(no subject)

[fajrdrako]

From thefridayfive:

1. Are you related to anyone famous or do you have any famous friends? If so, who?

I'm related to a few people who are famous historically - Bishop Ridley, the Protestant martyr in Queen Mary's time; Black Peter Grant; Herbert Hoover. And yes, I have some famous friends, but I think it would be crass to talk about them as if I were name-dropping.

2. Do you have any autographs or memorabilia?

Yes. The autographs I value are all of authors or artists: Dorothy Dunnett, Lois McMaster Bujold, Theodore Sturgeon, Guy Gavriel Kay, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Jo Beverley, Charles Vess, Mike Kaluta, Stan Lee, Barry Windsor-Smith. I also have a few autographs from TV stars: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Adrian Paul, Michael Rosenbaum. They're sort of by accident.

3. If you could meet any 3 celebrities who would they be?

Currently? Picking ones I've never met: Karin Lowachee, Megan Whelan Turner, and Lois McMaster Bujold. Actors? John Barrowman, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant. Artists: Tim Sale, Rosemary Spragg, John Romita Jr.

4. What would you want to be famous for doing?

Writing.

5. Who's the most annoying celebrity?

How should I know? If they're annoying, I ignore them. I've no idea who is most annoying. Okay, for the sake of giving an answer, I'll say Mel Gibson, because of his homophobia, his anti-semitism, his drunkenness, and his religion-driven judgments. These qualities are annoying. And back when he played Tim or Mad Max, he was so damn cute!

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

1. Relatives: Aldhun, first Bishop of Durham, is a direct maternal ancestor; my great-great-granduncle James Gilchrist was a fairly well-known violin-maker, one of 2 known as 'the Scottish Stradivari'; my great-great-great-grand-half-aunt (my greatx3grandmother's half-sister) Jemima Poppy (later Mrs Bausum) was a 19C missionary teacher in Malaya and China.
Friends: Academics of various sorts - famous in their research fields.

2. I have various books signed by favourite writers, including some now-deceased poets; one or 2 movie pics. I curse the fact I gave away my signed Runcimans a few years ago...

3. No-one living. (Plenty of dead ones.)

4. Writing, too.

5. I don't tend to pay much attention to modern 'celebrities' (too many old ones to play with). But I'm inclined to agree re: Mel. He hits so many of my 'hate and despise' buttons. I never thought he was cute, even when he was younger and less drink-addled.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Aldhun, first Bishop of Durham

Eeeeeeee! First of all, I love Durham. Beautiful place. Second, I have a thing for Saint Cuthbert, and that puts you in... well, at least a sort of Kevin Bacon sort of relationship to him.

Who are the now-deceased poets whose autographs you have? Anyone I'm likely to have read?

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Aldhun translated the relics of St Cuthbert from Chester-le-Street to Durham. The Outhet/Ughtred family is descended from his grand-daughter Sigrid.

Poets: Sorley MacLean, Norman MacCaig, Iain Crichton-Smith.
I've also got signed Alasdair Gray novels, a signed copy of Luigi Gabotto's Corrado di Monferrato: Un racconto storico... And even a signed Graham Shelby (and a letter from him). ;-D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

A signed Graham Shelby book! Suitable for demonic rituals, hmm?

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I got it on the internet. I was intrigued, as it was a copy of the US ed of Kings of Vain Intent, and he described it in the inscription as the "expanded" version - my first indication that the US ed was different from the UK one. (It contains more, worse Conrad abuse, incl. the s/m scenes with him and Isabella!)

I love the cute Jack/Ianto icon, btw. (As does Dad!)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Crime against truth - rewriting the book to make it worse. Hah!

Glad you like the icon. Isn't it adorable? It's by redscharlach, who really has a good touch. I love the way she did the eyebrows in opposite directions.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Crime against truth - rewriting the book to make it worse. Hah!

Apparently, it was done for reasons of length, he says, but (I suspect) also to give Isabella more plot-room and up the sex'n'violence. But it's dreadful. The poor dears have done nothing to deserve it. And I hate his depiction of the murderers deliberately "not finishing" the job, to leave him suffering...
However much any novelist has misrepresented and defamed him, I think it's vile to gloat over him suffering...

Yes - the icon's so cute! They're instantly recognisable!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

All of the fictional calumnies you've found libelling Conrad are atrocious but I always think Shelby is the worst - if only because he should have known better.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

It's certainly the one that's in the worst possible taste: not only does it give us a 'Nosferatu look-alike' Conrad, but also the explicit, sadistic sex. I wish some would allow real-life characters to preserve their dignity, when we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever on their most intimate habits.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If and when I write about it, I promise to give him dignity.

Should be easy, actually, since he seems to me to be so cooperative in that regard - typifying the most civilized and cultured men of his century and time.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

If and when I write about it, I promise to give him dignity.

Should be easy, actually, since he seems to me to be so cooperative in that regard - typifying the most civilized and cultured men of his century and time.

Yes: he's always struck me as very regal - while still very lively, and probably excellent company. Intelligent, well-educated, cosmopolitan.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much how I see him too, though I'd add a sense of humour.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

That's part and parcel of "lively". I think he must have been a fun person to have around: vital, positive,... sparkling, really. And being good-looking doesn't hurt, either.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think he must have been a fun person to have around: vital, positive

All of which makes him very good King material.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I tend to think of him as the sort who was as much fun springing about on the dance-floor to an estampida as he was lethal charging into battle with a lance, and a clever bargainer in political negotiations.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's all part of the physical strength and stamina which it is so very clear that he had in spades.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes! And add to that the intelligence and culture... Definitely someone to treasure, on all counts!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

So we do...

[chazzbanner.livejournal.com]

Interesting - I saw a piece on tv about how Herbert Hoover is a hero in Belgium. As a private citizen in WWI, he organized relief and saved Belgium from starving. In the US, unfortunately, he's remmbered as the president who couldn't cope with the Depression.

I'm descended from Roger Williams, who was persecuted by the Puritans of Massachusetts and driven out. He founded Rhode Island.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Herbert Hoover is a hero in Belgium

Really!! Who'd have guessed? I've always been sort of ambivalent about that one. Sort of putting it down to 'you can't choose your relatives'. Love the song from Annie about him.

Roger Williams - that's cool.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

P.S. what a gorgeous, gorgeous icon.

[melwicker.livejournal.com]

I would love to meet David Tennant. I would also love to meet Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart. May I friend you?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course you can friend me. I'd be delighted!

I think David Tennant would be lovely in person. (As he is on television.)

[melwicker.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I'll say Mel Gibson, because of his homophobia, his anti-semitism, his drunkenness, and his religion-driven judgments.

His disrespect for his fans. Back when the third Lethal Weapon movie came out, he told someone that he didn't let his own children watch his movies, because he wanted to shield them from such stuff. With this latest one, the fake-Mesoamerican-prehistory thing, I've run across a statement by a college professor somewhere in Colorado, something along the order of, "Yes, I know full well it's not accurate to what we know of the people or the times, but if you wrote a movie that was accurate like that, it would be beyond the people who'd go to see it."

Well. I'd been all set to go see this movie just to play "spot the goofs," but now... uh, I think I have better things to do with that eight dollars than to put it into Mel Gibson's pocket!

What's with successful, creative people who have such small regard for their fans, anyway? Makes a person sad.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

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<i.have better things to do with that eight dollars than to put it into Mel Gibson's pocket!</i>

I would agree. And remember the really bad history in <i>Braveheart</i>? Homophobia too, come to think of it.

<i.What's with successful, creative people who have such small regard for their fans, anyway? </i>

He has no respect for the truth. That's the deepest problem.

[filkferengi]

Are you going to Denvention next year?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'd love to, but don't see any way I can afford it.