David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.


14 December 2010

Here Is The News

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Some days ago we intended to pay tribute here to the late beloved Australian puppeteer Norman Hetherington. However, we have been caught up in other matters on and off this stage. On the news front Julian Assange and WikiLeaks continue as the major issue of the moment.

The Hetherington appreciation will appear soon. In the meantime, in all the discussions about WikiLeaks, about freedom of the press, about citizens rights to information, about the public interest, the right to know, about diplomacy and secrecy and so on, it seems to bLOGOS/HA HA that the term puppetry might well apply as the umbrella for these associated issues of grand principle.
A pause for a moment to consider umbrella, realising it most likely arises out of umbra (shade, shadow). Thus, in relation to light, umbrella can be viewed as a refuge or a defence, a refusal, even an offence, against light. So umbrella term... ah, the twists and turns of the imagined LOGOS... HA HA
Back to puppetry. Manipulation (manipulator, manipulated), ventriloquism (a SpokesMan said...), shadow play, pulling strings, behind the scenes, and so on. These are terms as much about desire, attachment, power, liberation, theology, creation, freedom and originality as they are about child's play.

Here, from a personal archive, a glove puppet journalist


click image to enlarge

... with an orange card pencilled PRESS as proof of character. Once he had a peaked cap, too.



Journalist [NAME UNKNOWN] :
first appearance in an original puppet play (circa 1960)
White face, black eyes, red smile.
Q: What's black and white and red/read all over?
A: A newspaper
The journalist publicly interviews a dour, purple face witch,
a practitioner from the dark side.

Transcript of interview now missing.


Costume assistance : a loving mother.

Perhaps today, in this end-of-the-noughties spirit of disclosure, your correspondent should also unmask...

[ sounds behind screen ]

... Voila!


"So, until next time, this is your transparent stiff-spined Puppet Reporter for LeakiWorld Press signing off with that familiar re-mind-er :

detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...

LOGOS/HA HA