A monkey caught stealing ([info]contrasoma) wrote,
@ 2008-04-10 01:32:00
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the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
I'm not sure if it was my goofy tribute to Heston that prompted this, but it occurs to me that there are loads of people who have been kicking ass for decades, but who have been forgotten by the public at large and remain so until their inevitable kicking of the bucket. I'm getting a bit sick of posthumous shout-outs (recent ones include Baudrillard and Vonnegut), so I'm raising a glass to the following folk who are still doing what they've always done and are doing it well:

Fredric Jameson
JG Ballard
JD Salinger (not that he's been anything of a public figure for decades)
Thomas Pynchon (not that he ever was a public figure)
Pete Seeger
Chuck Berry
Jerry Lee Lewis
Brian Wilson (the youngest on this list if I'm not mistaken)

Feel free to contribute yr own. I was tempted to toss Bowie on the list, but eulogizing a 61 year-old (yes, I remember that big "Bowie's 50th" bash like it was yesterday) seemed a tad premature, so let's call 62 the youngest one can be to earn a spot.

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[info]vanilla_pie
2008-04-10 07:00 am UTC (link)
I know a guy named Bruce Lord who has been kicking ass for a couple of decades now, at least. He deserves a shout out. :)
By the way, have you heard about Lucy Moffett (Dave's sister)?

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 06:13 pm UTC (link)
Aw. :)

...And no - what's up with her?

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[info]vanilla_pie
2008-04-11 03:31 am UTC (link)
She passed away on Saturday. Not sure what happened. :(
I've got Dave's email address if you'd like to reach him.

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-11 04:11 am UTC (link)
Jesus. Yeah, pass that on to me. Maybe I'll call Gager to figure out what's going on, see how Dave's doing.

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[info]vanilla_pie
2008-04-11 05:30 am UTC (link)
emailed you!

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[info]big_paul
2008-04-10 07:25 am UTC (link)
You really that impressed by JD Salinger? I've only read 2 or 3 of his, but it's like, "OK, I get it! Industrial civilization sucks!" Maybe

I'm not sure what your list criteria is, i.e., artists and writers only? But if you're talking people who are still kicking ass well past their 60s, doing what they always did and doing it well, I'll submit:

Alexander Shulgin
Noam Chomsky
Ralph Nader
Gore Vidal
Roméo Dallaire turns 62 in June, I think he qualifies for an exception.
John Ralston Saul turns 61 in june, I'd make the same case for him.
Seymour Hersh

I'm sure I could think of a couple of other options, but it's after midnight and I've been drinking.

Whoever D.B. Cooper really was, he must be over 62 by now. But I guess he only qualifies for 'still kicking ass and doing what he does best' if you define 'what he does best' as not being caught or identified by the FBI...

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 06:44 pm UTC (link)
Not sure if I'm "that impressed" by Salinger - just respectful. Dude did some good work and opted out of the limelight to focus on what he loved doing.

...And I'll admit to being enough of a rube for the myth of the gentleman thief to still be pulling for Cooper. It just occurs: was Dale Cooper named after him? Wikipedia can neither confirm nor deny...

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[info]big_paul
2008-04-10 06:54 pm UTC (link)
Heh, I'm embarrassed to admit, I've never seen a single episode of twin peaks.

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[info]r_lex
2008-04-10 07:28 pm UTC (link)
I've seen that put forward, but never from a reputable source.

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[info]black_device
2008-04-10 07:54 am UTC (link)
i'm sadly and secretly counting down 'til Ballard and Pynchon shuffle off. Ballard's reportedly in ill-health, while i'm almost certain that Pynchon may already be dead -- if he weren't, when he is we will undoubtedly not know. to add to the list;

Leonard Cohen

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 06:46 pm UTC (link)
I haven't even touched "Against The Day", but didn't one of his two Simpsons appearances come after it was released?

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[info]fornikate
2008-04-10 02:36 pm UTC (link)
George Romero
Dario Argento
Clive Barker
Andrew Vachss

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 07:37 pm UTC (link)
Aw c'mon: Barker's got a ways to go.

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[info]fornikate
2008-04-10 08:19 pm UTC (link)
The guy is over 50 and has a body of work larger than most people have to show for their entire lives.

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 10:45 pm UTC (link)
No, I just meant that he's got a ways to go 'til he dies. ;)

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[info]wikberg
2008-04-10 03:02 pm UTC (link)
Etta James.

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[info]wikberg
2008-04-10 03:40 pm UTC (link)
And I'm a little dismayed that I'm having such a hard time thinking of amazing old women. I was going to chide the list so far for being egregiously gender exclusive; I was willing to come off for once like an annoying undergrad who just discovered feminism. But then I could only think of Etta James.

For shame.

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 07:38 pm UTC (link)
I realised that my list was all dudes, and strained like the dickens to think of some women to add. Oh! Dolly Parton.

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[info]wikberg
2008-04-11 02:51 am UTC (link)
I'm so on board with Dolly Parton. And she happens to be exactly 62.

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[info]r_lex
2008-04-10 06:03 pm UTC (link)
I gotta show love for the following:

Richard Corben
Harvey Pekar
Sidney Lumet
Ennio Morricone
Jim Steranko
Ronnie James Dio

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[info]contrasoma
2008-04-10 07:39 pm UTC (link)
Jesus, I had no idea Lumet was still alive. And yes, of course: Morricone.

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[info]ajxl
2008-04-11 02:02 pm UTC (link)
I love how no one can confirm how old Dio actually -is-.

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[info]duck_advocate
2008-04-11 10:09 pm UTC (link)
David Axelrod
Tom Lehrer
Ray Davies
Werner Herzog
Patti Smith

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