Icarus flying home # 12 in silence

I can see up your nostrich

Today, well tomorrow if you are reading today early because I am writing this last thing at night, my son Dan is sixteen - sigh and he is such a beautiful boy and such a joy. Yesterday he was talking to me about Of Mice and Men and how the most important part of the novel that everyone misses is the issue of loneliness, which Steinbeck does so well. And I know he is right, the solitariness of Steinbeck's work followed me through my own teenage years; how astute of him to be so critically attuned. But most of all he loves a good laugh - hallelujah to that! Here is the most Holy Order of Silent Monks saying just that:

Icarus Finding Foucault... and Peanuts

 

I was sent this clip (above) and the Foucault connection cannot be denied - love it to bits, for I just had to do some Foucault today too, when I was talking about 'normativity' and stuff. Sometimes I think we just invent this academic language to keep ourselves looking as though we actually know what we are talking about - which writing often reveals we don't. I have been writing The Bogeyman for weeks and I am not sure I know what any of it means. Like Levi-Strauss too, I forget what I have written very quickly. Hmmm, that could be ageing brain cells. Today I wrote:

It is impossible, I suspect, to propose a non-exclusionist normative definition of textual engagement in writing for children, but surely a normative structure that clarifies the intrinsic distinctiveness of child-centred storytelling can be proposed?

What on earth is that about? Damned if I know and damned if I don't - sigh! Its a bit like posting one of your favourite songs and remembering that the lyrics are not very cheerful - even if the song is a bit of a romp. E.C. made this a hit, but this boy deserves to sing it for himself, cos he wrote it - what's so funny about peace, love and understanding:

Drunken Angels & Indoor Fireworks

something old, nothing new

This is a post about the blues, like the picture aside shows, Palace Pier Blues is so upward in my heid, but sometimes your fave pop stars make you humble by being better and more relevant than you can be - sigh, I should have stuck to writing songs - but these two, top drawer and singing together. Get over the ads an enjoy - and no I did not chose the ad, nor have succumbed to this treatment (I lost the number):

Icarus flying home # 12

I know this makes us look as though we are off to the North Pole (or the South) but actually Dan and I are off to watch Brighton and Hove Albion play football at the Withdean Stadium. Sigh, I used to have to lift Dan up onto the seat when we looked like scoring because he couldn't see over the crowd. Now he is 3 inchest taller than me and will be 16 next week - hoo, where does the time go. But he is untouched by ageing, he is still as lovely, kind and caring as ever - and still my boy. And we still like the football, although he will be playing in the men's team next season - another sign of ageing, sigh. We both love this version and we played it in the car until the tape got lost:

Icarus flying home # 11

why look so miserable

I am not this miserable so I have no idea why I look it - I guess some of us have a face for comedy; others for radio and some just to be laughed at - oh well. The beard is not new because its only five days old - I know but I am a twice a day man (if I shave). But hey I have been working hard and well, every face needs a rest from shaving, smiling and kissing (after all, who would kiss that). But you know I am not convinced my left eye recovered shape after I smacked into a door. Ah well, never mind, I have another eye. I have no plans to post a new tune yet but I am thinking of doing so in the future because I have written some new songs, one today even, and well I though if I stick up here my kids would come across them at some time in their life and that would be good when they are 70 if this blogging business keeps going.Which is really why I keep this going as a kind of living diary. It is so immediate and ongoing and permanent, I hope (if anything can be) so that if I were to pop me clogs tomorrow someone out there would say, hey did you read your dad's blog and then... I was thinking back to being a guitar player in the Scotland days and I met a Welsh guy, older than me, by the name of Pete Ham and he wrote this great song, then this guy called Harry who I never met recorded it, but shit could he sing (see below) But Pete taught me how to use a slide on a guitar and one day i will post 'day - after - day', but not today because this is surely Pete's best song:

Icarus waits for the hour to change