tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71393895882396450422023-06-20T21:35:51.730-07:00Theresa Duncan CentralA one-stop source for budding DuncanologistsPoulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-69476654514899360262007-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:002007-09-15T11:32:36.987-07:00Jeremy Blake extravaganzaFeel like you don't really know Jeremy Blake (a.k.a. "Mr. Wit)? Get acquainted by following these links.<br /><br />The Corcoran's <a href="http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/exhibits_future_results.asp?Exhib_ID=189">blurb</a> on the upcoming Jeremy Blake exhibit.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/remembering-jeremy-blake">Remembering</a> Jeremy Blake.<br /><br />Jeremy's <a href="http://damienfree.fr.free.fr/punch_drunk_love_jeremy_blake.htm">gorgeous work done for Punch Drunk Love</a>. (And the only redeeming part of this maudlin movie.)<br /><br />Mr. Wit's <a href="http://www.ktfgallery.com/artists/jeremy_blake/?show=bio">C.V.</a><br /><br />Some of Jeremy's conventional <a href="http://www.ktfgallery.com/artists/jeremy_blake/?heading_id=58">paintings</a>. (Btw, the painting of the brunette reminds me of an old vaudeville joke whose punchline is "Nice tits, where do you want the blinds?")Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-74024302392782316942007-09-15T10:19:00.000-07:002007-09-15T11:02:55.437-07:00More Theresa Duncan mysteriesFall is in the air (yes, dear New York readers, we do have seasons in Los Angeles), but that beachy summer mystery known as Theresa Duncan continues to haunt our imagination.<br /><br /><ol><li>Is she alive and well and <a href="http://www.times-journal.com/report.lasso?WCD=9292">working as a prostitute?</a></li><li>Why has Duncanologist <a href="http://seaword.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/plagiarism/">seaword</a> (who, following our lead, exposed Wit's literary peccadillos) vanished into the ether, shuttering the blog and neglecting to answer email from fans? (Btw, if you really want to read that page, you can <a href="http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:IrRDKieU4PQJ:seaword.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/plagiarism/+seaword+theresa+duncan+plagiarism&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=safari">here.</a>) </li><li>Has famed Duncanologist Kate Coe of <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/">FBLA</a>, who hasn't posted her keen insights here or elsewhere lately, also lost interest and vanished? </li><li>Will this blogger soon follow suit?</li><li>Was Jeremy Blake really the rear-ending type? And if, so can we tell from <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_7_42/ai_n6005384/pg_6">this conversation</a>?</li></ol><br />I'll let <a href="http://dreamsendannex.wordpress.com/">Dream's End </a>work on 1-4 and leave 5 for you to solve.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-57142778676663132007-09-13T19:17:00.000-07:002007-09-13T19:25:25.161-07:00And now a beak from Theresa Duncan for a different kind of guilty pleasureUnselfconscious and refreshing, <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">this blog </a>from another ex-L.A. resident is the antithesis of The Wit of the Staircase.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-29198998894252998312007-09-11T18:03:00.000-07:002007-09-11T19:00:29.889-07:00New York magazine mentions this blog—and gets the name wrong.We're glad the kids over at New York magazine read this blog, but would it kill them to hire a fact checker? From the <a href="http://nymag.com/nymag/letters/36535/">"Comments" page</a> in the September 3-10 issue:<br /><br /><blockquote>David Amsden’s <strong>“<a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/36091/">Conspiracy of Two</a>”</strong> (August 27), about the suicides of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake, fed the army of bloggers who are obsessed with the subject. Most merely wanted it understood that they know more about the case than Amsden does, but he was also chided for depicting New York as a <strong>“hostile but ultimately rewarding environment for an artist,”</strong> while L.A. is “often the opposite: easy and glittering until you begin to suspect it is all maybe a cruel illusion.” The blog <a href="http://yournewreality.blogspot.com/" target="new">Theresa Duncan Control</a> responded: <strong>“This is the kind of shit that makes me wish we could deport every single New Yorker. </strong>Let’s start by rounding them up in Santa Monica, where they clog up our sidewalk cafés and steal our rent-controlled apartments.” </blockquote><br /><br /><br /><ol><li>Yes, we did say that.</li><li>But our name is Theresa Duncan CENTRAL. You know, like that little patch of grass you guys call CENTRAL Park?</li><li>We don't know who the hell you hyperlinked to, but it's sure not our site.</li><li>This really makes us question Amsden's collective vision/exploding grill story. For all we know some weasel top editor inserted that at the last minute to add color.</li><li>Yes, we do know more about Theresa Duncan than you do.<br /></li><li>In the absence of a copy/research department listed on the New York masthead, we blame assistant managing editor Denise Penny. (Tell us who's really at fault Penny, and we'll take you off our shit list.)</li><li>Seriously though, we love you guys. Just stay the hell off our beaches, okay? Rockaway, yes. Zuma, no.</li></ol>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-70496983028209723832007-09-10T00:49:00.000-07:002007-09-11T14:16:59.066-07:00Theresa Duncan Central is NOT a rumor site<a href="http://www.affbrainwash.com/archives/022438.php">An essay</a> in dire need of an editor and some hyperlinks. (Our condolences to <a href="http://seaword.wordpress.com/">Seaword</a>, who was not mentioned and to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/s/the-theresa-duncan-tragedy/16942/s/the-theresa-duncan-tragedy/16942/">Kate Coe</a>, who is referred to as "Cole" on second reference.)Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-89793276059931118782007-09-09T19:44:00.000-07:002007-09-11T14:16:59.067-07:00Summer never ends in Los Angeles<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Some bloggers have grown bored with Theresa Duncan. In a post titled "Summer is Over and So Is the Fling," <a href="http://seaword.wordpress.com/">the Seaword</a> admits to having lost interest in the Wit and wonders if this little blog has "given up the ghost" also.<br /><br />Not here, baby! Summer is eternal in Los Angeles and we've got more stamina than you'll find in a fistful of Viagra. So hang in there, there's more good stuff coming.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-36577127367857376732007-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:002007-09-11T14:17:23.600-07:00Punk diva: Was Theresa Duncan plagiarizing or posing?A recent story about Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake in the Independent relies heavily on an interview with Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the Sex Pistols, who knew the couple. Theresa liked to tout her rock bona fides on her blog, but check out <a href="http://theresalduncan.typepad.com/witostaircase/2005/10/generation_xorc.html">this Wit post</a> (hat tip to Poussin) on the Chelsea Hotel:<br /><br /><blockquote>If you doubt the Chelsea's status as the Haunted Indian Burial Ground of Baby Boomer hipster culture, consider that no significant counterculture has been produced by Western white middle class youth since Sid Vicious murdered his girlfriend on this very spot and died of a heroin overdose in Rikers prison in the middle of the East River shortly afterward.</blockquote>Did you catch the error? Sid Vicious did not die in prison at all.<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/2/newsid_2523000/2523601.stm"> He died in a Greenwich Village apartment after being sprung from Rikers.</a> Did Duncan not know this? Was she just posing a a punk fan or did she carelessly copy this blurb from another source?Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-90444801857374985662007-09-09T18:31:00.000-07:002007-09-09T18:48:23.348-07:00Theresa Duncan's boyfriend was gaySo says the U.K. Independent in <a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2937026.ece">this story.</a> (Hat tip to Lou.) The piece rehashes what everyone else has written (golden couple, tragic end, blah, blah, blah) and relies mostly on an interview with punk impresario Malcolm <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">McLaren</span>, who knew the couple. However, there's this bombshell:<br /><blockquote>"I liked him [Jeremy] a lot," <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">McLaren</span> says, "but he always struck me as a troubled person. Everything that's been written about them since it happened has suggested that Theresa was the crazy one. But actually I don't think she was all that crazy. I think it was the other way around."</blockquote>So Jeremy was the crazy one. And there's this:<br /><p></p><blockquote> The golden-couple image was flawed in other ways, too.' "If we're being honest," says <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McLaren</span>, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeremy was gay</span>. I don't think his relationship with Theresa was all that sexual. She was a mother to him. When I saw them in Hollywood, he was always terribly concerned that people would think he was a fag – he walked around with this hip flask of whisky in his pocket and he was constantly swigging from it, like some kind of cowboy."</blockquote>Jeremy was gay and Theresa wasn't getting laid. Have to admit I hadn't thought of that. So far it seems Kate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Coe</span> is the only person who's written about them who actually knew them. Yet she seems to have missed this. Perhaps her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">gaydar</span> is in need of tune-up.<br /><p></p>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-1588123533350724792007-09-04T14:40:00.000-07:002007-09-05T01:00:41.481-07:00Theresa Duncan didn't have readers, she had fansI had never heard of The Wit of the Staircase until <a href="http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/07/theresa_duncan.php">this post</a> on L.A. Observed. Right after reading of her disappearance on L.A. Observed, I headed over to Duncan's site, hoping to find some new and fresh writing. What I found was disappointing.<br /><br />I've wondered since how could Duncan's readers not see right through her literary b.s.? I noticed it immediately. How could supposedly smart readers (who also happen to be writers) like Ron Rosenbaum and Kevin Rodderick (who apparently couldn't tell if Duncan's L.A. Lunar society was real and called the Wit "a personal favorite of mine") be so easily bamboozled? Reader Poussin has some thoughts:<blockquote><br /><br /><div>Duncan didn't have readers. She had <strong><em>fans</em></strong>. She had girl crushes, lesbian crushes, young male crushes, crusty old git crushes, etc. Read her comments, where she permitted them. Often you will see remarks about her looks. This is why there are so many defenders. It isn't about plagiarism to them. Beauty will always ease misdeed. There are as many excuses as the day is long. How many excuses have we seen already? </div> <div> </div> <div>See, Duncan was perfect for people. She filled a need in their desperations, however she did that. There was a sexual subtext to much of her fandom. She was what these fans wanted to be, and they felt golden for having found her. She wrote into that myth, using her charmed <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; height: 1em;" id="lw_1188941897_0">Venice</span> lifestyle in funky hippie cottage, darling boyfriend, expensive habits and tastes.</div></blockquote><div><br /><br />It's true, Duncan often posted photos of herself but did she really seduce her readers? Is this why it's so hard for them to admit they were duped? Why do so many tie their identity to this woman? Why do they personally feel insulted when her fake front is exposed? Why do they take their anger out on those who expose the truth?<br /></div>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-78799563225989127062007-09-04T13:24:00.000-07:002007-09-04T13:55:55.621-07:00Tuesday is for Tuesday Weld plagiarismFrom an enterprising reader comes yet another example of Duncan stringing together sentences lifted from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wikipedia</span> to form a post for The Wit of the Staircase. This time the topic is Tuesday Weld. Any high school English teacher in American will recognize this type of "writing." Lazy students engage in it every day. What makes Duncan special is that her writing has been singled out as praiseworthy by people who should know better. People like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rosenbaum</span>. Perhaps it's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">wikipedia's</span> pages that should be praised.<br /><br /><a href="http://theresalduncan.typepad.com/witostaircase/2005/09/tuesday_weld.html">Duncan on Tuesday Weld:</a><blockquote><a href="http://theresalduncan.typepad.com/witostaircase/2005/09/tuesday_weld.html"></a><br />In 1961, after starring opposite Elvis Presley in Wild in the Country, he and Tuesday Weld began an off-screen romance. In Hollywood, her reputation for a reckless lifestyle was fodder for the gossip columnists and Louella Parsons reportedly said, as politely as possible, that "Miss Weld is not a very good representative for the motion picture industry." The romance with Elvis did not last long after Colonel Tom Parker cautioned Presley against the relationship, fearful it would harm his image. <p>Tuesday Weld appeared with Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen in the 1963 comedy/drama, Soldier in the Rain, and although her performance was well received, the film was only a minor success. Although frequently typecast as the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blonde</span> in the tight sweater," both the critics and working members of the film industry acknowledged her talent. </p> <p>Weld never achieved the level of stardom many thought her looks and talent could bring. In part, her lack of great success was a result of her turning down roles in films that became great successes and that made mega-stars out of others, such as Lolita, Bonnie and Clyde,True Grit, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Although Weld had the final say in such matters, many question the quality of advice her agent was providing. Actor Roddy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McDowall</span>, who co-starred with her in a 1966 film, said: "no actress was ever so good in so many bad films."</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesday_Weld"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Wikipedia</span> on Weld:</a><br /><blockquote><br />In 1961, after starring opposite Elvis Presley in Wild in the Country, the two had an off-screen romance. However, in Hollywood, her reputation for recklessness was fodder for pulp magazines and the more malignant gossip columnists of the day. Louella Parsons reportedly said, "Miss Weld is not a very good representative for the motion picture industry".[citation needed]<br />Weld appeared with Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen in the 1963 comedy/drama Soldier in the Rain, and although her performance was well received, the film was only a minor success. Although frequently typecast as the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">blonde</span> in the tight sweater," critics and others in the film industry have acknowledged her talent. However, Weld never achieved the level of stardom many thought her looks and abilities would bring, partly as a result of her turning down roles in films that became great successes and that made stars of others, such as Lolita, Bonnie and Clyde, Rosemary's Baby, True Grit, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Roddy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">McDowall</span>, who co-starred with her in a 1966 film, said: "no actress was ever so good in so many bad films".[citation needed]<br /></blockquote>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-28215208485235876092007-09-02T22:21:00.000-07:002007-09-03T00:38:46.394-07:00Ron Rosenbaum: wake up and smell the plagiarismInspired by Ron <a href="http://theresaduncancentral.blogspot.com/2007/08/ron-rosenbaum-on-theresa-duncan.html">"If She Plagiarized" </a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rosenbaum</span>, a reader has sent more proof of Duncan's cribbing.<br /><br />From Duncan's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">perfumey</span> post <a href="http://theresalduncan.typepad.com/witostaircase/2005/10/dzing_perfume_a.html"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dzing</span>! Perfume And My Carnival Night</span>:</a><br /><blockquote><br /><div>Mikhail <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bakhtin</span> is a favorite critic who elucidated a favorite author, Francois Rabelais. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bakhtin's</span> writings on the comic violence, bad language, exaggeration, satire, and shape-shifting of Rabelais are a prime example of one genius of elucidation reaching back across an expanse of time to find his component genius of expression. </div> For the Russian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bakhtin</span>, the Frenchman Rabelais is the greatest example of what he terms "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">carnivalesque</span>" literature. Ever concerned with the liberation of the human spirit, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bakhtin</span> claims that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">carnivalesque</span> literature — like the carnivals themselves — broke apart oppressive and mouldy forms of thought and cleared the path for the imagination and <em>component genius of expression</em></blockquote><em></em><br /><br />From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivalesque"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wikipedia</span> on 9/2/07</a>:<br /><blockquote><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Bakhtin</span> recognises that the tradition of carnival dwindled in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; height: 1em;" id="lw_1188795499_2">Europe</span> following the Renaissance and the eventual replacement of feudalism with capitalism. As a result, he says, the public spirit of the carnival metamorphosed into the '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">carnivalesque</span>': that is, the spirit of carnival rendered into literary form. The person who, existing on the cusp of this social upheaval, most fully represented this spirit was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">François</span> Rabelais, and the book which holds the greatest purchase on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Bakhtin's</span> imagination is Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel. <strong>The comic violence, bad language, exaggeration, satire, and shape-shifting</strong> which fill this book are, for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Bakhtin</span>, the greatest example of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">carnivalesque</span> literature. <strong>Ever concerned with the liberation of the human spirit</strong>, <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Bakhtin</span> claimed that</strong> <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">carnivalesque</span> literature — like the carnivals themselves — broke apart oppressive and mouldy forms of thought and cleared the path for the imagination and the <em>never-ending project of emancipation.<br /></em></strong><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Bakhtin</span> suggests that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">carnivalesque</span> literature</strong> also became less common as the increasingly privatised world of modern, individualistic capitalism took hold. However, he points to some notable exceptions: most importantly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Fyodor</span> Dostoevsky, but also (in a brief note)Ernest Hemingway.<br /><br /><br /></blockquote>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-30743421930899926322007-08-31T14:34:00.000-07:002007-08-31T17:27:38.456-07:00Ron Rosenbaum on Theresa DuncanIn a long, rambling post, <a href="http://ronrosenbaum.pajamasmedia.com/">Ron <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rosenbaum</span></a> finally pipes up about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Theres</span>a Duncan, a topic on which he fell silent for a few weeks now. He (rightly) rails against conspiracy theorists and admits his own part in fueling the insane theories (it's about time), but also there's this:<br /><br /><blockquote>I always found some brilliant beautiful (and explicitly sourced) arcane literary references on Theresa’s blog which, along with its beauty and diversity kept me coming back. If she plagiarized some things, shame on her, it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">doesn</span>’t take away the pleasure she brought by bringing to light those explicitly referenced writers, should it? <p> Her blog was a fascinating collage of text, images, genres; her voice, her persona, unique. Are writers supposed to write about the <em>least</em> interesting artists they know?</p></blockquote><p></p>IF SHE PLAGIARIZED some things? IF? There seems to some doubt in Ron's mind as to whether she plagiarized. But IF she did, then <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">so what</span>? he seems to be saying. She brought to light "explicitly referenced writers." So that settles it. If she plagiarized, it's no big deal.<br /><br />Interesting, he included no links to The Wit site. We'd love to know what Ron's favorite posts are.<br /><br />I wish he'd also explained how it's possible that a writer could be a plagiarist and at the same time have a unique voice.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-13849278888122993672007-08-31T10:01:00.000-07:002007-08-31T10:38:32.959-07:00Newsweek covers Theresa DuncanMore than a month after after their passing, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20516610/site/newsweek/">Newsweek</a> covers Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake's tragic deaths under the "society" page. The gist of the story: the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span> made them do it.<br /><br /><blockquote>Duncan and Blake built their lives around computers and the Internet, using them to create innovative art, prize-winning videogames and visionary stories. But as time progressed, the very technologies that had infused their work and elevated their lives became tools to reinforce destructive delusions and weapons to lash out at a world they thought was closing in on them. By the end of their lives, this formerly outgoing and affable couple had turned cold toward outsiders. They addressed friends and colleagues from behind electronic walls of accusatory e-mails and confrontational blog posts, and their storybook devotion to each other slowly warped into a shared madness—what is known as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">folie</span> à <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">deux</span>. “This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wasn</span>’t who they wanted to be,” says Katie Brennan, a Los Angeles gallery owner and longtime friend. She compares the couple’s late-life delusions to “a kind of terminal cancer” that overtook the true Jeremy and Theresa.</blockquote><br /><br />Furthermore:<br /><br /><blockquote>“The condition of being super-social and super-isolated at the same time is an Internet-era kind of thing,” says Fred Turner, a media historian at Stanford University, who speculates that as Blake and Duncan withdrew from friends, “their only reality check left was the wisps of information on their computer screens. And unfortunately, that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">isn</span>’t a very powerful check.”<br /></blockquote><br />We like the theory and appreciate the reality-based <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">assessments</span> of Duncan's career, and now we're getting the hell off this computer.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-48956439149983541532007-08-29T01:52:00.000-07:002007-08-29T03:02:24.183-07:00Rock on, Theresa DuncanAccording to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sitemeter</span>, the most <a href="http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s28witofstairs&r=37">popular point of entry into The Wit of the Staircase</a> (besides the home page) is the music index. (Surprising, isn't it? You'd think it would be one of her more heavily-researched topics, like the history of electricity, or even the Lunar Society posts.)<br /><br />Here's one of the Wit's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">playlists</span> from <a href="http://theresalduncan.typepad.com/witostaircase/2007/05/feathering_the__1.html">May 11, 2007</a>. Enterprising readers may want to check <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">itunes</span> to see if it matches any existing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">playlists</span>.<br /><br /><p>1. Feel Your Love Tonight--Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Halen</span></p> <p>2. Policy Of Truth--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Depeche</span> Mode</p> <p>3. People Who Died--Jim Carroll</p> <p>4. Lola (Live)--The Kinks</p> <p>5. Chick Habit--April March (From <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tarantino's</span> <em>Death Proof</em> soundtrack)</p> <p>6. Raspberry Beret--Prince (I always thought this was slang for the clitoris)</p> <p>7. Soul Singer In A Session Band--Bright Eyes</p> <p>8. Slow Night, So Long--Kings Of Leon</p> <p>9. Free For All--Ted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Nugent</span> (From the D, like we, children)</p> <p>10. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Itchycoo</span> Park--The Small Faces (It's all too beautiful)</p> <p>11. Another Saturday Night--Cat Stevens</p> <p>12. Love On A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Farmboy's</span> Wages--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">XTC</span></p> <p>13. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Tattoeed</span> Love Boys--The Pretenders</p> <p>14. Summer Wine--Nancy Sinatra and Lee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Hazelwood</span></p> <p>15. God Save The Queen--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Motorhead</span></p> <p>16. The Angel's Share--Ted Leo</p> <p>17. Eulogy To Lenny Bruce--Nico</p>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-55507366635018256522007-08-27T22:36:00.000-07:002007-08-27T22:58:58.129-07:00The Los Angeles Lunar Society meets tonightI'm told the Los Angeles Lunar society meets tonight at 1:30 a.m. to watch the total lunar eclipse and vote on a new librarian. They'll meet at the Santa Monica pier. (Final location to be determined.) Calvados optional.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-57803450522208621862007-08-27T17:20:00.000-07:002007-08-27T17:23:53.445-07:00The mysterious dissappearance of posts on The Wit of the StaircaseThe Trouble with Anna Gaskell post is missing from The Wit of the Staircase. What gives? Is somebody cleaning house? If so there will certainly be alot of sweeping to do. In fact, there may not be much of a blog left.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-25704368980486766592007-08-27T10:17:00.000-07:002007-08-27T10:31:35.073-07:00So much in common: Alberto Gonzalez and Theresa DuncanTheresa Duncan: Great head of hair<br />Alberto Gonzalez: Great head of hair<br /><br />Theresa Duncan: Met with the Los Angeles Lunar Society<br />Alberto Gonzalez: Mooned Congress<br /><br />Theresa Duncan: Blamed the CIA<br />Alberto Gonzalez: Blamed the CIA<br /><br />Theresa Duncan: Plagiarized and lied<br />Alberto Gonzalez: "Misled" and "misspoke"<br /><br />Theresa Duncan when confronted with her misdeeds: Was petulant and defiant<br />Alberto Gonzalez when confronted with his misdeeds: Was petulant and defiantPoulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-52808853778712637372007-08-25T00:52:00.000-07:002007-08-25T01:33:05.715-07:00Thoughts from someone who knew Theresa Duncan for 13 yearsI'm working hard to offer you a fuller view of who the Wit was. One way of doing that is to feature comments from people who knew her or corresponded with her. <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=123531319&blogID=291725241">Here's a heartbreaking post</a> from a friend of Duncan's posted on his myspace page before Jeremy Blake's body was found. Also check out the pics of Duncan, Blake and this friend taken at Stag's Leap winery in the Napa Valley. A highlight from his post:<br /><blockquote><br />i have known theresa for 13 years<br />she was like an older sister to me<br />i was there the night she met jeremy<br />who became like an older brother to me<br />if you've read theresa's blog 'the wit of the staircase'<br />you'll know how erudite, witty and gorgeous her writing and thinking were<br />well, so too was she as a person<br />hyper-intelligent, hyper-beautiful, hyper-ambitious<br />not to mention generous and loyal: fiercely loyal<br />but she scared the hell out of some people with her sharp tongued rapier wit<br />i've seen so many people turn on her<br />i've seen so many people afraid of her<br />and i've seen how they harrassed her<br />literally to death</blockquote><br />It seems this friend did not believe at the time of this post that Duncan could be paranoid or delusional, but rather that someone "harassed her to death." He alludes to having lived near St. Marks at the time of Duncan's death.<br /><br />Questions:<br /><ol><li>Was he at the St. Marks fundraiser and if so, can he add more details on the exploding gas grill incident? </li><li>What can he tell us about Duncan-Blake's "collective vision"? How did that work? Were they psychic? Did they ever use their collective vision to help them score a parking spot in Manhattan? Any details on this subject would be appreciated. Those of who us haven't experienced collective vision with another human being are fascinated by the idea. And we're clearly missing out on a life-saving psychic phenomenom. (Note: I've <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> experienced collective vision with humans, but <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> experienced it with dogs. Somehow we're both drawn to the toilet bowl at the same instant. Weird how that happens.)</li><li>With so many people in Duncan-Blake's circle being pushed out, how did this friend manage to stay in? (How did he avoid being accused of ties with Co$?)</li><li>What evidence does this friend have of Duncan-Blake's harassment? (What did he see or observe with his own eyes.) Who does he think was behind the harassment?</li><li>If Theresa was "harassed to death" by someone, then that would be a crime, wouldn't it? Are police investigating? Has this friend gone to the police with any evidence that could implicate someone in Theresa's death? Does this friend fear for his own safety, since he was a close associate of Duncan's? What is he doing to seek justice on behalf of Theresa?</li><li>Why would people fear Duncan? What threat did she pose? If the threat was her wit and intelligence, should other smart, witty women be concerned? What advice would this friend give such women?</li></ol>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-39183872994395648592007-08-24T13:11:00.000-07:002007-08-24T13:20:12.346-07:00Art imitates art<a href="http://www.idyllopuspress.com/">Idyllopuspress </a>has done a "digital painting" (art nerds, please fill me in--is this your fancy term for screwing around with photoshop?) of a Theresa and Jeremy photo. This is a prime example of appropriate "sampling." The photographer who took the original shot is credited, but more important, idyllopuspress has made the final work her very own. The "painting" has a Hockney-meets-paint-by-numbers quality that's hypnotizing. If I were a friend of the Duncan-Blake's I'd purchase it. The accompanying post is thoughtful too. So head on over <a href="http://www.idyllopuspress.com/meanwhile/?p=1536">there</a> and check it. Don't worry, we'll still be here when you return.Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-60009400483621955572007-08-24T11:43:00.000-07:002007-08-24T12:04:59.021-07:00Giving Kate Coe the weekend offThis blog has commented numerous times on <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/">Kate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Coe</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FBLA</span>,</a> author of this <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/the-theresa-duncan-tragedy/16942/">L.A. Weekly piece</a> on Duncan. I still think this is the best story on Duncan that's been put out so far. Interesting. Well reported. And so far, it seems to have stood up to scrutiny. (The Wit's fans have accused <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Coe</span> of doing a hatchet job, but if anything, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Coe's</span> story is circumspect.) I've dished out praise for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Coe</span> here, highlighted some of her most interesting comments on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">TDC</span> and ribbed her about working on Duncan-Blake book.<br /><br />Recently <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Coe</span> asked why I choose to communicate with her via this blog rather than email. The reason is that this way everyone can read our discussion. However, since I detect a tone of mild annoyance in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Coe's</span> question, I've decided to give her the weekend off. I won't address her or discuss her again until Monday (at which point, I may even consider extending the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Coe</span> hiatus). No more teasing about a book. No more jokes about plying her with wine to get the full Duncan story out of her. She's been a good sport, but it's time to give the woman a break. Have a great weekend Kate!<br /><br />[Note, this only applies to me. You are welcome to comment on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Coe</span> or address. And she's always welcome to comment here. This blog has been enriched by her presence.]Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-39695958745838319762007-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:002007-08-24T09:07:57.721-07:00Insights from someone who corresponded with Duncan<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fulltilredhead</span> has commented here in response to my post about why Duncan did not allow comments on her blog. Her insights merit being called out in a separate post. (Thanks Fulltiltredhead. Welcome to TDC--we hope you'll stick around.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">I sent TD an email saying I enjoyed her blog, maybe a year or so ago, and she responded. We had bits of conversation here and there after that, via email. I remember we talked about the print ad for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Coomb's</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sp</span>?) fragrance, "Unforgiven." (We disagreed, but it was a good discussion that I think we both enjoyed.) Besides that, just random comments and observations, nothing personal.<br /><br />I'm not sure it was that she didn't want fans posting, because she posted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">someone's</span> comment that she was pretty. But I posted a few times to take issue with a point of view she'd expressed or represented, and my posts were censored out. She didn't like to be challenged in public. So rather than respond on her blog, I would email her, so the conversation would be private. She seemed to prefer that; she responded, anyway.<br /><br />Except for the time that she and I were discussing her take on the boomers, and I busted her out. I had an intuition she was lying about her age, and, being born Dec. 1956, I was tired of her anti-boomer rants, which hurt my feelings. She responded to my email via reply email, and I wrote back again, arguing her response.<br /><br />Next thing I know, she had published my private email to her on her blog, with a picture of someone flipping the bird, and her response email to me, slightly edited.<br /><br />She never asked my permission to publish our private correspondence on her blog. She didn't give me an opportunity to edit what I'd written, while she took the opportunity to edit her reply email to me before she published it. She did not post my response to her reply, instead giving herself the last word. I emailed her I thought all of that was dirty pool. The next day, she sent me an invitation to some party in New York. I ignored it and deleted our correspondence.</blockquote>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-90814950503078616212007-08-24T00:05:00.000-07:002007-08-24T00:38:39.686-07:00Theory: Why Theresa didn't want her blog to be too interactive<span style="font-size:100%;">On this long and sleepy <a href="http://perfumeoflife.org/index.php?showtopic=18437&st=0">Perfume of Life thread</a> a poster named fulltiltredhead<br /></span>who claims to have corresponded with Duncan writes:<blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">I think many people corresponded with her [Duncan] via pm and she knew very well that she/her blog was popular, that she had a loyal following, and that many people thought she was marvelous. She was not a person to be much moved by what other people thought, though. She measured herself by her own yardstick. If she wasn't happy with herself, nobody else's approval would have made any difference. She wasn't that kind of person. IMO and from what I knew of her.</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">She [Duncan] didn't publish most of the comments she got, but she got a lot of comments. Her blog was more like a magazine. She didn't like it to get too interactive.</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />Here's my theory, based on a recent viewing of Annie Hall (this film has held up so incredibly well, btw, it's really amazing): Duncan suffered from the same affliction that drove Woody Allen's Alvy Singer to a lifetime of analysis: <span style="font-weight: bold;">She did not want to belong to a club that would have her as its member.*</span><br /><br />Duncan <span style="font-style: italic;">knew </span>she was a fake. She couldn't have had anything but contempt for those who viewed her with awe. That's why she kept them at arm's length.</span><br /><br /><br />*This quote has often been attributed to Allen. In fact, in the film, he attributes it to Grouch Marx.<br /><br />As long as we're giving credit, how about a hand for Marshall Brickman, who co-wrote the screenplay to Annie Hall? (Gesue to Allen's Duncan? You decide.) This film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/awards">kicked some serious ass at the Oscars</a>. Could a romantic comedy every win again?Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-43457776360191854762007-08-22T15:54:00.000-07:002007-08-25T00:03:11.456-07:00Random thoughts on Theresa DuncanThe temperature has finally dropped, there's a cool little breeze blowing through <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TDC's</span> awesomely cross-ventilated headquarters, Bryan Ferry is crooning "Sweet & Lovely" on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ipod</span> and I'm sipping some intensely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">refreshing</span>, slightly slushy homemade kumquat-cello (no, really, I am!) and naturally at times like these, thoughts turn to the empress of I-wish-I-would-have-said-that.<br /><br />Here's what's going through my head, in no particular order. (Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts.)<br /><br /><blockquote><ol><li>Would Duncan have received as much press after her passing if she had been 100 lbs overweight and suffered from flatulence?</li><li>Does anybody think it's weird that as a librarian for the Los Angeles Lunar Society Duncan drank <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Calvados</span>, yet she chose bourbon as her final drink?</li><li>Why are drugs not mentioned in any of the mainstream stories about Duncan? (Yes, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">gawker</span> made the crystal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">meth</span> comment and that last, sappy tribute in the L.A. Times mentioned Duncan being a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">stoner</span>.) But why aren't drugs being seriously considered as having played a role in the couple's growing paranoia?</li><li>I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV either, but I don't think either Duncan or Blake was schizophrenic. I prefer to leave the psychoanalysis to the pros, so you won't find me quoting the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DSM</span> (whatever the hell number it's up to these days) here.</li><li>I think Duncan used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wikipedia's</span> random subject of the day as her idea generator for her blog. Go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">wikipedia's</span> home page every day and you'll get a new esoteric subject. (That's what I did to generate the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">faux</span> Duncan quote posted yesterday.)</li><li>No one's mentioned it (or if they have, I've missed it), but hasn't it occurred to somebody that The History of Glamour, clever as it may be (still haven't caught it), may have actually been mostly the work of JEREMY BLAKE? He was devoted to Duncan, so he wouldn't have pulled a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Gesue</span>. (I mean nothing derogatory toward <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Gesue</span> by this. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Gesue</span> has taken ownership of her creation--as well she should!) </li><li>Is it not self evident that Jeremy WAS indeed talented and original and she was NOT? How come nobody says it?</li><li>How cruel that she's the one garnering all the attention.</li><li>Do you think Jeremy, who had a master's degree, knew she only went to school for one semester?</li><li>I'd love to see that transcript.</li><li>Why won't anyone (well, hardly anyone) go on the record?</li><li>When is the movie coming out?</li><li>If she really wanted to put out a movie, why didn't she just raise some money herself and go indie? Take it to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Sundance</span>, dazzle the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Weinstein's</span> with her wit, presto, distribution deal. Robert Rodriguez financed El Mariachi for $7K, legend has it. </li><li>Or wait, I'm sure Kate Moss could have put up a couple of mil.</li><li>Why are there very few comments on her supposedly popular blog?</li><li>Is there a way to find the Wit's blog ranking BEFORE her death?</li><li>Is Kate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Coe</span> working on book?</li></ol></blockquote>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-72815027993240901022007-08-21T17:23:00.001-07:002007-08-25T00:03:35.801-07:00Theresa Duncan featured fan of the dayFrom time to time here, we'd like to highlight some of the Wit's fans. Here is <a href="http://ronrosenbaum.pajamasmedia.com/2007/07/21/astonishing_troubling_blogger.php#comments">Ron Rosenbaum</a>:<br /><br /><p></p><blockquote><p>"...Well I didn’t know her, personally, but I felt I knew her from two years of reading her blog <em>The Wit of the Staircase</em>.</p> <p> Her name was Theresa Duncan and she was the intellectual glamour girl of the web. Brilliant, erudite, beautiful (she looked like Kate Moss who was, unsurprisingly one of her obsessions). I loved her blog I knew when my brain was weary with the conventionalities of news and politics on the Web, tired of immersion in my own work I could always find new intellectual and sensual stimulation in The Wit of the Staircase. And by sensual I don’t mean the glamour shots of Theresa, which she understandably had a weakness for, but that she was devoted to articulating her passions for sensual pleasures—her posts on perfumes for instance were sublime renderings of the wordless in words.</p> <p> She had directed an admired short film <em>A History of Glamour</em>, she had a boyfriend, a rising star artist named Jeremy Blake, whom she often collaborated with and promoted. She seemed to have everything . And now they’re both dead."</p></blockquote><p></p>In light of what's been reported on this blog and <a href="http://seaword.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/july-2005-part-2/">here</a>, does Rosenbaum still feel the same about Duncan? I'm glad he could find intellectual stimulation through Duncan's sloppy cut-and-paste posts and links to Kate Moss stories*. But c'mon Ron, you were essentially reading Wikipedia! I'd rather believe that you weren't actually reading The Wit of the Staircase and just faked that you were in order to seem cool. You hastily posted a tribute, claimed to be a fan. Now you know better, right? Theresa Duncan Central is giving you a chance to back pedal. Take it Ron! Renounce your faith in the Wit of the Staircase. Announce that you're an apostate. We'll forgive you.<br /><br /><br /><br />*<br />Is there any subject more boring, dull or mind numbing than Kate Moss?Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139389588239645042.post-23239603373678737992007-08-21T11:09:00.000-07:002007-08-25T00:05:03.087-07:00A tribute blog to Theresa DuncanWell, it was bound to happen. Theresa Duncan's "children" have started a tribute blog to their dearly-departed, demented plagiarist. The group blog <a href="http://www.childrenofthestaircase.com/">Children of the Staircase</a> is "a place where Theresa's admirers can post items, scents, musings, or images that they think are especially Theresa Duncan-esque or that inspire them."<br /><br />Perhaps someone can explain how to post a scent over the internet. The first scent that comes to mind when thinking of Duncan is "fishy." I'd post something in the cod family. Yes, definitely something cod-liver-y. Preferably <span style="font-style: italic;">reheated</span>.<br /><br />Children of the Staircase write:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">We are not trying to duplicate "Wit of the Staircase," which would be impossible.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">No one can ever replace Theresa's sparkling writing and wit. </span>But she inspired us and continues to inspire us so we'd like to use this blog as a virtual bulletin board on which to capture scattered pearls.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Actually, you'd be surprised. It's pretty easy to duplicate Duncan's writing, Children of the Staircase. I'm going to give try. A-hem! [clearing throat] Here's my Duncanesque quote of the day. It goes something like this:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><blockquote><span style=";font-family:arial,courier;font-size:100%;" >"Old Dan Tucker" is a popular American song. Its origins remain obscure; the tune may have come from the oral tradition, and the words may have been written by songwriter and performer Dan Emmett. The blackface troupe the Virginia Minstrels popularized "Old Dan Tucker" in 1843, and it quickly became a minstrel hit, behind only "Miss Lucy Long" and "Mary Blane" in popularity during the antebellum period. Mr. Wit and I often hum the tune to Old Dan Tucker when we're sitting in his studio waiting for his agent to call with news of another spectacular sale. Said agent's name is Dan of course and there's something about Dan's name, his sweet, mellifluous below the Mason-Dixon line drawl when he calls to say "sooooooled anahtha pahnting, Jerahmy!" that brings to mind this haunting folks pre-pre-punk melody. Perhaps Mr. Wit and I are artists who long for a time when agriculture was the major economic activity and the CIA and mind manipulators did not lurk in alleyways and canals. Back then sugar production, in particular, required large amounts of land, labor, and capital, and it was along the fertile river bottoms of the Mississippi delta that one could find the grand, extensive plantations commonly associated with the antebellum South.Yes, Mr. With and I love our canal cottage, but on some nights, when gardenias bloom and dogs howl, we long for the lush gardens and ornate mansions of our dual and complex vision's imaginary South. Sugarcane heavy air mixed with a slave lover's musky sweat, rumpled bed strawmattressy mess sunk down in the center, cramped shared quarters, books read by candlelight, a punk Scarlett O'Hara betrayed by desire, taffeta and manure on the heels of her boots.<br /><br /></span></blockquote>Poulethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13500497022202156550noreply@blogger.com5