Friday, September 24, 2010

100


Hold the phones!

You know what I just realized, you guys? This is the 100th time I've ever written an Open Letter to The Internet via this blog. Yes'siree--my 100th post. And it only took me an entire year to do it!

My accomplishments, they are blinding in their celestial radiance!

Anyway, I've been thinking about the idea of celestial radiance lately because mine is obviously so distracting; and so I've been listening to Neutral Milk Hotel because to me, nothing is so awesome as In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. And I mean "awesome" in the Biblical sense. It's like you can hear God's voice in their tubas. And then God singing harmony with Himself in their musical saw.

Now, I understand NMH is not everyone's Thing. It's probably exactly the opposite of 62% of my readership's Thing. But that aside, I'd like to say that my goal is to create just one thing in my lifetime that's as purely inspired and good-at-what-it-does as In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. If I were going to paint a painting, I'd want it to be that good. If I were going to write a novel, I would want it to be that good. If I were going to sing a song, I'd want it to be that good. It may happen, and it may not. I'll keep you posted.

So, speaking from this great height--having stuck with writing this silly blog for a whole year--I can see that perhaps my collected works are not quite as good as Aeroplane. Therefore, I will keep practicing.

But it makes me wonder: what do other people think is celestially radiant and biblically awesome? If you were ever going to do something that's so good that it couldn't be changed even one tiny hair's breadth without being sullied, what would it be as good as?

I won't be offended if it's not this:

3 comments:

  1. Jesslyn, I also love, love that album. Did you know that I did a long interview with Jeff Mangum that is pretty darn cool? Here is the link:
    http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/5847-neutral-milk-hotel/
    Congrats on your 100th post! That is really good, since so many writers with good intentions abandon their blogs after a handful of posts.

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  2. WHEW! Sho don't sound like Mudcat Music to me! Keep righting you'll learn how eventually...

    paw

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  3. :) i love you and congratulations on 100.
    so, this isn't the Best thing i can think of, but it might be top 10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bg1qAw8TmM
    isn't it weird that we're such good friends? heehe.

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