Comments on: Ballardosphere Wrap-Up, Part 5 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:59:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Fred http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-798 Fred Thu, 31 May 2007 02:45:47 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-798 "(the surrealists were intensely middle class)" No wonder I feel so at home with them! “(the surrealists were intensely middle class)”
No wonder I feel so at home with them!

]]> By: kevin http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-809 kevin Wed, 30 May 2007 04:35:23 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-809 I've never really liked Chuck Palahniuk, and I think this might have hit the nail on the head; he doesn't realize that his schtick is a pale imitation of Ballard, but instead of having the psychological sea changes of Ballard, he just has the smut. Though I do admire the film Fight Club--best subversive anti-fascism movie made by an American in the modern era. The film transcends the books limitations and becomes something wholly different. I always thought David Fincher could make a good version of High Rise. I’ve never really liked Chuck Palahniuk, and I think this might have hit the nail on the head; he doesn’t realize that his schtick is a pale imitation of Ballard, but instead of having the psychological sea changes of Ballard, he just has the smut. Though I do admire the film Fight Club–best subversive anti-fascism movie made by an American in the modern era. The film transcends the books limitations and becomes something wholly different. I always thought David Fincher could make a good version of High Rise.

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-799 Simon Sellars Tue, 29 May 2007 10:17:20 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-799 cheers supervert, i know all about the instances where ballard praises burroughs, but i'm really looking for it the other way around -- wsb championing jgb. but if you can't find any references, then that pretty much wraps it up, considering you are the publisher of realitystudio.org! (a comprehensive burroughs site, for those interested) cheers supervert, i know all about the instances where ballard praises burroughs, but i’m really looking for it the other way around — wsb championing jgb.

but if you can’t find any references, then that pretty much wraps it up, considering you are the publisher of realitystudio.org! (a comprehensive burroughs site, for those interested)

]]> By: Supervert http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-808 Supervert Tue, 29 May 2007 00:48:38 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-808 In addition to the preface for Atrocity Ex and the Bockris interview, there is an interview with Burroughs called "The Hallucinatory Operators Are Real," which occurred in New York in 1965. In it, SF Horizons magazine interviews Burroughs on the subject of science fiction. --------------- SFH: Can you tell us, sir, what particular science fiction writers have been of most interest to you? Burroughs: Well, among the modern writers, I've always found H.G. Wells to be one of the best. C.S. Lewis is another who interests me very much... And among other moderns, Mr. Ballard and Mr. Moorcock in England, Mr. Arthur C. Clarke, Mr. Sturgeon, of course. --------------- This shows that Burroughs knew of Ballard (and the other "new wave" sci fi writers) by no later than 1965. It's possible Burroughs cites Ballard in other interviews, but this is the only one I could remember. (Strangely, Ballard is not listed in the index of Burroughs Live: The Collected Interviews, in spite of this mention.) Aside from this and the Bockris book, I know of no other printed text in which Burroughs mentions Ballard. Most of the time that Ballard figures in Burroughs tomes, it's for the former's high praise of the latter. Also, as some of you may know. Graham Rae recently interviewed Ballard on the subject of Burroughs: http://realitystudio.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=279 In addition to the preface for Atrocity Ex and the Bockris interview, there is an interview with Burroughs called “The Hallucinatory Operators Are Real,” which occurred in New York in 1965. In it, SF Horizons magazine interviews Burroughs on the subject of science fiction.

—————

SFH: Can you tell us, sir, what particular science fiction writers have been of most interest to you?

Burroughs: Well, among the modern writers, I’ve always found H.G. Wells to be one of the best. C.S. Lewis is another who interests me very much… And among other moderns, Mr. Ballard and Mr. Moorcock in England, Mr. Arthur C. Clarke, Mr. Sturgeon, of course.

—————

This shows that Burroughs knew of Ballard (and the other “new wave” sci fi writers) by no later than 1965. It’s possible Burroughs cites Ballard in other interviews, but this is the only one I could remember. (Strangely, Ballard is not listed in the index of Burroughs Live: The Collected Interviews, in spite of this mention.)

Aside from this and the Bockris book, I know of no other printed text in which Burroughs mentions Ballard. Most of the time that Ballard figures in Burroughs tomes, it’s for the former’s high praise of the latter.

Also, as some of you may know. Graham Rae recently interviewed Ballard on the subject of Burroughs:

http://realitystudio.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=279

]]> By: rocky morrow http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-807 rocky morrow Mon, 28 May 2007 07:47:07 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-807 Even the American hardcover artwork for Palahniuk's "Rant" betrays a Ballardian intention <i>somewhere</i> along the line...the pulsing, elongated strings of nerve, muscle, and bone suggesting an unseen violation evokes something simultaneously exhibitionist and atrocious. Even the American hardcover artwork for Palahniuk’s “Rant” betrays a Ballardian intention somewhere along the line…the pulsing, elongated strings of nerve, muscle, and bone suggesting an unseen violation evokes something simultaneously exhibitionist and atrocious.

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-806 Simon Sellars Mon, 28 May 2007 06:33:07 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-806 hi there, Another Mark, i don't know how a kafkaesque shaman like kafka would have written the introduction. but thanks for the burroughs reference. hi there, Another Mark, i don’t know how a kafkaesque shaman like kafka would have written the introduction. but thanks for the burroughs reference.

]]> By: another Mark http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-805 another Mark Sun, 27 May 2007 22:55:52 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-805 Dinner with Susan Sontag: New York 1980 Sontag: People are very isolated in New York, everybody's essentially alone here, but there's probably less hack work. I not only agree with what Bill said about the English literary scene, but I can think of hardly any writers I even admire in England. The whole thing has become so genteel and diluted. I like Ballard. Burroughs: He's good. Sontag: It's so philistine. Burroughs: Incestuous! Incestuous! With William Burroughs - Victor Bockris. Page 79. ______________________________________________ "An assault upon the frontier" - K I don't think you see where Burroughs is coming from. Perhaps you have yet to be properly acquainted. How would a Kafkaesque Shaman like Kafka have written this introduction? How would he have seen it? And would you see where that was coming from?!! As a sauce book how would someone like Genet see it. It's value is as a source book -- Kunst - deep sprung! My apologies for whimsy, I have a Canadian at home. Dinner with Susan Sontag: New York 1980

Sontag: People are very isolated in New York, everybody’s essentially alone here, but there’s probably less hack work. I not only agree with what Bill said about the English literary scene, but I can think of hardly any writers I even admire in England. The whole thing has become so genteel and diluted. I like Ballard.

Burroughs: He’s good.

Sontag: It’s so philistine.

Burroughs: Incestuous! Incestuous!

With William Burroughs – Victor Bockris. Page 79.

______________________________________________

“An assault upon the frontier” – K

I don’t think you see where Burroughs is coming from. Perhaps you have yet to be properly acquainted. How would a Kafkaesque Shaman like Kafka have written this introduction? How would he have seen it? And would you see where that was coming from?!!
As a sauce book how would someone like Genet see it. It’s value is as a source book — Kunst – deep sprung!

My apologies for whimsy, I have a Canadian at home.

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-804 Simon Sellars Sun, 27 May 2007 20:28:11 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-804 PS: Mark, i'm not being argumentative, but the only real incidence I can find of Burroughs 'championing' Ballard's work is the preface he wrote for the US edition of The Atrocity Exhibition. And that came over as though he hadn't read the book or didn't understand it. If you can point me to any other instances of WSB in praise of JGB, i'd really appreciate it, as it's an area of research i'd like to follow up. PS: Mark, i’m not being argumentative, but the only real incidence I can find of Burroughs ‘championing’ Ballard’s work is the preface he wrote for the US edition of The Atrocity Exhibition. And that came over as though he hadn’t read the book or didn’t understand it. If you can point me to any other instances of WSB in praise of JGB, i’d really appreciate it, as it’s an area of research i’d like to follow up.

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-803 Simon Sellars Sun, 27 May 2007 18:30:02 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-803 Dan, my sincere apologies -- i've fixed the error. i was of course confusing you with dan lockton over at fulminate: architectures of control (also a fine blog). Dan, my sincere apologies — i’ve fixed the error. i was of course confusing you with dan lockton over at fulminate: architectures of control (also a fine blog).

]]> By: Simon Sellars http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-802 Simon Sellars Sun, 27 May 2007 18:28:36 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-802 Cheers Mark...I wasn't exactly sure what you found dispiriting about the event. but if your post was in response to my initial conference wrap up, where i indeed wrote that ballard was 'finally getting attention', then i'm the laggard! i didn't mean to speak for anyone else who attended. basically, australia can be a cultural wasteland and ballard's name invariably draws blank stares 9.5 times out of 10. i was simply very happy to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded souls, even if i had to fly to england to do it. of course i fully agree with your agenda to retool ballard, beginning with a complete set of 'fantasy kits'...as for the cultural nodes, i was referring to your mention of kode9, eshun, CCRU, dissensus -- more than burroughs and jameson, of course. Cheers Mark…I wasn’t exactly sure what you found dispiriting about the event. but if your post was in response to my initial conference wrap up, where i indeed wrote that ballard was ‘finally getting attention’, then i’m the laggard! i didn’t mean to speak for anyone else who attended. basically, australia can be a cultural wasteland and ballard’s name invariably draws blank stares 9.5 times out of 10. i was simply very happy to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded souls, even if i had to fly to england to do it. of course i fully agree with your agenda to retool ballard, beginning with a complete set of ‘fantasy kits’…as for the cultural nodes, i was referring to your mention of kode9, eshun, CCRU, dissensus — more than burroughs and jameson, of course.

]]> By: Dan Hill http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-801 Dan Hill Sun, 27 May 2007 17:41:04 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-801 Cheers mate, though it's Dan Hill not 'Dan Lockton' :) Cheers mate, though it’s Dan Hill not ‘Dan Lockton’ :)

]]> By: mark k-p http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/comment-page-1#comment-800 mark k-p Sun, 27 May 2007 10:38:44 +0000 http://www.ballardian.com/ballardosphere-wrapup-part-5/#comment-800 It wasn't the celebration of Ballard that I found dis-spiriting; I generally find conferences pretty dis-spiriting and this was no exception. I wasn't opposed to his work being celeberated, more the curious idea that his work is now 'getting the attention it deserves'. From whom, and why should we worry about such laggards? The fact that this 'attention' coincides with a period of creative exhaustion in Ballard is perhaps significant. As to the nodes I listed, I'm grateful that you think I feature centrally in or am nearby to Burroughs, Jameson and postpunk. :-) Ccru I did feature in, but there were many other people involved, all of whom had found Ballard without my assistance. As for Kodwo, well, I know him, but his estimation of Ballard owes nothing to me! It wasn’t the celebration of Ballard that I found dis-spiriting; I generally find conferences pretty dis-spiriting and this was no exception. I wasn’t opposed to his work being celeberated, more the curious idea that his work is now ‘getting the attention it deserves’. From whom, and why should we worry about such laggards? The fact that this ‘attention’ coincides with a period of creative exhaustion in Ballard is perhaps significant.

As to the nodes I listed, I’m grateful that you think I feature centrally in or am nearby to Burroughs, Jameson and postpunk. :-) Ccru I did feature in, but there were many other people involved, all of whom had found Ballard without my assistance. As for Kodwo, well, I know him, but his estimation of Ballard owes nothing to me!

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