* Purist (plural purists) n believer in traditional standards: somebody who insists on maintaining something in its traditional form Searching online for the perfect “My Favorite Things” video for my “About” page I wondered… How much of a purist I really am? (I thought I wasn’t. At all! I swear! ) But I’m also a Libra so indecision is in my DNA, in my blood (as Étienne of my Time Not Wasted would say.) So what is it going to be? Julie Andrews or Youn Sun Nah? Kelly Clarkson or Sarah Vaughan? How about Al Jarreau? And why even though I like many different versions and I love it when singers and composers experiment with the original version adding their flavor, why did I pick Julie Andrews? Am I a purist? What about you? Jane Austen is not to be messed with or you’re more open-minded as long as there’s the main concept and a decent Mr. Darcy? I’ve read my share of P&P variations, alternative universes and alternate histories to the point my eyes bled (I draw a line on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies-- masochism has its limits.) I never complained. A good story is a good story. If the characters are not developed well, well then it’s not a good story. And “variations”-- is fanfiction a bad word?-- is not an excuse for the lazy writer. I’m not a snob either. (There IS a post about the kind of reader I am!) If fanfiction is good I’ll throw a party --it’s free!-- and read it! Still, why Julie Andrews? After all, highbrow contemporary Art and Postproduction are good old buddies for years. No bad blood between them. Why can’t I get past the “The Sound of Music” version? Is it Christmas? Have I connected the song with long TV nights watching musicals and movies in black and white? I’m puzzled because my mind is totally in favor of revisiting old songs, old heroes, old stories. In Greek the word for “Tradition” means also “Rendition”, “Surrender”. Is “surrendering” the liberty to get interpreted in whatever way and by whoever sees it fit the only way for the Old to stay alive, the only way for the Young to produce something new? Because --it’s no news-- creativity follows the steps of others and takes the path a little bit further. That's all. There would be no Herlock Sholmes without Sherlock Holms but also without Maurice Leblanc, the author of the amazing gentleman-thief Arsène Lupin. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle objected to Leblanc using his Sherlock Holms hero so Herlock Sholmes was created.) No! I need Arsène Lupin in my life! If Conan Doyle had a problem with it at the time, that time was so long ago that there is no much point in thinking about it now. He should be flattered! He should have "surrendered". (But then Herlock Sholmes would not have been alive… hmm…) Conclusion: I’m not a purist. I’m indecisive. I’m a Libra. What can I do if it’s in the stars? How can I fight the stars? (Well, maybe there is an answer after all…) What do you think?
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September 2018
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