Suicide

[celibate]

Finally I finished Len Brown’s ‘Meetings with Morrissey’, though the last chapter about the Oscar Wilde parallels, while fascinating and convincing, reminded me a little of the Diana Morrissey mystery. The appendix listing a host of thespian characters who influenced lyrics contained a disproportionate number of those who were reckless, doomed or committed suicide.

Which accidentally seemed to segue nicely into the book I’m now reading, written by Gary Lachman, founder member of the band Blondie. It’s called ‘The Dedalus Book of Literary Suicides – Dead Letters’. Much research has been conducted and condensed in the effort and the approach is in er, dead earnest. Nevertheless, I’m finding some of the facts about the myriad writers included in it hilarious. A historian Jacques Barzun summarises nihilists: “The genuine kind believe in nothing and do nothing about it”. An obscure philosopher, Mainlander from Offenbach, developed a theory that God was so bored with eternity he committed suicide through making this world of time, space and matter and that the highest aim of all beings is really non-existence. In his 30’s Mainlander's opus ‘The Philosophy of Redemption’ was published with the help of his sister, and the day after he committed suicide by stepping off a stack of review copies of his own books…

Lachman is a grounded chap and chips away at his vast mass of raw material with a realistic sense of proportion, creating an exploration full of historical, cultural and closer insights.

why so bookish about a subject what happens every day, everyone lost
a friend, or knows someone , or knows that in that family etc

without The Smiths music and Morrissey's, I dunno if I could've handle certain dark periods in my life

it's much brighter now, still on medication [read lots, sleeping pills,
anti depressants, benzos more and my 10 other meds for physical complaints
I'ma walking chemisty, but no smoking drugs, weed or heroine/cocaine, no alcohol, thats 10 years behind though the pills are a legal substitute, fooling meself:nopity:

 

[goinghome]

As Morrissey has drawn widely from literature in his song-writing, and as many fans, evident even from their usernames often, are similarly bookish creative types, I thought that this publication might be of interest more than usual, celibate. Also Morrissey hasn't shied away from addressing the topic of suicide. But I agree, it is something that doesn't just happen to fame-chasing artists and writers. All kinds of people can find themselves struggling to hold on. And then

"Such a little thing, such a little thing
but the difference it made was grave
there you go
wielding a bicycle chain
oh why won't you change
change and be nicer?
such a little thing
a gentle tone of kindness
or written words on paper
- can you write?
How I love all of
the very simple things of life
(God's good air)
how I love all of
the very simple things of life
such a little thing
a fumbling politeness
the difference it saved me..."​