Your Monday mote

Rave on, you happy/miserable professionals!

The Marty Feldman autobiography, which I lent to a friend, has been returned and is currently sitting on my desk, a magnificent distraction.

Feldman, if you don’t know, was a hugely influential comedian back in the Sixties and Seventies. I have one of his recordings, I Feel A Song Going Off, on vinyl, and love to revel in the abstract silliness of his humour.

Songs such as Mavis Wavertree (the name of my dog should I ever get one), You Without Me, District Nurse Hargreaves and Ilford Town Hall, are staples in this household.

I may have to do a Feldman special issue but if you don’t know his name, you may recognise him as an actor, most famously from the Mel Brooks movie, Young Frankenstein. He played Igor, a role he more or less improvised.

Flicking through eYE Marty (procrastinating) I read this: “Writing for me, like most things in my life, is an obsession, a psychological condition that I carry with me, like a badge of dishonour.”

People who don’t write, can’t possibly understand the weirdness that comes with being someone who create their own worlds.

It’s like living on a planet inhabited by one person. You.

You play all the roles, make all the decisions, wallow in the wins and take all the knocks. You need to be resilient to live there but it’s a world that can surprise you.

Yesterday, I started the morning by laughing out loud at something I’d written a while ago. And that’s okay because while I’m the sole writer, I’m also the sole audience member. My appreciation for me is much needed.

I’d been going over an old TV pilot which I’m using at the basis for the novel I’m writing and frankly, I impressed myself. Believe me, this doesn’t happen often. These days it’s generally the opposite. I’ve gone from: “All your dreams will come true!”, to “At least wear trousers that button up today”.

There’s something rather magical about being amused by your own turn of phrase but knowing that the funnies are still lurking within made me very happy indeed.

As Marty also said: Rave on, you happy/miserable professionals!

Lisa

PS: I’m now Threading? Regularly Thrud? If you want to follow me there, please do. Click these words and say hello.

Pictured: Ilford Town Hall.