[Jandek] The Bowery, Beacon Hill, Biography, Brooklyn Wednesday

[Danen D. Jobe]

> ...I meant if his autobiography were straight up, an 
> unartistic narrative of his life, as if it were a Wikipedia page. 
> The purpose of the question was thus: if Jandek changed his 
> philosophy and became a "public" figure, granting interviews and 
> writing said book, would his fans accept it or consider him to be 
> comitting an act of self-heresy? 
Because of how he does business, I  don't think he can commit an act of self-heresy. Of course, that still makes the occasional rounds RE: the live appearances, but I (obviously) fully support those. But still, take a look at that: the live shows have continued the unique approach that the studio albums started. Yes, a new direction (and ever-shifting bands) but the central philosophical approach is still the same. 
But really, he's earned the right to open for the Smashing Pumpkins if he likes and sign to a major label. He's got nothing to prove. So if he suddenly popped up on Oprah (hey, Cormac McCarthy did it!) and wrote a "straight" autobio, I'd say more power to him. It still wouldn't water down the fifty albums he's self-released.



> 
> "Danen D. Jobe" <djobe at uark.edu> wrote:     
>  >  Which leads me to another question: if Jandek suddenly 
> published 
> > his autobiography, would you read it? 
>  He - for real - publishes it? Doesn't seem to be his focus, but 
> what the hell. If HE really put it out, why not? As a collector, 
> I'd have to have it, and I'd be interested to see how he phrased 
> it, how the prose connected. Judging by recent lyrics I'd say it 
> would read like a Beckett novel, and that most of the "events" 
> would be indecipherable in a realistic sense. But I don't think 
> he's interested in autobiography from a "novelistic" point. How 
> his life works into this strange dream that is Jandek's world is, 
> I think, the main focus of the albums post-"The Beginning." But it 
> could all be fiction. That's part of the fun. 
>   
>   
>   Another scenario: a crack 
> > team of investigative reporters find "Nancy", etc. and piece 
> > together the story of Jandek's life without his consent. Would 
> you 
> > read that book? 
>  Under no circumstances. He's the artist - his personal life, and 
> the lives of those involved as part of "Jandek," should be left 
> alone.  May "Nancy" have found happiness, wherever she may be. It 
> would be so not right to publicly expose that. But that's me. 
>   
>  P.S.: Brooklyn's coming. 4 CD set (both sets of show). I have no 
> idea how much, or exactly when, but it's next in line. THAT I'm 
> excited about. That's also all I know about it. Man, I can hardly 
> contain myself. 
>  
> >   
> >  M.E. 
> > 
> > Alex Cook <cookalexv at gmail.com> wrote:  
> >      From: Michael Mellor <miquelotjr at yahoo.co.uk > 
> > Subject: [Jandek] Re: jandek Digest, Vol 55, Issue 151 - 
> Somebody 
> > in the Snow 
> >   rambling around New York's seedier districts amidst the 
> clatter 
> > of drums. The Bowery gets namechecked, and Beacon Hill, then on 
> > track 10 a place I can't help but imagine as St. Mark's Place: 
> > "yeah (huhuh) I read about your bargain basement / at the corner 
> > of the street…" 
> > 
> > 
> > great review of a great record. I just wanted to add my two 
> cents 
> > on one minor point 
> > 
> > Beacon Hill is in Boston, and the famous bargain basement he 
> > refers to is likely Filene's Basement, which resides on a very 
> > busy corner in Boston 
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filene's_Basement 
> > -- 
> > -- 
> > Alex V. Cook 
> > http://www.alexvcook.com 
> > _______________________________________________jandek mailing 
> list 
> > jandek at mylist.net 
> > http://mylist.net/listinfo/jandek 
> > 
> > 
> >       
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