Thursday, May 10, 2007

Constant reader reports ...

When people ask me what I do, I say I'm a writer, but being a reader is actually closer to my true identity. The actual work of writing is nearly always sheer drudgery, and the profession of writing is precarious and ill-paid, but reading always affords real pleasure. If I were forced to never write again, I wouldn't like it, but I'd adjust. If I were forced to never read again—I simply don't know what I would do with myself. The idea is simply too alien to even consider.

I am always reading something. I frequently dine in public alone with a book. (When I had a girlfriend, we would go out to restaurants and read and eat together in silence, which always amazed the wait staff.) I never leave the house without a book in my pocket or in my car; after all, you never know when you'll have to wait five minutes, and far better to spend that time reading than just waiting. I really can't understand it when I see people in restaurants, eating or drinking by themselves, and just staring into space, doing nothing.

I'm pretty sure that makes me a rarity in today's world. Even the bookish people I know don't really read all that much. God knows few people read for pleasure nowadays. I much prefer honest uneducated illiterates to middle-class educated illiterates. The honest illiterate may read twice a year, and he or she may only read People or Lowrider magazine, but at least they read what they read because they enjoy it. The middle-class educated illiterate, who only reads books of guaranteed quality that will improve them, are the real death of literature.

A friend once announced to me with great solemnity, that she was going to read a book that summer and she wanted me to select a really good book that would be worth the time investment. As if reading a book were a grand cultural experience that you might take in once a year, like going to the opera or traveling to Rome.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Bizarre, if True

The incredibly prolix Eric Field (aka Lacquer, Semi-Gloss Lacquer) made a comment to my last post that I found surprising. In order to give this startling news more publicity, I decided that it needed to be upgraded from a mere comment on a blog that no one reads to a main article on a blog that no one reads.

Here is Eric's comment:

so, um, like, yah... I was catching up with my younger brother about the NY scene, the potential of Rogue East:
(Peter) '..uh, good luck on that one, bud, that's going to be an uphill to get people to hand over venues, things are really tight if not closing down in a lot of ways, it's just not artist friendly...'

then he drops the bomb..

'...actually, what the buzz is, is how Fresno is going to be the third wave... yep, they're even talking about the Rogue and everything over here, and how that it's the last really affordable and decent place to break in your stuff, has a strong performer-artist base, lots of friendly venues, and affordable housing and all that... you guys are about to boom...'

(me) '...you're kidding.'

(Peter) '...nope, that's what I'm hearing this ways... the trend is now shifting away from places like NYC and S.F. and towards Fresno...'
I just don't know whether to believe this at all. If that's actually the buzz about Fresno in New York, there has got to be a Fresnan in NYC who is a demon publicist.

In other news: Entandem Productions' new film "Fresno: the Documentary" (working title) is now in production, with four days of shooting in the virtual digital video can. Check out our progress on the Entandem Blog!