start me up...

10.15.03 @ 10:33 p.m.

I perused 2004 calendars today at the book store and spotted a Rolling Stones one. Of course, every time I see Keith Richards lately I think of Liz. Though quite frankly, it's been a Rolling Stones intensive day. I listened to the second disc of 40 Licks this morning, which I don't do that often. I usually listen to the first disc on random and Bridges To Babylon. Anyway, the upshot of all this is that my brain was on a constant loop of "Beast of Burden" or "Miss You" ALL DAY LONG. Even though I listened to copious amounts of Buddy Holly last night. Even though I went to Rock History and listened to much rockabilly (incl. Buddy Holly--The '56 version of "That'll Be The Day" is quite awful, in comparison with the hit '57 version). Writing about it has injected "Miss You" back into my head.

Not that this is unpleasant. There could be much worse things than having Mick Jagger singing in your head all day.

Also, I had put my new Who button on the lapel of my new-ish (I bought it for about $1 at a rummage sale this summer) (the coat, not the button) corduroy coat. When I got to class (Italian, I skipped Classics this morning, bad girl), I switched it with one of the Rolling Stones buttons on my back pack.

E* and I watched Titus tonight, E* eagerly because she loved Julie Taymore's work on Frieda until she realized how "disturbing" (her words) the play was. It was a bit more depressing than she realized, I think. Me, I was delighted. I think I take pleasure in liking Titus Andronicus because very few people like it themselves. Or have even heard of it. I revel in it's obscurity. And yet, it was so brilliantly taught to me by the inimitable Saunders that it reached something in me. I adore it. Much like I adore Coriolanus. I suppose I just love having the understanding of Shakespeare I have now. Something was sparked in me. So after tonight's movie ended, I dug around in a box in my closet until I found my notes from English 208. I find this little bit striking:

Suffering is not an automatic purchase of enlightenment. Judeochristian belief teaches that suffering is a learning experience, and if suffering does not teach, does not improve a person, then perhaps Judeochristian teachings are not infallible and perhaps there is no god.

Is that the moral of the story? Is there a moral? People suffer emotional (and physical) torment of staggering intensity in this play, but they aren't really improved by it. There doesn't seem to be anything for Lavinia to learn, and Titus himself continues to make the same mistakes. No one learns.

And then there's Aaron, the ultimate Elizabethan badass. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the fellow. He's just... bad and enjoys being bad. His only redemption is his desire to save his son, and even then, he wants to raise another version of himself. Just before he's about to be executed, does he seem contrite? No. He glories in his past exploits. In fact, one of his best lines is this:

"If one good deed in all my life I did,
I do repent it from my very soul." (V.3.189-190)

Also, I'm minorly obsessed with Much Ado About Nothing but mostly this manifests in watching "Benedick Bemused" fifty million times because I so adore Ken Branagh. Tee.

<< � >>

Previously

fuck it @ 08.01.05
fanciful imaginary sea voyages to come @ 07.20.05
*dies* @ 07.19.05
more ootp @ 07.17.05
harry potter: driving our children into devil worship @ 07.17.05