Getting close to the end of my viewing of Deadwood. The other night, I watched the Leviathan Smiles episode, which was about as close as I come to being overcome by the writing and execution of film. It made me jealous of David Milch’s talent, despairing of not being able to write like that, and sad that I’m almost out of episodes to watch. Which is my cynical Irish way of saying I loved it.
David Milch makes me feel like Saul on the Road to Damascus: watching Deadwood reveals to me what art can and should be. And, according to Milch in this Tavis Smiley interview, provides further evidence of the artist as vessel and, in the best of respects, hopefully egoless and attentive to The Voice.
Here’s a typically brilliant Milch exhange: George Hearst (played by Gerald McRaney) threatens A.W. Merrick (portrayed by Jeffrey Jones) after Merrick has published an embarrassing letter to Hearst from the Sheriff:
- George Hearst: I’m to take you for majestically neutral?
- Merrick: I’d make the less exalted claim, as a journalist, of keeping my opinions to myself.
- George Hearst: You are less majestically neutral than cloaking your cowardice in principle?
- Merrick: I can only answer perhaps, Mr. Hearst, events have not yet disclosed to me all that I am.
Good Lord, that’s writing. Events have not yet disclosed to me all that I am. Humbleness, philosophy on predeterminism, quiet yet terrified dignity in the face of tyranny, all in one sentence. Wow.
God, I hate him.
On Kenwoode: Sending more panels out to Carl tonight. He should be finished with panels 3 and 4 soon, and I’m gonna be finishing panels 5 and 6 tonight (the ones I’ll “ship”) and will keep working over my Christmas break.
Kenwoode 