Monday, April 21, 2008

Will Self Is an Alien

Not of course that that's a bad thing. Maybe I'm wrong (I did get interrupted) but I got this impression from BBC's Open Book yesterday: while perfectly happy with his commendable novelistic ability to stand apart like a Martian from our crazy society and see it for what it is, Self has become dissatisfied with his new-found way of thinking 'on the screen' and has decided to return to the manual typewriter and the more human method of thinking: 'in the head'.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Weird. I kept my typewriter for several years before giving it away to poor people last year.
Can you buy them now? Get ribbons for them?

Elizabeth Baines said...

Maybe Self brings his in his space ship.

Tania Hershman said...

Thinking "in the head"? I'm not sure what that is... or, if I've not been thinking in my head, where have I been thinking? Huh. Interesting. Or perhaps on the planet Self is from, they think from other parts of their anatomy.

Ms Baroque said...

He must. I'm told you can't get ribbons. It's going to be the next Geek Status Symbol.

Julian Gough said...

Hi Elizabeth. Not really a post, this, but I couldn't find your email. I was going to tell you about something I thought you might enjoy, but then I caught up with your blog and realised you'd more important things to think about. Very sorry to hear of your partner's illness. Very happy he seems to be recovering well. There's been a bit of that in my family this year, and I know what it's like.

Oh bugger it, I'll tell you about the thing I was going to tell you about. It might amuse you, and that can be useful.

If you liked The Orphan and the Mob on Radio 4 (and I remember you said some very kind things about it, which was why I thought of you today), you should enjoy this. RTÉ Radio 1 are broadcasting short bits of Jude: Level 1 all this week. They're using the same great Beckett actor as the BBC did, Conor Lovett. It should be streaming live on the miraculous internet.

Details here.

http://www.juliangough.com/journal/2008/4/21/jude-level-1-is-the-book-on-one-in-ireland-this-week.html

Sorry I didn't tell you in time for the first couple of bits, but, as you can see from the link, I didn't have much warning myself.

I had no part in the editing, so I take no responsibility for any alarming jump-cuts! But Conor should make it work, he's astonishing. Improves my stuff no end.

Is that the time? Better go to bed...

Health and wealth to you and yours,

Oh, and happiness,

-Julian Gough

Elizabeth Baines said...

Hey Julian, how great - and how astute of RTE!! I'll try and catch it tonight.