An Odd Echo - Dotter of Her Father's Eyes

Apparently the legacy of Lucia Joyce lights a fire under a good many writers. This year's Costa Prize for biography in Britain has been awarded to Bryan & Mary M. Talbot for their graphic biography (yes, you saw correctly, a graphic novel bio) of James Joyce's daughter, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes. 

I haven't forgotten about my shelved phd project and find Lucia's sad story as fascinating as ever. I'm still hard at work on the novel portion of said phd and am sort of simul-adapting as I move along into the accompanying screenplay as more and more of the sections feel best represented visually.

Clearly the Talbots thought so as well and chose to depict the story of this dysfunctional family with its literary genius at the center in images as well. I jumped to acquire the hard copy of course, but this is a perfect work to engage with digitally, either on ipad or iphone or e-reader. All the images are black and white and have a kind of child-like quality which, in my opinion, sort of adds to the heartbreak. 

The Talbots were also inspired by the same book as I was-- Carol Schloss's To Dance In The Wake, but I've obviously added several highly fictional elements to my version of the story. 

Interesting fact, Mary Talbot has lived and breathed the Joyce family most of her life as the daughter of the eminent Joycean scholar, James S Atherton. And the piece tells not just the story of Lucia the daughter, but of of Mary the daughter as well. The part memoir, part biography juxtaposes Mary's childhood with Lucia's. 

It's strange hearing about a similar yet so dissimilar project to mine. In some ways, it gives a feeling of validation. I maintain my feeling that I'm on the right track. In other ways, I feel territorial and want to write faster. Either way, I'm looking forward to cracking into this one. Keep on thinking of unexpected ways to tell those stories, people. 

Restoring the Costumes of Gone with the Wind

The amazing people at the Harry Ransom Center of UT Austin are the world's art heroes. They keep, protect and preserve our artistic legacy in the form of archives and restoration projects. I think the place is made of saints and I dream of going there to bask in its wonder. 

Not only do they have the David Foster Wallace archives, but also Lucia Joyce's original manuscripts. Just to name a few. To say I have research to do there is an understatement. 

They also are the keepers and protectors of some of the most precious Hollywood history there is: the costumes from Gone with the Wind. It took them two years to restore and preserve some of Scarlett O'Hara's most iconic ensembles-- the Academy Award winning original work by Walter Plunkett.  Brits, you can see the work they've done on these at the Victoria & Albert Museum until January.

I've always been a zealous girl. I've been zealous about a great many things in my life so far, but my first love, the flame that burned the brightest was Gone with the Wind. Going through all my things at my dad's house this past week, I was reminded of how strong that love is. I have so. much. stuff. One of the last things my grandfather did before he died (though he never told me, because he wasn't the kind of guy who need to get credit for his good deeds) was buy me the entire 24 plate collector series from the film. I have no idea what I'll do with those (or the many other items of priceless memorabilia I have) but perhaps one day I'll open up my own center like the Harry Ransom Center. I think I'd feel pretty good about that. 

Spike Jonze - To Die By Your Side (at Shakespeare & Co)

As per usual, I get most of my cool quirky art recs from the dear Corinne. She posted this even before I could see it on Nowness. (Side note - I have Nowness envy. I wish I could be Nowness. Do you know it? Check it out for sure.)


Jonze teamed up with designer Olympia Le-Tan for this "tragicomic stop-motion" romp through Paris's amazing Shakespeare & Company. It's definitely one of my favorite settings. Recently, I've been writing a party thrown by Sylvia Beach at her store. It starts as a joyous fete the kind notorious for Paris in the 20s.  But it melts down into something very very scary. And even though the current incarnation of the bookstore/commune at 37 rue de la Buchere is more the invention of George Whitman than Sylvia Beach's rue de l'Odeon literary epicenter of the 20s, it's still a nice launching pad to imagine that world with Beach presiding over her court.  


She was pretty sparky. The store on rue de l'Odeon closed in 1940 during Nazi occupation of France. Rumor has it the store was shut down during  because she denied a German officer the last copy of Finnegan's Wake. (The fictitious version of which plays a huge part in my novel.) Even though Ernest Hemingway personally "liberated" the place, the store never reopened. Well, until George Whitman came along in the 1950s. Which is its own separate, wacky-awesome story. 


If you're a book nerd, you're sure to love this cheeky frolic across book covers and into their pages. I know I did!

Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi on Nowness.com.

For more interviews with creator Olympia Le-Tan, check out Nowness's fb page.

Self-Centered but genrerous: Friday Links

Peace out, suckers! I'm going to Skye. I say that with love. This post's title is courtesy of The Rumpus. It's one of their taglines. I just think it's funny. And sort of true about most bloggy/internetty type stuff. But yep, it's that time of year again: The Colonel Jock Macdonald Annual Gaelic music competition! Dozens of adorable Hebridean children singing a capella, pint-sized pipers, and clarsach strummers. It's also my one-year friendship-o-versary with Iona. So we're road-tripping it  for some bonfires at Dunvegan Castle, hikes and musical merriment. 


Here's what else happened this week:
Write Like a Mothafucka
I'm adding this to my Christmas List (both to give & to receive. Rock.) Designed by Walter Green. 


Little Riot
This is one badass Edinburgh-based design firm with cra-cray cool ideas. Long distance couple pillows? Storymaker, Storyteller?!? I can seriously support their name also.


Artists, Institutions, & the Decline of Public Discourse.
Read this! 


Outfit to Room: Off-Duty Rocker Edition
Dude, Ann Sage & The City Sage rock my world. She is always on point. I want to be her friend. You know I love a personification of a room kind of stuff. (And vice versa!) I blame Domino Mag (R.I.P). I think so does Anne. Plus, I love that beardy pic of Paul McCartney. 


Michael Wilson writes as Lucia Joyce
Thanks to Iona who overheard this 2009 BBC poetry slam on Radio 4 last weekend! Northern Irish poet Michael Wilson (who's apparently bisexual, bipolar and we should buy his books) presented a poem written from the perspective of possibly schizophrenic muse (and heroine of my novel!) Lucia Joyce. It's only up online for a bit, so check. it. out. It starts at 14:55. Who wants to help me track it down in print??


Let's get the weekend started!