Guilt by association.
I pulled out a tape I hadn’t listened to in a long time on this last trip— Brighten the Corners by Pavement. Something alarming struck me. I don’t really care that much for “stream of consciousness” writing. I think that it’s a misnomer for the way that consciousness works. It’s more like a lake that pebbles skip across, leaving elliptical ripples with each idea that crosses it. The idea that consciousness might stream also implies that it is coming from somewhere, and going somewhere. In my case, I know that is seldom true. Usually, ideas usually skip across, with the force of a slap or a kiss, depending on the angle of attack and force behind them.
An idea, just like lunch, is never free— so I resist “free association” as well. There can only be association, which is directly plonked in your path, or the glancing dance of sidearm throws. It scared me to think that somehow, lately, I’m starting to write rambles down a shandy lane like songs I’ve heard. I suppose it’s a glancing thing, depending on how you inflect.
A welcome to my friends:
This house is a home and a home’s where I belong
Where the feelings are warm and the foundations are strong
If my soul has a shape, well, then it is an ellipse
And this slap is a gift
‘Cause your cheeks have lost their lustre
You know, your cheeks have lost their lustre
You know, your cheeks have lost their lustre
You know, your cheeks have lost their lustre, lustre, lustre, lustre
Take it back — send return out of time
Tape machine needs to be alignedAloha means goodbye, and also hello — it’s in how you inflect
Put the bark in the dog, and you’ve got a guardian
When the capital’s S, it is followed by a T — and it’s probably me
And the tones are grouped in clusters
You know, the tones are grouped in clusters
Well the tones are grouped in clusters
You know the tones are grouped in clusters, clusters, clusters, clusters
Take it back — kiss me into the past
Lately never gonna last“Blue Hawaiian”
Thank you, Stephen Malkmus.
you are just so fucking. um. i mean. um. darn. DANG…PROLIFIC.where do all those words and thoughts come from in you?and how do you manage to harness them and make utterly perfect sense?wow.i love to come read you.almost everyday.my head spins and i am furious.about how little i learned, even in university.but mostly i am delighted and fascinated and i thank you for sharing.and what was the deal with that spooky monkey lady thing?that creeped (and as always, delighted) me SO much!as always, thank you.your students are truly lucky. i hope they know.peace.
—–COMMENT:
DUDE!
—–COMMENT:
Malkmus is a cheeseball!
My neighbor’s in his band and he’s always around, pulling up with his beemer and his painful uber-bougie wyfe. ; )
re: stream-of-consciousness – it’s always hard to tell exactly where the line is drawn. Kerouac claimed binges but history proves revision. Faulkner? Dead drunk but good stuff. I know you have to like Faulkner…no?
Regardless, it is a very rare bird whose every thought is interesting or whose any thought is literature.
Would you be interested in some Scientology literature? I can arrange to have pamphlets sent directly to your home at no cost to you.
Tom
http://freakydeaky.blogspot.com
ps: That “aloha” line is my second least favorite S.M. line of all time – the first least being “I swing my fiery sword, I vent my spleen at the lord” and oh there’s one about a “chalice” that makes me think of Geddy Lee…pps: Have you seen the poetry of Malkmus crony and Silver Jew David Berman?