Consonants and vowels - Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard, Brokeback

The Independent today reported that Annie Proulx has told the Wall Street Journal of her 'irritation' with Brokeback Mountain: "There are countless people out there who think the story is open range to explore their fantasies and to correct what they see as an unbearably disappointing story. They constantly send ghastly manuscripts and pornish rewrites of the story to me, expecting me to reply with praise and applause for 'fixing' the story. They certainly don't get the message that if you can't fix it, you've got to stand it. Brokeback Mountain has had little effect on my writing life, but is the source of constant irritation in my private life."



This story is moving around the internet and in places is being described as Annie Proulx's irritation, not just with Brokeback Mountain but with the fans of the short story and the film. As one of those fans, and as a reader of slash, I suffer conflicted feelings at such a statement from the author of the story that has changed my life. I can certainly understand that for an author to be sent slash reinterpretations, rewrites of your own story - presented as improvements - must be insufferable. And, as Annie says, this does miss the point of the original story.


However, the very fact that Annie has been sent these 'ghastly manuscripts and pornish rewrites' is sign that people have been moved to create and they have been inspired. I would argue that they shouldn't have sent their writings to Annie herself, but the act of writing a contented ending for Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar is driven by affection for the characters created for us and given to us by Annie, as well as a need to know that, no matter what life throws at you, it can be all right. Maybe, as well as irritation, Annie should also feel flattered.


I think that more than that, the statement that made me stop and think was this: 'Brokeback Mountain has had little effect on my writing life'. The genius of Annie Proulx to have been the source and creator in sparse but perfect words a story that went to the heart of so many of us, and yet she herself appears to have survived its telling little affected. Maybe that's because we took it on ourselves to feel it all.


Elsewhere today, another writer - poet and friend of Andy Warhol - is featured in the San Francisco Bay Guardian to mark Mead's brief visit to the city after many years. It also reminds the reader of the poet's taste for Jake Gyllenhaal - 'Jake, be mine, be mine, be mine' - as captured in this video:



An interview with Peter

There is an interview with Peter Sarsgaard as he prepares to take Broadway by storm in The Seagull. There is much to enjoy here, as always with Peter's interviews - as usual wit and commonsense are combined - but there is some fun at the expense of his surname and that of his lady and friend:


'Q: After the SNL appearance, has it become difficult for even you to say your last name the right way? Peter: You mean without a pirate accent? My name has always seemed very normal to me. And it’s not hard to say. It’s phonetic. Whereas Gyllenhaal, for example, it’s perfectly understandable that you wouldn’t come out with that. Q: Yeah, it’s sort of like, “Buy a vowel!” Peter: I mean, there’s loads of consonants right in a row at the beginning—G-Y-L-L, still no vowel. The double a at the end is just to let you relax after going through all those consonants.'


This also interested me: 'Q: Did you do anything to prepare for your big make-out scene with Liam Neeson in Kinsey? Peter: We did a movie together called K-19: The Widowmaker. That’s how we prepared for it. You know, it’s funny. You constantly end up in strange situations with people as an actor—and you just do it. God knows they’re paying you enough. Q: But as a straight guy, wasn’t it hard to go through with it? Peter: It wasn’t as hard as, say, running around with all my gear on in Jarhead. I’d rather go for an awkward moment than physical exertion any day. The only thing that I think [male actors] get freaked out about when they have to do something like kiss a guy in a movie—when to their knowledge they’re straight—is that they’re afraid they’re going to be turned on. And if you’re not afraid that you’re going to be turned on—meaning that you know what you like—then really it’s not that hard.' Thanks to IHJ for the great new old pics of Jake and Peter in NYC in 2006.


And finally...

A look at a fantastic fan-made poster for prince of Persia from the Superhero Hype forums. I love this, although, when the official poster finally appear, I want Jake himself to be seen on skyhigh billboards.


Includes pictures from IHJ and links.