New poem: FOLK MUSIC AS WOOLY MAMMOTH PRESERVED IN ICE.

FOLK MUSIC AS WOOLY MAMMOTH


PRESERVED IN ICE


(inspired by the PBS fund-raising special

JOHN SEBASTIAN'S FOLK MUSIC REWIND)



Did you see old man John Sebastian

on the Public Broadcasting System?

He now looks a little like George Segal

and sounds a lot like Peter Coyote.







Did you see old man Barry McGuire

singing EVE OF DESTRUCTION?

He now looks like a retired WWE wrestler

and wears NYPD patches on his black T-shirt.




Did you watch this tribute to old folk music

in the comfort of your home

as people protest and die in far-off lands

and American media propagandizes

about the evils of WikiLeaks

and the perfidy of Julian Assange

(the timing of the latter is rather convenient)?


Did you once gather for communal singing

and peaceful demonstration

until you "grew out of it"

because too many people told you

that standing up for the rights of others

was passe and not likely to lead to good job offers?



Of course you did.

And I did too.

RIP Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner

Farewell to two class acts:

By now, you can turn on just about any media outlet and see/hear clips from Leslie Nielsen's appearances in the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy classics AIRPLANE! and THE NAKED GUN series.

As for director Irvin Kershner, he's fated to be eulogized as the director of numerous franchise sequels--such as RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE, ROBOCOP 2, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN and, especially, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (probably the most gripping and adult STAR WARS entry--then George Lucas decided to pull the series back towards a more family-friendly approach from RETURN OF THE JEDI through the prequel trilogy).

Kershner's earlier work included THE HOODLUM PRIEST, UP THE SANDBOX (Barbra Streisand as a dissatisfied housewife), A FINE MADNESS (Sean Connery as a nonconformist poet) and THE FLIM-FLAM MAN (George C. Scott as a Southern con artist).

Heartwarming story of altruism vs unnecessarily condescending professional poetry behavior.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks-20101123,0,6020985.column
http://poetix.net/reviews_810.htm

On a personal level, I'm glad he'll be around for years to come.  Professionally, I wish that more generosity and less conformity to someone else's notions of "quality" (i.e. Murray's usual "layers of meaning" bromide about ideal poetry) could appear under the G. Murray Thomas Poetix.net byline if he's intent on continuing his  self-appointed tenure as a  Revered Figure in Southern California poetry/literature.

A few words about Allan Moyle's 1980 proto-punkette film TIMES SQUARE.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081635/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_(film)

It's unlikely that Allan Moyle's TIMES SQUARE will resurface on DVD, unless Universal Pictures (the current owner) wants to issue it as a print-on-demand offering.

Moyle's best known for two other teen-centered cult films, PUMP UP THE VOLUME and EMPIRE RECORDS.  But TIMES SQUARE was an attempt by producer Robert Stigwood to create a punk/New Wave variant of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, with Trini Alvarado as a sheltered Shirley Feeney-type playing off Robin Johnson's Laverne De Fazio/Joan Jett archetype.  According to Moyle's comments at yesterday's screening at L.A.'s Silent Movie Theatre, there was a mild same-sex romance between the two characters, but this was removed by Stigwood before the film's October 1980 release (though some vestiges of it remain in the theatrical print--particularly Johnson's anguished pour-out-my-heart-in-song scene at Tim Curry's radio station).

When I saw TIMES SQUARE in 1980, I disliked the film's venturing into unrealistic (the griminess, and dog-eat-dog behavior of Times Square of that period was, even to the eyes of this then non-urban viewer, somewhat oversanitized)  over-the-top ludicrousness.  Thirty years later, I can see a mixture of what Moyle called "corny" as well as some heartfelt attempts at criticizing pressures to "conform", plus the mindset that any kind of "punk" rebellion was best treated with drugs and institutionalizing.

And, in retrospect, the cartoonish city official character who is the father of Alvarado's Pamela presages Rudolph Giuliani's later successful efforts to re-invent Times Square as a tourist-friendly corporate theme park.

Final note: Trini Alvarado has a whip-my-hair moment that presages Willow Smith by about three decades.

Another example of Bristol Palin rage re DANCING WITH THE STARS.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/11/cbs-tv-city-evacuated-over-suspicious-white-powder-at-dancing-offices/

Not much to add to this except to say that the human mind who did this is an organ which descended to the
sub-basement level.

Old poem with update: CAROL

Found out the other day about the passing of Carol Eby McCredie (1959-2007).

Here's a poem I wrote about her (and my immature-at-fifteen mindset) a few years back for my chapbook WICHITA FALLS:

CAROL

In 1974, I was a member of the

Backdoor Youth Theatre group

in Wichita Falls, Texas.

One Saturday afternoon, I saw

a fifteen-year-old girl with

long brown hair play the role

of Lady Macbeth.

“Out, damned spot!” Carol said

as she convincingly essayed the

madness of the character.

I fell in love.

A few Saturdays later, I asked her for a date.

She smiled and said, “I’ll let you know.”

One Saturday later, we had that date.

I was too young to drive,

so my parents had to chaperone.

I came calling at her parents’ home

near Midwestern University.

My parents went to a movie at the State Theater.

Carol and I went to the old Piccadilly Cafeteria

for dinner.

She told me about her life in Guam

when her father was still in the Air Force.

I told her about my growing up in the

small town of Electra.

She told me of her dislike of Jerry Lewis.

I told her I didn’t think he was all that bad.

Two things were becoming evident.

We didn’t have a lot in common and

I didn’t know how to carry on a conversation.

Those were the days where I didn’t know how

to talk to-or listen to-a woman

especially when she was nine months older

and infinitely more mature than I was.

But I thought she was a goddess

and told myself, “This could work!

Don’t let her get away!

We’re the couple described in

Neil Diamond’s LONGFELLOW SERANADE.

She’s a lady.

And I’m a dreamer.”

After dinner, Carol and I walked

to the Strand Theater and bought

two tickets to Peter Bogdanovich’s

DAISY MILLER.

I picked the movie.

I thought that anyone who could

perform Shakespeare would appreciate Henry James.

DAISY MILLER is a film that has disappeared

from American memory.

I remember it as a film where Cybill Shepherd

talked a lot, flirted a lot and then died.

I hoped that Carol would appreciate

my sophisticated taste in movies.

When it was over,

we received a ride

from my parents.

I walked Carol to the front step

of her parents’ home.

“Thanks for a nice evening,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

“Maybe we could do this again sometime,” I said.

“We’ll have to talk about that,” she said in a soft,

quiet voice.

On the way back to Electra,

I began to believe that a love affair

of the ages had begun.

I knew we would see each other again

in theater class-seven whole days away.

I couldn’t wait that long.

Three days later, I sent her

a thank-you card that reiterated

the “thanks for a nice evening”

sentiment I told her previously.

My parents said, “Take it slow.”

I said, “I don’t think she’ll mind.”

Those were the days when I didn’t

want to listen to my parents’ wisdom.

I was fifteen-going on sixteen.

I just knew Carol felt something for me.

Four days passed.

I saw Carol at Backdoor Theatre.

I tried to talk to her but she

seemed to be disinterested in me.

What little conversation there was

concerned the theater class and the

upcoming public performance of scenes

from great American plays.

“Maybe it’s not over,” I thought.

“Perhaps I should wait a few weeks

and call her once more…”

…And that’s exactly what I did.

I called her on the afternoon of

Christmas Eve at her parents’ home.

“You just caught me with a piece of cheese

in my mouth,” Carol said.

I had an upsurge of hope.

She was in a good mood!

Perhaps she’ll say yes!

After about five minutes of casual conversation,

I asked her about the possibility of a second date.

She declined-politely but firmly.

I hung up the phone, devastated.

No great love affair for me.

From that point on, Carol and I saw very little of each other.

We graduated from our separate high schools.

I went to Midwestern (State) University for five years.

She went to Southern Methodist University.

After that, I knew nothing else.

About four years ago, a mutual friend told me

that Carol lived in south Texas.

She was a wife and mother, married to a doctor.

On occasion, she still acted in community theater.

It would be nice to meet her someday

and see the person she has become.

Nowadays, I know a little more about

how to talk-and listen-to people

than I did at the age of fifteen.

From a different pre-MFA-worship era: Poem called SHALL WE MARCH FORTH?

Years ago, when SoCal poets spoke to each other on listserves rather than via Facebook, a poet suggested that the local community pull together to advance the status and (assuming) the visibility of poetry.  It didn't happen, but here's a poem I wrote inspired by that post:

CAN WE MARCH FORTH?

(OR WILL WE MERELY DREAM

BIG DREAMS ON A LISTSERVE?)

(inspired by the author responding to

a post where a poet was concerned

that reaching out to a broad audience

meant “watering down” the “art”

of poetry?)

This reminds me of when I used to

go to Screen Actors Guild meetings

and hear complaints that

letting too many background actors

(extras) join the union

would be ruinous

to the art of Acting.

Poets shouldn’t have to worry so much

about “watering down” their work

for the masses when a lot of them

make a strong effort to avoid

intersecting with the masses

under any circumstances.

I’d like to envision a future where poets

could take the stage at Pershing Square

to entertain the lunch-break office

workers, street people and

random passers-by.

Or what remains of the Fairfax

Farmer’s Market,

the Federal Building in Westwood,

etc. etc.

Somewhere besides the usual

coffeehouses and bookstores-

or the usual alternative ways of intersecting

with the public

(“on the bus” readings).

Can we March Forth?

Or will we march into

an early grave-

complaining that

the “stupid masses”

will never appreciate

our brilliance

no matter what we did

or didn’t want to do

or tried to do

or merely thought about doing?

RIP Dino De Laurentiis

He produced Fellini films.  He produced films for Paramount Pictures release--SERPICO, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, the semi-forgotten 1976 KING KONG and THE SHOOTIST being four examples.  And he produced and released films in the 1980s through DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)--the best of these include David Lynch's BLUE VELVET and Michael Mann's MANHUNTER.

Here's an obituary: http://tinyurl.com/2cqpb8p


 

It was one of the Best of Times....

Giving some public thanks to Rafael F. J. Alvarado, S.A. Griffin and new Beyond Baroque director Richard Modiano for yesterday's Beyond Baroque marathon of poets and writers.

During the time I was there, I got to see Wanda Coleman (for the first time ever), Pam Ward (ditto), Doug Knott and Gerald Locklin--among others (including the talented young Orange County poet Jennifer Donnell).

It was a good learning experience and it reminded me a bit of the kind of poetry and readings that don't seem as prevalent now in today's SoCal literary scene.

Please support Beyond Baroque now and in the future by going to its readings and buying books/chapbooks from the bookstore.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC gets Griffined.

In the wake of Keith Olbermann's suspension for making small campaign donations to Democrats (seemingly not too ethically challenging for a clearly partisan newsertainer/commenter), one wonders what MSNBC majordomo Phil Griffin (let's pass over the channel's top Republican Joe Scarborough's GOP/Democratic donations for now) has in mind.

My guess is that MSNBC may either rebrand itself as:
1. The channel of the cautious, mild-liberal Center, with Rachel Maddow becoming the only capital-L Liberal safe for Prime Time and Chris Matthews dethroning Olbermann to become the Face of the Channel.
or
2. The channel's re-embrace of its former Republican, shadow-of-Fox News, phase, with former MSNBC anchors Tucker Carlson and John Gibson maybe being asked to return--with a new show called.....COUNTDOWN WITH PAT BUCHANAN.

UPDATE 11/8/10: Here's a link I did for a YouTube video commenting on the suspension and reinstatement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93eB6Udqqpo

Recent Glenn Kenny column referencing the GLEE actors GQ layout controversy.

http://somecamerunning.typepad.com/some_came_running/2010/10/firing-hop-sing-or-literary-interlude-with-commentary.html