Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year
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Jack and Neal… California, Here We Come
Wow, holy shit, thanks to regular reader Denise for forwarding this deadly clip of Maeve Binchy, Shay Healy and myself talking about our favourite books on the radio a couple of years ago. I gotta admit… hand on heart… that I have no recollection of the conversation whatsoever. But its really interesting.
Eoin Butler Maeve Binchy Shay Healy 2008-03-1101
Eoin Butler Maeve Binchy Shay Healy 2008-03-1102
Eoin Butler Maeve Binchy Shay Healy 2008-03-1103
January 21st, 2010.
January 21st, 2010 at 4:27 am
You’re tearing me apartd
January 21st, 2010 at 6:14 am
Ah, The Catcher in the Rye. I recently described this as “my absolute favourite book of all time and under all circumstances”. Unoriginal, perhaps, but what can you do?
It’s mad though isn’t it, the way stuff that you read or listen to in your formative years is so, well, formative. I spent the first half of 1996 scowling and listening to “Nevermind” with a fervent intensity that I know I’ll never match again.
I often wonder about the youngsters of today with their SMSing and their interweb access and youtubing and whatnot. When they’re so bombarded with media from all angles are they going to form such passionate my-God-someone-else-out-there-is-as-disaffected-as-I-am attachments to books and albums as an older, less connected generation?
January 21st, 2010 at 12:09 pm
@Lisa
Yeah those teenage years were filled with a sense of being hard done by in a way you couldn’t quite place your finger on. For me it meant I formed strong attachments with characters you believe share your sentiments. For me getting the ‘The Bends’ (the album not the decompression sickness) was the pinnacle of my personal musical development which I don’t think I’ll ever surpass. And that’s not for lack of trying.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:42 pm
@Eoin: Surely you can’t complain that the clampers are targeting you when you mention live on national radio that your car is parked illegally outside the city centre radio station? or was it a trap…
January 21st, 2010 at 1:02 pm
@ Lisa – they don’t even know they’re born.
@ Chris – saw them 1996 Castlegar sports field. Supported by Divine Comedy and the Bluetones. Memories…
@ Conal – its so annoying that you keep changing your name. One Dan is enough.
January 21st, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I just wanted to say that you were really good at Chaos Thaoghaire last night Eoin. Hope “John” and “Paul” weren’t too annoyed!
January 21st, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Roisin. The Veronica Guerin joke bombed though. Too soon. Too soon.
January 21st, 2010 at 3:52 pm
@Chris: oh absolutely. None of those Mr Darcy or Heathcliff figures, for me it was Holden Caulfield or no one.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:45 pm
love right at the start:
“… and we’ll be answering the big question of the day: why do we itch?”
January 21st, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Well, it’s one of the big questions, MB. Someone’s gotta ask it.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:22 pm
yeah conal boy,cop the fuck on.i read on the road at about twenty five,i didnt think it was great,i remember the beginning (she raised her creamy leg,i hope she goes away now in a while tho till me and deano have a chat,hi deano auld stock ive a cup of coffee here for you…and a bagel-youre looking well boy……..nah nothing ha?…you want me to run down to the shop for johnnies is it? noproblem..in an hour…)and the end,driving to mexico,theyd have followed us for ever-the children and the others,linus pattie schroder violet.the middle i forget-i suppose if you were there yourself like.anyway.on the road.
i used often have to thumb home from college-did an enormous ammount of thumbing in my time.there is f88k all thumbing in on the road-they rent a car as far as i can remember.that was grand anywaay. *
catcher in the rye-readitonego-dont remeber much of it either,think his teacher tries to go for his balls in it and he calls sex having the time.sisters name is pheobe,fee-obe.*
I might reread them tonight!probably lying around the house alright,stay in for the weekend now lads and read catcher in the rye and then on the road,and an auld pop science for good measure,and go in then and cook something for the love of God,and an auld marathon and a spa.
January 22nd, 2010 at 1:14 am
You realise you have Neal and Jack the wrong way around in your caption?
January 22nd, 2010 at 1:16 am
I know that Alison. Jack and Neal/California Here We Come is the name of a track from Tom Waits’ Foreign Affairs album.
P.S Do I know you or what’s all of the hostility tonight?
January 30th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
[…] (from this blog) here’s a funny letter he wrote to a fan, Maeve Binchy, Shay Healy and myself talking about him on the radio and his famous run-in with my insane auntie Geraldine. January 30th, […]