.
but behind that blank
and vapid mask
a supercilious nonchalance
with just a faint
undercurrent of malice
whiskey bottles in the chandelier
Something disturbing
irritation and disbelief
with almost gentlemanly disgust
VANITAS : a journal of poetry, writings by artists, criticism, and essays. During its decade of intervention in the public realm, VANITAS came out quasi-annually, serving as a forum for international voices with an emphasis on coming to grips with current world situations. Each issue contained writings by artists whose primary modes were non-literary and featured the work of a visual artist. [www.vanitasmagazine.net]
For the seventh and final issue of VANITAS, we examine the idea of The Self. The work featured in issue 7 tests just how far the self can be stretched, partially as an exercise in self-expression, partially in search of what used to be called experience. Self, not so much in personae as in faces, in the sense the Mods used the term — referring to someone with style, perhaps within a culture of style, but an individual expression of that culture, or perhaps someone who can seemingly invent her own style, just standing there.
This issue features new work by Bruce Andrews, Mary Jo Bang, Anselm Berrigan, Steve Dickison, Danielle Dutton, Tonya Foster, John Godfrey, Robert Hunter, Paolo Javier, Ann Lauterbach, Kimberly Lyons, Dan Machlin, Gerard Malanga, Judith Malina, Filip Marinovich, Harry Matthews, Michael McClure, Anna Moschovakis, Stephen Motika, Jennifer Moxley, Michael Palmer, Aram Saroyan, Lewis Warsh, and many more. Featuring artwork by Diana Michener, Carol Szymanski, Gerard Malanga, Rudy Burckhardt, and Vivien Bittencourt.
3 comments:
I believe you've nailed it.
"Something about reality
Ray Milland couldn't stand"
"Star quality", which Ray Milland certainly had, requires a certain "brand" consistency and your observation even holds true, I think, in Milland's old television sitcom.
I'd say this was a nice reminder, but Ray Milland isn't ever too far from my thoughts. I love Ray Milland's performances.
Curtis,
Milland's onscreen persona always seemed fascinating, ambiguous, complex. The attractiveness, the aplomb, the charm, underpinned, or perhaps the word should be undermined, by an aloofness, a distance, a hint (at least) of something dangerous. The dark pressing up through the fragile boundaries of the bright. They just don't make that kind of great lead actor any more.
No, they don't. I'm reminded of that all the time, even (probably the wrong word) when I'm just looking at stills. "An Unnoticeable Star" is a superb, unexpected title.
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