Turned-down corners
Sometimes when I’m reading DQ, I don’t want to stop. I want to keep moving through the story but there’s a passage that warrants rereading. I don’t like to mark-up pleasure-books. I’m not studying DQ, I’m just reading it. I don’t want to read it with a pen-in-hand. So I turn down the corners of pages that I want to return to. The corners are like memories – they’re there but I don’t have to retreive them...Or maybe I do...
Sometimes I do go back to them and sometimes I have to search the page and really wonder why the corner is turned down – did I do it in the wrong direction and really want the next page, did the book fairies coyly, or with more malicious intent, change the configuration of the turned-down corners in my book or is there something really significant that I'm forgetting or something in the moment of reading that can't be retreived?
posted by Anne @ 8:11 AM
4 Comments:
a poem by Ivor Cutler,
Laughter and Disbelief
A fairy spat a jet of gold on to a businessman's tooth. "I thought it might decay," she lisped, "and spoil your chances, promotionwise." His heart warmed. "Come and have a spot of dinner," he burped, sodium bicarbonatewise.
Later, at his flat, he placed her under a magnifying glass and tried to seduce her; the fairy coy and amused, remembering every detail for the shrieks of laughter and disbelief from her chums.
Ivor Cutler
(1923-2006)
Tell me more about Ivor Cutler. I notice (from your dates below the poem) that he died recently. I vaguely remember him reading a poem on a Robert Wyatt album (?) in the early 1980s or am I mistaken? I remember Ivor Cutler as an interesting oddball figure or am I mistaken?
Yes you have the right man!
Ivor Cutler passed away on Monday, at age 83. He suffered with Alzheimer's for the last few years of his life. He performed up until a couple years ago.
I think there were four different ways I noticed him. The first time as Buster Bloodvessel in Magical Mystery Tour. He played the bus driver. But I didn't get his real name. The second time I saw him was in a book on Summerhill, an alternative school in London. I was interested in Montessori schools and Steiner and alternative schools before I went to university and I recall a milky black and white picture of him, teaching, (playing with kids) but again - didn't get his name - but I remember the impression he made interacting with kids. I have positive notions about alternative schools framed by these images. Then I think Melissa Campbell, at Guelph, mentioned that her aunt Phyllis had an lp Jammy Smears, which she'd recorded with this funny scottish poet. She gave a copy this record to Matthew about 25 years ago. We listened to that record quite a bit and it still feels current to me. In fact Phyllis recites a poem called "Dust" on it. And then around five years later Paul Ruta or Melissa gave me a copy of a little book of Ivor's, which I treasure, called Fresh Carpet - and from which I copied the poem Laughter and Disbelief.
Melissa wrote me on Monday to say Ivor had passed away. I think about, recite, remember Ivor Cutler's songs and poems and remarks every day.
His spoken word is deadpan, with a very heavy scots brogue and he often accompanies himself with a wheezing harmonium. "Life in a Scottish Sitting Room vol 1" (and "vol 2") are relatively well known and he has released a number of lps and books. He had a long running stint with John Peel in the mid to late 60s. His wee books also include childlike sketches and he has a portrait in the National Portrait Gallery in London. He was a school teacher for over three decades and began to write poetry in his 40s. The Guardian's obituary tells of his whole life. Here's that link:
http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/49799
I just found a web site devoted to ivor cutler:
http://www.ivorcutler.org.
There are sound clips and various articles devoted to Mr. Cutler. 'a voice' will likely be entertained to find a sound clip for Cutler's poem "If your Breasts..." which may be relevant to his comment on my posting from Monday March 6, 2006 "Reading a Poetry Reading and reading a review".
I also liked this quote from Andy Kershaw.
"Ivor's work shows the value of supreme silliness"
This is definitely my cup of tea.
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