". . . to prostitute your work?" [Cage story / Daniel Defoe]

This is what it says it is. Alas, I've never properly read it, though in a vague way a few famous parts are somewhat familiar. Sometime if I lead a life of proper leisure, I may also read Leslie Scalapino's Dafoe (2003). Meanwhile, there's the Cage story.

I like that Willem Dafoe shares a surname with Daniel Dafoe. Are they in fact related?

I've only seen the Wooster Group once. It was a strange spectacle somewhat based on Flaubert's Temptation of St. Antony (or if you wish, Anthony or Antoine). I mention this because Willem Dafoe has a noted background with the Wooster Group -- though I don't believe he was in the cast when I was at the Performance Garage (probably in 1990). [I may've seen him in other things; but he's mostly familiar from films.] The late Ron Vawter was in the Wooster performance. The late Spalding Gray was another Wooster founder / alumnus not seen that evening. I've not much thought of Spalding in a while. What a marvelous man. One mourns him.

I've not read the Flaubert either. It could perhaps be perused with the Crusoe. But what in the world did those advertising guys mean by the remark to John Cage? Presumably it simply suggests (through the peculiar reference) how they found him to be singular. As singular as, say, a Lilliputian?

Speaking of St. Antoine, there's also Dali's strange painting. But I would need to see it more closely, or read about it or something . . . it's rather frightening. I think I'd prefer one by Giotto. However, I guess that would more likely be of the later St. Anthony of Padua (nearly a thousand years after the Desert Father). I passed thru the Bascillica one evening. I'd spend part of the afternoon taking video footage of the olden University of Padova -- said (by Italians) to be the first university in the world; but this doesn't take into account the old Buddhist ones (like Nalanda). Romeo and Juliet were supposed to have lived in Padua. This was mentioned to me by a friend when I was heading that way (en route betwen Florence and Venice). I met a poet (my friend's neice) who gave me her book; but my Italian fluency was piu povere [? too poor].

Goodness! That Temptation of St. Anthony (Flaubert's) was translated by none other than Lafcadio Hearn (and introduced by Michel Foucault). I may need to acquire the tome. I'd no idea Hearn had translated Flaubert. I was only aware of all the Japanese stuff. Are Lafcadio Hearn and Robinson Crusoe vaguely cognate? I read maybe half a dozen of Hearn's volumes while in high school. A rare Orientalist, he married a Japanese wife and sent dispatches from Meiji Era (明治時代) Japan. He died in his mid-50s . . . only slightly more shortlived than Spaulding Gray.

Of course an interesting little surprise of Cage's story, is his answer "Yes." It seems to be an old recollection.


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This post represents my Cage story rumination no. 3.
Cage story rumination no. 1 was: "Oh! it's you" [Max Ernst]
Cage story rumination no. 2 was: ". . . to see these things" [Morris Graves]