Marlon James speaks

[Mark Kohut]

Marlon James writes about David Bowie: ''There was a very dark,
disturbing time in my life when I was purging records left, right and
center, because I was scared of what messages this evil rock & roll
was sending me. I was also chest deep in a serious hatred of myself
and who I was, including queer, and did quite a few things, including
run to church. But for some reason, and I’m not sure why, I never got
rid of Bowie. Funnily enough, I was playing “Tonight” yesterday,
thinking that because it was so instantly disliked on release, it
managed to age totally outside of public knowledge for 30 years and
sounds amazing now. But back to then. I threw out almost everything
but Bowie. 2005 and I put on "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And
The Spiders From Mars," which I hadn’t listen to in a while since it
wasn't my favourite. At then end of Ziggy is a song called “Rock and
Roll Suicide.” I don’t think I have the words to describe hearing it
but I’ll say this. Everything I hated about myself at the beginning of
that song, became everything I loved about myself at the end of it.
Sure it wasn't that instantaneous, but every time Bowie sang “you’re
wonderful, give me your hand,” I felt like there was an actual person
pulling me from wreckage and not letting go. I wish I could write
more, but I can’t stop crying. This man was everything to me. Hot
tramp, I love you so." Thanks to Greg Tate for reposting.
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Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l