p.s. Hey. So, I think a fair majority of the regulars around here know that the great David Rylance aka 'Slatted Light' has recently launched the fantastic site I'm celebrating this weekend, and whose contributors include a flotilla of people whom this blog is very, very lucky to call distinguished locals (see: the starry list near the top of the post). Hopefully, my cribbed version of Transductions' initial batch wonders is old news to many of you, but I reckon there are people out there who haven't gotten the word yet, and I hope that whether you're already a Transductionshead or not, you'll spend the next couple of days hitting both the links I've scattered before you and the main link to the full blown site itself that's situated up top. Please share your thoughts and so on with the progenitors of that masterpiece-in-progress here or there or everywhere. Now, since a few commenters yesterday shared links to additional Derek Jarman-related things, I thought I'd compile them up here for easy access. First, a new visitor named G (or Geoff) offers this: '(this) link is a page which gather together all the youtube-available music videos of jarmans, and annie lennox's performance of ev'ry time we say goodbye, which according to the site's author, has footage filmed of jarman as a child by his father'. Here's Christopher/Mark: 'This is a portrait by Richard Hamilton of Derek based on a Polaroid photograph taken weeks before his death. I just saw it in a show of Richard Hamilton's prints at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Richard will be 88 years old on February 24th.' And finally here's Marc Vallee: 'I spent today at Dungeness and documented Derek Jarman's garden for the first time. Truly amazing.' I also encourage you to visit David Ehrenstein's comments yesterday if you haven't as they were generous with DJ anecdotes and thoughts. Enjoy. ** Sarcastic Bastard, Hey. Thanks a lot for posting. It's very good to see you over here. ** G, Welcome, and thank you so much for the DJ link, which I've shared with the folks up above. Please come back any old time. ** Dorna, Hey, Dorna! ** Daniel, Welcome, and I appreciate you taking the time to be here and give the great Nick props. ** Put The Lotion In The Basket, Hey, Nick! It's so great to see you! How was Spain and etc.? You've been very missed, my friend. And thank you again for the incredible post yesterday. Yeah, you saw the immediate impact, not to mention that it'll be there to find and enjoy and learn from for anyone searching online re: Derek Jarman for a very long time. You did a great thing, man. It does sound like things are going wonderfully for you. That's awesome, Nick! So, apart from finding a place to live -- will that be difficult? -- it sounds like school in Valencia option is pretty squared away, yes? And that's fantastic about the gay youth group wanting to transform 'Stations of the Cross' into a performance. What an interesting, good idea. I think it would great if you were involved in that. You know how much I love collaborating on live performance, not to mention how much I've learned from doing it. Of course I'd be totally happy to share any wisdom or whatever that I have gained from working that way. The basic thing is to really surrender the ego regarding the original piece and really letting it be a set of ingredients that the youths can use to fire up their own ideas and imagination with you there to steer them in the right directions and figure out ways that your work can be translated into that other medium without losing what it is. Basically, I'm kind of reiterating what you said you thought might be the best approach. If I can help with advice or whatever anywhere along the line, I'd love to. Either here on the blog or via email or the phone, whatever is best for you. All great, great things to hear, man. Very happy making. Much love and respect from me. ** Misanthrope, Yeah, you guys have me beat on the pick up lines. I tried to remember a crazy or tasty one, but I would have to make one up in order to compete. Oh, you're probably right that Weir's flamboyance did him on the scores. I say that not having seen his routine. He's not known much in France, and, in the broadcast of the skating event on French TV, he wasn't shown or even really mentioned. But then I bet the American broadcast didn't show the French skaters, not that they should have. ** Oscar B, Hey. Are you with your parental units yet? Give me a buzz whenever. No, I don't know Ismail Kadare personally. Wish I did, of course. Sorry. ** Scunnard, Oh, glad to hear the UK feels homey even in the winter. Glad you and Empty Frame hooked up too. Are you still planning on coming over to the big P soonish? ** Kier, Hey, pal. Are you doing all right? Am I reading wrongly between the lines? ** David Ehrenstein, Great stuff about Jarman, David. Based on my afternoon with him circa 'Edward II', I definitely agree that he was a lovely, compelling guy in addition to his mega-talent. That's disappointing to hear about 'Shutter Island'. I think I'll see it anyway just 'cos I'm in the mood for some Scorcese razzle dazzle, but I'll try to stick to hoping for that and not too much else. ** Statictick, Oh man, stealing books from a little indie Communist bookstore? I don't know, really? That gave me a protective twinge. Isn't there a more deserving B&N around somewhere? Or I guess just follow your heart, and I'll turn my head or something. ** Bernard Welt, Oh, your pick-up line reminded me of a tasty one I'd forgotten, but I'm feeling too blushy to translate it into text. ** Renaud Cerqueux, Hey. My French sucks, but reading French is the best of my sad French skills, so I definitely want to read your comic book. I'm happy to buy it and support the cause. Any tips on particular shops where I could pick one up? I guess I could do an online search. Congrats on the really good critiques. I'm really looking forward to getting it. Take care, man. ** Empty Frame, Great stuff on Jarman. If it was hard for him to get financing for his films back then, imagine how hard it would be now. My pal John Waters can't even get financing to make a film these days. I've got a Tacita Dean search on my agenda. I know her work some. Oh, I'll get myself to Berlin somehow, with the new piece or otherwise. At this point, if I don't get invited for the theater show, I'll probably just spring for the trip myself if I can manage to save up enough dough in the meantime. Exactly on the abandoned amusement park thing. For me to was more drug taking haven than cruising spot. LA had the great Pacific Ocean Park in Venice which sat there falling apart for years and years with a very convenient hole in the surrounding fence. That place still haunts my dreams and my work. ** Bacteriaburger, I do remember you sharing that link with me, I think. I must have bookmarked the place. I'll check through my severely jumbled bookmarks, and, if I find it, I'll pass it back to you. Nothing wrong with self-publishing, and, yeah, the total control aspect is a big plus, but I'll play devil's advocate long enough to say that the real advantages of letting an existent press do the book is that it will get distributed to least some degree and into the hands of reviewers and so on in a way that would be hard for you to do on your own, and, coming at this issue as a fan of yours, I like the idea that your work would have as great an opportunity to find readers and more fans as possible, and the law of averages on that front goes to having the book put out by a publishing house that's equipped with distribution and a pre-existing relationship with publications that might cover it. All that said, self-publishing the book is not like a bad thing to do, of course, but ... well, you know what I mean? ** Sypha, Hey. You didn't ask me, but my favorite Jarman is 'The Last of England', and I don't think starting there is a bad idea. But PTLITB will probably suggest something, and he knows best. ** Bill, Yeah, that's the Gateway Art Tower. A knock-out. Those earlier works are beauts too, and he really does seem to be on a roll. Wow, that is trippy that you haven't been to LA in ten years. ** Toniok, Yes, I got the photographs, and they're great, beautiful! My favorite? Hm ... not easy ... maybe 'El Aprendiz 31' for some reason. I think I've asked you this before and you weren't so keen on the idea, but I'd love to do a post of your work if you wanted to send me a bunch of jpegs or whatever. Your work ain't too controversial for Galerie Dennis Cooper, I can tell you that, ha ha! So, yeah, consider that a standing invitation, and, in any case, really fine work, man. Thanks a lot and much respect. I keep wanting to come to Spain and thinking I will, but then I never do. It would just be so much easier if I could come along with a theater piece, but the Spanish venues don't want to have me along for I guess financial reasons? I will, though. When are you coming to France? ** Stan_cz, Ha ha, yeah, I think I remember you being harsh on 'Heart of Darkness'. That's an interesting shift. I'm on the pro-Conrad side of things, as you know. ** Christopher/ Mark, That Richard Hamilton photo of DJ is amazing and, I don't know, disturbing, I guess. The Artists Space sounds to have really wonderful all the way around. Was it documented? I imagine Artists Space documents such things. I'd love to be there in whatever way that technology can allow. Great that Charlie Atlas and Michael Clark came. I revere them both and met both briefly a few times back when although I doubt they'd remember. It just sounds like a very beautiful time, Mark, and I'm happy it worked out so very well. ** JW Veldhoen, Indeed on all fronts. Any news? ** Paul Curran, Hey, Paul. ** Pascal, Hi, Pascal! Great to see you. I'm doing okay, thanks, pretty busy with work and stuff, but I like being busy when it's my work that's cornering me. Excellent that you're but a few weeks away from having the novel ready to your satisfaction and ready to launch! Nice book reading you're doing there, yeah, ha ha. No, I haven't read Marechera, but 'Black Sunlight' is on my list now, thank you. Nor have I seen 'Tropical Malady' unless I'm spacing. It does sound familiar, hm. And finally, no yet again, I still haven't watch the Ming-Liang movies, although the plans are still there. I always get really behind on things when I'm working on a novel, it's weird. I get overly careful about what I'm ready to let in, fearing I might get thrown off my set course if I find something that's too exciting. But I'll get there. ** Will Decker, Hi, Will. Yeah, that Caravaggio is really great. Nice that you're within reach of it. Oh, the Dennis Cooper Merchandise site. I forgot all about that, ha ha. I should really get a 'Free Yury' cap or button or coffee cup or something. Thanks for buying the cap and supporting the cause. It should definitely get some questions going in the minds of passersby. You keep keeping on too, man. ** Marc Vallee, Hey, Mark! What a great and rare pleasure. The photos of DJ's cottage are beautiful. That stump in the foreground is so effective and such a good idea. I hope you're doing really well in general, Marc! ** Creative Massacre, Oh shit, on the relapse. What does that mean? Do you have to go back to the doctor, or is just an unhappy and weird but brief surprise? I can hardly even look at Ric Flair these days. It's just ... ugh. Oh, thank you for the kind words, my friend. You know, I just care, and I'm just being the friend I am, you know? I'm really glad it's made a difference. I really appreciate your friendship too. I send lots of love right back to you. ** Stephen, Great, thank you! I'll watch my mailbox. So LA didn't work its particular magic on you. It's a weirdly tough place. I grew up there so the negative sides are like second nature, but I know so many people who've moved there and then moved away, having had quite enough. Austin should be okay, right? ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Hey, man, welcome back. Oh, as I kind of predicted, my friend Emmie never called me like she said she would, and so the hitchhikers remain a total mystery. Time will tell, I guess? It's kind of sweet that a place like that would be Bendy's favorite, or at least when not having to actually see it and feel the pressure to go, you know, Oh, wow! Anyway, I'm very glad you're not dead, that's for sure. My days ... I think I'll consolidate the two days and give you only the highlights, such as they were. Let's see ... Thursday evening I went with the ubiquitous Oscar and Kiddiepunk on a metro voyage to the Marais. First we stopped in this very cool, kind of occulty feeling and 'from another time' looking absinthe shop called Vert d'Absinthe, and poking around there was kind of exciting. Oscar bought a bottle, and I think I'm going to spring for one soon too. Then we went to the nearby great, legendary tea shop Mariage Freres, and I'm really into their chocolates that have different kinds of teas infused into them, so I bought a Noir Chocolate bar which I plan to bite into this afternoon. Then we had a pretty good Italian dinner at this little restaurant Caffe Boboli. I had Caprese and Taglia Arrabiata and then vanilla ice cream for dessert. A pleasant time. Can't complain. What else? A lot of work. Oh, I found out yesterday that a poem of mine is going to be in the annual 'Best American Poetry' anthology for 2010, and that was very cool 'cos I've never imagined I would ever be selected for that. Uh, the mysterious literary contest that I've mentioned mysteriously that I'm a mysterious judge for had its deadline for voting arrive yesterday, so I read the last of the entries I needed to read and made my votes. That took some time. I investigated LA-Paris plane tickets, and I will buy mine as soon as I finish the p.s. I think that's all, really. You? ** Justin, I just love that Overtoun Bridge dog suicide thing. Even if it's just the minks that make them do it. I have to coopt that story somehow. Good, I have now reserved March 10th for your McQueen post. Yeah, that's a great day to post it, obviously. Just get it to me earlyish so I'll have to time to set it up before the 10th. Thanks a lot, Justin. ** Thomas Moronic, Hey, T. Great thoughts on Jarman, and, yeah, I'm right there with you. ** Bollo, Yeah, I hear you on the video piece, sure. Context can come when it may. Interesting about it being that same curator. I still don't get how that piece in the show here was controversial. In any case, I'm going to try to go see that show this weekend, if I can. Great weekend to you, Jonathan. ** With that, I leave you to wile away your next couple of days here and, more importantly, there. There being you-know-where. See you again on Monday.