I intend to read every ‘roman dur’ by Simenon

‘The Move’ by Georges Simenon

The Move (1967) is a ‘roman dur’ by Belgian writer Georges Simenon.

I intend to read every roman dur by Simenon.

The Move is both a flawed novel and at the same time one of his more interesting ones due to its near total plotlessness and focus on psychological detail.

Its sub-theme is a criticism of the anonymity of modern high rise, the lack of social control, a side effect of living in the banlieue, in the same vein as Jacques Tati’s films Mon oncle (1958) and Playtime (1967).

Its protagonist is an unwilling eavesdropper.

Another of its themes is an exploration of dark sexuality, a recurring motif with Simenon, such as in Un nouveau dans la ville (1950).

RIP Francis Lai (1932 – 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkPfGxPnnj8

Francis Lai was a French composer, noted for his film scores, best-known for his song “A Man and a Woman (chance pour toi et moi ba da ba da da da da da da)” wich is part of my top 1000.

RIP Tony Joe White (1943 – 2018)

Tony Joe White was an American singer-songwriter best known for writing “Rainy Night in Georgia“.

That song was covered in 1977 by reggae singer Watty Burnett as “Rainy Night In Portland” [above], still the best version around.

RIP Mel Ramos (1935 – 2018)

Touché Boucher (1972-73) is an oil on canvas by Mel Ramos, is a pastiche of the Odalisque blonde by François Boucher.

Mel Ramos was an American painter, specializing in paintings of female nudes.

He was one of the pop art erotica artists noted for his ‘flat light’ photorealism.

He also interpreted the female nudes of European masters in paintings such as Touché Boucher (1972-73) [above], which is a pastiche of the Odalisque blonde by François Boucher.

RIP Stelvio Cipriani (1937 – 2018)

Also dead Is Italian composer Stelvio Cipriani , known for his original soundtracks for Italian films of the 1970s and 1980s.

In my universe, he is best known for writing the original soundtrack to The Laughing Woman, that strange BDSM fantasy drama [above].

RIP Jerry González (1949 – 2018)

Also dead is Jerry González (1949 – 2018) an American bandleader and trumpeter, known for his work with Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino, a band which only made two albums, both released on disco label Salsoul Records.

I give you “Anabacoa“, a track composed in 1949 but rendered here by Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino in 1975 which was featured on the compilation album Nu Yorica!.

RIP Charles Aznavour (1924 – 2018)

RIP Charles Aznavour, 94, French-Armenian singer, best-known for “La Bohème” (1966), a song which is part of the Jahsonic 1000.

A re-interpretation of this song was done by Jahsonic fave Nicolas Jaar [above].

One man’s junk is another’s man treasure

Researching Learning from Las Vegas occasioned by the death of Robert Venturi made me stumble upon God’s Own Junkyard [above].

Two pictures of that book are reproduced in Learning from Las Vegas.

God’s Own Junkyard is a work of cultural pessimism which laments the uglification of the United States landscape.

As happens so often, one man’s junk is another’s man treasure and the scenery decried in God’s Own Junkyard is glorified in Learning from Las Vegas.

Kishore Mahbubani cites “How does it feel?” Gabriel García Márquez hoax

A good friend of mine suggested we read Has the West Lost It? A Provocation (2018) by Kishore Mahbubani in order to discuss it.

I read it.

Its thesis?

Mahbubani advocates a minimum of Western interventionism after what he sees as a period of Western arrogance in which the west humiliated both the Muslims and Russia. The book centers on the premise that economic growth will make everyone happier (except for the west which can no longer grow).

The book fails to mention the coming ecocalypse and does not seem to mind the violations of human rights.

In an astonishing case of academic incompetence, Mahbubani cites the “How does it feel?” Gabriel García Márquez hoax without acknowledging it as such: