Writers Influences 3: Andy N on Paul Auster

The first time I became of Paul Auster was around 2005, through a friend’s (who I won’t name) then girlfriend in Brighton, who I discovered had a mutual interest in silent films such as the comedies of Harold Lloyd and very early Laurel and Hardy and the gothic horror /early Science Fiction / Fantasy such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Metropolis of Nosferatu.

She sent me over a copy of The Book of Illusions, by an American novelist called Paul Auster. I had never heard of the book or him, but the blurb on the back hooked me completely.

The book is described as:

One man’s obsession with the mysterious life of a silent film star takes him on a journey into a shadow-world of lies, illusions, and unexpected love. After losing his wife and young sons in a plane crash, Vermont professor David Zimmer spends his waking hours mired in grief. Then, watching television one night, he stumbles upon a lost film by silent comedian Hector Mann, and remembers how to laugh . . .

Mann was a comic genius, in a trademark white suit and fluttering black moustache. But one morning in 1929 he walked out of his house and was never heard from again. Zimmer’s obsession with Mann drives him to publish a study of his work; whereupon he receives a letter postmarked New Mexico, supposedly written by Mann’s wife, and inviting him to visit the great Mann himself. Can Hector Mann be alive? Zimmer cannot decide – until a strange woman appears on his doorstep and makes the decision for him, changing his life forever.

I don’t remember how long it took me to read this book, although I suspect it was fairly quickly, but it clicked with me straight away and not just because of the topic – looking behind the camera of silent film makers. It had a crisp dialogue and a tinge of eeriness, fantasy and humour, which rarely clicks with me in novelists, and it got to the stage where I started going through the rest of his novels, then his non-fiction and poetry and even the films he has been involved.

Auster’s work has recurring themes such as coincidence, frequent portrayal of an ascetic life, a sense of imminent disaster, an obsessive writer as central character or narrator, loss of the ability to understand or loss of language. The Book of Illusions is fascinating. As the obsessive writer in this book, Zimmer is given the chance to meet one of his heroes and from there is dragged into a world that turns his life upside, not as much as a normal thriller, but an emotional thriller with a lyrical style I hadn’t come across before.

The Washington post described his work as:

“His plots – drawing on elements from suspense stories, existential récit, and autobiography – keep readers turning the pages, but sometimes end by leaving them uncertain about what they’ve just been through.”

This reflects in my other favourite book of his, Winter Journal.

Winter Journal is described as:

“In Winter Journal, Paul Auster moves through the events of his life in a series of memories grasped from the point of view of his life now: playing baseball as a teenager; participating in the anti-Vietnam demonstrations at Columbia University; seeking out prostitutes in Paris, almost killing his second wife and child in a car accident; falling in and out of love with his first wife; the ‘scalding, epiphanic moment of clarity’ in 1978 that set him on a new course as a writer.”

Winter Journal is not an autobiography as such, and is seen through the history of his body and written in the second person as if he is addressing himself as a stranger. For me, this came at an important time in my life and writing when I was dealing with the after effects of getting Diabetes and needed to deal with it in my writing. Reading a piece of non-fiction told about somebody’s life told in the second person left me stunned.

There was a section in the book where Auster wrote in detail about every place he had lived throughout his life in this same tone. All twenty one of them, and it caused me to reflect when my life was in turmoil. Where I had lived in all of my life up to that stage was nowhere near that number. Through that looking backwards, enabled to me to then look forwards and has proved a major influence on my work ever since.

Andy N is the author of four full length poetry collections, the most recent being The streets were all we could see.

He also is the host / co host of Podcast series as varied as Spoken Label, Reading in Bed, Comics Unity, Wrestle Up and Koll, Andy and Amanda and does ambient music under the name of Ocean in a Bottle.

His official blog is: onewriterandhisplc.blogspot.com

Paul Benjamin Auster is an American writer and film director. His notable works include The New York Trilogy (1987), Moon Palace (1989), The Music of Chance (1990), The Book of Illusions (2002), The Brooklyn Follies (2005), Invisible (2009), Sunset Park (2010), Winter Journal (2012) and 4 3 2 1 (2017). His books have been translated into more than forty languages

His Website is http://paul-auster.com/

(Originally published on the 20^th September 2020 on the Sunday Tribune)

Writers Influences 1: Amanda Steel on Stephen King

 

A lot of writers I talk to often have one writer (maybe two) who has provided their inspiration throughout their writing career. Mine is Paul Auster (which I will talk about in a future article too) but in a new on-going series for the Sunday Tribune, I am going to talk to writers about their inspirations.

First up is Amanda Steel, published poet, podcaster and author of the supernatural thriller Ghost of Me, who talks about Stephen King.

‘I feel like I’ve learnt a lot from Stephen King, particularly through his book, On Writing,’ she begins. ‘Some of it I already knew, but that tells me I’m doing something right. Maybe it would be better to say, the book reminded me of what I already knew. Don’t we all need a reminder every now and again?’

‘I’ve looked at some one-star reviews, because that’s something I do. I like to find out why people like a book I hate — or hate a book I love. Here, I think some readers have missed the point,’ she continues. ‘Many of the negative reviewers suggest this is just an autobiography/memoir and is egotistic, rather than a book about writing. I have no way of knowing whether Mr King wrote this inspired by his ego. Yes, it’s a memoir. The subtitle “A Memoir of the Craft” suggests that.’

She goes on to say, ‘it’s a series of interconnected stories about his life, starting from when he was a child, but there are crucial bits of information contained within the pages. Some of the writing tips in the book are more obvious. For other bits, you need to read between the lines.

‘I found it refreshing to read how a well-known author was once like me in some ways,’ she reflects, bringing up the point that most successful writers start out like the rest of us. ’His childhood was different to mine, because he spent the first part of his life without a television. But for me, I liken that to me spending about sixteen or so years without computers and the internet many of us have today. I think in some ways that fuelled my imagination in a similar way to how a lack of television fuelled his.’

When asked about ideas, she says, ‘another thing I’ve learnt from the book is, ideas can come from anywhere and when writing a novel, that’s usually a combination of ideas from different sources.’ She mentions,  ‘his inspiration for Carrie came from two unrelated sources, which formed a scene in the middle of the story. He then had to build the plot and characters around that to get the end result. Also, if it wasn’t for his wife, he may have binned the idea altogether. Reading between the lines again — this suggests how important it is to have someone around us who will support/push/encourage us etc.’

‘Also, to know that Stephen King once struggled financially, working and still writing on his lunch break or in the evenings, shows how determination can often play a big part in success,’ she continues. ‘Personally, I wrote most of the first draft of a zombie novel during lunch breaks and on the bus to/from work, and edited some of it on printed pages, to add to my word document when I got back on a computer. The point is, if you want to do something you need to find ways to do it when pressed for time. Instead of saying this outright (which would feel like empty words) Stephens Kings, On Writing shows through examples from his life. We’re always being told as writers to show rather than tell.’

‘From reading Mr King’s fiction, I’m always in awe of his ideas, particularly his twists on common horror ideas, such as (what I see as) his version of zombies in “The Cell” or just the fact that nobody is safe.’ Explaining further, how she Stephen King inspires her, she says,  ‘his books inspire me to keep mixing my weird ideas together and going against what might be expected, as long as it suits the story. I’m sure I’ll never be as successful as him, but I think writers need to keep pushing themselves.’

‘Part of pushing yourself as a writer is to read a lot of books. As many writers will know Stephen King says, if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write,’ she raises the quite valid point that writers to keep improving, you have to learn the art as best you can and a good way to do is to simply read as much as you can. ‘He’s right. I don’t see how anyone who doesn’t read, can improve as a writer if they have nothing to compare good or bad writing to. I read between 40 and 50 books a year, which by some peoples standards is low. I know people who read over 100 a year. The way I see it, even in a productive year, I might write one or two novels and a few short booklets (poetry, comedy etc). So, I’m reading much more than I’m writing.’

Amanda Steel’s website is https://amandasteelwriter.com/

Ghost of me can be bought through all good booksellers including Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Me-Amanda-Steel/dp/178972693X/

(Originally published on the Sunday Tribune on 22 July 2020)

Writers Influences 7: Grae J Wall on Patti Smith

 

I used to have a friend who dragged me down to see Patti Smith do a poetry reading once. ‘She’s a singer, a punk singer’ I can remember complaining to them being familiar with her music a little, but not a massive amount but was left spell bound by the sheer poetry that was in her words which must have stood out back from anything then and also now.

I don’t remember Gloria being played there, but Grae J Wall’s memories of Patti Smith are just as striking as mine certainly were as he begins “‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine’ Patti drawled to me he remembers before carrying on “it’s quite an introduction. No shrinking violet this cool beat spitfire in the boy’s shirt and braces. Not so much a cover as a whole reimagining, Patti subverts the machismo  of Van’s three chord classic to make ‘Gloria’ her own – strutting in to the party to find that ‘sweet young thing’”.

“Patti was an outsider in a world of outsiders and that struck a chord. “ He recalls “Emerging from the Bowery scene like she stepped out of a Kerouac novel and ripping up the rule book – ‘the words are just rules and regulations to me’. Amongst the CBGB’S cabaret of hipsters, freaks, degenerates and junkies she melded poetry with visceral rock ‘n’ roll mixing up Elvis, Lou Reed, Rimbaud, Keef,  Jim Morrison, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Baudelaire and The MC5 – creating something wild and dark and beautiful and deep and this small town 14 year old English kid fell.”

“It started though with ‘Piss Factory’ – that brutal burning poem of escape that still has the power to shock and inspire to this day.” He carries on discussing Piss Factory which if you have ever heard it is still frankly a shocking and surprising song even to this day “Nothing had ever sounded quite like it before, like a be-pop punk-prayer rolling down the gutter with a desperate eye to the stars – a clarion call to disaffected small town ducklings like me – ‘I got something to hide here called desire and I will get out of here’.  This four minutes forty two second calling card is for me one of the defining artistic moments of the twentieth century, still inspiring and enthralling and essential.”

“Although the wonderful (Bruce Springsteen collaboration) ‘Because the Night’ became a bona fide hit there was never really any concession to trend or fashion on Patti’s path, defiantly true to herself and her muse. “ He changes topic talking about the Bruce Springsteen collaboration which was a massive hit for her “You get the feeling that a little part of that struggling artist holed up with Mapplethorpe in the Chelsea Hotel still remains – that driven desire to create something real, that passion and integrity. The amazing ‘Just Kids’ documents that period so evocatively, written as a promise to Robert on his deathbed, a love letter to their emerging selves. As Patti once said ‘I don’t believe any artist who says, “I had to do that because DJs will tell me I can’t play that music. I will lose my job.” Well, lose the job and create a new job. If your label won’t let you have the cover you want or sing the songs you want, then leave!’”

“I love that there is no sense of artistic confinement – poet, author, songwriter, photographer, activist, artist – whatever medium suits the moment.  When she needed to take a break, she took a break and then came back driven and strong as ever.” He talks about next when she took a break for years after Wave before doing Dream of Life and then only coming back after her husband Fred Sonic Smith had died with Gone again in 1996 “Patently affected by the sad early death of her husband Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and others close to her heart Patti’s writing has somehow always retained a sense of positivity – quite a Zen approach to life and death. Each moment is the only moment and as such should be lived and cherished. I share her love of returning to a favourite cafe where they know your order before you open your mouth – just sitting at your favourite table and watching the world – that is life right there.

“There is something wonderfully approachable about Patti that connects – her concern for the planet and love of daytime detectives.” He brings the story up to date “During the recent presidential election, a clip emerged of Patti and Lenny Kaye busking ‘People have the Power’ outside a local polling station. Standing next to a waste bin and beaming at a little girl standing to her side (filming on her phone). As they finish Patti raises her fist and implores “don’t forget it, use your voice, vote!””

“I have been fortunate enough to see Patti Smith perform live on a few occasions and her shows are imbued with a spiritual quality – she remains modest and at times self-depreciating but her words and music wash through you, uplifting and beauteous. “ He recalls bringing back memories of my own experience of seeing her live “You travel home on the tube grinning like a mad thing and stay buzzing for days – ‘some strange music draws me in, makes me come up like some heroine’.”

“I have pretty much all the albums and books and after forty five years, any news of a new release still fills me with giddy anticipation.” He concludes “There are very few artists that have maintained careers of such quality, creativity, diversity and integrity and I have no doubt she will continue to inspire for years to come, and I think she intends to – ‘I want to be around a really long time. I want to be a thorn in the side of everything as long as possible’.”

Grae J. Wall Grae is a poet, songwriter, lomographer and front-man of Los Chicos Muertos. He has performed at festivals big and small all over the UK and on countless tours of the back-room bars of Europe. During lock-down Grae retreated to the bottom of the garden to record a lo-fi album of poems and songs entitled Mouseclubvirusblues. Recent virtual poetry performances have included Paris Lit Up and The Festival of Ideas. A new collection of poems – The Sound of Revolution – will be published later this year. Grae is also involved in running The Poetry Underground at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepoetryunderground/.

You can hear the complete Mouseclubvirusblues recordings at www.graejwall.bandcamp.com and find out more at www.facebook.com/trashvilleuk

Patti Smith aka Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)[5] is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and poet who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.

Her most widely known song is Because the Night  which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. Other albums have included Dream of Life, Gone again and Easter.

Her books have included Seventh Heaven. Babel, The Coral Sea and Strange Messenger.

(Originally published on the Sunday Tribune on 22 November 2020)

A brief history off Reading in Bed – a book review Podcast

 

By the time I got to the end of 2017, Spoken Label my first Podcast series was really starting making inroads into the spoken word literature series and it was therefore a major surprise when I got asked to help my partner out with her book review Podcast.

Amanda, my partner had being recording her own Podcast series ‘Amanda’s reading recommendations’ for several months where she reviewed books by herself. However, after a few episodes she decided she wasn’t enjoying doing the session by herself and asked me would I help her out with a relaunch for it called Reading in Bed at the start off 2017.

Reading in Bed as a name came from Amanda where she would be reading books frequently in bed. We set on a simple structure where we agreed to start off with one book which we would review together and do a book separate in review. As all Podcasts do when they are starting off as team is learnt how to work together really recording them together at Amanda’s flat on my phone and Skype neither of them really producing the quality of recording either of us really wanted.

I forget why we went onto Zoom at the start of 2020, I think it was likely because I had just started using it for Zoom and it felt weird I must admit to start with us using Zoom sat in next door rooms to each other in our apartment, but it seemed to work and helped make the Podcast flow a lot easier and helped both of us relax a bit more instead of just staring into my old phone.

What has also helped is getting into a routine and sticking to it really – usually recording it on a Sunday on the first weekend, Amanda sorts out the artwork while I edit the audio together, and she then uploads through Anchor and all of its associated networks while I do the manual uploading to Bandcamp, Youtube, Instragram.

Eighteen months later, I think the Podcast is a really well oiled machine, we usually manage to read three books each a month – sometimes both of us reading the same book and find the episodes are usually around a hour or so – starting each episode (this was down to episode demand it has to be said) providing a summary of what other book projects we have being up to and keeping the chat as lively and fun-based as we possibly can.

I’ve heard it said you can hear in it how much we love each other by the way we tease and torment each other.

And that means the world to me.

Reading in Bed can be found on all of the usual networks including readinginbed.bandcamp.com and is usually available at the start of each month on a free / pay what you want to download basis on bandcamp and stream.

(Originally published on the Sunday Tribune on 18 July 2021)

Earth (1930) by Alexander Dovzhenko

At university many years back, I gained a deep love of silent films mostly it has to be said of films like "The cabinet of Dr. Caligari", "Metropolis" and "Nosferatu". One I hadn't seen for many years since then and will be the first a series of brief reviews is the 1930 film "Earth" by Alexander Dovzhenko, a Ukrainian director (August 29] 1894 – November 25, 1958) and is the third part of Dovzhenko's "Ukraine Trilogy" (along with Zvenigora and Arsenal which I think I saw at the same time). I won't give too much with the plot as it is a study of the process of collectivzation and the hostility of Kulak landowners and I can understand why it caused somewhat of a controversy at the time. Wikiapedia to quote them describe the film as "The political and historic events of Earth and the agricultural developments of Dovzhenko's home country of Soviet Ukraine was a hot topic during the film's production and laid the foundation of the controversy that the film's release caused..... The local Kulaks were more militant and committed violent acts against Soviet officials. Most Ukrainians wanted to keep their private land, especially since compared to many other parts of Russia their land was agriculturally rich and fertile. In the middle of the political conflict surrounding this topic, Dovzhenko made a lyrical and poetic film depicting the lives of Ukrainian farmers that many Soviet officials considered completely inappropriate. Out of respect for a friends I have who are from Russia, I'll keep out of the politics and instead the slowness and imagery in the film which is something I haven't come across before in silent films at that point when I first watched in 2001, and still haunts me to this day where it feels more like a documentary than a film, and proved not as easy to watch as I was expecting to watch. Respect to Dovzhenko however for creating a challenging film which had one critic at the time describing it at the time as "ideologically vicious" which I'll leave for you yo decide for yourself but it is not a easy film to watch and I am always believe that makes it great cinema. Whether it is a art statement or a film, that is another question and one is best left for yourself to decide. 8.5/10

The film can be seen for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuO6EtU-59w

New Releases for Ocean in a Bottle

 

Forbidden love - Volume 6

(Out-takes, unreleased, Demos of forthcoming tracks 

https://oceaninabottle.bandcamp.com/album/forbidden-love-volume-6)

26 May 2021

Jupiters Moons Volume 1

(Album 1 out of 3 focusing ambient studies on lots of Jupiters Moons)

https://camembertelectrique.bandcamp.com/album/jupiters-moons-part-1

16 June 2021

Ambient Online Compilation: Volume 12

(Two more new tracks namely "Another Earth" and "The Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts (FSB) in Space)

https://oceaninabottle.bandcamp.com/album/ambient-online-compilation-volume-12

24 June 2021

Jupiters Moons Part 2

(Album 2 out of 3 focusing ambient studies on lots of Jupiters Moons)

https://camembertelectrique.bandcamp.com/album/jupiters-moons-part-2

14 July 2021

*

FORTHCOMING: 

Aural Films album for Jon Hassell

Whether 4th or 5th world (For Jon)

4th August 2021 

Ambient Online Collected tracks

Comp of tracks I have done for Ambient Online since I first got involved with them.

(Start of August 2021)

Jupiters Moons Part 3

(Mid August 2021)

Post Global Records Untitled Comp

Global Warming on Mars 2130 (Part 7)

(Forthcoming End of Summer 2021)

Ambient Online Complitation: Volume 13

(New tracks - titles to be revealed)

Forbidden Love Volume 7

(Early September 2021)

(Others EPs / Singles - The other side of the Moon, Orbiting Mars and Falling back to Earth are all scheduled for release sometime over the Autumn / Winter of 2021 and 2022) 

A brief history of Distance

 

The Past 5 years or so have being incredibly busy for my ambient / classical project Ocean in a Bottle with dozens of releases on a whole host of labels.

Less so known are a number of projects before that, first of all is a band which was formed in the Autumn of 2005, Distance.

Formed from the ashes of a previous band W@ (Also called Not Dark but Light at one point also), I’ll talk more about this spoken word / keyboard with occasionally song three or four piece band, Distance began off as a accident.

Tony was off up on a visit from Cambridge I seen to recall to see Wiki (His brother) and I was around there by chance with a new small keyboard I had just purchased and by chance Tony had gone and puchased a new bass, and we couldn’t resist plugging into Wika’s 4 track recording device for a jam, and then it started raining, so a mic was plugged in outside and over the afternoon as the rain didn’t stop we just kept recording and recording with the pair of us really duelling over our new instruments with the rain to produce two epic tracks which simply appeared on Distance I – simply I and II to produce a crescendo of ambient white with the rain.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/i-part-1-and-2)

The same trick was then done in the Spring of 2006 when Tony was back up visiting his mum and we ended up spending some time a bit more organised with our two instruments and Tony’s old laptop when somehow it started raining again proving that magic does happen twice.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ii-part-3-and-4)

Tony officially left Distance in the summer of 2006 when he lost interest in his bass playing somewhere in the middle of the Black and White albums and the WLNT sessions (World’s longest Noise Session Track) and I carried on the project mostly solo over the next three years.

The WLNT Sessions (World’s longest Noise Track) was a project took on by somebody I forget who in the Summer off 2006 who wanted people to send in tracks so he could make simply the world’s longest noise track. Between us, we decided on a new direction for Distance where we ripped a ton of vocals of a TV programme which I won’t name and chewed them up to produce a collage of Ambient Noise done over the internet close to being live I am sure.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/iii-wlnt-sessions)

The joint Black and White albums took this sound further which came off two films called Black and White I seem to recall at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007 with literally dozens of tracks recorded which was the reason probably why Tony packed it in. Either way, by the time both of the albums came out on Eardose and Halo Extrencio in 2007, I was effiectively flying solo.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/iv-black)

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/v-white)

Cyprus Memories the last official album by Distance was recorded after being massively influenced by a short holiday to Cyprus in 2008 and their music which played in my head for weeks and involved a cut up process I hadn’t attempted before and seriously loved doing.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/vii-cyprus-memories)

Tony came back on board for the last release in 2009 in a form, after forming Grey Ear, White Noise with me sometime before with Voices in the Mix / Music without Words with his processed vocals being the main instrument of the release.

(https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/vi-music-without-words-ep-voices-in-the-mix)

Although Grey Ear, White Noise carried on for some time after, I have no memory of why I stopped actually with Distance originally around the 2010 / 2011 territory, but when bringing back into print the Distance back catalogue, I started discovering a number of out-takes / unreleased tracks, these included:

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/viii-nine-inch-nails-remixes (A series of Nine Inch Nails remixes done for a Remix Nine Inch Nails website which were available briefly in 2009 for a while)

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ix-digital-vomit-remixes-christmas-tracks (A comp of tracks done for a few Digital Vomit various tracks album and music done for DIH and friends at Hicc)

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/x-britney-spears-remixes (Britney Spears remixes given the Distance remix territory, two of which appeared on Digital Vomit various artists albums)

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xi-distance-i-ii-revisitations (Some remixes and edits that were accepted for a Irish record label with the aim of releasing them in 2011 I seem to recall only to go bust before they would be released)

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xii-demos-extracts-and-rejected-sequences-from-black-and-white-i

https://andynproductions.bandcmp.com/album/xiii-demos-extracts-and-rejected-sequences-from-black-and-white-ii

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xiv-white-out-takes

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xv-black-out-takes

(Over the creation and building off ‘Black’ and ‘White’ – over 6 months before I started recording the final two albums, I recorded over 24 tracks in preparation for this, and during the recording of the album a number of other tracks)

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xvi-live-august-2007-manchester

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xvii-live-september-2007-manchester

(The Distance live show was the biggest surprise at the end of 2007 with Tony back on distorted vocals chattering over the top. I was surprised in hindsight we didn’t do more).

During the re-releasing off the above, I became curious what could I do if I returned to the Distance show over 10 years after my last release, and started with a series of live improvisations recorded monthly.

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xviii-improvisation-april-2021

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/xix-improvisation-may-2021

https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/album/improvisations-june-2021