Re: GG Glenn Gould and Marshall McLuhan

[Christopher Bodnar <cbodnar@chat.carleton.ca>]

Hello all -- I've been waiting for a while to send a message to the list, but
always felt a bit "in over my head" -- but now I can share a few resources. (I
am on topic -- see my blurb on Gould below!)

Anyone wanting a crash course in McLuhan should check the following:
First, an essay by James Carey from the Antioch Review (Vol. XXVII, 1967)
"Harold Adams Innis and Marshall McLuhan" is one of the best thumbnail sketches
of McLuhan and his influence, Harold Innis.
Second, two interesting McLuhan books are The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962) and
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964). I think anyone who enjoys
dealing with Gould's writing may enjoy the absurd writing style McLuhan offers.
Third, to get a perspective of McLuhan in relation to the development of
communication studies in Canada (including Northrop Frye, Innis, John Grierson,
Dallas Smythe, etc.) see Robert E. Babe's book Canadian Communication Thought:
Ten Foundational Writers (2000) from the University of Toronto Press.

At the moment I'm a Ph.D. candidate in communication studies at Carleton
University (in Ottawa). I was attracted to study more about Gould after seeing
the film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. In particular, the use of the
medium of film to capture Gould's ideas about technology and communicative
theory was intriguing. The use of film as a mediating/reflective tool against
Gould's own desire to mediate his experience with the listener through
electronic recording was of interest, considering theory about the musical
instrument as a medium between any musical genius and the external world. I
ended up writing a short course paper on the use of film to portray Gould and
his thoughts and music, both in Thirty Two as well as the earlier NFB
documentaries.

Since then, I've been dabbling in a bit of Gouldian thought, mostly for fun but
with the intention of writing a paper at some point, relating his technological
perspectives with music and audience ideas to the larger realm of Canadian
communication study. For the moment, Glenn gets me through the rest of my
studies by helping me escape periodically with his recordings.

Reading the list is quite entertaining and I thank you all for your patience is
dealing with someone like me, sitting on another branch of the tree:)

Cheers -- Chris

"Sven-S. Porst" wrote:

> >It is if you are interested in  communications theory and the media.  Glenn
> >Gould and Marshall McLuhan shared many visionary ideas about technology.
>
> Thanks for the information, Anne. Perhaps I should enter phase two now
> and get a book by McLuhan from the library (step one was accepting that
> you can be called 'Marshall McLuhan' and not be in the military). Any
> suggestion what would be a good book / article to start with?
>
> Thanks
>
>                 Sven
>
> --
> Sven-S. Porst . PGP: 0x0085ABA3 . http://homepage.mac.com/ssp
>             "Of course I'm home. I'm always home. I'm uncool."