Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Who's "The Seeker" and Bob Dylan's reaction to the song.
http://www.americansongwriter.com/2012/09/the-who-the-seeker/
[I first remember hearing the song on The Who's singles compilation album MEATY BEATY BIG AND BOUNCY.]
From Mikal Gilmore's interview with Bob Dylan in the current issue of ROLLING STONE [Gilmore's question addresses the post-motorcycle accident Dylan and the marked difference in his music from earlier in the 60s when "people saw you as a revolutionary fireball."]:
"Why is it that when people talk about me they have to go crazy? What the fuck is the matter with them? Sure, I had a motorcycle accident. Sure, I played with the Band. Yeah, I made a record called JOHN WESLEY HARDING. And sure, I sounded different. So fucking what? They want to know what can't be known. They are searching--they are seekers. Like in the Pete Townshend song where he's trying to find his way to 50 million fables. For what? Why are they doing this? They don't really know. It's sad. May the Lord have mercy on them. They are lost souls. They really don't know. It's sad--it really is. It's sad for me, and it's sad for them."
[I first remember hearing the song on The Who's singles compilation album MEATY BEATY BIG AND BOUNCY.]
From Mikal Gilmore's interview with Bob Dylan in the current issue of ROLLING STONE [Gilmore's question addresses the post-motorcycle accident Dylan and the marked difference in his music from earlier in the 60s when "people saw you as a revolutionary fireball."]:
"Why is it that when people talk about me they have to go crazy? What the fuck is the matter with them? Sure, I had a motorcycle accident. Sure, I played with the Band. Yeah, I made a record called JOHN WESLEY HARDING. And sure, I sounded different. So fucking what? They want to know what can't be known. They are searching--they are seekers. Like in the Pete Townshend song where he's trying to find his way to 50 million fables. For what? Why are they doing this? They don't really know. It's sad. May the Lord have mercy on them. They are lost souls. They really don't know. It's sad--it really is. It's sad for me, and it's sad for them."
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A coda to the recent discussion of the usage of a certain word.
"In linguistics, semantics is the subfield that
is devoted to the study of meaning, as inherent at the levels of words, phrases,
sentences, and larger units of discourse (termed texts). The basic area of
study is the meaning of signs, and the study of relations between
different linguistic units and compounds: homonymy, synonymy, antonymy, hypernymy, hyponymy, meronymy, metonymy, holonymy, paronyms. A key concern is how meaning
attaches to larger chunks of text, possibly as a result of the composition from
smaller units of meaning. Traditionally, semantics has included the study of sense and denotative reference, truth conditions, argument structure, thematic roles, discourse
analysis, and the linkage of all of these to syntax."--From the article
on "Semantics" on Wikipedia.
on "Semantics" on Wikipedia.
Rick Lupert, dubious word use and the silence of poets.
http://poetry-arts-confidential.blogspot.com/2012/09/more-of-whats-in-socal-poetry-pond.html
Moral Conundrum Department:
You're a poet who attends a reading where Rick Lupert, in an effort (apparently without much thought) to get laughs, uses the word "Chinaman.". You find his use of the word offensive, but you're also aware he doesn't do this sort of thing all the time--plus he's well liked and respected in the Southern California community. But his use of a casual racial epithet bothers you.
You're a poet who attends a reading where Rick Lupert, in an effort (apparently without much thought) to get laughs, uses the word "Chinaman.". You find his use of the word offensive, but you're also aware he doesn't do this sort of thing all the time--plus he's well liked and respected in the Southern California community. But his use of a casual racial epithet bothers you.
Do you:
A. Go up to Rick and say you are offended by his use of the word--speaking respectfully but firmly, regardless of consequences to you.
Or
B. Say nothing, because he hosts a nearly two-decades old reading series at Canoga Park's Cobalt Cafe and you have a plethora of worries--that you may never get to feature there or (if you're a poetry host) get him to feature at your venue or possibly never be chosen by Rick for anthologies he may edit or readings he may curate at prestige poetry venues.
B. Say nothing, because he hosts a nearly two-decades old reading series at Canoga Park's Cobalt Cafe and you have a plethora of worries--that you may never get to feature there or (if you're a poetry host) get him to feature at your venue or possibly never be chosen by Rick for anthologies he may edit or readings he may curate at prestige poetry venues.
Or
C. Say nothing because Rick Lupert is popular and you don't want to be condemned for talking about a momentary slip of the tongue that's not "a big thing." But remember to condemn an unpopular poet if he/she says something racist/sexist at a reading because it's safe and "the right thing to do."
[UPDATE: Rick responded via Facebook that this was "an attack bordering on libel." I gave him the opportunity to apologize for the remark he made (on video) at the reading. He did not apologize, choosing instead to criticize me for criticisms I've made about SoCal poets and regarding the use of the word as part of a non sequitur in a poetry performance piece full of them.]
[UPDATE: Rick responded via Facebook that this was "an attack bordering on libel." I gave him the opportunity to apologize for the remark he made (on video) at the reading. He did not apologize, choosing instead to criticize me for criticisms I've made about SoCal poets and regarding the use of the word as part of a non sequitur in a poetry performance piece full of them.]
Monday, September 17, 2012
Quote of the day.
When people say "You're angry about things that can't change," ask them what makes [these things] unchangeable.--James Rocchi, via Twitter.
The above quote can be applicable to many things. I can't help, though, but think of it in the specific context of "The Poetry Community."
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