Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
BBC World Service Book Club - Annie Proulx's Newest Revelations!
BelAir:
--- Quote from: Marge_Innavera on October 01, 2008, 11:44:09 am ---First, there are a number of discussions on this subject, and predictably, a writer making statements that arguably amount to spitting on one's fans has been referred to as "blunt", "not mincing words", "cantankerous" and "opinionated." Unfortunately, none of that precludes the objects of the verbal spitting from saying exactly what they think -- hostile 'honesty' tends to produce responses in kind.
Second, some of these statements remind me of popular musicians of many years standing who go on tour and insist on playing only their new stuff. That almost always ends badly. The cantakerous, blunt and opinionated truth is that works of art, when they develop a significant following and a lot of fame, might be subject to legal copyright but in a sense the artist loses control of them. They might not like that, and might react with peevish and spiteful remarks in public but that won't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
I'd be curious to see what stories these purported gay male writers have sent her -- most of the fanfic I read is written by women.
Finally, I think I've posted this elsewhere in the forum, but if I ever get the opportunity to meet Annie Proulx or hear her speak, I'll feel that I have to keep being a Brokeback fan a deep-dark secret. Ironic considering the subject matter.
--- End quote ---
I was thinking maybe someone is just showing her copies of fanfic material. i.e. she has no idea who is/isn't writing them, and is just assuming, noone is actually 'informing' her of much, just saying 'here, read this...'
sometimes it can be hard to see beyond the own world you've created, if that makes any sense?
Shakesthecoffecan:
Thank you Phillip, for posting this interview. It was very moving hearing Proulx read her own words.
When I first heard of her recent comments about BBM I was not surprised. I had heard about the cease and desist letters. That she sees the attention directed at her because of this one story as a curse, well I bet it is. She describes herself as private and her experience with them happened long before the rest of us encountered these two ranch hands. She has written about the power they have in her "Getting Moovied" essay, and I don't presume to know her mind but I know a little bit about my own. In my mind they are cut of the same cloth as Holden Caufield, as Paul Bunyon, as Uncle Remus. A story so compelling it inters humanities psyche and its characters so compelling our minds find them useful in the stories we tell ourselves. Much of this, I think, comes from the movie and not the short story. She even admits this is often then case in said essay.
Proulx gave life to something very powerful, and with any act of creation there is a price to pay. This story has impacted her life in a way very different than our experience with it. How do you prepare for something like that? A private person who for years has scratched out a living writing technical articles, as anonymous as that ranch hand at the Mint Bar, and then one day your name is on the tongues of millions. I think she has done pretty good, I won't judge her. For better or worse she will always be known by the lowest common denominator as the author of "The Gay Cowboy Story". Type cast, with segments of the population passing various judgement upon her, never bothering, or even trying to read her other works. I would be resentful too. (One of the things I thought as the interview started was that they are stuck on those two, BBM and the Shipping News. I think me and Front Ranger are the only two people I know who have read Postcards and that is a shame. A damn shame.)
Bottom line: Annie Proulx is not Brokeback Mountain. Let be.
injest:
nice post, Truman...well said.
Br. Patrick:
After reading all of your comments, I decided NOT to listen to the entire Broadcast. For me, Brokeback Mountain is a life changing FILM and how it came to be matters little. As for fan-fiction, as long as we share it among ourselves, there shouldn't be any problem. Jess' ending, read by Rodney Giles on Brokenback Mountain in Wyoming, gives the closure to me that I needed, bringing me the familiar BBM feeling of gut-wrenching tears. And really, it isn't Annie's story anymore.. We all have incorporated the lessons taught by the incredible film into our own lives. I'm not done yet and I suspect many others aren't either.
Give her a few years as she watches the film turn into a genuine longterm Classic of American Cinema. THEN ask her what she thinks.. if anyone cares.
br. p
For those who are unaware, BetterMost Sage Daniel's book is out and available at amazon.com. "DREAMFILM Brokeback Mountain Explored" is a treasure~! and note that it is dreamFILM not dreamShortStory...
http://www.amazon.com/Dreamfilm-Brokeback-Mountain-Daniel-Bates/dp/1425750001/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223302034&sr=8-1
injest:
--- Quote from: Br. Patrick on October 06, 2008, 05:54:50 am ---After reading all of your comments, I decided NOT to listen to the entire Broadcast. For me, Brokeback Mountain is a life changing FILM and how it came to be matters little. As for fan-fiction, as long as we share it among ourselves, there shouldn't be any problem. Jess' ending, read by Rodney Giles on Brokenback Mountain in Wyoming, gives the closure to me that I needed, bringing me the familiar BBM feeling of gut-wrenching tears. And really, it isn't Annie's story anymore.. We all have incorporated the lessons taught by the incredible film into our own lives. I'm not done yet and I suspect many others aren't either.
Give her a few years as she watches the film turn into a genuine longterm Classic of American Cinema. THEN ask her what she thinks.. if anyone cares.
br. p
For those who are unaware, BetterMost Sage Daniel's book is out and available at amazon.com. "DREAMFILM Brokeback Mountain Explored" is a treasure~! and note that it is dreamFILM not dreamShortStory...
http://www.amazon.com/Dreamfilm-Brokeback-Mountain-Daniel-Bates/dp/1425750001/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223302034&sr=8-1
--- End quote ---
oh, THANK YOU, Brother....That means a lot to me for you to say that.
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