as self-possessed as Lauren Bacall

[gurdonark]

One of the Bogart/Bacall Phillip Marlowe movies, the Big Sleep, was on last night. I'd seen it a half dozen times recently, but we paused once again to marvel at Lauren Bacall. She just oozed self-possession, even when she played the most dysfunctional characters. Even though her performances were so very mannered, she somehow could pull it off. It's a bit silly to wish to be like a person portraying a person who is really cool, so I won't wish to be such a person. I'll just imagine what it would be like to have a sort of self-possession of my own. If I can't quite manage high cheekbones and a way with a cigarette, perhaps I can imagine a quiet firmness of purpose and a way with a diet Coke.

I've a mail art mailing and a chess poem book mailing to do today, but now the time is fleeting, and it may soon move to tomorrow's list. My new nervousness.org exchange offer, in which I offered to exchange one of my own poems in a badly decorated envelope for anyone else's poems in a decorated envelope, has already garnered three takers. I've noticed with nervousness.org that exchangers for my exchanges only arrive if I add something odd. If I'd offered mere poem for poem, then I'd have no takers. Make that poem + badly decorated envelope for poem, and even Lauren Bacall would sign up to exchange.

I wrote a poem for submission to a 'zine during lunch today. I have never been much of a 'zine person, but it was an interesting 'zine topic by an interesting 'zine sponsor. I'm so flush with accomplishment I'm tempted to go to crosses.net and send to any mail art call I can find that does not repulse me. Today I've also been quite productive at work. I don't know what has happened, but let's pretend it's some positive reflected stardust--from the Lauren Bacall character in the movies.

Books to read, books to read. I must finish Portrait of Paloma. I must finish Rebecca. I must finish a Geranium for Miss somebody or other. I must get the last marigold out of the second act of the gamma-infested moon and return that book to the Garland library. I must return the Texas folk art book to the library (favorite quote: "welders seem to always be creative people"). I love it when I can write sentences with lots of "I must" in them, and every "must" is something I actually can and will do. That's a nice substitute for true accomplishment. Now I've got to saunter into the break room, grab a sultry diet Coke, and wonder whether Bogart could handle a weedeater as well as he did a chess game or a Baja marlin, as I contemplate an evening of yard work ahead.

Comments

[geisa.livejournal.com]

JOY DIVISION!!! alllllll riiiiiight!!!

i'll have to come back to read...i'm scanning from a "top secret" unknown location at the moment!!!;)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Unknown Pleasures was a soundtrack for my 20s, along with Bill Nelson's Chimera.

"She's Lost Control" seemed to be a nice counterpoise for Lauren Bacall, somehow.

[geisa.livejournal.com]

i don't know...that sounds a little "dark" for you!!!;)

i am a HUGE joy division fan and have been since the 70's...just brilliant!!!

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I want to say something. But I don't know how exactly. I just can't put my finger on it. It has to do with you getting into mail art, and the exchanges you participate in, and your self-deprecation, and poetry interests...and the fact that you're actually a lawyer. I don't think I've ever seen such a puzzle. BTW--how did the Rubik's Cube go??

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I have not had the chance to make up the Cube, so it's still a SECRET so far (grin)!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

As far as being a puzzle, I suppose so, but I am not sure I am all that different from other puzzle-y people.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Joy Division is dark, but for some reason that little album of "dirge music" really appealed to my friends and I.

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

i would say that you are intriguing

a complex combination of talent, analysis and curiosity, compassion and humility with self-deprecation

intriguing like Lauren Bacall

love all those Bogie & Bacall movies

that woman was so sexy and mysterious

Re:

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

ix-nay on the ube-cay

Re:

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

No, you're different. Or else maybe I just don't know that many puzzely people.

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

You, sir, have a an enviable demeanor and a way with a turn of phrase.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Well, when you sum it up, you can decide which puzzle I am and describe it. You'd have to ask kenmora or gregwest98 who knew me before LJ, but I think that the "puzzle" I am on line is not that far from the puzzle in real life.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

That means a lot to me. You know, I was just thinking the other day, though, that I've commented to a couple of poisonpoet's posts, and I'm not sure she realizes that we know each other offline. So the demeanor must not always translate to userpix, after all!

Still ebaying your work? That A of C girl story really "got" to me, somehow.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

oh, and here I didn't even thank you for the pleasing compliment. I'm quite ordinary, really, just another fellow with more flaws than virtues. But I appreciate the kind words.

Re:

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

but such wit and conversational skills are to be admired perhaps even more among the ordinary

poets and paintings

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

I dropped Jan a note to let her know who you were, I believe I may have mentioned it. I also gave her some tips on friends she might like to add (you're on top of that list).

I have an ebay auction up now. I've decided that I'm not using the digital capacity of my work (I have high-res images of most of my works on cd) to its full potential, so I will, every week "mock up" one of my works in 8.5 X 11 format, framed and wait until one sells to produce it. It's so simple, I'm shocked that I never considered it seriously before.

I also found a place locally that does images on mugs and T-shirts for less than the price of cafepress.com. I think I'll do one each, and if one sells I'll buy some in quantity to bring the per-unit cost to where I can actually turn a profit.

Re: poets and paintings

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Cool. It would be fun to be a T shirt mogul. That's such a good idea to use your genius to ease your art marketing!

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

I think the key to this particular puzzle is communication. If you think of that endeavor as a process: examination & definition followed by experimentation & refinement and finally the execution, you see that everything our man G is passionate about is either part of, or a proxy for a part of that process.

What is rare is that someone so involved in communication, is also in love with the whole PROCESS of communication. This is why G has such an affinity for artists, he *is* an artist of communication, and a multi-dimensional and prolific one at that.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

interesting...looking at how many posts I've made lately, I'll agree with the prolific part, anyway. thanks