Michael Moorcock has once again wielded his mighty weapon, Stealer of Time. Don’t fail to make your Halloween ineffably foul by reading his many trivial gripes and grouches in the Financial Times:
Paris in October tends to be my favourite place and time – though there are specific dangers to someone still on crutches, as I am, not least the special bike lanes. I approve of these but it can be hard trying to hop for safety at the sound of a tinkling bell as a pious two-wheeler comes zooming out of the sun. Golden leaves, picturesque as they are, can cause me a nasty skid. Even pregnant women have apparently less right to the pavement than a stern youngster on a Vélib’ .
After lighting into those darned kids, Moorcock takes out after fat ladies on trains and American provincialism.
Almost lost among the carnage are the valuable things he has to say about the art (yes, art) of Meryn Peake.
[Thanks for the lead to James Bacon, who is otherwise blameless for this post….]
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A very interesting statement by Moorcock on “American provincialism”. I do suppose that he’s got it just about right. He writes: “Everyone thinks they know “America” but few foreigners really do understand her in all her unique complexity.” I suspect that not all that many Americans really understand that complexity either, but then we assume a common commitment to core American values – you know, that business about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, and that helps us all get by.
Moorcock writes:
“Obama is not only fighting powerful international vested interests spending billions to protect themselves from his reforms, he is trying to address that profoundly felt individualism that informs the mythology, if not the reality, of modern America.”
Living in Texas as he does, Mike is probably well aware that the individualism he writes about is no myth; it’s one of our greatest strengths The proper way to “address” that individuality is to remind us all that individuality without respect for the other fellow is sometimes seen as arrogance. I think Pres. Obama is well aware of the distinction.
Curt Phillips
One gets the impression, one does, that perhaps you are less than thrilled? pleased? impressed? with some of Mr. Moorcock’s opinions…!
(S, AS)