The following post is adapted from the most recent Coffee Before Pants podcast. Anyone who knows me knows I love coffee. I have coffee in one form or the other every day. We have a Nespresso machine, a pour-over coffee maker, I love cold brew as well. Oh, and yes, we have a French press, too. It’s one of those, what mood strikes me kind of things. Normally, because it’s so convenient, Valerie and I both start the day off with a double espresso. There are days, especially when I work from home for my job, that I will drink 2-3 double espressos throughout the day. However, I am a rank amateur compared to the literary figures I want to talk about today. Writers who were addicted to coffee and drank copious amounts each day. I know, define copious. Well, my up to three coffees a day routine is nothing compared to these writers’ consumption. When I was researching this, I was, well, let’s just say my stomach hurt just thinking about it. I am always talking about how much I love coffee. I don’t drink as much as I used to, really. Thirty years ago, and yes it does seem like a long time, I used to frequent Fuel Café, in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee. I would spend hours there, reading and writing and drinking copious amounts of their very strong coffee. You would pay full price for the first cup and thereafter, refills were 25 cents. It is safe to say that I would drink at least eight cups of coffee. I now try to limit myself to three cups maximum and usually try to stop by early afternoon. Usually, though, on a regular day I usually have one double espresso in the morning and that gets me through my day. However, the people I want to talk about today go beyond just “coffee lover” with what I even would deem excessive. Remember the commercials about being a “coffee achiever?” (Author Kurt Vonnegut was in one of them) These folks were more like coffee over-achievers. The first of these authors is Honore de Balzac. He was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is generally viewed as his magnum opus. His writing schedule was, to say the least, brutal. According to Writers Write, he woke at 1 am each day and wrote for seven hours. At 8 am he napped for 90 minutes, then wrote again from 9:30 to 4 pm. He said: ‘As soon as coffee is in your stomach, there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move…similes arise, the paper is covered. Coffee is your ally and writing ceases to be a struggle.’ In his time awake, he drank fifty cups of coffee. Each day, every day. Balzac died at the age of 51, from congestive heart failure, but it was never proven that this was a result of his overwhelming coffee consumption. Next up, another French author, François-Marie Arouet, commonly known by his nom de plume, Voltaire. He was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit and his criticism of Christianity (especially of the Roman Catholic Church) and of slavery, Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. Voltaire favored coffee mixed with chocolate, of which he drank 30-40 cups per day. Although his doctor warned him repeatedly that his coffee habit would kill him, Voltaire lived to the age of 83. Given that the average life expectancy in the late 17th-early 18th centurt was 30 to 40 years, that is pretty remarkable. Maybe it was the coffee…. Although not much is known about Getrude Stein’s coffee consumption, she did profess to love coffee. Apparently she drank coffee every morning upon waking, but professed to do so against her will. She told people she was “nervous about becoming nervous” from the caffeine. Right, Gertrude, we understand. Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christianity, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony, and parables. Kierkegaard had an interesting coffee ritual. He poured sugar into a coffee cup until it was piled up above the rim. Next came the incredibly strong, black coffee, which slowly dissolved the white pyramid. Then he gulped the whole thing down in one go. He wrote: ‘At any rate, I prize coffee.’ I guess so…. Marcel Proust, French essayist, critic, and novelist best known for his masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time, had an altogether more reserved approach to coffee consumption. However, it is clear from his strict regimen that revered the brew. His housekeeper was rather puzzled by her employer’s habit of consuming exactly two bowls of café au lait along with two croissants every single day upon waking. She wondered how one might live on such a restricted diet. Note that Proust also had another peculiar habit and that is that he apparently rose out of bed not in early morning, but in late afternoon. One of our illustrious founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin was also a coffee enthusiast. So much so, in fact, that he had his mail forwarded directly to his favorite coffee-house, where he spent numerous hours in conversation with his peers and the business elite of his time. Franklin so loved coffee that he never embarked on a sea voyage without his own supply of coffee. He also said, “Among the numerous luxuries of the table…coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable.” Interestingly, politician, postmaster, inventor, author, activist, statesman and diplomat Ben Franklin was born on Milk Street, Boston. Not necessarily a coffee addict, but author Shirley Jackson, along with being a chain smoker and an amphetamine abuser, was addicted to Coke. No, not cocaine. Coca-Cola. In case, for some reason, you have never heard of Shirley Jackson, she was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Her writing career spanned over two decades, during which she composed six novels, two memoirs, and more than 200 short stories. She is the author of The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in a Castle, and over 200 short stories, which include The Lottery and, one of my favorites, The Summer People. I am sure there are a lot of writers and artists that love their coffee. These are, from what I understand, the most notable coffee addicts in the creative world.
0 Comments
ard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is a novel written by Haruki Murakami, published in1985. The same year it was awarded the Tanizaki Prize. The English language translation by Alfred Birnbaum was published in 1991.
The novel is divided into two parallel narratives. One is Hard-Boiled Wonderland. The narrated is an unnamed man whose job is a Calcutec, a person who is a human data processor and human encryption system who has been trained to use his subconscious as an encryption key. He is hired by a reclusive scientist, The Professor (who lives in the sewer system of Japan) to encrypt (or shuffle) data concerning his experiments. During the course of engagement with the Professor, he is approached by Semiotecs, whose role is to steal the encrypted data The other universe is The End of the World, a fantasy-like world called The Town. The narrator of this parallel, also unnamed, is a new arrival to The Town who is employed as a “dream reader.” The narrator, as part of his living there, has no conscience, no concrete memories of anything from before his arrival. The first action taken towards him by the powers that be is that his shadow is removed. The shadow eventually ceases to exist, leaving the narrator a full citizen of The Town I have read three other Murakami books and from these I have become an avid fan. His fiction has been described by many as Kafkaesque, much like fellow Japanese author Kobo Abe. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World is definitely that. The narrator, as well as the other characters, have no names and are referred to only as their vocation or a description. As far as being a parallel story, well, yes it is that. At first. Eventually, the two separate story lines begin to converge. Despite this, the ending was not quite what I expected. Part Cyberpunk (Wonderland) and part Fantasy (The End of the World) I can only say good things about this book. I look forward to reading all of Murakami’s novels. So far he has written fourteen novels and five collections of short stories. In November, an English translation of his newest novel, The City and its Uncertain Walls will be released. I have already pre-ordered it. As I mentioned on the most recent podcast, I took a couple weeks off from being in the a studio to do some renovations. I got rid of my tall work table and drafting chair (which I used for artwork and then working on typewriters) and replaced them wit an actual desk and a regular height chair. So far, I am happy with my decision. It's far from being perfect, there are a lot more things that I need to get rid off. Mostly, the majority of the typewriters I accumulated when I thought I wanted to do typewriter rehab.
Now I feel I am working toward having a creative space for writing and podcasting. I do occasionally enjoy sitting in a cafe and reading, although cafes and restaurants are becoming less conducive to sitting longer hours. I feel that it's important to have a creative space that you can always go to when you don't feel like being out in public. A place to be alone in your thoughts, with the music of your own choosing, or the choice to have quiet. I certainly need this space, since as I get older, I am finding myself more reactive to loud noises and the insipid music that some of these places have. And yes, I am a self-professed hermit. I become more hermit-like as time goes on. I think, with a lot of people, it's something that comes with age. It's easier to just get away from the bullshit than it is to merely tolerate it. Although it is few and far between, I do get out once in awhile. Valerie usually has to do some coaxing, I'll admit. It's usually to visit with friend, people I already know, for the most part. I generally avoid crowds and strangers. So, yes, I have a "new" space now, and while it is far from perfect, it is showing potential. Coffee Before Pants podcast will resume either this week or next. It's my goal to post weekly on a consistent basis. I think the renovation will help me accomplish that. Now, I need another cup of coffee... So, I decided to launch a YouTube channel on subjects that are more visual. I'm new at this, so bear with me...
I suffer from occasional insomnia. Despite my best efforts, there are some nights I can't fall asleep. Sundays are the worst because I have to go to work on Monday. Or, otherwise I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep. On most nights, I get up and write in my journal, complaining about not being able to sleep.
One night last week, when journaling at 2 a.m., I made a list of things that I myself need to be mindful of. This is not a list of rules to live by, I can't tell you what you should put into action. I don't pretend to be a teacher or trail guide. I hope. however, you might consider them. They are just insomnia thoughts that I want to share.
I woke up this morning determined to establish a morning routine, and not just for the weekend. I feel the need for this and am determined to make it happen. Last night I had an epiphany of sorts, that when I accomplish anything creative, I tend to get more quality sleep. So why not endeavor to start a morning routine in this light, to see how much I can improve the rest of the day?
Oh sure, it always sounds good in theory, right? I acknowledge here and now that it will take some effort on my part, however minimal. I will say that I still have a daily job where I have to go every day. And I tend to wake with a lack of motivation to go, even though I am required, so that leads to sleeping in the last possible moment before I have to get up and get ready. The rest of the day I feel rushed and out of sorts. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling. This leads to coming home exhausted and not feeling like doing anything and it's all a vicious spiral into ennui. And that has to stop. Seriously. I'm not getting any younger and I'm too old to feel this miserably unproductive. On most days I have to be ready and out the door by 8 a.m. or so. So, here goes: 1) Wake up by 5:30 a.m. Yes, this will be the most difficult. I think, though, once I get used to it, everything else will fall into place. 2) Shower. The warm water in the morning brings me around. I get some of my best writing ideas in the morning shower. This is second to getting ideas just as I'm falling asleep and then hoping I will remember by the next morning. It usually never happens. Maybe I should keep a notepad on my bedside table? 3) Make coffee. My usual, at least to start the day, is a double espresso. It is the minimum daily requirement. Since I will be getting up early, a second cup may be standard operating procedure. 4) Sit my ass down at my desk and allot 30 minutes for writing and 30 minutes for reading. Reading books, mind you, not the news on the internet or my Facebook feed. I have all day to do that, even when I am at work. 5) By now it's close to 7 in the morning. Start breakfast for Valerie and myself, and wake Valerie about 20 minutes later. That gives me 30-40 minutes for us to have breakfast together and, yes, most likely have another cup of coffee. It sounds so simple, so easy to do, doesn't it? Like I said, the first one, getting up earlier, will be the most difficult. I can only hope that the morning auto-pilot kicks in. I mean, I can shower and (most times) make coffee without being completely awake. That's it. I always have more faith in my ideas on a Sunday morning when I didn't have to suffer through an alarm. I'm always like Yeah! let's get this done! I rock! Monday morning might be a completely different story The following post has been edited and adapted from the Coffee Before Pants Podcast dated Jun 12, 2024. Before I begin, I might mention that I do not wish to cast aspersions to any of my pagan readers. I know what witchcraft really is and know it has nothing to do with Satan. But I also cannot deny that the following movies are, well, really good movies that deal with the “Hollywood” version of witches. I have loved horror movies since I was a very young kid. Vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, Creature from the Black Lagoon. All of them. Except movies about witchcraft, devil worship. My parents were not exceptionally Christian, but I was instilled with the concept of Heaven and Hell. The devil scared the shit out of me. The other monsters I knew were not real. As a 10 year old with an overactive imagination, Satan caused me some concern. Safe to say I have outgrown this fear. I don’t worry about being led into Satan’s midst. The movie witches aren’t real either. They are basically a play by parents to scare children into behaving, just like the Devil. I grew up in a town full of fearmongers. They were horrified (no pun intended) that a 10 year old child would be so into horror films. Nothing they did changed my mind, fortunately. I’m sure they thought I was, in fact, in league with the devil. I did nothing, in turn, to change their minds, either. So, with that, I would like to present some of my favorite movies about witchcraft. These are some films I think that are great movies for what they are. Most are low-budget, with one or two exceptions. So, presented in no particular order, are movies from the 50s and 60s about witches and witchcraft. First off, the movie Witchcraft is from 1964 and was directed by Don Sharp, with a script by Harry Spaulding. The basic story is that a witch named Vanessa Whitlock, buried in the Whitlock family cemetery, comes back to life when you grave is disturbed by construction equipment. It stars Lon Chaney as Morgan Whitlock, a descendent of Vanessa, Jack Hedley, and Jill Dixon. It is not necessarily a well-known film. Despite its low budget, it is still a fairly gripping and effective little horror film. I enjoyed this movie, which, of course is why it made it on the list! If you have streaming service such as Roku, it’s available on Tubi. At one point it was also available on DVD as part of 20th Century Fox’s “Midnite Movie” series. The DVD is a double-feature with 1965’s Devils of Darkness. By the way, Devils of Darkness is part-vampire, part black magic film which might come up in a future episode or blog post. Next on the list is 1962’s Burn, Witch, Burn, also known by its British title Night of the Eagle. It was directed by Sidney Hayers with a screenplay by Fritz Leiber Jr., Charles Beaumont, and Richard Matheson. The screenplay is based on the novel Conjure Wife, by Fritz Leiber. It stars Peter Wyngarde and Janet Blair. Wyngard plays Norman Taylor, a psychology professor who lectures on superstition and belief systems. He discovers his wife Tansy, played by Janet Blair, is a practitioner of “conjure magic.” Since this goes against everything he teaches, he makes Tansy destroy all of her magic trinkets and paraphernalia. Once this happens, a lot of things go terribly, terribly wrong. No spoilers! You need to watch this movie if you haven’t already. If you have, then maybe you should watch it again. Now, one of my favorite films. I mean I like all the films that I am featuring here, but this one, well, it’s a great film. I am referring to 1957’s Curse of the Demon aka Night of the Demon, directed by the great Jacques Tourneur. Based of a short story, “Casting the Runes” by M.R. James, it stars Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummings, and Niall MacGinniss. Andrews plays Dr. John Holden, who comes to England to attend a convention on parapsychology. He runs afoul of Dr Julian Karswell, the leader of a local black magic cult. In all likelihood, Karswell was inspired by real-life practitioner Aleister Crowley. Curse of the Demon initially was filmed without any demon that you could see. The producers of the film added a animatronic demon, a very effective monster if I may say, after the initial filming was wrapped. I will also note that the demon is obviously inspired by the engravings of William Blake. Apparently, this was without director Tourneur’s knowledge, since he was outspokenly against it. I have watched this film countless times, and own the DVD. As far as I know, it is still available for purchase. The next film is one of Hammer Studio’s lesser known films. Nevertheless, it is a well-made, effective movie. The Witches from 1966, directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Joan Fontaine. The script was by Nigel Kneale, adapted from the 1960 novel The Devil’s Own by Norah Lofts under the pseudonym Peter Curtis. It tells the story of Schoolteacher Gwen Mayfield, played by Joan Fontaine, who comes back to England after suffering a nervous breakdown caused by an attack by witch-doctors while working in a mission in Africa. She soon finds out that the town itself has some dark goings-on involving witchcraft and pagan rituals. This was Joan Fontaine’s last theatrical film, possibly due to the movie’s poor reception at the box office. The next two films have Christopher Lee, so you’ll have to go with me on this. I will watch almost anything with Christopher Lee in it. Except maybe The Howling II Your Sister’s a Werewolf. Even Lee is quoted as saying he wasn’t sure what he was thinking. The first Christopher Lee movie listed here is 1968’s The Devil Rides Out, made by Hammer Studios. It was directed by the inimitable Terence Fisher. Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay, adapted from a novel by Dennis Wheatley. It stars, as I said, Christopher Lee in a rare “good guy” role as Duc De Richelieu, an expert in the Black Arts. Charles Gray, who you may know from Diamonds Are Forever and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (it’s just a jump to the left) plays Mocata, the leader of a Satan worshipping cult. And boy Gray makes for a very engaging villain. Maybe it’s his incredibly blue eyes. Terence Fisher, who also directed The Horror of Dracula and the Curse of Frankenstein, has been quoted as saying this was his favorite film as a director. Given his past credits, I would think that would convince anyone who loves horror films to watch, The Devil Rides Out. It is available on DVD and Blu-Ray Eight years prior, Lee starred in another under-appreciated horror film titled Horror Hotel, otherwise known as City of the Dead. It was released in 1960, directed by John Llewellen Moxey, with a screenplay by Milton Subotsky and George Baxt. It’s the story of Nan Barlow, a graduate student who is working on her thesis about witchcraft, but is about to go on her winter break. Her professor, Alan Driscoll, played by Christopher Lee, encourages her to go to the small town of Whitehead, his hometown. Once she arrives she senses some very morbid and strange goings on. This film is apparently in the public domain and is very easy to find on DVD or some streaming services. It’s a definitely low budget yet well made film. The next film, well, I wasn’t sure, still not sure, it’s a out and out witch movie. Yes the main character is found guilty and executed as a witch AND a vampire. No spoilers here, this happens at the very opening of the movie. The movie is none other that Black Sunday, directed by Italian director Mario Bava, starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson. The screenplay was loosely adapted from the Nicholai Gogol story The Viy. This was Mario Bava’s directorial debut, as well as Barbara Steele’s first horror films. The dubbing on most editions of this movie is substandard, I am pretty sure there is a subtitled version available. If you have AMC+ or Shudder, it’s on there. I encourage to seek out this film. It’s atmospheric, and pretty scary. I have definitely watched it several times, Despite its flawed script and psychedelic imagery, I felt Dunwich Horror needed to be on the list. It was released in 1970, directed by Corman protégé Daniel Haller with a script by Curtis Hanson, loosely based on the H.P Lovecraft novella of the same name. It stars Dean Stockwell and, in her first role portraying an adult, Sandra Dee of Gidget fame. Supporting cast includes Ed Begley Sr. and Sam Jaffe. Stockwell portrays Wilbur Whately, who travels to Miskatonic University in Arkham MA to borrow the infamous and dreaded Necronomicon for use in a dark ritual. Nancy Wagner (played by Sandra Dee) becomes Wilbur’s focus of this ritual. He kidnaps her under the influence of hypnotism and drugs. Professor Henry Armitage, played by Begley, comes to her rescue. Or so he thinks. The next film on my list is Cry of the Banshee, starring Vincent Price. Price plays (or overplays, as it were) Lord Edmund Whitman, a cruel witch-hunting magistrate, who often tortures innocent villagers for his entertainment, runs afoul of a witch who conjures a banshee (or Sidhe) to kill the magistrate and his family. It was directed by Gordon Hessler and released in 1970. This film is one of my guilty pleasure films. I admit it’s not a great film. Gordon Hessler is all over the place with this one, much like he was with Scream and Scream Again. Price, despite how incredibly sadistic his character is, looks like he’s enjoying himself. I was around nine when I saw this film, my parents took me and my brother to see in at The Egyptian Drive-In in Herrin, Illinois. Another highlight of the film is the opening credits, done by a pre-Monty Python Terry Gilliam! You didn’t really think I was not going to mention Rosemary’s Baby, did you? That would be remiss of me, given that it’s one of the best movies about witchcraft and Satan worship? After 56 years it is still an incredibly powerful movie.
Released in 1968, directed by Roman Polanski with a screenplay by Polansky and Ira Levin, based on Levin’s novel of the same name. It stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon. It was the inspiration for countless other films, including those made-for-TV. I’m pretty sure you all know the basic plot, but in case, it’s about Rosemary Woodhouse, who is chosen by a Satanic cult to become the mother of Satan’s child on Earth. If by some slim chance you have never seen this movie, you are missing out. I hope I have possibly introduced you to one or two films you may have not heard of before. Have I omitted any witchcraft movies that you think should be on the list? Please let me know by sending me a message on the Contact form. |
Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|