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Friday, June 8, 2012

6-08-12 Survival Jobs for Writer-Musicians – Starter Job #118 (There’ll Always Be an England. . .)


(Well, after doing six weeks of blogging about my crazy big brother Tom -- may be rest in peace, and I’ll be working on finishing a book-length version of that story, with his writings interspersed -- I said I’d return to the original blog’s purpose: my survival jobs through the years.  Along the way, many other interesting things happened. . . like living in NYC, being part of the CBGB music scene, moving to England, visiting Paris, etc.  It’s been QUITE the life -- and it’s not even half over yet!)

This point is inarguable: Alan Rickman possesses the all-time greatest speaking voice.  And to think, when in drama school, his teacher told him he’d better work on his voice -- that it was one of his detriments!  Will the mundane ironies in this world ever cease?



Actually, there is nothing mundane about realizing, in hindsight, that Alan Rickman’s drama teacher was just so, so wrong.  That gives me such hope: that anybody who told somebody else they’re misguided or some sort of “loser” might well be so, so wrong.

How about Einstein?  He was rumored to have been called a stupid kid. . . and I’m sure there are so many other examples. . . so all right, you can laugh at me for thinking I’m going to write books and songs of greater consequence . . .  but I’ll just remember Einstein and Rickman. . .

But I digress.  In this blog, I thank my fates for taking me to London and living amongst the English where I learned firsthand their ways and culture.  The pub lifestyle, the unspoken class system, the humor, humanity, and keen minds that could knife through a situation with panache and grace (and neat sounding accents).

Basically, I was ready with a deeper understanding of those limeys and their ways when “Absolutely Fabulous” came out.  And when the Harry Potter series exploded on the page and on the screen?  Yup.  ‘Twas I who realized that Harry’s nemesis, Draco Malfoy, was at times putting on a lower-class accent so as to mitigate his ruling class upbringing. . .

“Slumming,” as it were.

Sigh.  There’ll always be an England. . . in the coney island of the mind.

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