Gary's Third Pottery Blog

When the going gets tough, dragons gonna get going....

Gary's third pottery blog

WRITE TO ME! garyrith@yahoo.com Come see me! Open studio HERE! November 25-26 (11-4 each day); Aurora Art and Design, daily until 12/24; Cooperstown Art Assoc. daily until 12/24; Ellis Hollow Community Fair, 12/10; December 10, Little Red Wagon at the Space at Greenstar. All material on this blog unless stated otherwise is copyright Gary Edward Rith 2016

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

please TELL ME about your own bad self....

I was listening to a radio program several years ago, about the DESERT ISLAND. What would you take? Lauri Anderson, the avant garde singer, insisted she was taking her best friend and partner, Lou Reed (geez, who WOULDN't take Lou REED?). The announcer kept saying you cannot take somebody but she insisted--that is LOVE. Anyway, I would suggest a 3 part question: If you were sent to a heavenly desert island where all the food and shelter basics were provided 1) what THING would you have to have? 2) what BOOK would you have to have? 3) what person would you have to bring? ANYBODY.

ANYWAY, you answer those questions in comments please, and add your website, OK? Here is my set of answers for the desert island: (I am poorly behaved, stubborn and rebellious and may not follow my own rules, you know?)

1) what THING? hmm.....gosh, I mean you want to bring your wheel and kiln and all the rest, but I s'pose I can try to scrounge sculpture tools and supplies on the desert island, so I am gonna need a lot of sketchbooks and pencils---with those I can write stories, I can doodle little dogs, I can draw pictures, I can GO GAUGIN as it were

2) I have reread one book in only a few cases--Annie Proulx's SHIPPING NEWS, Brad Smith's ALL HAT and all of the Robertson Davies books. I eat books pretty fast: zip throguh, enjoy, then forget, so, frankly, let's have a daily drop from an airplane of the NY Times newspapers. That way I can keep up with the Yankees and do the daily crossword and check the recipes and restaurants on Wednesday, the movies I am missing on Friday...

3) One person! Well, THE WIFE of course. Plus my cat Spike and 2 dogs. And Lou Reed and Lauri Anderson to hang out with, dang they ARE COOL.







27 comments:

denis said...

1. A desert island would not be complete without a hammock so the one thing I would bring with me is a hammock.

2. I'm like you Gary and read books only once so a book would be useless after a couple of days so I'd bring a dictionary to keep my brain semi-stimulated while I learn a few new words everyday while I'm enjoying my hammock.

3. My partner Michael of course. But if he didn't want to come with me, then a porn star for daily physical exercise.

Lori Buff said...

1.Thinking I can make pots by hand like the islanders did & I can sketch in the sand I'd have to bring my iPod for music.
2. If I couldn't get a weekly book drop I'd have to pack "Cultivating Delight." I would keep my both sides of my brain stimulated
3. My Sweetie and all our pups.

Website is http://FutureRelicsGallery.com

Gary's third pottery blog said...

haha, DENIS!!!! I should mention, since you cannot guarentee that desert islands will have TP, that my daily NY Times has more than one use....

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

1) THING: definitely iPad or iPhone pending a solar source to charge it and pending phone and data service

2) BOOK: hmmmmm. How about I just bring my kindle :-D

3) PERSON: well I have two children and you said only one person. I'd have to leave the hubby to care for the kids. I have three brothers so I can't choose there. My BFF probable wouldn't want to be stranded on an island without her family; same goes for most of my friends. So I guess, Rob Pattinson? :-P

kate et jim said...

If I brought a laptop, (of course it would endlessly charged) then I could keep up w/ the goings on and also get help if I tired of island life.

I'm more of a magazine/newspaper person - like you, I read books once, then that's that.

And I'd have to bring my friend Neil (sorry Jimbo). He and I have endured 55 years of friendship so far, so I imagine we could stand being on a desert island together.

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

Oops: Glass Half Full Gal

Emily SIL said...

1. Music (can't live without it)
2. Swimming Buddy
3. Sunscreen

Gary's third pottery blog said...

I should say, your laptop or phone with solar charger --no probs! But, you know, who can say whether there is wifi or cell coverage? But then again, if I have a daily paper being dropped from a plane, OK, I will give you service :)

Gallow said...

1. A laptop with a satellite link. (Music, Books, NY Times....)
2. Integral Spirituality by Ken Wilber. (Perhaps rereading it a 1000 times, I'd be able to fully understand it.)
3. Judy would be the person. I enjoy our time together, in the past, and the present, and look forward to our future together.

k.a. barnes said...

Now, I'm assuming being on this desert island is a GOOD thing, because otherwise, if my goal is to get off it & back to civilization, my items/person choices would be very different.

1. Thing- my ipod, but like you mentioned before, a solar power charger would be necessary.

2. I really like the idea of a daily airdrop of the NY Times. But if I can bring one book, I'd bring the 21 Balloons by William Pene DuBois. It's a kid's book, but surprisingly sophisticated, and about a very interesting civilization set up on the island of Krakatoa before it blew up. I have been reading & re-reading that book at least yearly since I was ten.

3. I'd bring Brett. He's good company and fun at word games, as I know from our 6 hour car rides home to our folks' from where we lived in OH. I'd like Frances & Minchy as well too. Actually, and this sounds terrible, I'd be cool with one person physically there as long as I had some kind of interwebs way of communicating with others.

-Rob, Simple Circle Studios said...

Thing: Guitar. No need for technology; I'll make my own music.
Book: Man, that is a hard one. Probably the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. Then I would have a pretty wide selection of creepy stories and such.
Person: Definitely my wife, but while she was pregnant with our son. That way I can sneak in an extra person.

Side note: Coincidentally I just listened to Laurie Anderson for the first time last night! Pretty trippy stuff, but great. She is going to be added to the music library for sure.

Jill Brown said...

Hmmmm.... oh geez, let's see...
1.) Thing: My camera? Yes, probably my camera. Or maybe I'd bring a sketch-book or journal instead, since I wouldn't be able to charge batteries for my digital or have all my chemicals for a darkoom... So my answer, a Sketchbook!

2.) Book: Well, probably The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert, so I can be inspired to live off the land and when ever I get down about living on the island, I can just read this book and get re-inspired!

3. Person: Well, duh! My husband! Gotta have him around. ;)

Reverend Awesome said...

Okay. Here we go.
1. My one thing...A computer with all of my design programs on it and the internet. That would be just as important as food to me.

2. Book. Infinite Jest. Maybe I'd finally be able to comprehend the damn thing. I'd have so much time to reread pages and soak it all in. It seems like a book that requires zero distractions and I'm distracted by everything. I imagine a deserted island is less distracting than Des Moines.

3. The person, Scott! That's easy.

Reverend Awesome

cookingwithgas said...

No thanks- I am not going. I live in the middle of NOWHERE now! So sign me up for all those empty houses when you are all gone.
I will house sit and go bar hoping!

Knight said...

I’m going to be as realistic as possible in my answers

1)Thing: I figure I can make my own art and music. I assume I’ll spend the whole time nude because why bother? So I’m thinking I’ll bring a couple yards of soft fabric. It will serve as sheets for stormy nights, shade, washcloths, toilet paper, etc.

2)Book: I think if I only have the one book it better be something I want to know inside and out. So maybe, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz.

3)Person: I’m nude on a desert island. Obviously I’m bringing someone hot. Hey, maybe I could talk Benji into coming with me ;)

Liz said...

1. I'm going to go with laptop and satellite. I don't need any fancy pottery equipment, handbuilding works for me, and I still remember how to light a fire.
2.Books are a tough one, I read all the time but there are few books I would want to read over again. I will brink a blank sketchbook/journal and write My own darned book.
3. How do I choose one person? this is a tough one. I have two kids, and no significant other. I guess if I can't have both kids, then I would choose to bring my friend Shannon

Kimberly said...

1) I would have the most comfy bed with clean cotton white sheets and pillows and a warm blanky. I love my sleep and good sleep makes me happy and ready for the day.

2) I would bring along a copy of the new testament w/o the last chapter..(I can't understand that chapter anyway). I really like the teachings of JC and I would have time to read throu them carefully.

3) I would take Javier Bardem and my dog spencer with me. Both would keep me warm in my bed on the island and we could all read about Jesus together.

Wep said...

Hmm...this is tricky.

1. I can't stand silence, so I would have to go with a solar powered iPod.

2. The Winnie the Pooh book because it's friendlier with two.

3. While I love my husband, he burns in the sun. I'm bringing my sweet Olivia dog. She's always a great companion.

Michèle Hastings said...

1. laptop... because it can provide me with music, games and a method of writing and creating art.

2. Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present, written by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Maurice Sendak... my very most favorite children's book. I can read it over and over and i love to read it to other people.

3. WHO to take... this is hard. i will really miss my daughter but i would probably drive her crazy after a few weeks so i had better take Jeff and hope he doesn't swim away to escape the endless reading aloud of "Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present".

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Cheri, you could BRING ADAM, but he PLAYS for the other team, so, well, you would get song and dance, otherwise, he might prefer to be on Denis' Island :) I must say, this is one hel of an island, with wifi, newspapers, cell service ...I just hope there is plenty of hot sauce :)

Joyful Things said...

1. A ship. To return to civilization as sanity dictates.
2. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
3. My husband. Or maybe Jesus - He can turn water into wine.

Matt Sutkoski said...

Ooh Good, fun quiz, Gary!
.
1. Thing: Whatever I can use to write. Either a laptop that would work on a desert island without ever running out of battery power, or notebooks and pencils and pens. Writing focuses my thoughts.

2. Book: "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George. It's a 1959 novel aimed at pre-teen boys. It's about a 13 year old boy who lives for a year in the mountains and learns to be self-sufficient. It's always a great reminder to me to keep adapting to changing circumstances, happily.

3. I'd bring my partner Jeff, of course. I wonder if he'd have fun, though. He's not particularly outdoorsy.

My blog web page: http://mattalltrades.blogspot.com/

Gary's third pottery blog said...

I should say, these are all quite awesome :)
I give Rob the golden coconuts award though, so far, for actual simple cleverness, if you think about the rules for a sec (which I blatantly ignored), his being, to my mind, super stripped down and clever, Poe's complete writings (good choice), guitar--endless amusement and entertainment, and PREGNANT wife--wicked clever :)

Unknown said...

What things would I bring? A Boat, gasoline, and a compass, and map. I hate the thought of living on an Island, Hurricanes, tidal Waves, Sharks, possible sald water croc...I would get out of there.
I only read educational materials so it would be titled, "How to get off an Island Quick"! hahahahhaaha
Who would I bring? George, and the pups, and if I could bring one more it would be one of navy seals to get us home....hahahahhaha!
Went to the Caribbean when I was young, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. John, Martinique....beautiful but scared the crap out of me....too scary for me. The rain forest was so scary....

Busy Bee Suz said...

If I can't bring my laptop can I bring my droid??
A book??? I dunno...I read them once and then I am done.
Person? I have to pick ONE. can't pick one. That is not fair. I don't want to go to a desert island anymore.
:)

Mindless Jabber said...

1. My one thing would be my computer. It would have to have internet access, of course, and it has all of my music and pictures on it.

2. What book? Hmm. I'd say, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. I love that book and can reread it over and over. In fact, I'm reading it to Sophie at bedtime.

3. Sophie, of course. I'd have internet access, so I could talk to all my pals that way. :)

celeste said...

1. Bourbon
2. Whiskey
3. Beer

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I am a full-time studio potter, sculptor, and dog walker, married to superhawt Missus Tastycake.