I Find That Essence Rare

It's very rare that I think, shucks, 'wish I was in NYC, and actually mean it for more than eight seconds. But hearing Dorian Devins and the New York Sun's Bruce Bennett discussing this week's Elliot Gould retrospective at BAM was enough to make me art-lusty. As many of you know, Gould's take on Chandler's Marlowe in Altman's pitch-perfect The Long Goodbye remains an archetypal character-anchor for me. Seriously, when I need to pea really badly or when I am worried by a loved one or kept awake by what I swear are the sounds of capitalism chewing on people, I often try to invoke Gould-as-Marlowe for cues. 'It's aright with me,' says "Rip Van" Marlowe, awaking to Reagan's sunshine-y CA, where nothing is alright. Go see that joint on the big screen, city types! Not to mention Busting! Not to mention California Split!

So anyway, podcasters: I highly recommend Dorian Devins' the Speakeasy, another WFMU staple that's done the clutch work of alternately stimulating and soothing my getting-by since I was a pre-pube. I'd humbly submit that Devins' hobbies, habits and habitus outshine and overwhelm the flimsier vat of "Fresh Air" with which you might want to compare her interview format. There's pretty much bi-weekly film talk, a great, occasional political hour, and plenty of art/culture/science/jazz talk from genuinely interesting people. Every once in a while it get's a little too "too," but hey, so do all overeducated New Yorkers, no? Is it their fault we can't stomach listening for a half-hour about how great the drapes are at the Zigfeld?*

Finally, lest I get away without showing myself to be a horrid cliche - oops, I already announced a contrived identification with a hardboiled sleuth! - let's revisit Bruce Bennett's interview on the Speakeasy, wherein he made reference to the fact that, these days, the world is full of people who think the 1970s were the high point of American Cinema. Bennett didn't mean to sound condescending - which is probably why he didn't - but I couldn't help but thinking of myself in 2001, thinking, hopefully uncondescendingly also, well, look! 'Seems like everyone in Brooklyn went to the same party, heard Gang of Four's Entertainment, and started three bands and a dub side-project!

I felt so button-holed, dear readers: the grown-up child of divorce, the white-ethnic Nirvana fan who digs John Cassavettes. Bennett even made reference to Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, which passed through the ecstatic hands of my cohort so fast (circa 2000) that you'd've thought it had grain alcohol in it.

You have to be either way out front "culturally" or way rich to live in NY. Clearly I'm neither, which is as good excuse as I need, so hats off to Bruce Bennett! Four more years away from the NE, pls! Just so long as I can get WFMU on the interweb.

* Do they have drapes at the Zigfeld?