Kyberean Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Calonlan:
>
> he was not into popular music [...]
>
> It's interesting how poets' taste in music varies.
> William Blake was just the opposite, as he liked
> only the popular music of his day, and had no ear
> for, or interest in, Classical music, at all.
> (Blake also is supposed to have set his "Songs of
> Innocence and of Experience" to simple tunes of
> his own devising that he would sing, on occasion).

True enough -- but then, the popular music during Blake's time was perhaps much to be preferred to that of the 20th century! Does anyone have any sheet music for any of the tunes that Blake composed?

Also, thanks, Calonlan, for the information on Clark's musical tastes! Out of curiosity, what sort of singing voice did he have?

According to Alfred Kazin, others did transcribe some of Blake's tunes, but, like Kazin, I have no idea who did, or where they are, sad to say.

Clark's voice was low baritone -- we never did any singing other than what sprung up spontaneously so I cannot say whether he learned to read music or not - he sang in pitch with whatever I started, but as to whether he could duplicate a note played on the piano, I cannot say, but it is likely since group singing in grade school was "de riguer" in public schools (particularly in the early grades) until quite recently - and, of course, the songs of Stephen Foster, and other American composers, plus the enormously popular music of the Civil War - California in Clark's youth was filled with veterans from both sides - and whether Johnny comes marching Home, Dixie, John Brown's Body or Hang Abe Lincoln (same tune) the fellows from both sides commonly whooped it up together. I just now recall that on one occasion I was sharing having seen Elvis Presley in "Love Me Tender" and having been glared at by the weeping teenage girls as he died on screen since I was falling out of my seat laughing at the appalling acting, and shared later with Clark the title song, which is the tune of the Civil War ballad Aura Lee, which I then sang for them by way of proof, and Clark and Carol both joined on the chorus -Aura Lee, Aura Lee, Maid of golden hair; sunshine came along with thee, and robins in the air -- and Clark choked up a bit, remembering singing that song (which he had not thought of) from many years before.

>black bread,
> a strong cheese, a cheap burgundy wine, "and thou
> beside me singing in the wilderness..." down on
> the beach was a favorite thing in Pacific Grove

Reminds me of E. Hoffman Price’s memoir of his last visit to Auburn, CA (although not his last visit to CAS himself) in 1940, accompanied by sf-writers Edmond Hamilton, Jack Williamson, and pulp author Diego del Monte/aka Felix Flammonde:

“Outwardly, nothing could have been more matter of fact. To spare our host a shopping trip, we’d brought cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and wine, and rum, and brandy. Clark had been well-digging. His comrade in that un-artistic but useful business was a Turk from Turkestan, who briefed me on his native land…” (Book of the Dead, p.104)

Beef stew and wine… sheer heaven- with a little bread and butter, of course.

Indeed, indeed Gavin - and Dinty Moore, when it first came out was more beef than stew - and heated up on Clark's old wood stove would have had just the right amount of time to heat smmothly for the best flavor, and sending a nice aroma through the cabin (as opposed to microwave) - Do you remember the radio show that featured "Dinty Moore's" as
THE place for the Irish to get a cold beer and some great stew?

small break of time, as my query piqued my own curiosity, and my memory failed - however, eureka! (as Archimedes said), I have remembered it! 'twas not a radio show, but the Jiggs and Maggie cartoon strip. Jiggs was a caricature of a little Irishman always in evening dress and top hat, with a domineering taller wife - Dinty Mooore's was his refuge Tavern to escape from his wife - was in the papers when I was a child (along with the immensely popular and long running "Katzenjammer Kids" (which was commonly mispronounced with a hard "j" in my little North Carolina side pocket.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 6 Jan 09 | 05:24PM by calonlan.

calonlan Wrote:
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> I have remembered it! 'twas
> not a radio show, but the Jiggs and Maggie cartoon
> strip. Jiggs was a caricature of a little
> Irishman always in evening dress and top hat, with
> a domineering taller wife - Dinty Mooore's was his
> refuge Tavern to escape from his wife - was in the
> papers when I was a child (along with the
> immensely popular and long running "Katzenjammer
> Kids" (which was commonly mispronounced with a
> hard "j" in my little North Carolina side pocket.

It’s such a strange coincidence- a correspondent of mine just sent me a huge pile of clippings from some late-sixties issues of “Good Old Days” magazine; I’ve been reading through them during spare moments (my whole life is a spare moment.)

Anyhow, after you mentioned the “Dinty Moore” comic, I went back through the clippings, and sure enough, if found it: it’s “Bringing Up Father” by George McManus. The rich father in the strip is constantly leaving his mansion to play poker at “Dinty Moore’s place”.

The “Good Old Days” clippings are very much as you describe U.S. life back then: candles made from burning an old rag in a bowl of animal fat, corncob pipes, people drinking kerosene as a medicine (the guy who did this lived to be 90!)

It is so relaxing sitting hear and reading all of these memories of CAS. Geniuses like his come only so often and I know many people are jealous (in a good way) of Dr. Farmer. I know I am. Guess I will take this time to ask Dr. Farmer a few questions about CAS.

1. How did CAS's voice sound? High or low???

2. I am at the age (25) where my parents are getting older and death, sadly, has crossed my mind a few times during the night time hours. Did Smith ever talk about his parents and that he missed them. Any emotional attachments that he just couldn't part with? I know he must have felt tremendous amounts of sadness and despair at the deaths of H.P.L and Robert E. Howard.

3. How did he deal with solitude. It must have gotten lonely up in CA. Did his imagination help him. I am finding that as time progresses my imagination has become my best friend and writing, like learning, is great and that you pick up something new everyday.

4. Did Clark ever have writers block or moments when he didn't know how to express something in a story? I know I am and since I'm young I don't know how to deal with it in a mentally calm fashion. Procrastination ever a problem with him.

5. How did he feel about the death of R.H. Barlow and did he find out the truth that Barlow was only trying to help H.P.L; not ransacking his estate like a group of common thieves.

6. Lastly, how did he deal with life's everyday hassles and fears and, Did he ever have moments when he didn't want to write for only himself and miss the true defintion of what it is to be an artist.

Thanks. Hope these were not to many questions. I look up to the old masters as heroes. Guess I'm like a young Sterling or Barlow, lol. Too bad I cannot find someone in todays world to look up to. Its odd, like all the others I feel as though I should of been born in another time.

Any way hope you get this Dr. Farmer and my writing is coming and improving everyday. The evening song poem is redone for mistakes and finished. Would love to show it to you if you have the time or interest.

Take Care,

Charles

OConnor,CD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is so relaxing sitting hear and reading all of
> these memories of CAS. Geniuses like his come only
> so often and I know many people are jealous (in a
> good way) of Dr. Farmer. I know I am. Guess I will
> take this time to ask Dr. Farmer a few questions
> about CAS.
>
> 1. How did CAS's voice sound? High or low???
>
> 2. I am at the age (25) where my parents are
> getting older and death, sadly, has crossed my
> mind a few times during the night time hours. Did
> Smith ever talk about his parents and that he
> missed them. Any emotional attachments that he
> just couldn't part with? I know he must have felt
> tremendous amounts of sadness and despair at the
> deaths of H.P.L and Robert E. Howard.
>
> 3. How did he deal with solitude. It must have
> gotten lonely up in CA. Did his imagination help
> him. I am finding that as time progresses my
> imagination has become my best friend and writing,
> like learning, is great and that you pick up
> something new everyday.
>
> 4. Did Clark ever have writers block or moments
> when he didn't know how to express something in a
> story? I know I am and since I'm young I don't
> know how to deal with it in a mentally calm
> fashion. Procrastination ever a problem with him.
>
> 5. How did he feel about the death of R.H. Barlow
> and did he find out the truth that Barlow was only
> trying to help H.P.L; not ransacking his estate
> like a group of common thieves.
>
> 6. Lastly, how did he deal with life's everyday
> hassles and fears and, Did he ever have moments
> when he didn't want to write for only himself and
> miss the true defintion of what it is to be an
> artist.
>
> Thanks. Hope these were not to many questions. I
> look up to the old masters as heroes. Guess I'm
> like a young Sterling or Barlow, lol. Too bad I
> cannot find someone in todays world to look up to.
> Its odd, like all the others I feel as though I
> should of been born in another time.
>
> Any way hope you get this Dr. Farmer and my
> writing is coming and improving everyday. The
> evening song poem is redone for mistakes and
> finished. Would love to show it to you if you have
> the time or interest.
>
> Take Care,
>
> Charles


Of course, I would be happy to see your work - even better to hear it.
I can help you with some of your queries:

Clark's speaking voice was a rich, resonant, baritone (think "Thomas Hampson) -
2. At 25 I too felt the first gnawing of the "worm beneath the nail, wearing the quick away" - my god, a quarter century -- Clark rarely spoke of his past sorrows, but had about him a kind of eternal melancholy that was the stage upon which he lived his drama of life - (another poet friend of mine wrote of the "everlasting broken-heart of Louis Armstrong - there is some of that to it) - but he delighted in company where there was good conversation et al;
the groupie, or the merely talkative bored him quickly - he hated being socially trapped where he could not end or get rid of the imposition of persons he did not wish to be with. That is one reason he had a single bar that was his favorite - with lifelong friends, and a place where he was "part of the furniture" - the only conversation with Clark regarding his Father was in describing building a cabin, or digging a well - though he occasionally referenced both parents as well read and great story tellers - his father's wide travels made him very interesting to young Clark - probably most telling is his use of family names in the nom de plume he used briefly - "Timeus Gaylod"--
The Gaylord was his mother's maiden name, and old Southern Aristocracy ( a name so commonly asscociated with that era that it was used as the "hero's" first name in the musical "Showboat") -- His father's first name is from the most enigmatic and philosophically strange (by comparison with his other works) of Plato's dialogues - the "Timeus" is where the discussion of "Atlantis" occurs. = Clark pronounced it with a short "i", accented on the first syllable, which he told me is how his dad said it - classical Greek scholars tend to pronounce it with a long "i" with the accent on the second syllable (penultimate).
The only time he mentioned HPL was in insisting that he did not believe he had committed suicide. We never discussed REH.
3. By the time I knew Clark, he had been long inured to solitude, and throughout his life he had to ability to conjure up scenarios in which he mentally engaged sorcerors, villains, defended the fabled beauty etc. The majority of the time I spent with him was after his marriage - both he and Carol treasured their time alone - she sought solitude in sun bathing on the back patio - Clark would read, or rummage through old files (which is how I ended up with the great stack of holographs which are now at Berkeley and published as "Sword of Zagan". I never spoke with him about Barlow, though I suspect that had there been some matter or pique in his attitude, I would have heard it.
4 - Everyday life oddly enough while in the cabin did not hassle Clark - he had his routine: carve, write, read, pick berrys, prune, pick fruit in season, cut firewood, walk to old town, go to the Happy Hour, pick up some meager groceries and a bottle of Loomis Burgundy, stride home, sometimes stop at the top of High St and Folsom blvd. to visit with Ethel Heiple (who had assumed his mother's subscriber list years before), == he was not out after dark in the town ever that I can remember - he kept up with the weekly Auburn Journal paper, and occasionally bought the Sacramento Bee (or took the one at the Happy Hour home) - where they served (after reading) as insulation in the cool room above the well, or found their true value in the outhouse.
Do not despair of finding fine writers in today's world - or be one yourself for the next generation - master the craft - Even as i told Don Fryer almost fifty years ago about Edmund Spenser, I suggest him to you - master craftsmen in any genre deserve to be studied - You might be benefited by a romp through George Bernard Shaws's "Don Juan in Hell" - or Goethe's "Faust" - worth learning German just to read this masterpiece.
One more thing of note about day to day living - Clark had a very small "carbon footprint" as the yahoos call it these days - his life style generated almost no garbage - and his family PO box in old town was where all his mail came - and because of the outhouse, he appreciated the sale catalogs - he never had delivery to his home while in Auburn - and was overwhelmed in those days with the amount of crap that came unsolicited through the mail. - How he dealt with urban life I mentioned in my memoir in "sword" - so go buy it (I get $1.50) - I have to get up from this computer now, but I will be happy to try again for you in the future.

Smith's recorded voice can, of course, be heard in audio files, available on this site, of him reading some of his own poems.

Dr. Farmer provides more colorful details from Clark's life. I enjoy it very much. This thread is almost turning into a publishable biography!
(I know I was ironic in another thread about writing biographies, and making career out of being critic and analyzer of others. But for me there is a fine line, I sense immediately when there is disrespect and lack of integrity, when initial enthusiasm has turned into routine, and a famous star is utilized merely as an object and merchandize for the biographer to cash in on. Farmer writes out of love, as if to a friend still being present. Well, almost; Some, like me, may think that Clark would have smacked him on the fingers, or told him to close the camera lens, for minor details, like activities in the outhouse. But knowing now, how thoroughly a practical man Clark was, I am likely wrong. It is certainly not disrespectful, in any case. Some carnal embarrassments loose all meaning beyond the grave. While other more important issues may painfully remain.)

Although I prefer reading poems at my own pace, it is fascinating listening to Clark's readings of his own verse. It cannot be compared to the phenomenal Brother Theodore's reading of Smith, but then Clark was not an actor. (This is also why I asked if Clark spontaneously broke out in song, wondering how extrovert he was; or if his creativity stayed quietly on the inside). But you sense a tremendous force, and passion in his voice. And the sad undertone. And humour. Clearly a man of authority.



calonlan Wrote:
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-- Clark rarely spoke of
> his past sorrows, but had about him a kind of
> eternal melancholy that was the stage upon which
> he lived his drama of life -

This can be the case with an only child. I have known a few (also born under Capricorn). Being the only child, often leads to intense, if not lifelong search to compensate for the sense of loneliness, in one manner or another.
And to further increase this, the Smith family lived pretty isolated.


When reading a story like The Dark Eidolon, I have often wondered where this ability to express such incredible aggression and grim revenge stems from in Clark. It's so obsessive. I wonder if someone hurt him really bad. Or looking at his early school photo, there are one or two potential bullies, that I imagine could have forced him to crawl in the dust between lessons.

Dr. Farmer,

Thank you very much for answering my questions. I am currently writing up a dream narrative of a dark dream I had a few nights ago. Hope to share it with you and the board soon.

The only child syndrome seems significant enough. I mean CAS, no matter how god like he seems on paper, we must remember that he was a flesh and blood person capable of feeling and shattering like the rest of us. His loneliness must have been very tough to deal with. I would know because my brother recently passed away in a tragic car accident and I am faced with, for the first time ever, being an only child and dealing with friends moving on and approaching solitude. Makes for good art when one masters a craft but once the pen and paper is set down the individual must deal with it hands on as a part of living.

Knygatin Wrote:
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> When reading a story like The Dark Eidolon, I have
> often wondered where this ability to express such
> incredible aggression and grim revenge stems from
> in Clark. It's so obsessive. I wonder if someone
> hurt him really bad.

But the story is not an expression of obsession and desire for revenge on the author's part. It is a satire about obsession and desire for revenge. The joke is that the sorcerer suffers a minor slight as a child and exacts a revenge unimaginably out of proportion---entire empires must be crushed underfoot to satisfy him. Naturally Smith enjoys playing around with the idea of having the power to really do your enemies some harm, but the story is not an empowerment fantasy; it is, in the end, about the futility of revenge. In short: The story is meant to be amusing.

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
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In short: The story is meant to be
> amusing.

Perhaps it is an expression of different, conflicting emotions? Strong passion, which at the same time is balanced by an awareness of "the futility of revenge". I don't see Smith as merely a detached entertainer. As I commented about his voice, he seemed more complex in his composition. And you can't separate a man's personality from his work, it's one and the same. If he sensed none of those passions himself, then they would be meaningless, or not very interesting, for him to write about.

A raise a glass (though not of Atlantean vintage, nor imbued with more than common wizardry) to the memory of Clark Ashton Smith on this, his birthday. :)