Jean Genet……..

Here is someone I’m very fascinated by. I can relate to him on so many different levels but his life has this combination of Barry Lyndon, Oliver Twist and pornography all rolled into one. I think I enjoy reading about people who were a little controversial and have “bad pasts” persay and turn into some brilliant works of art. I started off my own life  on the off beat path and I think sometimes it does seem like all roads lead to art because that is where people welcome you to speak freely the most. You can write and create anything you want from your experiences and make wonderful things and  I think what I take from Genet’s work is crafting the art of drawing from one’s life, though poltically I don’t know where I stand on his partake in the events that he did, but from an aesthetic and artistic point of view I find him a fascinating person.

I recommend the Todd Haynes’ film POISION- inspired by Genet’s stories and his most famous The Thief’s Journal which is absolutely amazing especially if you are a history buff and want to encounter Europe in the 1930s from a completely different perspective. I have just started to read it and find it quite a learning experience.