Posted on by qscrisp

Explaining the joke

I shouldn't have to explain the joke, really, should I?

Unless it's not a very good joke, in which case, there's even more reason not to explain.

I've recently been listening to Kodagain's 000, but I might write more about that later.

Because I feel like saying something, and because I don't know what it is, I'm going to tell you about what I had for Christmas.

Collected Short Stories of Richard Yates. By the way, please excuse lack of punctuation etc. today. Not that my blog posts are usually perfect, but I do make a bit of an effort. Today, that might be a bit too much. Anyway, this is a book. I read one of the stories earlier today. I must admit, I skipped about a page near the beginning, but apart from that I read it all in one sitting. The story is called 'Builders'. It seems to be pretty ironic. There's a lot of stuff about the American class system in it, which is interesting to me, because America, like Japan, is a country that many claim to have no class system. It's also about writing, so I could relate to that, too. And it's a well-crafted story, and the writer-narrator says something early on that's worth weeks of writing lessons. Referring to his fedora, he says:

"Battered" is the way I would have described it then, and I'm grateful that I know a little more now about honesty in the use of words. It was a handled hat, handled by endless nervous pinchings and shapings and reshapings; it wasn't battered at all.

For some reason, though, I don't really like writers referring to 'my wife' in a story, and this story has a lot of that, for the very good reason that the guy's wife plays a large part in the story. I suppose I feel a bit more of a dandy than the no-nonsense persona of the narrator here. But that's okay. It's a memorable story.

Nakata Yasutaka mix. A mix of songs produced (and I imagine written?) by Nakata Yasutaka. I don't pretend to be very hip about J-pop, or about anything much, really, but on first listening (I've heard a number of the individual songs before, but I mean, first listening as a CD mix experience) it seems pretty good. Robot sex. Tanizaki Jun'ichiro looking back on the 21st century from the Showa future.

Nostalghia. Film about a Russian poet in Italy supposedly writing a biography of a Russian musician who lived in Italy for a while, but killed himself – I can't remember exactly now – either out of homesickness, or after he went home, to Russia, because of homesickness. One of the lyrics that may be in the Kodagain project Letters From Quentin is inspired by a scene from this film.

Nalle, The Siren's Wave. I think it's called that. It just occurred to me, if it is called that, then it's probably a pun. Yes, just checked. Yes, it's a quality pun. The music is very … Well, let's just say, I first heard this on The Peter Harris Experience (one of the tracks), and immediately liked it, and felt that there was something a bit Eastern about the sound. I learnt later – I think I'm right in saying – that the band hail (mainly?) from Scotland.

Elliott Smith, XO. Been listening to this. I think I might like it more than… the one with Angeles on it, though Angeles is definitely my favourite song by this guy: "What's a game of chance to you/To him is one of real skill".

Electric toothbrush in Dalek holder. I don't really know how I've managed to live without this. I'm ready now to exterminate plaque.

A black fedora, much-handled, not battered. I have a strange relationship with hats. Though I've worn quite ridiculous things at different periods of my life, sometimes almost getting myself into trouble thereby with the honest burghers of Amersham and Durham, I'm never really been confident that I can pull off a hat, so to speak. Well, now's my chance to try.

Two CDs of the best of The Peter Harris Experience. I sent an e-mail to Peter Harris during one of the shows, saying something like, listening to his show always made me want to go out and buy a load of CDs, which unfortunately, I can't do. Mr. Harris duly (one of Aickbon's favourite words) sent me these two CDs.

Ten writing pens. Say no more.

Rice crackers, shower gel, assorted snacks. I think consumables are a very good idea for presents.

Cancer Ward. I can't remember how to spell the guy's name at the moment, and can't be arsed to look it up now. Anyway, that famous novel about a cancer ward in Russia. This is a doorstep of a novel, too. I'm looking forward to reading hundreds of pages of people dying slowly and in agony. The same guy who gave me this also gave me a couple of novels by Victor Pelevin, which I opened early. The whole lot were from Amazon, and were addressed to 'Q.S. Bender'. That probably gives you an idea of the kind of friends I have. The person with whom I live was apparently going to ask the neighbours if they had a Bender in the house, but the 'Q.S.' gave it away.

A Japanese calendar from Japan. Very lovely.

Haunted Wales, A Survey of Welsh Ghostlore. Fucking excellent. Tidy, in fact.

Toriyama Sekien, Gazu Hyakki Yako Zengashuu. A collection of pictures of monsters by this insane eighteenth century Japanese artist. It's excellent. A kind of bestiary. I don't know why I'd never heard of the guy before. My favourite so far of the monsters, is the flying squirrel, which, according to the description on the picture, has such horrifying attributes as being "covered in fur, with wings of meat", having four short legs with long claws, eating berries, and also, eating fire.

I think there might be one or two things still in the post. Not sure. God, I hope I haven't forgotten to mention anything! That would be terrible. Just put it down to my exhaustion, if I have. I'm not sure whether to include Kodagain's 000, which certainly was a gift, in every sense of the word, and which happened to arrive more or less at Christmas, and Ulrich Haarburte's Novel of Roy Orbison in Clingfilm, which I received some time back, and was not a Christmas present, but nonetheless, a very welcome gift. Well, I have mentioned them now, and hope to do so again later, too.

Thank you to everyone for all that. For one reason and another, I haven't bought presents this year. Sorry for all that.

I hope I can make it up to you by being charming whenever we next meet, though, it has to be said, that's a pretty desperate hope.

Must I go on apologising forever?

By the way, I wrote some lyrics yesterday, under the title Short-Term Solution. I might post them here if I can be arsed.

Socks Just remembered, I got three pairs of socks, too – much needed.

Update (1st Jan):

I've also just remembered that there's another present I know of that I didn't mention above because I haven't received it yet. It's not an object, anyway, but an experience, which will take place in May, at the Albert Hall, hopefully.

9 Replies to “Explaining the joke”

  1. A black fedoraJazzy! :)hope I can make it up to you by being charming whenever we next meetThat You always are.Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.

  3. Sounds like you had a nice Christmas. I did too especially since my daughter in Chicago visited for a few days. She only stayed three days though, not nearly long enough. Her next semester interning for 30 autistic kids at a Chicago southside school is going to be a tough one. I’m going to be off the computer for 3 or 4 days so wanted to wish you a Happy New Year before I left. Here’s my last post for the 2008: http://my.opera.com/PainterWoman/blog/

  5. She will need the luck. Even though she is very smart and dedicated, I fear for her life. I don’t know if the fear is more for her train ride and walk to the school or for being in a classroom with adolescent autistic children….maybe both. I wasn’t going to be on the pc but it is almost easier staying away from cigs than it is the pc. I’m going to check my blog now.

  6. Tarkovsky’s “Mirror” is very good; in fact, it’s perhaps the best film I’ve ever seen. It’s a sort of montage of scenes from his dreams and childhood.

  7. I don’t know if the fear is more for her train ride and walk to the school or for being in a classroom with adolescent autistic children….maybe both.I don’t know Chicago well, but I think that my own fear would mainly be of teaching adolescent pupils. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re teaching children of all ages, I think you’ll find it remarkable how distinct the contrast is between those up to the age of about ten/eleven, and those from that age to about seventeen or eighteen. I think thirteen is probably the high tide of obnoxiousness. Tarkovsky’s “Mirror” is very good; in fact, it’s perhaps the best film I’ve ever seen. It’s a sort of montage of scenes from his dreams and childhood.That will have to be my next Tarkovsky. I’m trying to think if I’ve discovered any other interesting films recently, but none come to mind.

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