This is a collage in white grease pencil (china marker) of drawings I copied from Lynda Barry and Robert Fludd. I chose Fludd’s drawing, which I saw for the first time on the front of a book catalog, because it uses the phrase “mundus imaginabilis.” I mistook his drawing as a diagram of Sufi mystic experience which I had just been reading about in books by Henry Corbin. It turns out that Fludd’s ideas were a bit different but by the time I found that out, the drawing had been made. I combined the drawing of the mundus imaginabilis (which now that I think of it may be the mundus imaginalis in Corbin) with drawings from Lynda Barry because it suited my abiding interest in the difference in accounts of visionary experience in different periods of history.
The Lynda Barry drawings I took from her 100 DEMONS, one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. These panels come from the introduction where she describes the writing exercise which gave rise to the book (and the title of the book): intending nothing, leaving her brush free to record her every stray thought, she captures the demons that enter her mind. If you haven’t read 100 Demons, I’m not sure what you’ve been doing. You must read this book.
I did this drawing initially as a card for my friend Avy’s 30th birthday. I liked it so much that I made three prints of it, giving one to Avy, one to my friend Kat, and one to someone else (OF).
I post this drawing today because I spoke to Kat on the phone and because today, after years of waiting, I received my copy of Lynda Barry’s latest, THE NEAR SIGHTED MONKEY BOOK. Years ago, I put my name on a list so that I could have it as soon as it was available but its publication was repeatedly delayed. I kept getting little e-mails from Amazon saying, “Sorry, not yet” and “oop wait a second.” So the book finally arrives — with $7.50 due COD — and Kat tells me Kyle bought the book for her a week ago from the bookstore!
Kat and I spent the rest of our conversation talking about writer’s block, ways of breaking it and how Lynda Barry is the coolest. Always good to talk to you, Kat.
oooo! I have been blogged about, I feel flattered and sorta famous. Always good to talk to you too. For the record, I’m convinced Amazon’s order ahead option is some dastardly scheme just to make sure they get the money for what you want…but they do often have the best prices on things. bastards.
I love this poster – it hangs in a very prominent location in my apartment, as does the “why we love nypd blue” comic that you and Maya made. BTW, I am always looking for writing tips so if you can Kat feel like publishing your wisdom somewhere, you should tell me where to find it :-).
Avy! I’ll make sure Kat sees that! Her blog’s in the side column but as a writer she is on strike!
hi,Avy! Sorry to not respond earlier, but Kerry directed me to this the other day-I’m not notified for some reason when someone comments on a thread–I guess because I’m not the owner of the blog! Anyhow, you can also feel free to email me directly if you like, I love to talk about writing, but as Kerry says, I’m been having a bit of a….blockatude problem lately (as in a writer’s block that feels more like a problem with my I can’t do it attitude), so I’m not feeling all that confident about giving advice, though I could direct someone to NOT do what I’m doing lately which is starting at blank computer screens! What I am trying is telling a story in another format. I started telling a story the other day in a sort of graphic novel format. Despite my not being all that skilled in drawing, it kind of helps. It was an improvement over blankness at least