beerhall. Got his ass kicked so badly he was never the same, and died a few years later from seizures related to that ass-kicking.
I love Faulkner dearly, but Wolfe tends to get overlooked because he died so young. Look Homeward, Angel is the definitive American novel for me ...
Never knew that about Wolfe. My esteem rises.
Posted by: Velociman at January 30, 2005 11:00 AMNathaniel West did it best. Damn, I'm a lousy rhymer...no wonder I hate poetry.
Posted by: Sadie at January 30, 2005 4:04 PMLove the "On Dylan," and "On Faulkner" pieces. May I suggest future subjects for this series?
"On Dasher"
"On Dancer"
"On Prancer and Vixes"
"On Comet"
"On Cupid"
"On Donner and Blitzen"