[Jandek] Re: Jandek the Concept

[chthonic streams]

>I've long had the theory that the rep from Corwood is
>reluctant to discuss anything about Nancy, et al,
>because they don't know the material has been
>released.  Got to admit a lot of it sounds like a
>bunch of young folk having a goof in someone's garage
>or basement.  If you'd done such messing around years
>ago, would you want it out?  How would you feel about
>it if someone was releasing it to the public?  I
>suspect that the representative has lost touch with
>these folks over the years, but like this whole
>theory, that's my gut feeling on the subject.

that seems less likely to me than that he simply had his time with 
those people until it was over.  obviously there's been speculation 
about the nature of these relationships, particularly with "nancy". 
it's also possible that his relationships with them weren't very long 
or fruitful, other than what exists on record.  some point to 
"evidence" of nacy's departure seeming to coincide with a lot of "she 
broke my heart" type lyrics, but isn't it possible any romantic 
relationship was never consummated, and in fact all in his head? 
they could have been friends, coworkers, or anything really, and she 
sang on his recordings because it was a lark - meanwhile he wished 
for more and it never came to pass.

as for the others, people and friends come and go.  it's fairly 
plausible that he may be a difficult person to know and thus the 
people simply stop hanging around him after awhile.  which probably 
sends him into another depression.

why waste breath explaining the backgrounds and rolse of these other 
people?  if his entire idea is to not complicate things with too much 
information ("there isn't anything else"), that would naturally 
extend to any additional players.  it seems that also in his view it 
seems it just wouldn't be right - if he's already secretive enough 
about his own life, why would he divulge anything about others, 
especially those who aren't around anymore?  the disingenuous 
explanation as brings it back around to the idea that keeping these 
other shadowy figures even more ethereal than himself, it brings the 
focus right back to jandek.

i fully realize that the above scenarios are just as much speculative 
as anything else.  but given what i know of real-world relationships 
(as opposed to every nook and cranny of jandek's lyrics or myth), 
these seem much more simple.  google "occam's razor" if you're not 
familiar with the phrase.


>Yeah, there's his admission somewhere that he wrote
>seven novels, only to have burned them after they were
>rejected.  Too bad he didn't hang in there with the
>submissions... Dr. Seuss sold his first book after 37
>rejections.  Just think what those novels could've
>been like.  But then, we might not have had the music.
>  It's got to come out one way or another.

you could say the same about lou reed, who seems more of a lyric 
writer than anything else.


d.