[Jandek] Re: wfmu Jandek auction

[Mark Greenberg]

I appreciate the varying takes on Jandek and really music in general  
on this list. I don't always agree with all things said on here but I  
respect it all and will challenge some when provoked but all in the  
spirit of good conversation and debate with passionate people.

That said, I think though that describing Irwin's book and  
involvement in Jandek (or outsider music and/or the other characters  
in his book) was based on money is a very unfair and totally  
unfounded statement. Though you may not agree with his take, his is  
still a very very informed opinion if nothing else. Irwin does the  
foot work. He's not one of these wikipedia educated music writer with  
a shallow knowledge of music history like the kids doing a lot of the  
music writing these days... He is a FULL TIMER and has put years and  
years and tons of his time and energy into discovering music that  
excites, incites, and interests him. Agree with him or not, but you  
can't pretend he is just in it for the money (...yeah, all that crazy  
money associated with writing about outsider musicians...)

Plus I don't think his description is disrespectful, offensive,  
unfair, based or prejudice. It is his opinion and reaction to the  
music. His description is a very vivid one meant to try to capture  
something that he hears in Jandek's music and body of work. I  
sometimes have fallen on the side of wanting to 'protect' our Rep  
(especially when it seemed like he wanted to be left alone), but he  
is not an infant or handicapped. He is an artist that has released  
his art into the world and like it or not, people will have differing  
valid opinions on it.

And Irwin's book is a good one worthy of buying and reading. No I  
don't agree with everything in it (nor do I in most music writing/ 
criticism) but it's a good read from a very smart and interesting and  
able writer on subjects that interest me.



-Mark







On Oct 8, 2010, at 10:33 AM, Jesus Knievel wrote:

> What I find offensive is comments such as:
>
> "Imagine a microphone cabled down a month-old tomb capturing the  
> subterranean munch of maggots nibbling a decaying corpse,  
> counterpointed by the agonized howls of a departed soul desperate  
> to escape tortuous decomposition and eternal boredom"
>
> That does not describe Jandek's music at all in my opinion. Such  
> sensationalism is irritates me because all it achieves is to keep  
> Jandek in some category of freaks that Mr. Chusid has consigned him  
> to. Jandek's work is not a joke and I think people should stop  
> treating it as if it is one. I don't think Chusid wrote his book to  
> spread the word about Jandek. He wrote it to make money. I think  
> that once you handed over the money you spent on the book you've  
> given him everything he's owed.
>
> JK
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On 2010-10-08, at 7:15 AM, Ross Morris <rossmorris1 at yahoo.co.uk>  
> wrote:
>
>> I wouldn't say I was offended by Chusid's chapter.  The guy's got  
>> one perspective on Jandek that I think is illegitimate, that, as  
>> Paul pointed out, has become increasingly redundant over time.   
>> It's like the fable of the ugly duckling.  Jandek's worth is now  
>> being recognised by people all over the world, and it's no longer  
>> a useful way to look at Jandek's music.  Once again, that was  
>> particularly apparent with the Ottawa article which used the  
>> Chusid book as the source.
>>
>> His contribution to the dissemination of the music is significant,  
>> and the gifts sent are indicative of Corwood's appreciation.  I  
>> just personally don't like the disrespect shown here.  My opinion.
>>
>> Ross
>> ___________________________________________________________________
>> Stephen wrote:
>>
>> Maybe I need to reread the Jandek portion of Chusid's book, but I  
>> don't understand why you are all offended by this. Without Chusid,  
>> I would have never heard of Jandek and subsequently I would have  
>> never written a term paper on the artist in college. (I had a very  
>> hip American music prof who had once corresponded with Corwood and  
>> who I got to see the rep. with live in chapel hill!)
>>
>> Who cares that Irwin isn't a fan of the music? Does that make him  
>> any less important to the dissemination of Jandek? No, absolutely  
>> not. WFMU is an important radio station for fans and artists of  
>> independent and non-mainstream artists, a la Jandek, so any  
>> support of them should be praised. While these CDs have little  
>> value to Chusid, he recognizes they are valuable to others. Chusid  
>> is forever tied to Jandek, whether you like it or not. And this  
>> collection is a piece of Corwood history, probably even more so  
>> due to their falling out.
>>
>> I think what you're all losing sight of is that he could have just  
>> as easily thrown all of this into the garbage. It's absurd that  
>> people are peeved about his lack of sentimentality about these  
>> things, ESPECIALLY when it comes to an artist as polarizing as  
>> Jandek. Jandek records are either cherished or trashed; listeners  
>> of Jandek are not ambivalent.
>>
>> So, for Churid to recognize their value to this community -- and  
>> to benefit a good cause (a point which is almost irrelevant in  
>> this context) -- he should be commended. When cleaning out a  
>> basement it's much simpler to put things at the curb than it is to  
>> put them online for others to benefit, value, and enjoy.
>>
>> -Stephen
>>
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