Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Kurt Cobain Journals


NPR discusses the writer behind the rock star.

From the piece...

But for the naysayers who think that the Journals have little worth beyond being a pacifier for weepy fans who've been mourning Cobain since he killed himself at the age of 27, I'd like to say: You clearly don't know Cobain the writer.

Cobain the writer is funny and self-aware and snotty with a knack for off-the-cuff profundity. Remarking to a friend that his band will be called "Nirvana," he scribbles next to it the words "oooh eerie mystical doom." He also jokingly refers to himself as "the moody, bohemian member of the group," which is pretty much how most folks remember the man behind that amazing, ulcerous voice.

Better still, there's a trashy, throwaway quality to the pages that makes them a lighter read than you'd expect, like you've accidentally Googled your way onto someone's blog. Page after page of Cobain's terrible handwriting is reproduced in faithful facsimile, covering such topics as forthcoming gigs, favorite songs, prophecies of fame, janitorial wages and, of course, the firing of terrible drummers, complete with gory sketches to drive home his point.


Here's Nirvana singing "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam":

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