Re: GG "Creative Lying"

["Anne M. Marble" <amarble@sff.net>]

From: Megan, Ken and Anne <smithqa@NEXICOM.NET>

> Dear F Minors,
>
> Some thoughts on the Kazdin book:
>
> Jim may be correct when he points out bad writing.  My own writing is
such
> that I don't feel that I can make a value judgment.

Your writing is just fine. :->

> Like Evalynne, I found  the bit about  the Christmas presents childish.

I forgot that part. Let me guess, Glenn Gould didn't buy Christmas presents
for anyone.

Hey, Andy's welcome to my former manager, who bought a box of chocolates
for "team members" he liked, like me... but didn't chocolates for Sue or
for poor beleaguered Margo. Still, I don't think my book about this manager
would be as vituperative as Andy's. <g>

> I think that John Hill hit the nail on the head. > In my view, though,
> this should not prevent us from learning as much as we can from
> someone *who was actually there* and actually had more than a
> few phone conversations with our hero.

Otto Friederich didn't even have the phone calls.

Still, I wish Andrew Kazdin had (to borrow a phrase from F-Minor lurker
Mary Lause) "switched to decaf" before writing his book. It seems that he's
still rather... caffeinated.

> Andrew Kazdin worked with GG for years.  He was involved
> in all aspects of the recording process.  We can't dismiss
> everything that he says.

Just take the second half of the book with a grain of salt. For example,
there's a part where Andrew Kazdin says that Glenn Gould broke up his
friendship with ...uhm... some guy because that guy stopped attending the
sessions where GG played the piano after the recording was done. This guy
(Paul Myers?) was interviewed in Rhona Bergman's "Idea of Gould," and he
refuted the claim.

 > I agree that there is a petty tone to his book, but if he points out a
few
> flaws in Glenn Gould's character, does that not make the man more human?

Yes, and that's a very good point.

Besides, after getting thoroughly depressed by Andrew Kazdin, you can
always read a more positive portrayal. Read Rhona Bergman's "The Idea of
Gould."  (At least she interviews several people, so you get a variety of
opinions, and not everything glowing.)

> This book made me angry at times.  That's a good thing.  It gave me
> something to think about.

Darn, another good point! :->

P.S. Timothy Maloney reviews the Bergman book here:
http://www.yorku.ca/caml/gould.htm