Sunday Salon: I'm your Fan

You know how sometimes you find you're unintentionally reading books with the same theme? I've stumbled on a couple of fan memoirs: Freddie and me: A coming of age (Bohemian) rhapsody by Mike Dawson and Dalek I Loved you by Nick Griffiths.

There's something wonderfully funny and involving about fandom, it involves a suspension of shame, a willingness to throw yourself fully into something and not care how silly you look. It's an innocent love (except for its darker stalkery cousin).

Mike Dawson's memoir is a graphic novel, quite beautiful and resonant. His devoted fandom is a way into exploring his life, his family and his memories. And to tease his sister for her George Michael obsession ... I've only just starred Griffiths, and it shows a keenness to dirty his feet in memories too.

Over on the Christchurch City Libraries blog, I've indulged in a bit of hero worship myself - of Mr Stephen Fry, and the concept album.

Blythey temptations

Too pretty not to share:
Mademoiselle Chocolat de Q-pot

Night flower

and this gorgeous little Russian inspired Bebe Babushka. She's lovely and dusty in colouring.

SCAPEing

My 201st post!!

Christchurch is doing public art for the SCAPE Biennial. There's lots to enjoy - and here's a few of my photos.


If you want more scenes of the street, well street fashion in particular, I've been enjoying The Sartorialist. It's a joy.

As is Leunig, the genius cartoonist. Love him madly. This is my favourite, and you can get it on a t-shirt.


For bibliophiles, I have two goodies. A fab library featured in Wired (including a copy of my dream book the Kelmscott Chaucer). And the bibliochaise.

Music wise, I am in deep thrall to Amanda Palmer - she brings the drama, the passion, and her new concept album Who killed Amanda Palmer? knocks me out. Her web site is right styley too, and featured vids and the photo book done with Neil Gaiman.

Mercury Rev is also wonderful and at the moment you can join their mailing list and get the album Strange Attractor to download for free! Power to them. Their album (and NME's 1998 album of the year) Deserter's Songs is one of the stalwarts of my CD collection, could happily listen to it anytime. "All is dream" is luscious too. Huzzah!

Sunday Salon: Morrissey, Dictator Chic and it ain't Anne Rice

This week I danced with Morrissey, nearly read Meetings with Morrissey by Len Brown in one sitting - a tribute to the subject and the writer. Music biographies are a hairy beast, sometimes leading you to a renewed/fresh infatuation with the muso in question (reading about Kate Bush this year has made me buy some more of her CDs) or just coming across as a glorified discography/cut & paste of newspaper articles.

Len Brown has got into the nuts&bolts of Morrissey and his numerous cultural signifiers - especially his deep reverence and connection to Oscar Wilde. Most of us probably knew about his interest in James Dean (as demonstrated in the "Suedehead" video) and various Smiths cover stars like Warhol star Joe Dallesandro. But I had no idea of the extent of his Wilde-olatry. He has an extensive collection of Wilde first editions, but his admiration is not merely that of a collector but of an soul connected acolyte.

There's lots to revel in here, and the quote of the week comes from another Morrissey icon Kenneth Williams of "Carry on" fame - the last words in his diary are "Oh what's the bloody point".

I usually try to avoid the book sale at the library - too much temptation, and trying not to acquire books (except internally) but I wandered past an purchased "The Proposition" soundtrack, The New Zealand historical atlas, an illustrated book of Roman myths, a book of William Morris's poery and Dictator Style by Peter York. A satisfying haul. Dictator style is a thing of righteous horror, surely the garish interior design of despots like Idi Amin and Nicolae Ceausescu is an indicator of their grotesquerie. A nasty funny piece of work.

Ditched:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer - it ain't Anne Rice. Obviously. It just didn't grab me like I needed, I wanted lurid fun.
Who are you : the life of Pete Townshend : a biography by Mark Ian Wilkerson. Now this looks like it's worth a read, very dense and intelligent but at over 600 pages requring close reading now isn't the time.