Sunday, July 20, 2008

A constant stream of expletives and spit.

I am reading The Silence now.* The Silence was written by Julian Barnes. It's from a collection of short stories called The Lemon Table. Julian Barnes also wrote Flaubert's Parrot, which is on a long list of things to do when I have "the time."

"When music is literature, it is bad literature. Music begins when words cease. What happens when music ceases? Silence. All the other arts aspire to the condition of music. What does music aspire to? Silence. In that case, I have succeeded. I am now as famous for my long silence as I have been for my music."

Et cetera.

So now I'm going to not get any schoolwork done.** I'm going to "aspire to the condition of music" for the rest of the night, even if it means beating my head through my keyboard and into the floor.

Shit Piss Fuck.



* Not at this very instant. I'm blogging now. Stop being silly.
**Schoolwork is for suckers and asskissers anyway.

2 comments:

Angel Surdin said...

Great quote. How's the book?

So, have you read Roland Barthes' Image, Music, Text? It's on my list. (I actually have the book -- have had for over a year -- just not had the time to read the entire thing.)

And here's an essay that might interest you: William H. Gass, "A Little History of Modern Music." (I have it and can copy it for you, if you're interested.)

That's all.

(Thanks for the quote.)

misanthropic bastard said...

I'm reading it from electronic reserves. Like Erika Lopez, Sherman Alexie, and Edward Said, Julian Barnes is a school find. The first European though. I wonder what that says about me...
I know nothing of Image, Music, Text or of "A Little History of Modern Music."
I'll read anything. We can trade if you like. I have a printed copy of The Silence. It has a neat form to it, kind of like a journal with the dates/names cut out. It focuses on his personal life/relationship with wife and friends, but it addresses the state of music in the world at times too. I think it would be weird if it weren't "cut up."