Wednesday, May 7, 2014

"May the Fourth Be with You"

I found this "Copyright Notice by PZ" (Paul Zukofsky, son of Louis Zukofsky) interesting http://www.z-site.net/copyright-notice-by-pz/ , especially since Louis Zukofksy used quotations so liberally, especially in Bottom: On Shakespeare.

I just watched the movie The Ring twice in two different film history classes.  The use of horses made me think of Louis Zukofsky, although I suspect he would not have liked the film.

I plan to start focusing on the translations of Catullus by Louis and Celia Zukofsky.  I plan to focus on one each week.  It will take me a little over two years.  I plan to put that on hiatus during Decembers while I reread "A".  I suspect I will start the Catullus project in a few weeks.

I just learned that Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the Star Wars: Episode VII screenplay.  I love a lot of his work, from The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark to The Big Chill and Silverado.  I look forward to seeing Episode VII with my family in December of 2015.  I struck me this week that people with whom I saw each episode of Star Wars the first time make a sort of map of my life.  In 1977 in ninth grade I saw Star Wars with my friends Scott Larson and David Burge.  In 1980 I saw The Empire Strikes Back with my dad.  In 1983 I saw Return of the Jedi with my sister the night it came out.  I saw it again the next morning, and my sister and I saw it again that night.

In 1999 I saw Episode I with my wife, her son Jimmy and his friend Robert and her granddaughter Tayler.  In 2002 Debbie, Jimmy, and I saw Episode II.  In 2005 we had four generations: Debbie's dad, Debbie and I, Jimmy, and Tayler and her sister.  I look forward to seeing the saga continue.

2 comments:

  1. Hi, uh...first time listener, long-time caller. Uhh...umm...

    What do you make of Joseph Campbell's reading of the Star Wars films (he only saw the first one?): that technology will not save us, that rationality is great and all, but only our intuition will save humanity?

    Thanks, I'll take my answer off the air.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for calling, Michael. I'd heard that George Lucas went to see Joseph Campbell before writing the script, seeking to find out how to make a "modern myth." Bob Wilson said George Lucas studied with Harold Garfinkel, but I've never seen any confirmation. I wonder why the Star Wars films have penetrated the culture so deeply. J. G. Ballard loved how the technology in the first Stars Wars film look battered and worn out.

    I don't think technology will save us, but who knows. I feel like Dylan's Mr. Jones sometimes.

    "Because something is happening here
    But you don't know what it is
    Do you, Mister Jones ?"

    (I haven't read all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books.)

    I don't know if I grok the concept of "saving humanity." I could use some intuition right about now.

    ReplyDelete