I just got finished reading a book about Tom Waits, "Lowside of the Road" by Barney Hoskyns. One line struck me, and luckily it is in
this review, so I don't have to type it:
As Hoskyns points out, "Waits's deepest conviction was that truth was overrated." He quotes the singer ranting about a "deficit of wonder in the world. We live in an age when you can casually say to someone, 'What's the story on that?' and they will run to the computer and tell you within five seconds. That's fine but I'd just as soon continue wondering." On this occasion, I'm with Tom, and despite all his efforts, by the end, I've a suspicion Hoskyns is, too.
I disagree with Waits and the reviewer. I think being able to look up things that have easy answers just gives us time to wonder about stuff that is more interesting, mysterious, magical, etc. For instance, the very thought of being able to find answers that quickly should inspire wonder. Pretty good book, though. I found it on the Internet.
4 comments:
I like finding out things quickly now that have bugged me for years, stuff I was too lazy to run out to the library or some other resource..and it would continue to bug me. Finding out now closes one door and usually opens another.
It's quite overt to disparage advances in society and technology is it not?
Quite! But Waits might be lying.
What this phenomenon does is make everybody a know-it-all, and nobody likes a know-it-all, especially when said know-it-all is too lazy to do the work. Like, you know, actually read a book or something. Also, doesn't finding out LATER also open another door?
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