Joshua Glenn (aka Brainiac) has posted a lengthy consideration of the generations of the twentieth century, renaming most (The Greatest Generation as The New Gods), distinguishing among and between [his take on Gen X (my generation): 1964-1973], and chronicling symbolic images (Catcher cover) and the birth years of the famous and noteworthy (J.D. Salinger: 1919). I do not like seeing Holden Caulfield on the cover of this paperback; because without visual representation, especially the absence of a motion picture, he remains my Holden. (He, of course, remains everyone else's Holden, too.) However--though I much prefer the spare cover of today, and though I want to forget the profile of Holden's face offered here--this cover attempts something. Holden's elusiveness is part, or maybe all, of the reason why it "breaks my heart." If someone would recognize the fall...reach out. And that's what the cover gets--Holden walking away, just out of reach; even when you do reach, he's gone--transient, illusory. ***** Thankfully, the one generation Glenn does not rename, the one on which he offers no commentary, is the Baby Boomers. Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction), during the 1991 Lollapalooza Tour, promoting the Rock the Vote campaign and encouraging activism, offered HIS commentary: "That hippie shit didn't quite make it--you turned the country into polyester and republicans."
Monday, May 5, 2008
Talkin' 'bout My Generation
Joshua Glenn (aka Brainiac) has posted a lengthy consideration of the generations of the twentieth century, renaming most (The Greatest Generation as The New Gods), distinguishing among and between [his take on Gen X (my generation): 1964-1973], and chronicling symbolic images (Catcher cover) and the birth years of the famous and noteworthy (J.D. Salinger: 1919). I do not like seeing Holden Caulfield on the cover of this paperback; because without visual representation, especially the absence of a motion picture, he remains my Holden. (He, of course, remains everyone else's Holden, too.) However--though I much prefer the spare cover of today, and though I want to forget the profile of Holden's face offered here--this cover attempts something. Holden's elusiveness is part, or maybe all, of the reason why it "breaks my heart." If someone would recognize the fall...reach out. And that's what the cover gets--Holden walking away, just out of reach; even when you do reach, he's gone--transient, illusory. ***** Thankfully, the one generation Glenn does not rename, the one on which he offers no commentary, is the Baby Boomers. Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction), during the 1991 Lollapalooza Tour, promoting the Rock the Vote campaign and encouraging activism, offered HIS commentary: "That hippie shit didn't quite make it--you turned the country into polyester and republicans."
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2 comments:
Thanks for this -- I think you're the only person in the world who's commented on my new theory of generations... Josh
I just read (and commented there too upon) your response to Robin Hilton's stumpedness to the millenials and their music. A wonderful opportunity for you to demonstrate the validity and practicality of your recent generation guide, which deserves an infomercial or something. I like the term Disneyfied--and its similarity, in appearance and meaning, to DisneyFED. Disturbingly appropriate.
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