orbis quintus

Interview here (complete with music!).

CARRIE BROWNSTEIN: What’s the last book you read or film you saw that made you want to go home and play music?

THURSTON MOORE: I think it was probably reading Foam of the Daze by Boris Vian — the surreality and romantic energy of it, and its love of Duke Ellington, made me want to play.

Vian’s death was an interesting one (in any of the versions):

The story goes like this: Having had a heart condition all his life which should have prevented him being exuberant in all things (but didn’t) in 1959 at age 39 he went to a screening of a really bad film based on his book I spit on your graves. Apparently he had “forgotten” to take his heart medicine that morning. He did not approve of the film and had not been involved in the screenplay. After 10 minutes he apparently stood up and said “These are supposed to be Americans? My arse!” Then he collapsed and died….

or

On 23 June he went to a preview screening of the film J’irai cracher sur vos tombes. He strongly disapproved of the film’s treatment of his work, having battled with the film company for years and having all his own film treatments of the book rejected by the producers. Having forgotten to take his medicine that morning, and very agitated, the experience literally killed him.

After ten minutes of attendance, seated in an armchair, he collapsed and died.

I started, if I recall, with Heartsnatcher.