Ah, I would say, just fall in love, but take care with whom and do not fall too deep into it. (master the art of speleology, for example).
‘Don’t fall in love’, sounds as stupid as going to Las Vegas and be advised ‘not to gamble’.

Aah, the (old(er)) writer and the younger girl, or boy.. It's so common. Why is it so common? Is it just a matter of us remembering these cases, or is it prototypical like Las Vegas and Gambling?

Yesterday I started reading Lunar Park (Ellis) and he starts off with his sudden fame and fortune and the crazyness with it. Quite interesting.
I'd like to experience crazyness.

Dens

According to my shrink an essential element of craziness is the want to install a loving relationship with the other. That' s the soft side of madness. It are the ways that you try to impose this on to the other that are crazy.
I admit I am not completely sane.

Arnon

I thought the picture was especially autographed for you, but apparantly you found the picture on flickr.

Dear Dens

To what cases are you referring in:

"Aah, the (old(er)) writer and the younger girl, or boy.. It's so common. Why is it so common? Is it just a matter of us remembering these cases,..."

yours,

Eric

Mieke

I never met Mrs. Sagnier (or should I say Ms. Sagnier?). Experience taught me that some actresses (and actors probably) can be beautiful on screen and rather mundane in reality. I have no doubt that more or less the same can be said about authors.
Yes, I found the picture on flickr, to answer your question.

Well Eric, I'm not referring to specific situations or writers, and I'm sure you're as good as me in googling, But on the top of my mind I think of Thomas Mann, Nabokov, The writer in Diary of a bad year (Coetzee), B.E. Ellis, the man in Tirza (one might argue) and so much more, so much more.

@ Jan,
why would it be stupid to advice a person who goes to Las Vegas not to gamble? There is so much going on in that place that is more interesting and more fun. In Las Vegas one can easily do without the gambling. In fact it's a very good advice, so not to be compared with the advice on love.

Rezzori

I added a link in the news item 'Gregor von Rezzori' on the Announcement page (July 30th).
People who are interested in reading Arnon Grunberg's review of Gregor von Rezzori's Memoirs of an Anti-Semite, that was published in NRC Handelsblad on the 8th of August 2008, can go here: http://www.nrcboeken.nl/recensie/filosemiet-in-vermomming
Dutch language only.

De Israëlitische looverhut

Wie smalend tot Uw Hutje kwam -
Niet ik, gij Kind van Abraham!
Ik schenk, uit een oprecht gemoed,
Den drempel mijnen vredegroet!

Gij viert uw Feest, en zit getroost,
Te midden van uw talrijk kroost,
In schaduw van uw loovertent,
Als Mozes u heeft ingeprent.
Judea's wijnstok groent hier niet;
Olijf, noch vijg teelt ons gebied;
Gij gaardet hier, in rauwer lucht,
Min weeldrig blad, min zoete vrucht;
En toch, gij zit, uw lot getroost,
Te midden van uw talrijk kroost;
Uw Feesthut staat bij ons geplant,
Als eens in 't Palestijnsche Land.

Drieduizend malen kwam de zon
Terug, waar zij uw jaar begon,
En nog bouwt gij uw loovertent,
Als Mozes u heeft ingeprent.

Jeruzalem ligt diep verneêrd;
Des Tempels grondslag omgekeerd;
Verduisterd blijft die gloriedag,
Toen Isrel beider grootheid zag;
Maar eeuwig jong herrijst Uw Tent,
Bij aller volken tal gekend'
Zoo vaak de schaal, aan 's hemels boog,
Der dagen maat weer effen woog.
Wij - tasten rond, in 't ongewiss';
Op onze wieg ligt duisternis;
De stond, dat ons Gods wil hier bragt,
Bleef ongevierd; werd niet gedacht!

Maar U heugt, dertig eeuwen door,
Dat u Jehova uitverkoor;
Dat, als 't geweld u vluchten deed,
Een reddend spoor het diep doorsneed;
Dat, zonder huisdak, levenslang,
Uw schaar zwierf, op haar kronkelgang;
Waar Vuur- en Rook-zuil voor haar toog,
En 't Man haar spijsde van omhoog.
Gij viert het, tot op dezen tijd,
Dat zoo Gods arm u heeft bevrijd.

Dies breng ik, met oprecht gemoed,
Uw Hutje mijnen vredegroet.
Wie smalend tot den drempel kwam;
Niet ik, gij Kind van Abraham!

A.C.W. Staring (1767-1840)

Back

I am back.

Arnon, shouldn't this be "La fille coupée en deux" as "fille" is female.

Dens, do you really mean what you write? Craziness may seem attractive in literature or as an idea but as a close witness of craziness I can tell you no-one wants to live the life of a crazy person.

@Jeanette P
OK, it is not stupid, I get your point; but let us say, it is purely sightseeing then. Watch and do not touch.

Lila

Yes, thank you! Has been corrected.

I have the notion of what crazyness can cause, and I know it isn't always a nice picture, but I' like to experience everything once. Although I know that will never happen. Dying, for one, can only be done in a limited amount of times.

I've been at the paranoia, and didn't like that, but I don't think I've hallucinated. I once interviewed a scizofrenic (the real schizo, not the disociative/multiple personality disorder) and he had some really mind blowing stories. With him, it all started in the lunchcafeteria of his high school. He was eating his lunch and suddenly he saw water coming out of the tab and growing and growing and grasping his breath and it didn't affect anyone but him. For some reason I could imagine this picture very vividly.

@ Jan,
there are enough gambling opportunities in and around Las Vegas that don't involve casino's. Getting married is one of them.....