L’amour et la créativité: prendre deux

My post “L’amour et la Créativité” has far and away been a favorite of readers, so in honor of Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg, France’s famous lovers ~ here’s an encore.

“A bond ungovernable
Connection impermeable
To time, distance, silence
As uncontrollable as the elements
Memories of it still,
refuse to be quieted”

~From “The Equation of Us” (link to poem) Lisa Chapman ©2007

“My only contribution to him, apart from inspiring his songs, was telling him not to shave and giving him a diamond to wear around his neck. He had a dandified quality, and I thought it so sophisticated to have a diamond against his bare chest.” ~Jane Birkin

“My mother was right: When you’ve got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust.” ~Jane Birkin

“Gainsbourg lives on through his work, through Birkin’s ongoing projects, and through the love that she quite clearly still has for him.”  ~Will Hodgkinson/Guardian.co.uk ©2003

Behind the Pen

“But it ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it” ~Jack Kerouac

Every writer, or actually any artist has a process – that progression of ritual that gets them where they need to be to access the gift. Years ago, an interesting book came my way called, “The Writer’s Desk” by Jill Krementz (the late Kurt Vonnegut’s wife). The book is full of great photographs of author’s writing in their homes, which varied widely from location and process, with some writing at traditional desks, kitchen tables, while sitting on countertops or while in bed and their views on writing are as varied as their processes.

John Updike wrote in his introduction: “I look at these photographs with a prurient interest, the way that I might look at the beds of notorious courtesans. Except that the beds would tell me less than these desks do. Here the intimacy of the literary act is caught in flagrante delicto: at these desks characters are spawned, plots are spun, imaginative distances are spanned”

Here are 3 of my favorite quotes from the book:

“The sense is of one’s total usefulness. We all have a power of control, it’s part of our lives: we have it in love, in work that we love doing. It’s a sense of ecstasy, as simple as that. It always leaves you feeling great. In short, you’ve made sense of your life” ~John Cheever

{Speaking of the writer’s proclivity toward drinking: Faulkner, Hemingway & Joyce}…”This is not to suggest that any of these writers were alcoholics. I don’t believe that a serious writer is in danger of becoming an alcoholic, because, after a certain point, one would not be working behind it, but directly in front of it, at peril of getting wiped out blotto, thereby defeating its purpose-which is after all, motivational and as a hedge against the desolation of such a lonely endeavor” ~Terry Southern

“I don’t ask writers about their work habits. I really don’t care. Joyce Carol Oates says somewhere that when writers ask each other what time they start writing and when they finish, and how much time they take for lunch, they’re actually trying to find out, “Is he as crazy as I am?” – I don’t need that question answered” ~Philip Roth

Photograph of Susan Sontag from “The Writer’s Desk” by Jill Krementz ©1996

Deux Muses

“Maybe the most that you can expect from a relationship that goes bad is to come out of it with a few good songs.” ~Marianne Faithfull

Complicated

She looks so simple in her way
Does the same thing everyday
But she’s dedicated
To having her own way
She’s very complicated

Women seem to fill her mind
And many men in so short time
But she’s underrated
She treats me oh so kind
She’s very complicated

We talk together and discuss
What is really best for us
She’s sophisticated
My head’s fit to bust
Cause she’s so complicated

She knows just how to please her man
Softer than a baby lamb
But she’s educated
Doesn’t give a damn
She’s very complicated

She looks so simple in her way
Does the same thing everyday
But she’s dedicated
To having her own way
She’s very complicated

Anita Pallenberg

Song Lyrics~ “Complicated” by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards ©1967

The boys can rock…….

German guitarists Patrick “Paddy Boy” Zimmerman and his friend, Norman Guy have just released their debut CD. Both blues-guitarists sing and are described as a unique and explosive combination onstage. Their band includes: Dennis Hormes on bass guitar and Daniel Guthausen on drums. Paddy is also a member of the band Next Horizon, which has a CD release set for January 30th, 2010. I discovered Paddy’s music through Twitter and am very impressed with his obvious talent.

If you like rock with a blues edge, you can check out and purchase their music at these links:

Paddy Boy
My Space: Norman Guy & Paddy Boy

Photographs of Norman Guy & Patrick Zimmerman respectfully borrowed from Paddy’s website gallery.

Adieu à un artiste intransigeant…

I was sad to hear of the passing of the French new-wave filmmaker, Eric Rohmer on January 11, 2010. Eric’s films were unique and I always liked the way he stubbornly stayed true to the integrity of his own style and creativity. He felt films should be one man’s vision and thought soundtracks were an unnecessary distraction. All of his films were character driven (always my preference) – a long lovely conversation, usually between two people. I love how his characters are intelligent but also full of flaws and contradictions, which make them real and identifiable. From an American prospective, Eric’s films would be considered “Independent” in every sense of the word. He made collections of films with – Six Moral Tales, Comedies & Proverbs and Tales of the Four Seasons.

My favorite film is “A Winter’s Tale” from the four seasons. It alludes to and also briefly features Shakespeare’s play and features one of his beautifully flawed characters named, Felicie. After meeting and falling in love with Charles on vacation, she accidentally writes her address incorrectly, which makes it impossible for him to find her. Returning home, she finds herself pregnant and unable to reconnect with her daughter’s father.

Although Felicie quickly attracts two very different men into her life (Maxence & Loic) who want to marry her, she keeps putting them off, sure that somehow fate will intervene for her and bring Charles back into her life. Of course, they find the notion childish as does everyone else in her life but she continues to frustrate and confuse them with her determination to hold out for the man she believes is the love of her life.

One of the best scenes comes when she asks Loic (a Catholic) to go to church and pray for her “as she would wish” – opening up the question of the depth of ‘his’ love for her (will he pray for his desire or hers?).

I’m grateful that Eric made his own style of films and stayed true to the artistic vision that he developed and never lost sight of.

Top pic: French Filmmaker, Screenwriter, and Author, Eric Rohmer
Pics 2 & 3: Charlotte Very (Felicie) & Frederic van den Driessche (Charles)
Pic 4: Charlotte Very & Herve Furic (Loic) – 2,3, & 4 from Eric Rohmer’s “Conte d’Hiver” 1992

The Formidable One

I imagine everyone has at least 3 books that they love so much, that they re-read them over and over again. I’m currently doing this with one of my favorites, “My Life with Picasso” written by Francoise Gilot in 1964. Francoise is not only a good artist but obviously a gifted writer as the book is interesting and so well written.

I always crave an opportunity to get inside the mind and habits of great artists of all mediums and Francoise manages to relate the information in a way that holds your attention easily. She met Picasso in France when she was 21 and he was 61 and although the age gap was considerable, I really believe it doesn’t make much difference if you connect strongly with someone. He invited her and a friend around to discuss art, which basically meant he wanted to show her his etchings – it was always purely romantic in nature as he was quite drawn to her. After their first visit Picasso said something I thought was cool…..

“If you want to come back again, by all means come. But if you do come, don’t come like pilgrims to Mecca. Come because you find my company interesting and because you want to have a simple, direct relationship with me. If you only want to see my paintings, you’d do just as well to go to a museum.”

Francoise eventually began coming around by herself and when he finally made a move by kissing her, he was greatly taken aback by her lack of reaction. Apparently she was too blasé in response. When he questioned her, asking why, she replied that she felt very much at ease with him and saw no reason for setting up in advance any limits to their relationship. His answer was completely amusing to me: “How do you expect me to seduce anyone under conditions like that? If you’re not going to resist- well then it’s out of the question.”

You really don’t have to love and appreciate Picasso as an artist to get a kick out of a memoir written by the great artist’s only formidable opponent….I mean love interest.

Photo of Picasso & Francoise at La Galloise by Robert Doisneau

No B-Side

When it comes to CD’s I have a definite habit about how I go about listening to new ones. Initially I go through the entire disc, listening to a few seconds of each track, which always brings out an immediate two or three that I know I’m going to love. Then I devour those tracks until they’re tapped and then I add in one song at a time from then on. I’ve done this so long, not consciously – it’s just my nature I guess that I don’t want to rush a good thing. If there are say eleven tracks, I always factor in 3 tracks that probably won’t turn me on—so eight is in my mind a solid album. Although it’s subjective, every band has to decide what falls down on the A or B-side and go with it.

When I was in high school I listened to Aerosmith, “Rocks” on an eight track – perhaps the worst sound quality ever invented. They also warped in your car and got stuck in the machine and were friggin bulky. So recently I’ve been re-listening to them on disc, going about it the same way I do when they’re new. Currently I’m listening to Aerosmith’s, “Young Lust: Anthology” and the last few nights I haven’t wanted to move beyond the track, “Monkey on My Back”, from (Pump 1989) – which I have to emphatically say is no B-side. There were a lot of good tracks on that album it was probably difficult to choose. It’s amazing how these same songs sound now – technology rocks.

Pic: Steven Tyler & Joe Perry

Man, Machine & Desire

Henry Miller’s writing isn’t for the faint of heart perhaps, but there’s a brute honesty that has always appealed, even if you’re cringing slightly as you read it. One of my favorite books by Henry is actually his autobiography “My Life & Times,” put out by Playboy Press in 1972. In it, he explains some of his philosophies and observations about life and art. I don’t believe the years he spent living poorly, bumming dinners off of friends and acquaintances were merely for the sake of focusing on creating art – but rather to follow his desire to live without the restrictions that come with the business world. I understand and relate to his thinking here; you need a certain amount of money to live but if it’s the driving force behind your life and art, something’s got to give and odds are it’ll fall down on the creative side – the depth just won’t obtain.

“Every day men are squelching their instincts, their desires, their impulses, their intuitions. One has to get out of the fucking machine he is trapped in and do what he wants to do. But we say no, I have a wife and children, I better not think of it. That is how we commit suicide every day. It would be better if a man did what he liked to do and failed than to become a successful nobody. Isn’t that so?” ~Henry Miller

Obviously he’s not specifically saying leave your family, although I’ve witnessed relationships wherein everyone’s best interests would have been served out to heed that piece of council – he’s speaking more of a continual stifling of spirit that’s forced to conform until it’s utterly useless for anyone.

While doing press for his 1992 film, “Damage” Louis Malle said something so true that I’ve never forgotten it:

“I think what I found interesting in the theme was how a family could live on a certain routine – the idea that everybody must always stay in control-there’s a sense of ritual and of course the family is very strong and very tight but you know that the foundations are not very solid because it’s not based necessarily on strong emotions—it’s based on more habits than anything else.”

For most people that thought is an uncomfortable one because it requires them to face some uneasy truths about their lives and relationships – what’s working or maybe most importantly what’s not and about settling out of fear of the unknown and unwritten.

Pic: Henry Miller in Paris ~ Carlo Bavagnoli for Life Magazine 1969

Not even the rain…..

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond

By E.E. Cummings

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

Pic: Flickr~it’s life photostream

Elvis at 21

The Grammy Museum, in Los Angeles will open a new exhibition, “Elvis at 21,” on January 8th. It features the photographs of Alfred Wertheimer, who had access to the musician in 1956, just before Elvis became a superstar. The exhibition will kick off with, “A Conversation with Alfred Wertheimer” at the museum on Friday, January 8th at 8:00 p.m. Executive Director Robert Santelli will interview Mr. Wertheimer on the occasion of Elvis’s 75th birthday. Afterwards, Wertheimer will sign copies of ‘Elvis 1956’, the exhibit’s companion catalog. If you can’t get to L.A. and just want to preview some of the photographs you can visit Vanity Fair and of course info for the exhibition can be found at the Grammy Museum Website.

Pic of Elvis with an unknown young woman in the wings of the Mosque Theater, Richmond, Virginia, 1956 by Alfred Wertheimer.