I write about my 1976 trans-Atlantic voyage with David Bowie in my second book, The Ascension Within. When we weren’t playing music together in the Lido Bar, or eating salmon and eggs on the floor of his cabin suite, I would find him (sitting with his secretary, Coco) on the aft deck reading William Blake. Just one more of his many literary influences.
I feel like this is definitely one you don't see in the discourse much but constantly gets recommended one creative to another. (I'd love to see someone do West's work onscreen.. the time seems ripe with all the conversations about media and labor in the air.)
The challenge with that topic is that the lords aren't as willing to be targeted by their own serfs anymore. They even bought the trade magazines/websites to try to mitigate how much people hate them. One will sneak through soon, I hope.
Camille Paglia says that Bowie tried to contact her to use a quote from Sexual Personae on an album sleeve. She did not believe it was him and blew off all attempts to reach her via various intermediaries. Not sure what album it would have been because she does not specify when it was. The book is an incredible work of non-fiction art and cultural analysis and can see why he would have loved it. Surprised it was in the near the bottom quartile. I have read some of the others but not very many - maybe a dozen max. I'll revisit the list so thanks.
Fascinated by this anecdote. As for the ranking of SP, the numbers here are not rankings as I read them when Bowie shared the list. They're just 100 books.
I mean, it's just how I read it. But also, I truly don't believe Bowie would rank something like that to share with the public. Just feels wrong to me for him.
It is quite male-dominated, but much more diverse than most of these kinds of lists. The lack of women is, sadly, a testament to his age. I've seen other lists, including from very famous female authors, that are even more male-dominated. Publishers just focused less on women and academia reinforced that position that women didn't have enough to say. There's a horrible quote from Nabakov about how little female authors mattered to him, which I think illustrates both his world and explains what got fed into wider pop-culture as a result.
Has anyone here read Julian Jaynes “origins of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind?” I read a good half twenty years ago. Very weird theory that the hemispheres of the brain used to interact in a kind of schizophrenic way causing hallucinations in which a person would be hearing the voice (of God, as real). It’s on the origins of self-consciousness and the early genesis of religion.
Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" is a superb chronicle of 1960s southern R&B that puts a lot of the music in its proper historical context. I recommend it highly.
This is an awesome list. I have only read 17 of these, but if those titles are indicative of the quality of the other 83 on the list, I need to read them all!
I've read many of them, but when he published this several years ago, I started working on the others, too. It's always a satisfying experience for me.
Well, he wasn't married to her for most of his career, so I'm not sure if one could say that to be true. I've also read plenty that would contradict this assessment. That said, how could anyone's marital partner not have some kind of influence on how they create?
Yes, but the ten years of training it took for him to create his sound and style and achieve his creative philosophy all took place before her. It also continued after her. She had an impact, but it's not like the correlation you've offered has any basis in historical fact or even how art works. Bowie's career also didn't take off internationally until the mid-seventies. He was a bomb outside of Europe. By the time he took off elsewhere, he was blowing up his own rock career in Berlin with one of his many reinventions. Thanks for your thoughts.
One of the many great things about this is that when I saw Priestley’s name I knew he had written a book I absolutely loved as a kid but had long forgotten about. I looked it up: Snoggle. Gonna have to get it.
I’ve only read about 8 books on this list. How many do you overlap with Bowie?
I write about my 1976 trans-Atlantic voyage with David Bowie in my second book, The Ascension Within. When we weren’t playing music together in the Lido Bar, or eating salmon and eggs on the floor of his cabin suite, I would find him (sitting with his secretary, Coco) on the aft deck reading William Blake. Just one more of his many literary influences.
Thanks for the lovely anecdote, Robert!
Well, this is a list I’ll be returning to. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Delighted to see DAY OF THE LOCUST on this list--West was such an incisive commentator on the entertainment business.
It most certainly is. My friend comic book writer/screenwriter Ed Brubaker was actually the first to turn me on to it!
I feel like this is definitely one you don't see in the discourse much but constantly gets recommended one creative to another. (I'd love to see someone do West's work onscreen.. the time seems ripe with all the conversations about media and labor in the air.)
The challenge with that topic is that the lords aren't as willing to be targeted by their own serfs anymore. They even bought the trade magazines/websites to try to mitigate how much people hate them. One will sneak through soon, I hope.
Seconded. I feel like the art world is going to be predominantly DIY in a few more decades at this rate.
Camille Paglia says that Bowie tried to contact her to use a quote from Sexual Personae on an album sleeve. She did not believe it was him and blew off all attempts to reach her via various intermediaries. Not sure what album it would have been because she does not specify when it was. The book is an incredible work of non-fiction art and cultural analysis and can see why he would have loved it. Surprised it was in the near the bottom quartile. I have read some of the others but not very many - maybe a dozen max. I'll revisit the list so thanks.
Fascinated by this anecdote. As for the ranking of SP, the numbers here are not rankings as I read them when Bowie shared the list. They're just 100 books.
Oh thanks I did not realise. It would be tricky to put a hundred books in order of preference now I think of it.
I mean, it's just how I read it. But also, I truly don't believe Bowie would rank something like that to share with the public. Just feels wrong to me for him.
Admirable list. He was one of a kind. I can’t help noticing how male-dominated it is though. And T.S. Eliot’s name is misspelled.
It is quite male-dominated, but much more diverse than most of these kinds of lists. The lack of women is, sadly, a testament to his age. I've seen other lists, including from very famous female authors, that are even more male-dominated. Publishers just focused less on women and academia reinforced that position that women didn't have enough to say. There's a horrible quote from Nabakov about how little female authors mattered to him, which I think illustrates both his world and explains what got fed into wider pop-culture as a result.
Oh, and I copied this list from Bowie himself. I now realized I should've proofed all the author's spellings. I've edited. Thanks for the tip!
Has anyone here read Julian Jaynes “origins of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind?” I read a good half twenty years ago. Very weird theory that the hemispheres of the brain used to interact in a kind of schizophrenic way causing hallucinations in which a person would be hearing the voice (of God, as real). It’s on the origins of self-consciousness and the early genesis of religion.
I haven't read the book yet, sorry. It sounds intriguing.
Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" is a superb chronicle of 1960s southern R&B that puts a lot of the music in its proper historical context. I recommend it highly.
Thank you!
What a fantastic post, thank you for sharing!
You're welcome - enjoy!
David Bowie made it ok to different. Dead or alive, he still rocks!
Yes he did, and yes he does!
This is an awesome list. I have only read 17 of these, but if those titles are indicative of the quality of the other 83 on the list, I need to read them all!
I've read many of them, but when he published this several years ago, I started working on the others, too. It's always a satisfying experience for me.
Saving this! Thanks for passing on the inspiration from dear Mister Bowie.
You're welcome - hope it helps in some way!
TALES OF BEATNIK GLORY was written by Ed Sanders, not Ed Saunders. I’ll go ahead and assume that the mistake was not Bowie's ;)
Well, it was, believe it or not. This is the list he personally shared on his FB page many years ago. I'll edit it now.
I read somewhere that all of David Bowie‘s creativity and steps toward success came from his wife.
Well, he wasn't married to her for most of his career, so I'm not sure if one could say that to be true. I've also read plenty that would contradict this assessment. That said, how could anyone's marital partner not have some kind of influence on how they create?
The peak of David Bowie’s career started in 1970 shortly after marrying his first wife.
Yes, but the ten years of training it took for him to create his sound and style and achieve his creative philosophy all took place before her. It also continued after her. She had an impact, but it's not like the correlation you've offered has any basis in historical fact or even how art works. Bowie's career also didn't take off internationally until the mid-seventies. He was a bomb outside of Europe. By the time he took off elsewhere, he was blowing up his own rock career in Berlin with one of his many reinventions. Thanks for your thoughts.
You don’t often find “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” on a list of anything. Certainly DH Lawrence’s best book.
Indeed.
One of the many great things about this is that when I saw Priestley’s name I knew he had written a book I absolutely loved as a kid but had long forgotten about. I looked it up: Snoggle. Gonna have to get it.
I’ve only read about 8 books on this list. How many do you overlap with Bowie?
13. I am a little disappointed that that's it.
Did you know Amy ( Tromba Fiemenska) in your Detroit days? She’s got a great Bowie encounter story
I didn’t, but it sounds like I missed out.
She’s still with us, working at the Masonic. I’ll see if I can get her to tell the story on camera.
Damn. I think the only one I’ve read on here is On the Road. Better get busy.
A lot of time left to get the job done. Get cracking!