Vitro Nasu

Happy Birthday

David Markson is 80 years old today.

David markson on drinking with malcolm lowry & dylan thomas He looked great here on youtube.

They all seem like they shouldn’t have driver’s licenses, even. You do become aware of the names, of course. Who are they, Lethem, Foer, Eggers? Are they mostly named Jonathan?
An Interview with David Markson from Bookslut.

I fear I already posted something with this title. But whoa, David Markson’s The Last Novel totally makes me feel *GREAT*
Cash bag writers -from Venom Glitterati.
(Venom G is linked at my blogroll)

From an Essay by H.R. Two Masters: Variation on Markson
It is said that in the street markets of Florence Leonardo da Vinci would buy the various small birds that were for sale—the ones caged at the food stands, the ones for purchase by those with a palate for small roasted finches and warblers—and then he would go somewhere and set them free.
I presume the birds were in cages. Though I do not know. Surely bird cages are an ancient art. You see, Leonardo was a vegetarian. If he saw other animals under the same market duress I suppose he might have let those go as well. After buying them. Monkeys and dogs and such. This would only make sense. He would want to spare all the innocents from the dastardly meat eaters. Though doubtless there were some animals which were not for sale as food. Decisions would have to be made. Was he only going to buy the birds and animals that were in the most immediate danger? Were there labels to help with momentous decisions such as this?
Food monkey. Companion monkey. Edible parrot. This dog is for eating, this one is not. Please do not eat these birds. One does not want to think of the trial and error involved in birdeaters knowing which were the tastiest of birds. Let us say nothing of the dog testers.

(This essay was begun after several images stuck in my head from David Markson’s stunning book Wittgenstein’s Mistress. Mister Markson’s book is one of the most beautiful books in my small opinion, in my fevered reading life. I have read the book at least once each year since its appearance in 1988. It was purchased in a small book shop in Little Rock.)

More links here (with the same photo of David Markson)
Vanishing Point (a clumsy hommage to David Markson by this blogger)

Finished reading “Vanishing Point” by David Markson.

Ice Tea Photo 2000

“The Universe was created on October 26, 4004 B.C. At 9.00 A.M.
Announced Archbishop Ussher, in 1645.”

“Tolstoy to Chekhov:
You know I can’t stand Shakespeare’s plays, but yours are worse”

“Tolstoy had an illegitimate son he never acknowledged.
Karl Marx had an illegitimate son he never acknowledged.
Henrik Ibsen had an illegitimate son he never acknowledged.”
(From Vanishing Point by David Markson)

Speaking of father and son, today (Aug 20) is a birthday of
Eero Saarinen the Finnish architect who built St Louis’ arch and
Dulles airport. He and his father were both born on the same date,
August 20 just like John Lennon and his son. (they are Libra - October boys).
Saarinen’s design are all over the world in office, in homes and at the airports.
Look at his chairs.

This chair is not designed by Eero Saarinen.
Isola Chair from Calligaris

Paid $10.00 for this Italian chair at garage sale. (click the link to see the actual price of this chair at retail. Mine has black seat and the sample does not).

Saw” the Son” by Dardenne brothers from Belgium.
Another minimal and affecting depiction of family tragedy.
You spent most of the time looking at the back of the
character’s head as the camera follows him around.

“Karl Marx learned Russian mainly to read Pushkin.
Joyce learned Norwegian to read Ibsen.” (from Vanishing Point)

I learned English to read the screenplay of “Rebel Without a Cause”.

“James Baldwin borrowed money from Marlon Brando with which
to finish his first novel” (another instance of Marlon did this
and Marlon did that picked up from Vanishing Point.)
Now I lost the page for the next piece of information,
Stanley Kunitz delivered eulogy at Mark Rothko’s funeral according to David Markson.

David Markson was born on Dec 20, 1927 (Sagittarius with Scorpio Moon ) Bruce Lee who died young share this combo. Unlike ill fated Bruce, David Markson is alive and still writing.

David Markson

From Elegant variation, do not miss Dalkey’s inteview on David Markson.

What is the point? Stephen Michelmore finds the novel alive and well.

Vanishing Point That Markson achieves this depth of character through a bone-dry catalogue of commentary largely centered on art and death is nothing short of remarkable.

” We were drinking with David Markson, and he had made me sad. ” From hypertext novel The Unknown

“David Markson’s Reader’s Block is written in very short paragraphs.
This is a style whose look is gentle to the eye and visually does not promise a great deal of continuity. ” From Spineless Books

“A novel of intellectual reference and allusion, so to speak minus much of the novel?” from MadInkbeard