Busytown by Jolisa Gracewood

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Busytown: Less is more

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  • Michael Stevens,

    Spike H is a genius.
    But in terms of G & S, I can't but think "Poor Wandering One" from Pirates of Penzance might be a good one to use here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    But in terms of G & S, I can't but think "Poor Wandering One" from Pirates of Penzance might be a good one to use here.

    You can't beat a Cole Porter tune. Anything Goes, methinks?

    In olden days a hint of hocking
    Was looked on as something shocking,
    But now, God knows,
    Anything Goes.

    Good authors too who once knew lots of words,
    Now only use other’s words
    Writing prose,
    Anything Goes.

    The novel’s gone mad today,
    The prose bad today,
    The print light today,
    No paying for rights today,
    When most scribes today
    That critics prize today
    Are just silly gigolos.
    And though I'm not the best of editors,
    And a really shit proof-reader,
    When you propose,
    Anything goes

    If driving Jolisa spare you like,
    If waspish wit you like,
    If old texts you like,
    If persiflage you like,
    If smarmy cheats you like
    Well undressed you like,
    Why, nobody will oppose!
    And though I've got no clever answers
    to po-mo post-colonial
    Folderol,
    Anything goes!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Islander,

    O dear heaven Craig! Instead of my usual nice bed-time fare (normally The Trout or gentler Mozart) I'm doomed to "Anything goes'! WITH YOUR WORDS!

    They'll even get into WallE...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    O dear heaven Craig! Instead of my usual nice bed-time fare (normally The Trout or gentler Mozart) I'm doomed to "Anything goes'! WITH YOUR WORDS!

    Ear-worming strangers. A modest talent, but you work with what you've got!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Jolisa,

    Ear-worming strangers.

    Am trying to think of a way of working Joe Orton into the conversation. On second thoughts, best not.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Let's say you've replaced the word "hello" with the word "sheep". This will likely result in a grammatically incorrect novel.

    Stoppard made that work somehow

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogg's_Hamlet,_Cahoot's_Macbeth

    I highly recommend the 15 minute Hamlet if you get the chance.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Am trying to think of a way of working Joe Orton into the conversation. On second thoughts, best not.

    Yes, I for one am glad you chose that course of action Jolisa.

    It looks like there is going to be a Your Views on whether "Ihimaera should keep his job" on the Herald as soon as they fill their customary quota of braindead racists.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Jolisa,

    Yes, I for one am glad you chose that course of action Jolisa.

    Very much a case of "don't go there."

    It looks like there is going to be a Your Views on whether "Ihimaera should keep his job" on the Herald as soon as they fill their customary quota of braindead racists.

    Gaaah. So not wanting to go there, either.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Gaaah. So not wanting to go there, either.

    Indeed -- let's not hand Ihimaera and his enablers a whole deck of racist cards to deal out as a distraction from his literary kleptomania. Hone Harawira and the whole MTS Rugby World Cup rights fiasco had filled up that bullshit bingo card for the foreseeable future.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

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