#bydgoszcz #writers #indiefilm #drabble #stuff: Bydgoszcz, J. D. Salinger, Allen Ginsberg, Colin Wilson, Robert Mitchum, Daggers In, Stuff
And so it came to pass … J. D. Salinger was a pretty fine American short story writer who became very famous indeed after writing the novella Catcher In The Rye, a likeable enough book with an very annoying protagonist- Holden Caulfield. After he became famous, Salinger did a runner and became a weirdo recluse, a man of mystery. Which is nice.
Now, what a lot of people don’t know, is that Salinger also lived in Bydgoszcz, Poland – where I currently reside - for a short time. Indeed, he moved to Poland in the 1930’s to study the import business although during that time he also worked in a slaughterhouse - which probably wasn’t nice. The slaughterhouse is thankfully long gone and has been converted into a shopping mall – sic transit Gloria Estefan. There is actually a plaque commemorating Salinger’s time here in Bydgoszcz on the wall of the shopping mall. Which is also nice …
And on … Although, like most people, I’ve read Salinger’s work, Allen Ginsberg is someone that I’ve been aware of for most of my life but never bothered to read. The Beat Poets have been in my peripheral vison since I was a teenager, mind you, but although I’d recognise Ginsberg if he lent me a tenner, and I know that he worked with The Clash, well, that’s about it.
Anyroads, it seems that he came to Bydgoszcz on 6 October 1993 to meet with Bydgoszcz’s ‘writers and cultural activists’. And here is a picture of him performing his hit poem – an oxymoron, perhaps - Howl in the bar Węgliszek. Which is nice. Węgliszek has, of course, gone the way of legend – I once saw a cracking blues harp contest there- and has since become a trendy restaurant called Karramba. Which is probably also nice. And on …
And on … Thankfully, I’m not someone who equates having stuff with achieving something. Accordingly, I don’t have a lot of stuff. So, I do like to clear out what little clutter I’ve been burdened with from time to time. And I did that today and found … a letter that I got from Colin Wilson in the 1980s and a splendid painting of Robert Mitchum by @kategabrielle ... which is nice.
And on … I’m a big fan of indie films, especially the punk DIY ethic that inspired Robert Rodregues’ El Marachi. Raya Films are one of the UK’s hottest indie film companies and their films include Casting Kill, Best Geezer, and Agent Kelly. They are currently working on Daggers Inn. Check it out here, if you fancy, and help with the funding, if you’re that way inclined …
And on … a drabble is a story of 100 words. They’re fun to write and read, and here’s on that I prepared earlier:
SWAMPLANDS
Elvis awoke in a cold, dank sweat, hungover from bourbon and bad dreams. The nightmares had consisted of him being hunted through a swamp by the murderous spectre of Jesse, his stillborn twin. His pounding heartbeat seemed to echo through the mansion. He stumbled into the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face and looked in the mirror, only to be confronted by his own ashen reflection and that of his grinning doppelganger. Jesse tightly wrapped the umbilical cord around Elvis’ throat and pulled it until Elvis breathed no more. The king is dead, long live the king, he muttered.
(C) Paul D. Brazill.