Tuesday, May 24, 2011

One-word biographies


In Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the nine-year-old (rather annoying) hero encounters a man who has created a biographical index: tens of thousands of cards, each containing the name of a person, and a single pertinent word:
Henry Kissinger: war!
Ornette Coleman: music!
Che Guevara: war!
Jeff Bezos: money!
Philip Guston: art!
and so on. I can’t decide what my one word would be. Possibly “words”. Or “baffled”. What about yours?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

For me, either "ideas" or "conversations".

Vicus Scurra said...

Mine would be "twat". Or am I being conceited?

Charles Edward Frith said...

Otter

GreatSheElephant said...

Gloom

Fat Roland said...

'Twazmuppet' was invented for moments like this.

Anonymous said...

Would like to say "mellow" but suspect it should be "tired" or more specifically "tired-looking" (if that's allowed).
Or "sticky-uppy" he thought, more cheerfully - it's the hair.

Anonymous said...

And by the way - I can't help it - every time I've come here lately that post title from your archive has caught my eye - "Horny topless smoking Lily Allen..." Maybe you could dispense with content in future and just post carefully selected titles. (Yes, you can include Charlotte Rampling if you must.)
My contribution will be this: Brenda Fricker blocked my bog - or broke my bog. Second option a bit unfair on her.
And the content? Dunno. Tenuous links to celebrity maybe?

The Militant Working Boy said...

Smorgasbord.

Romeo Morningwood said...

Kitschmensch

It's on my blog profile:
a pretentious poseur who compulsively metamorphoses actual and vicarious sentiments imaginings or experiences and conveniently slaps together a ridiculously simple resolution.

The opposite of "gravitas" whatever that is?

Michele R. Strüb said...

Bemusement!

Annie said...

Frustrated.

LC said...

Disappointment.

Anonymous said...

Abyssopelagic.

Tim F said...

And I thought *my* self esteem was low.

Kitty Hannah said...

Here's one to make your self-esteem soar... My one word would simply be: fuck-up! Because I refuse to over-egg the pudding.

miketoons said...

Daft!

Andy said...

I can't assist it - just about every time I've arrive right here recently that article name out of your archive has caught my eye
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