John Updike

I'm half-way through the 'Rabbit' Quartet. John Updike certainly wrote beautifully. It can be quite raw; and certainly his protagonist Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom is a difficult character to stomach at times. Rabbit displays deeply sexist and racist tendancies. Attitudes that would be regarded as politically incorrect nowadays - including his unwavering support for the Vietnam War. The sex is raw. Yet the humanity and honesty of the narrative is transcendant. I wonder how black readers view his depiction of the character "Skeeter", a Vietnam vet who has distinctly 'Black Panther' and messianic leanings and appears to supply the eighteen year-old feral preppy, Jill with chemicals that hastens her downfall. As the author says in the Afterword '...the trip to the moon is the central metaphor. "Trip" in the Sixties parlance meant an inner journey of some strangeness.' Far out!

I spent the summer of 1970 working as a student in the United States (near Woodstock in Upstate New York). The zeitgeist depicted in 'Rabbit Redux' and Philip Roth's 'American Pastoral' has a familiar if dream-like resonance.

Creative Writing

Applied for admission to an MA in creative writing with an eminent university. Would be ecstatic to be offered a place. Feel I could excel in such a place. Haven't stopped scribbling: learn by doing, what? Reading a fair amount of good stuff too.

I heard Germaine Greer - last night describe "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" as a great book. Haven't got round to it yet, though I love the device of 'the unreliable narrator'. Must find the time...It's written that Professor Greer can be 'barking' at times. I believe such comments are penned by sexist journos in the night-time.

An aspect of the writing of the late David Foster Wallace is well covered in this piece. It's given me pause for thought. The Stanford link on Wittgenstein's thesis is illuminating - if a bit heavy going.

Hypochondria & Writers

Interesting piece in the Guardian yesterday about a 'malady' that has struck many creative people down the centuries, that is, hypochondria. Numerous examples are quoted - such as James Boswell, Marcel Proust, Charlotte Bronte, Andy Warhol, and of course, Woody Allen. I suspect the necessary isolation and self-analysis imposed by serious writing in particular, (they should get out more often) is conducive to the development of the condition; although there is a 'chicken and egg' scenario here - that is to say: are people who are attracted to 'creative' writing as an activity predisposed to the condition? It is not something from which this blogger is immune; although I barely want to limit my own occasional feelings of 'unwellness' in such a way. It might just be tempting fate.

Still. it's reassuring to be in such august company, even if one feels a bit of an impostor.

Luc Skyz

Watch out for this rapper. He has great natural talent as a writer and performer. I have known him since he was a lot shorter than his present 6'2".

Back from Summer

Returned today from 12 days in Vilamoura on Portugal's Algarve. It was great to experience real summer weather after that season failed to show up in the British/Irish archipelago. Of course the current showery climate continues in these higher climes.

I've had interesting chats with Ireland-born friends recently about the national identities of their England-born children. I think Nick Laird's piece in the Guardian is quite illuminating in this regard, although he is writing in a slightly different context

Passed

Passed the literature degree today [2.1].

What's next?

1. Just write.

2. Start an MA in english in October.

3. Prepare a portfolio for taking an MA in creative writing next year.

4. Do nothing - just watch tv and drink beer.

I continue to work full-time as well, no matter what happens (except in the unlikely event of bidding war for my unwritten novel).

I think 4 is a non-starter - especially as my super-digital-high-definition flat-screen Samsung TV died about 6 months ago and I really can't be bothered with the sheer boredom of dealing with the Argonauts who sold it. I bought my sister a super cheap Matsui or something in Dixons twenty years ago and it's still working perfectly. I do like beer though.

Oh, and I got the 'all-clear' from the doc today. Not a bad day really!

Malodourous Murdoch

Appropriate words from the fearless John Pilger in the recent edition of the New Statesman regarding the truly vile Rupert Murdoch.