Get me... a toothpick

June 8, 2004 9:12 PM

Alfred Jarry. Writer, creator of pataphysics (the science of imaginary solutions), adopted father of the surrealists and extreme bike rider (in reality as well as in Howard Waldrop's Fin de Cycle). His best known work, Ubu Roi, inspired painter Joan Miro, playwright Samuel Beckett (among others) and gave a music group its name. (More Inside)
posted by Joey Michaels (7 comments total)

Jarry was extremely quotable. This has always been my favorite quote, from the cover page of my copy of Ubu Roi:

We shall not have succeeded in demolishing everything unless we demolish the ruins as well. But the only way I can see of doing that is to use them to put up a lot of fine, well-designed buildings.

Though I also quite like:

Anti-alcoholics are unfortunates in the grip of water, that terrible poison, so solvent and corrosive that out of all substances, it has been chosen for washing and scourings, and a drop of water, added to a clear liquid like absinthe, muddies it.

Someday, we will all become Ubu.
posted by Joey Michaels at 9:14 PM on June 8, 2004

(reads.. laughs.. reads)
posted by Hildago at 9:34 PM on June 8, 2004

Bill Griffith's Timothy Leary Encounters Alfred Jarry in Heaven, from El Perfecto Comics is one of his finest comics. Unfortunately, no one has thought to provide an example online as yet.
posted by y2karl at 10:54 PM on June 8, 2004

MERRRRDRE!

OK, I'm done.
posted by soyjoy at 8:53 AM on June 9, 2004

My like is richer for this. Thanks.
posted by putzface_dickman at 11:28 AM on June 9, 2004

Thanks for the writeup; I had never read that wonderful first quote before!

You might find King Gubu to be of interest. It's a translation of Ubu Roi into Irish English! I much prefer it to the English translation that I first read. And "Gobshites!" is far superior to "Pschitt!"
posted by cobra libre at 4:26 PM on June 9, 2004

cobra libre: That is absolutely the gobshite! Thanks for the link. A great translation - arguably better than either of the ones I have.
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:18 PM on June 9, 2004