Friday, April 23, 2004
The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective)
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
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A Rather Harmless Fetishistic Behavior
Question: Dear Literary Dick (as in Private Detective),
wonder if Hemingway, after his mum dressed him like a girl in his childhood, was a cross-dresser later.
Regards
Paola
Answer: According to a website I found ( http://www.transfamily.org/gendr101.htm , yes:
“Crossdressing is generally considered to be a rather harmless fetishistic behavior, wherein sexual pleasure is derived from an inanimate object rather than with a (more traditional) human sexual partner. Although there are some females that crossdress, almost all crossdressers are straight males. The list is long and distinguished, including J. Edgar Hoover, Ernest Hemingway, Dennis Rodman, and a huge list of other rather masculine men.”
In sort-of related news: one of Hemingway’s children (born Gregory) had a sex change operation, and was later known as Vanessa.
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________
A Rather Harmless Fetishistic Behavior
Question: Dear Literary Dick (as in Private Detective),
wonder if Hemingway, after his mum dressed him like a girl in his childhood, was a cross-dresser later.
Regards
Paola
Answer: According to a website I found ( http://www.transfamily.org/gendr101.htm , yes:
“Crossdressing is generally considered to be a rather harmless fetishistic behavior, wherein sexual pleasure is derived from an inanimate object rather than with a (more traditional) human sexual partner. Although there are some females that crossdress, almost all crossdressers are straight males. The list is long and distinguished, including J. Edgar Hoover, Ernest Hemingway, Dennis Rodman, and a huge list of other rather masculine men.”
In sort-of related news: one of Hemingway’s children (born Gregory) had a sex change operation, and was later known as Vanessa.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective)
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________
An Unresolved Oedipal Tie and a Need to Placate a Sexually Aggressive Father Surrogate
The other day I was talking with a friend, and I asked him if he had any questions for this website. He said…
Question: “What about T.S. Eliot’s wife, did she ever have an affair with that Bertrand Russell? And what about Eliot, I think I heard that he was accused of raping a woman – what’s the story?” – My friend Rich, over the phone.
Answer: Speculation about the relationship between Vivienne Eliot and Bertram Russell has been around for a while. In her biography of Vivienne, Carole Seymour-Jones writes:
“Russell himself later categorically denied to Eliot’s friend, Robert Gordon George (‘Robert Sencourt’), that he had slept with Vivien, writing: ‘I never had intimate relations with Vivienne.’ Biographers have tended to believe him. Caroline Moorehead writes: ‘No one has ever been sure whether Russell, by this time something of a philanderer, actually slept with Vivienne.’ ‘There can be no doubt . . . that he and Mrs. Eliot did not, in the expected progress of night following day, become lovers,’ states Ronald W. Clark, arguing that Russell told Ottoline, ‘to whom he never lied’, ‘I never contemplated risking my reputation with her, & I never risked it so far as I can judge.’ Peter Ackroyd describes Russell’s relationship with Vivien as ‘intense by “platonic”’.” (Seymour-Jones, Carole. Painted Shadow: A Life of Vivienne Eliot. Constable, London: 2001. p. 109)
So significant was the relationship between Russell and the Eliots, that Seymour-Jones dedicates a chapter of her book to it. In ‘Triple Menage: Bertie, Vivien and Tom’ she writes of the circumstances which led to all the monkey business. Apparently, at the start of their marriage, the Eliots rented an apartment in London from Russell, who (I think I read) was one of Tom’s old teachers. At some point, T.S. had to leave London, leaving Vivien behind. Soon after he did, Russell asked if it would be okay if he (Russell) stayed at the apartment, while Vivien was there as well. (I might have read somewhere that in exchange for letting him stay in the apartment, Russell agreed to lower the rent - but I could be making that up.) Seymour-Jones writes of the letter that Eliot wrote in response to this request:
“Moving on to the practical details, he assured Russell that there would be no problem if their landlord wished to spend nights in London alone with Vivien: ‘As to you coming to stay the night at the flat when I am not there, it would never have occurred to me to accept it under any other conditions,’ he wrote. […] Why did Eliot acquiesce in the ménage a trios which ensued? It is probable that he grasped at the apparent solution to his difficulties without suspecting the older man’s motives. At this stage Eliot knew little of Russell’s private life. It is of course possible that the relationship which developed between Vivien and Bertie was as innocent as Eliot apparently assumed – or that Eliot was a cuckold. On the other hand, the triple ménage could in fact have been a far more complicated bargain, by which Eliot, for his own reasons, permitted Bertie to enjoy Viven’s sexual favours. (Ibid., 108-109)
Seymour-Jones concludes that Russell and Vivien did have an affair, and that Eliot probably knew about it:
“Tom and Vivien contintued to live in a state of dependency upon Bertram Russell, and it is almost impossible to believe that Tom was unaware that Russell and Vivien were having a sexual relationship […] Eliot was relieved to turn over to Russell the conjugal duties he often found distasteful. ‘The difficult relationship with Vivienne served as a constant reminder of sexual failure,’ writes Dr Harry Trosman. ‘Eliot’s tolerance for and complicity in Vivienne’s affair with Russell suggested an unresolved oedipal tie and a need to placate a sexually aggressive father surrogate.’” (Ibid., 121)
Seymour-Jones also suggests that Eliot may have cast a blind eye to the affair because Russell provided him with good contacts for work.
So, it is the opinion of The Literary Dick that T.S. Eliot’s wife did have an affair with Bertram Russell. I haven’t seen any information on the rape allegation, but if something turns up, I’ll share it with you.
A not-totally unconnected side note: from what I’ve read it looks like Eliot was gay, or bi anyway, or that he had some feelings for men. Seymour-Jones writes:
“Eliot [could not] deny the strength of his homosexual desires, which were leading him into a web of deceit. Those desires are powerfully documented not only in the Colombo verses torn from ‘The Inventions of the March Hare’ notebook which Eliot sent to John Quinn, but in later pornographic verses Eliot attached to a letter he sent Ezra Pound on 3 January 1934 – verses which leave no doubts as to ‘Captain Eliot’s’ sexual orientation. Writing in the first person, Eliot boldly exhorts his reader to buggery, ‘again and again and again’. Proclaim to the morning he cries, that ‘a r s e spells arse’.” (Ibid., 365-366)
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________
An Unresolved Oedipal Tie and a Need to Placate a Sexually Aggressive Father Surrogate
The other day I was talking with a friend, and I asked him if he had any questions for this website. He said…
Question: “What about T.S. Eliot’s wife, did she ever have an affair with that Bertrand Russell? And what about Eliot, I think I heard that he was accused of raping a woman – what’s the story?” – My friend Rich, over the phone.
Answer: Speculation about the relationship between Vivienne Eliot and Bertram Russell has been around for a while. In her biography of Vivienne, Carole Seymour-Jones writes:
“Russell himself later categorically denied to Eliot’s friend, Robert Gordon George (‘Robert Sencourt’), that he had slept with Vivien, writing: ‘I never had intimate relations with Vivienne.’ Biographers have tended to believe him. Caroline Moorehead writes: ‘No one has ever been sure whether Russell, by this time something of a philanderer, actually slept with Vivienne.’ ‘There can be no doubt . . . that he and Mrs. Eliot did not, in the expected progress of night following day, become lovers,’ states Ronald W. Clark, arguing that Russell told Ottoline, ‘to whom he never lied’, ‘I never contemplated risking my reputation with her, & I never risked it so far as I can judge.’ Peter Ackroyd describes Russell’s relationship with Vivien as ‘intense by “platonic”’.” (Seymour-Jones, Carole. Painted Shadow: A Life of Vivienne Eliot. Constable, London: 2001. p. 109)
So significant was the relationship between Russell and the Eliots, that Seymour-Jones dedicates a chapter of her book to it. In ‘Triple Menage: Bertie, Vivien and Tom’ she writes of the circumstances which led to all the monkey business. Apparently, at the start of their marriage, the Eliots rented an apartment in London from Russell, who (I think I read) was one of Tom’s old teachers. At some point, T.S. had to leave London, leaving Vivien behind. Soon after he did, Russell asked if it would be okay if he (Russell) stayed at the apartment, while Vivien was there as well. (I might have read somewhere that in exchange for letting him stay in the apartment, Russell agreed to lower the rent - but I could be making that up.) Seymour-Jones writes of the letter that Eliot wrote in response to this request:
“Moving on to the practical details, he assured Russell that there would be no problem if their landlord wished to spend nights in London alone with Vivien: ‘As to you coming to stay the night at the flat when I am not there, it would never have occurred to me to accept it under any other conditions,’ he wrote. […] Why did Eliot acquiesce in the ménage a trios which ensued? It is probable that he grasped at the apparent solution to his difficulties without suspecting the older man’s motives. At this stage Eliot knew little of Russell’s private life. It is of course possible that the relationship which developed between Vivien and Bertie was as innocent as Eliot apparently assumed – or that Eliot was a cuckold. On the other hand, the triple ménage could in fact have been a far more complicated bargain, by which Eliot, for his own reasons, permitted Bertie to enjoy Viven’s sexual favours. (Ibid., 108-109)
Seymour-Jones concludes that Russell and Vivien did have an affair, and that Eliot probably knew about it:
“Tom and Vivien contintued to live in a state of dependency upon Bertram Russell, and it is almost impossible to believe that Tom was unaware that Russell and Vivien were having a sexual relationship […] Eliot was relieved to turn over to Russell the conjugal duties he often found distasteful. ‘The difficult relationship with Vivienne served as a constant reminder of sexual failure,’ writes Dr Harry Trosman. ‘Eliot’s tolerance for and complicity in Vivienne’s affair with Russell suggested an unresolved oedipal tie and a need to placate a sexually aggressive father surrogate.’” (Ibid., 121)
Seymour-Jones also suggests that Eliot may have cast a blind eye to the affair because Russell provided him with good contacts for work.
So, it is the opinion of The Literary Dick that T.S. Eliot’s wife did have an affair with Bertram Russell. I haven’t seen any information on the rape allegation, but if something turns up, I’ll share it with you.
A not-totally unconnected side note: from what I’ve read it looks like Eliot was gay, or bi anyway, or that he had some feelings for men. Seymour-Jones writes:
“Eliot [could not] deny the strength of his homosexual desires, which were leading him into a web of deceit. Those desires are powerfully documented not only in the Colombo verses torn from ‘The Inventions of the March Hare’ notebook which Eliot sent to John Quinn, but in later pornographic verses Eliot attached to a letter he sent Ezra Pound on 3 January 1934 – verses which leave no doubts as to ‘Captain Eliot’s’ sexual orientation. Writing in the first person, Eliot boldly exhorts his reader to buggery, ‘again and again and again’. Proclaim to the morning he cries, that ‘a r s e spells arse’.” (Ibid., 365-366)
Monday, April 19, 2004
The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective)
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________
Talking To Gary: Q&A with Talking To Richard author, Gary Sherbell
The Literary Dick was sent a book about a guy whose penis is possessed by a lawyer. So we thought we'd ask the writer of this comedy novel a few questions.
For some reason, having this Q&A on the site makes me feel as if The Literary Dick has attained at least a whiff of respectability. I don't know why it took an interview with the author of a book about a guy whose penis is cursed by a voodoo priestess to make me feel that, but there you go.
By the way, I am just now nearing the end of my work day, it has been terrible, three godamn 7th grade math classes, and two other things. Jesus, these kids make me want to end it all. Anyway, enjoy…
Your book has an unusual premise: the narrator wakes up to discover that his penis has changed into a well-known criminal defense attorney. How did the idea for this story come to you?
Gary Sherbell: I don't know how, but I do know where: I was in my apartment, lying on my bed, when something I heard on TV triggered the idea and I immediately wrote it down on a scrap of paper so I wouldn't forget it. I wrote: "Wierd 'metamorphosis' type story -- my enemy becomes my penis -- an actual man." I've actually saved that paper to this day -- something my obsessive-compulsive protagonist Steve Goren, would probably have done.
The lawyer/penis character seems to be based on William Kunstler. Is there any reason you chose him? Did you consider any other models?
Gary Sherbell: The lawyer, Richard Rankin, is definitely based on William Kunstler. In order to be as truthful to the real Kunslter as I could be, I read his definitive biography, William Kunstler -- The Most Hated Lawyer in America, by David J. Langum, Professor of Law at Cumberland School of Law. After Professor Langum read TTR he commented, "William Kunstler certainly shines through the character of Richard Rankin."
Kunstler was the obvious choice for the "enemy" inhabiting the penis, once I decided that the victimized protagonist would be, like me, a somewhat conservative Jewish judge. I wanted host and enemy penis to be as similar as possible, cut out of the same cloth so to speak, so the focus would be even sharper on the one important way they differed, in their political views. Hence, the "enemy" had to be a radical left Jewish lawyer. Who else but the late William Moses Kunstler (who died, by the way, in 1995)? I never considered anyone else.
Do you ever talk to your penis?
Gary Sherbell: In the novel, before Goren is cursed with the penile transformation, he gets shot down by a woman in a bar, on a blind date, and he says to his penis, half in jest, "Well, Johnny, we blew that one." Now, if that's what you mean by "talking" to my penis, then I suppose that I, too, have "talked" to my penis, a couple of times over the years. Fortunately, though, to my knowledge, it never talked back, so we never engaged in an actual conversation.
While I was reading your book, and trying to picture it as a movie, I put Jim Carrey in the lead, I think because he's done so many movies where he has strange powers or curses put on him (Liar, Liar, Bruce Almighty, The Mask.) If Talking To Richard was made into a movie, who'd you like to see as Steve? And what about the penis/lawyer character, Richard Rankin?
Gary Sherbell: Steve would have to be played by a midfortyish actor with a flair for comedy who's not so drop dead gorgeous that he'd have an easy time with women. Tom Cruise need not apply; Jim Carrey or Robin Williams would be good choices if the director wanted to go manic. But my favorite choice would be Tom Hanks, for a more subtle, less manic portrayal. Besides, he too succeeded in "curse-comedy"; remember Big? As for Richard Rankin, he would be played entirely in voice-over, except for the first scene. I see someone who is 70ish but with a still powerful voice -- Gene Hackman, for example.
You and your protagonist both work as NYC judges, his name is Steve Goren and your name is Gary Sherbell; aside from sharing a job and having initials that are the reverse of each other, do you and Steve have anything else in common? Did your penis ever turn into a lawyer?
Gary Sherbell: Congratulations. You are the first person who ever noticed that Steve Goren's initials, S.G., are the reverse of my initials, G.S. I definitely did chose Goren's name so that he would have the initials S.G. as a reverse of G.S. But not so fast, if you think I did it so that his initials would be the reverse of mine. Remember that G.S. are also the initials of Gregor Samsa, the protagonist of Kafka's Metamorphosis. So while I did intend Goren's initials to be a reversal of G.S., did I intend it as a reversal of my initials or Gregor Samsa's? You be the judge.
Goren and I share many other things in common: like him, I also lived in New York's E. 90s, I also went to NYU Law School, and so on. The most frequently asked question of me, especially by women I've dated who have read my book, and have noticed the great similarity between Goren and myself, is whether, like Goren, I keep notes on them so I can impress them with my memory of their key life data, and keep what Goren calls a "Date Attire Record", so I can avoid wearing the same clothes on consecutive dates. Does your inquiring mind also want to know whether I possess those same idiosyncracies? Then my reply to you is the same as the one I give those nosy ladyfriends: I refuse to answer, on the ground that I might incriminate myself.
On the other hand, I am only too pleased to reveal, that unlike my alter-ego Goren, I do not suffer from premature ejaculation.
And you ask, did my penis ever turn into a lawyer? No, but I once had a lawyer who turned out to be a real pr-ck.
So, it is the opinion of The Literary Dick that Talking To Richard gave me a few laughs. To learn more about Talking To Richard go to: Compulsivereader.com, Blether.com and Bookreview.com.
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________
Talking To Gary: Q&A with Talking To Richard author, Gary Sherbell
The Literary Dick was sent a book about a guy whose penis is possessed by a lawyer. So we thought we'd ask the writer of this comedy novel a few questions.
For some reason, having this Q&A on the site makes me feel as if The Literary Dick has attained at least a whiff of respectability. I don't know why it took an interview with the author of a book about a guy whose penis is cursed by a voodoo priestess to make me feel that, but there you go.
By the way, I am just now nearing the end of my work day, it has been terrible, three godamn 7th grade math classes, and two other things. Jesus, these kids make me want to end it all. Anyway, enjoy…
Your book has an unusual premise: the narrator wakes up to discover that his penis has changed into a well-known criminal defense attorney. How did the idea for this story come to you?
Gary Sherbell: I don't know how, but I do know where: I was in my apartment, lying on my bed, when something I heard on TV triggered the idea and I immediately wrote it down on a scrap of paper so I wouldn't forget it. I wrote: "Wierd 'metamorphosis' type story -- my enemy becomes my penis -- an actual man." I've actually saved that paper to this day -- something my obsessive-compulsive protagonist Steve Goren, would probably have done.
The lawyer/penis character seems to be based on William Kunstler. Is there any reason you chose him? Did you consider any other models?
Gary Sherbell: The lawyer, Richard Rankin, is definitely based on William Kunstler. In order to be as truthful to the real Kunslter as I could be, I read his definitive biography, William Kunstler -- The Most Hated Lawyer in America, by David J. Langum, Professor of Law at Cumberland School of Law. After Professor Langum read TTR he commented, "William Kunstler certainly shines through the character of Richard Rankin."
Kunstler was the obvious choice for the "enemy" inhabiting the penis, once I decided that the victimized protagonist would be, like me, a somewhat conservative Jewish judge. I wanted host and enemy penis to be as similar as possible, cut out of the same cloth so to speak, so the focus would be even sharper on the one important way they differed, in their political views. Hence, the "enemy" had to be a radical left Jewish lawyer. Who else but the late William Moses Kunstler (who died, by the way, in 1995)? I never considered anyone else.
Do you ever talk to your penis?
Gary Sherbell: In the novel, before Goren is cursed with the penile transformation, he gets shot down by a woman in a bar, on a blind date, and he says to his penis, half in jest, "Well, Johnny, we blew that one." Now, if that's what you mean by "talking" to my penis, then I suppose that I, too, have "talked" to my penis, a couple of times over the years. Fortunately, though, to my knowledge, it never talked back, so we never engaged in an actual conversation.
While I was reading your book, and trying to picture it as a movie, I put Jim Carrey in the lead, I think because he's done so many movies where he has strange powers or curses put on him (Liar, Liar, Bruce Almighty, The Mask.) If Talking To Richard was made into a movie, who'd you like to see as Steve? And what about the penis/lawyer character, Richard Rankin?
Gary Sherbell: Steve would have to be played by a midfortyish actor with a flair for comedy who's not so drop dead gorgeous that he'd have an easy time with women. Tom Cruise need not apply; Jim Carrey or Robin Williams would be good choices if the director wanted to go manic. But my favorite choice would be Tom Hanks, for a more subtle, less manic portrayal. Besides, he too succeeded in "curse-comedy"; remember Big? As for Richard Rankin, he would be played entirely in voice-over, except for the first scene. I see someone who is 70ish but with a still powerful voice -- Gene Hackman, for example.
You and your protagonist both work as NYC judges, his name is Steve Goren and your name is Gary Sherbell; aside from sharing a job and having initials that are the reverse of each other, do you and Steve have anything else in common? Did your penis ever turn into a lawyer?
Gary Sherbell: Congratulations. You are the first person who ever noticed that Steve Goren's initials, S.G., are the reverse of my initials, G.S. I definitely did chose Goren's name so that he would have the initials S.G. as a reverse of G.S. But not so fast, if you think I did it so that his initials would be the reverse of mine. Remember that G.S. are also the initials of Gregor Samsa, the protagonist of Kafka's Metamorphosis. So while I did intend Goren's initials to be a reversal of G.S., did I intend it as a reversal of my initials or Gregor Samsa's? You be the judge.
Goren and I share many other things in common: like him, I also lived in New York's E. 90s, I also went to NYU Law School, and so on. The most frequently asked question of me, especially by women I've dated who have read my book, and have noticed the great similarity between Goren and myself, is whether, like Goren, I keep notes on them so I can impress them with my memory of their key life data, and keep what Goren calls a "Date Attire Record", so I can avoid wearing the same clothes on consecutive dates. Does your inquiring mind also want to know whether I possess those same idiosyncracies? Then my reply to you is the same as the one I give those nosy ladyfriends: I refuse to answer, on the ground that I might incriminate myself.
On the other hand, I am only too pleased to reveal, that unlike my alter-ego Goren, I do not suffer from premature ejaculation.
And you ask, did my penis ever turn into a lawyer? No, but I once had a lawyer who turned out to be a real pr-ck.
So, it is the opinion of The Literary Dick that Talking To Richard gave me a few laughs. To learn more about Talking To Richard go to: Compulsivereader.com, Blether.com and Bookreview.com.
