friday on mind, saturday in soul

[gurdonark]

The rain is predicted to make us run and hide our head, so it's another north Texas weekend on the way. Just as last year, weekdays now tend to be glorious, and weekends very wet, making one feel like Tantalus on Tuesday, and Noah on Saturday. I unsubscribed from the yahoo mail art list, and am seriously considering whether receiving Suzanne Vega concert reviews daily by mail makes sense.
It's always hard to know--on the one hand, being bombarded by dozens of e mails is not a good thing; on the other hand, lots of folks have interesting things to say. Ms. Vega herself tends to weigh in only once in a while, usually with a quick note of thanks or sympathy. I tend away from wanting to "worship" celebrity. Still, I buy her Songs in Red and Gray, think it's good, and then sign up for a list largely dedicated to adulating a particular celebrity. I'm a big practitioner of foolish inconsistency, and think that this, too, is a bit of a small-mind-hobgoblin. Though
somebody's journal I found on random was celebrating the body electric of Whitman's "am I inconsistent" verse...I'm not quite ready to placate my contradictions that way. It bothers me a little that although the Vega mail list
has dozens of interesting people, one part of me is disapponted that the featured artist rarely joins in--it's all a game, this fan stuff, and not particularly a healthy one. It reminds me of hte Sparks message board, where much of the posts I read a few months ago bewail the fact that the band rarely, if ever, contributes. I think that many of us, including myself, can get stuck in this "get a life" mode--T shirts for a sci fi convention, desperate efforts to meet and indie artist, spirited e mails with a chess writer or
a poet....it's a bit noble to look for kindred spirits, but why must we reject those who are not 'famous' or 'underground in a big way'? I think that we all fall prey to the marketing machinery....nothing good comes from our Bethlehem, because if it were good, it'd have a record deal/publisher/big budget....

Let's all unsubscribe.

Comments

Don't let the extreme people get you down

[(Anonymous)]

Hi-- Scott here

Maybe I'm reading my own experience into your journal entry, but I've found that
when I've gotten involved in some interest of mine (recycling, progressive politics, the
New Orleans Saints, Christianity, various musical pursuits ...) I often find myself
encountering people who either espouse a gung-ho-ism that makes me uncomfortable or have pursued whatever interest to a point I could never imagine myself going. Sometimes I see this as a reflection on myself-- is this the kind of fanatic I want to associate myself with? Am I a true fan? It doesn't help that these fanatics often seem
to think that there's something wrong with anyone whose commitment to their interest
is less than their own.

If this sounds close to what you're running into with Suzanne Vega or mail art people,
and you're letting their rantings or estoterica taint your enthusiasm about the whole
thing, my unsolicited advice is to discount the nutjobs. If they don't to be balanced, that's their business. Don't let 'em spoil your fun.

Unless what I've written doesn't ring true with you. In that case, discount this nutjob advice.

Re: Don't let the extreme people get you down

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Hi Scott--

You make very good points. I think you're right--part of my discomfort is with extreme fanaticism
for any interest or any artist. I know that I shouldn't react to over-enthusiasm, but I find
it a bit distancing. Of course, after I wrote the
post, I unsubscribed from the Vega mailing list.
I feel a sense of relief at the interruption in the perpetual e mails; I feel a sense of loss in the interruption of the perpetual e mails, as I kinda like seeing that mail flag go up.

I'll have to think about it for a moment or two.

celebrity/fan interaction

[yulbrynner.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of what you say - on the one hand, it can be wonderful to receive an artist's insight into a particular work - especially when you have the opportunity to ask the questions. On the other hand - when an artist begins to become absorbed in their own fan base, you get what we have come to expect from Kevin Smith... a director so caught up in pleasing his fans and serving the cult of personality surrounding him that his art becomes bound by it, and as a result, is often less than inspiring.

I had (or rather took) the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with Ian MacKaye, founder of both Minor Threat and Fugazi. It was on behalf of my sister's boyfriend's website and my questions were not nearly as coherent or cohesive as they should have been. Ian's responses were so well thought out and intelligent that I still to this day feel guilty for ever taking any of his time at all.