Saturday, May 17, 2003

Koo my scarecrow Jesus substitute burning in the barbed wire night on the Mexican border radio where June Carter Cash got her start before she went to hang with Tennesse Williams watching Marlon Brando dance Jackson Pollock. One of Koo's big hits a cover of Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas' "Bobby Kinney". I think Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas is one of the most interesting of Modernist Composers. I think of Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas like I think of Satie, or Ives, or Harry Partch. I like him better than my idiot cousin T.S.Eliot and Thomas' USA is just as much a montage of weirdness and memory as that of John Dos Passos but Thomas' is a lot more foot tapping and a lot more portable. Because the study of Folklore is eaten up with Stalinism you find scant appreciation of Thomas in the critical literature. "Folk" is supposed to be scared of Modernism. Only rich kids get to be Modernists. I said to Momma: "Remember them Goldwater Cans? You did them trash cans with our baby feet on them about the same time. That was your paint on metal period." "Well darling," she said, "I don't think of myself as the kind who has artistic periods." "Well I do, Mom. I ain't no skoolteacher I'd take my Momma less seriously than I take some fag in France." Should I get asked who my artistic influences are I'm gonna say #1 Momma. That ain't sentiment. That's Formalism. 1:14:23 PM    comment []