(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...