Anthony Lane - Unchallenged


Oogie waits for just another day Drags his bones to see the Yankees play Bones Boy talks and flickers gray Oh, they slip away Once a time they nearly might have been Bones and Oogie on a silver screen No one knew what they could do Except for me and you They slip away They slip away CHORUS Don't forget to keep your head warm Twinkle twinkle Uncle Floyd Watching all the world and war torn How I wonder where you are Sailing over Coney Island Twinkle twinkle Uncle Floyd We were dumb but you were fun, boy How I wonder where you are Oo-oo Oogie knew there's never ever time Some of us will always stay behind Down in space it's always 1982 The joke we always knew Oo-oo What's-a matter with you C'mon, let's go Slip away Oo-oo

My friends are always mentioning this fellow Anthony Lane. Never heard of him. But then this girl I had been almost having sex with gave me this book. "Here. Now read this Anthony Lane essay," she said. At which point, I no longer had never heard of him. I read the essay. She moved to North Carolina.

Author's Note: This is my suggested alternative to 'The Sound of Music,' and if it were one hundred minutes long, it would someday have a showing at the Prince Charles Theatre too. Or not? I mean, this really is good.

Personal Note: Once I know what picture will go with the text, the desire to produce a workable draft suddenly doubles. A workable draft means I can place the picture in it, which means I can look at it while revising. It's the same for music. Once I know what music, it's like the song literally drives and shapes the text.

Afterlogue: I read this Anthony Lane essay from this book called 'greatest magazine writing of 2001.' The essay was about the phenomenon of people going to watch the sound of music (or Rocky Horror or whatever the local flavor is) and getting all threaded-up, and how funny it is, and why. Anthony Lane knows a lot about movies, and he knows the words 'New Yorker' readers long to read. But deep down, you and I know.








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