On geniuses
Tuesday, 22 August, 2006
Last week we celebrated my father's birthday. Being a man who has everything, I had no idea what to get him. So I thought I'd get him a book to read on the plane. Please note my dad isn't really a book person in the sense that I am a book person or the other Karen is a book person (though arguably Karen is more of a book person than I am; I mean, she can quote “The Highwayman” in its entirety): we collect books, we immerse ourselves in them, we have books coming out of our ears ... okay, you get the picture. But I figure my dad spends a lot of time on planes so I thought I'd get him a book—the latest John Grisham or something else equally as pulpy. And then, squizzing around at the bestseller's list on the Kinokuniya website, I thought, “Why not give him Anansi Boys? It's fun, it's funny, it's good aeroplane reading and then at least he gets a taste of the sort of stuff I'm into.” So I rang up Kinokuniya (feeling a little guilty about deserting Galaxy but then I am the sole wage-earner in this family and Kinokuniya gives me 10% off for having their card) and I reserved myself a copy, and went to pick it up the Friday afternoon before the birthday dinner.
It was the B-format paperback blue cover version. “It's even signed,” said the girl cheerfully as she handed it over. And then, as I was flicking through it on the platform at Town Hall, having just missed my train (which means 15 mins until the next one), I noticed it had an interview with Neil in the back. He was asked about his top three favourite geniuses (which is kind of an odd question—who lists favourite geniuses??) and he said
- Stephen Sondheim
- Douglas Adams
and I've forgotten the third, plus he also said that he didn't think he was a genius, though other people have told him so. He also said this about geniuses (and I copied it out before I gave the book as a present):
I think all geniuses—or the ones I've run into—tend to have a fairly tenuous relationship with the real world, because so much is going on on the inside. They may be geniuses but they often need someone to walk around holding the string. They're sort of balloons, bobbing around.
And I thought of Ben who, if I ever had a list of favourite geniuses, would top it by a mile. I don't think I'm a genius—I'm not original or innovative and I don't tend to think laterally. Perhaps, then, I'm the one walking around, holding the string ...
What a thought.
Blinks:
A way of funding writing in the future: pitch and idea and get people to support it.
Place where you can hire play equipment for parties, etc.
How to recalibrate the home button on your iPhone.
Unsolicited manuscripts accepted by Pan Macmillan with certain conditions.
Thought Balloon is a group blog in which the writers tackle a new theme every week? month? with one-page scripts. This URL is for their Phonogram ones.
How to sew a zipper on a knitted garment.
Issues organised by tale.
|
|
Disqus comments
Other comments
what a beautiful image - people balloons. if you are holding the string then your feet might also be lifted off the ground from time to time, as the genius pulls you along with them. and btw karen you are creative and innovative - how do you explain your amazing knitting creations, and the worlds that you make visible through words?