Subject: RE: "How can anyone from our generation..."
From: Malcolm Lawrence (Malcolm@wolfenet.com)
Date: Fri Mar 07 1997 - 19:33:48 GMT
"I am referring to those who have something new and worthwhile to offer the
world, but may not live up to the call of the muse. They may decide to
live a white collar banker's life somewhere in middle America and deprive
the world of that which it desperately needs: new ideas, new directions,
new visions, new voices."
Since the name Kafka just came up I thought I'd refute this. Kafka (try a
better library Dan Owens daughter) is one of the probably top three most
influential and prophetic writers of the 20th century, yet was a lowly
clerk his whole life, and Wallace Stevens (who is as significant a poet as
Leonard Cohen) was the head of an insurance firm. One's day job is
completely immaterial to where one's soul is. We've all got to pay rent,
and being jobist (like being ageist) is a low blow. I've known Jason Finn,
the drummer for the Presidents of the United States of America, since 1988,
and before he got to drum with his band on Leno and Letterman and O'Donnell
and all that he tended bar at the Comet Tavern for about six years (he was
only able to quit bending tar at the Comet in the middle of last year
sometime), before that he was a pantryman for a bookstore's cafe here in
town. It's kind of funny because many people here in town who are in bands
that no one knows about outside of Seattle yet also work at Microsoft (!)
and get at least twice as much as he made at the Comet not to mention 401K
and stock options and what have you, whine about Jason and his ambition and
his stature now. I mean, I don't even have to talk to him personally to
know what's going on in his life anymore because he's interviewed
everywhere. No matter which chance you choose to take, there's always a
price to pay, but if you channel your soul to what your heart wants to do,
you'll be able to tolerate ANY job.
Malcolm
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