I met a man who didn't sleep. This was in the summer of 1988. I was in Toulouse, France, to visit a friend I'd made some years earlier in London, Dominique Hoff. Her sister, Marie-Christine, told me: "There is a man you must meet. He's the smartest man I know. He was my professor in dental school. He invents dental tools, and he can fix anything with his hands. He and his wife have converted a big old barn in the country into a home and workshop and a place for his collection." His collection? I said. The sisters laughed. "You'll see."
Les toits de Toulouse à partir de la fenêtre d'Hervé
Paul Delprat and his wife Danielle Moog did indeed occupy a vast old barn somewhere in the countryside. They called it Cambolevet. They were a jolly middle-aged couple, waiting for us in the farmyard. A dog came to investigate. They exuded that sense of two people who know they belong together.
I was struck by her calm and Paul's restless energy, darting about to lead the way, opening doors, explaining the sights, agreeing with the slightest statement. Nodding. He was always nodding and smiling. Not as a nervous affectation. As a welling up of inner merriness. He had six words of English and my French was laughable, but the Hoff sisters served as translators.
The barn interior was a cavernous place with tall ceilings and spaces reaching out into the shadows. Near the entrance a stairway led to the living areas on the second floor, but we stopped for a look at the ground floor. This hadn't been rehabbed extensively, and some areas were essentially the same as Paul and Danielle must have found them. A lot of overhead lights had been installed. On every wall there were racks and shelves of tools and parts.
A large part of this level was occupied by Paul's antique automobile collection. I saw at once that he was not an accumulator of pristine old cars. He was a rescuer. Most of his cars looked as if they might been found in neighboring barns, abandoned when their owners died and the heirs neglected them. I know little about French cars, but from my movie memories most of them were from around 1915 to the 1940s. The newest one looked to be an early Citroën CV2, circa 1950, the classic deux chevaux,that admirable working-class vehicle with the seats that could be removed for use with a picnic, the hinged windows, and the roll-back canvas top. A car I have always desired. It would solve all of our present automobile problems, including speeding.
L'ancienne grange de Paul et Danielle (Drawings by Ebert; all clickable)
It was explained that Paul repaired and rebuilt these cars by hand, and that they were almost all in running condition. I noticed overhead blocks and tackle, a grease pit dug into the floor, one of those trolleys you use to slide under a car."Will you sell these?" I asked through my translators. Non, non! He was nodding his head as if that meant "Yes! Yes!" He would keep them! Danielle, behind him, smiled and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, C'est Paul pour vous .
We were moving on. Paul smiled and nodded and lifted a finger as if to promise greater miracles. We entered a part of the barn given over to countless mechanical music machines: Calliopes, robot orchestras, automated one-man bands, wind-up music boxes. One was the size of a New York bagel wagon and was open so you could see keyboards in action, drums and cymbals, wind instruments powered by a bellows below. Small figures, like those on a clock, would appear and strike chimes. Paul wound it up and it performed a march.
Les musiciens arrivent pour un concert en plein air à Moissac
These, too, he rescued from abandonment in old barns, garages and storage rooms. Often he would exhibit one at a local fair. The children liked them. I could imagine that. There is no wonderment in a digital source of music. At least with a turntable you can understand what's happening. But this! Here was a miraculous machine designed only to create delight. It didn't play music. It performed it.Now it was time to mount the stairs into the living quarters. Paul and Danielle lived in comfort. You could sink into the chairs and sprawl on the sofas. Like all the best living spaces, their great room looked as if it had designed itself, or grown organically. I remember reading somewhere that in an English country house, nothing should look like it has been purchased in this generation. There were books everywhere. Danielle explained almost apologetically, Mais j'aime lire! Sparkling water and vin blanc appeared, and we walked out onto a large covered veranda that overlooked the late Toulouse afternoon.
Paul still practiced as a dental surgeon, I learned, to keep his hand in. More of his time was occupied by his position on the medical faculty. Marie-Christine said he was a famous teacher, and she was one of a legion of his students. It was clear she stood in good favor with the couple, so good that we visitors could drop into their lives and as twilight gathered be served a magnificent country meal prepared by Danielle. Mushroom soup, lamb stew, haricots verts. A tart with fresh cream for dessert. Little cups of strong coffee. We angled our chairs to regard the last of the sunset.
Nous visitons un club de jazz de Montauban
Vous avez encore rien vu! You've seen nothing yet! Paul sprang to his feet and beckoned for us to follow him. We ascended another flight of the circular staircase and found ourselves in one of the most extraordinary rooms I've ever seen, up there under the high eaves. This was a workshop for the hand-manufacture and repair of small mechanical devices. Here Paul worked on his dentistry inventions. He restored small toys -- mechanical banks, coin dispensers, Punch and Judy shows, music boxes. And above all, he repaired watches.He pulled out the gooseneck lamp above his workspace and showed us the antique pocket watch he was working on, its occult secrets laid bare to the world for perhaps the first time in a century. He used tiny tools and a big magnifying glass that swiveled out over the watch. He carefully selected a tiny part and inserted it meticulously into its place. He stood and regarded it with pride, almost impatient to continue. He lifted a cautioning finger: Vous avez encore rien vu.
We moved into a space containing rows of wooden cabinets. He slid open a drawer. Inside, each in its small space, were dozens of watches. The next drawer held dozens more. I had the impression he had every watch he had ever repaired. He explained, "I remember every one."
La Place du Capitole à Toulouse
The sisters said it was late enough that we really should be getting back to town.
"I want to ask Paul where he finds the time to do all of this work," I said. This was translated. His eyes twinkled as if he had been awaiting such such a question. Dominique and Marie-Christine smiled because they already knew the answer.
Je ne dors pas. I don't sleep.
"You don't sleep?"
Je ne dors pas un clin d'oeil.
Not a wink!
I was having trouble comprehending this. "You mean you stay up all night?" I asked as if he didn't understand what he was saying.
Oui, he stayed up all night. And all day, too.
Un quatuor de chambre dans Mosiaac
"And Madame?" I asked. The sisters were delighted now at my astonishment.
Je vous assure que je dors! Danielle Moog said emphatically. I assure you that I sleep!
"But Paul, how do you stay up all night?"
"I like to."
"Is it insomnia?"
"I'm never sleepy," he explained.
"But...don't we all require sleep?"
"Well, so it is said. But not for me. It's always been that way."
We began to leave. Danielle said she would show us the way. "I'll just stay up here," Paul said, eyeing the unfinished pocket watch almost restlessly.
On the drive back into Toulouse, I told Dominique and Marie-Christine I had just spent an evening I would never forget.
"But do you believe he really doesn't sleep?"
"It seems impossible," Marie-Christine said. "But that's what he says. And Danielle agrees with him."
"All the same," I said, "Danielle sleeps. She's not up all night. Maybe he gets a nap when she's not watching."
"That's always possible. She says he always wakes her up with her morning coffee."
¶
The sun sets over the fields of Paul and Danielle, as seen from their veranda
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"To Sleep," a prayer by John Keats during insomnia
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A automaton orchestra in Renoir's "Rules of the Game"
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How to stay awake
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This will lull you to sleep
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TV Commercial for the Citroën 2CV
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How to change a watch battery
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My question is, how did Paul get the music boxes into the barn?
¶
Mr. Ebert;
Surely this is somewhat confessional!
All the movies, the books, the travel and of course the writing, posting at all hours of the day and night ...you can't be getting 40 winks yourself!
Ebert: Thirty, easy.
As someone who as of writing has gone 27 hours without sleep, this seems incredible.
I don't know how old Paul is, but if he lives to be 80, for example, and we assume the average person sleeps about 1/4 of their lifetime, he would have the life experience of a centurion. He, thus, gives new meaning to the phrase "maturity beyond his years."
I find it fascinating that he gives his surplus of time toward giving life back to old, inanimate objects. Mmmm... there's some lofty metaphor that I'm groping for... Anyway, jolly good story, Rog!
Ebert: I believe he died in the late 1990s.
There's a prion disorder that makes its victims cease to sleep- FFI, or Fatal Familial Insomnia. The thing is, not sleeping utterly destroys both their health and their minds... so that's not it.
Paul Delprat sounds like someone out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. Have you met a whole lot of these characters in real life?
When I was in school I would take pride in my "productive procrastination." This was often painful.
What a waste of time working on something that isn't interesting. But when the project/research paper was close to deadline, here was my formula for success:
.Procrastinate a little more. To 12 or 1am is best.
.Make a pot of coffee.
.Dump into a large bowl one of those bags of mixed candy.
.2L bottle of soda.
.The soundtrack to Powaqqatsi on repeat.
.Vitamin C.
.Super magnified reading glasses.
.DO NOT TAKE A NAP (this never leads to success).
.This is the part of the formula that makes my whole program worth 200$! When sleep is overtaking you, you have one last turbo button. Close your eyes, point your head down, and continue typing. If you learn to do this without falling asleep, you'll find yourself in a bizarre super-productive meditative trance-state.
I'm really curious if there is anyone else out there who has finished their work, before the deadline, in this way. Let me know!
Wasn't there some other man who claimed to never sleep, but refused to be examined by doctors to see why it was so? He was from Vietnam or something.
What a lovely story! Your sketches are charming, especially the first.
The 2CV was quite lovely, too, if you like ugly ducklings. If I weren't so big, I would have like to have had one too. I would rather have had a CX, but, the U.S. legislature legislated it right out of business here in America.
Re: "how to stay awake"
"Avoid Jazz?" What kind of unstimulating, sleepy Jazz do they listen to? "Avoid Classical?" My roommate in college preferred pop tunes late at night to the kind of bombastic Classical I'd reflexively put into the CD player. Philistines!
There are some fascinating books out there about sleep. What always strikes me is how little we really know about something we spend perhaps 8 hours a day doing. There are so many theories about why we have to sleep, not all of them mutually compatible. While I guess it might be amazing to need no sleep, whenever I read an article about the possibility of 'anti sleep pills' i always feel a little sad. I hope it never happens.. imagine never having that total peace of the moments before sleep, or sharing bed and sleep with someone you love.
Laurel and Hardy in THE MUSIC BOX! What a great movie: WAITING FOR GODOT with a piano! Yay!
Ebert: Never thought of it that way.
I have a collection of prewar typewriters, most of which work. If I could forego sleep like Mr. Delprat, all of them would work. Well, I suppose that would depend on my ability to find parts, but you know what I mean.
The mechanisms of these old machines fascinate me - the Royal No. 10 with its low typebars and long pushrods, the Blickensderfer that rotates and inks itself and smacks a single letter on the paper all in the space of one keypress, the Remington Noiseless Portables that use a cam sort of action to barely touches the paper. I write software for a living so I always figured that my interest in typewriters came from my nerd's love of complex systems working together. Maybe there's some of that in everyone.
My understanding is that there are people who have had an injury to the part of the brain (the hypothalamus?) that regulates sleep, where these people simply cease to sleep.
@strange_bundle
"Avoid Jazz?" What kind of unstimulating, sleepy Jazz do they listen to? "Avoid Classical?" My roommate in college preferred pop tunes late at night to the kind of bombastic Classical I'd reflexively put into the CD player. Philistines!
People have some strange ideas about jazz, as if their entire education on it came from an elevator. If anything, jazz and classical require adept active listening skills. More so than any other kind of music.
Whenever I'm talking to someone about music and they say something like: "...and I like to listen to classical and jazz when I want to relax." That says a lot about how skilled someone is at listening to music. Come on, they've seen jazz clubs in movies. Were people sleeping?
More than anything, the repetition in popular music is more likely to put me to sleep.
Ebert: My favorite radio station, WDCB from the College of DuPage near Chicago, plays a lot of intelligently-chosen jazz, and has a friendly Brit deejay, Matthew Hermes, in the mornings.
http://www.wdcb.org/program_guide.php
Do you know about RadioShift? Innatko turned me on to it. You can listen to streaming stations from everywhere. They even have a map of the globe with dots where stations stream
http://www.rogueamoeba.com/radioshift/
http://www.rogueamoeba.com/radioshift/
The way you write it, makes me wish I were he. I have a similarly opposite problem: always in the twilight between sleep and not-sleep; rarely fully awake.
I should probably see a dietitian or doctor about this, someday.
Thanks again for another involving story.
Cheers, ;o/
Ebert: You probably should. Start with the dietitian. It's cheaper, and doctors don't always know a lot about nutrition.
i sleep 2 hours a day (at best). Most of the times i manage to sleep an hour. I do agree with Isaac Bate above me; not being able to sleep with the person you love is horrible. Ever since my girl lives on the other side of the planet -to which i will move in january- i have an enormous time sleeping. The times i sleep like a baby are when i'm on the telephone with her.
However, like mr Delprat it can also work to your advantage. I have a lot of time to catch up on some novels, movies, and i'm even learning a language in a - relatively- short amount of time.
Ebert: But don't you get...sleepy?
I knew a twitchy, high-strung guy who traveled nearly constantly, all over the earth – China one day, Turkey the next, South Africa, Warsaw, London, Los Angeles – and told me I could call him anywhere he was, at any hour, because he never slept, hadn't slept since he was child in the orphanage in Texas. I did call him, occasionally, and woke him more than once. Yet he continued to tell me he never slept. Methinks your sleepless man of Toulouse actually slept a little, from time to time, and didn't know it.
Ebert: Methinks you may be correct.
Isn't it sad how our own mortality binds us to sleep? Even when battling in war, it is mutually accepted by both sides that once it hits 9 p.m., no more fighting, and if you do attack during then, that's VERRY bad manners! And don't even get me started about eating! That's just the lamest chain of our fleshiness!
With a mixture of anguish and schmaltz
We play the Insomniac Waltz
With music by Wurlitzer
French via Berlitz, or
Gimmick--and fun never halts.
"They exuded that sense of two people who know they belong together." - excellent description. Both of my sons, when they were little, insisted that at night they did not close their eyes when they slept. I don't know why. They say some people who grew up in London during the constant bombing raids learned to sleep very little. Lovely painting and drawings.
Are you a professional journalist? You write very well.
It's 4 AM. I slept from 11 to 2.30, woke up again, to find your new post and wish I can get a few more hours.
Since sleep is so nice and necessary so must be the big one. With a brand new sun and nicer movies.
I was watching Stalker till about first 40 moments when the system got taken over. Recommended by the Ebertised Bangalorean Vivek. This new generation! What a luminescent film and I can't wait to resume.
Now this is art! What beautiful drawings and watercolors (and words, too)! I think I've...yep...here it is. My drawing pad! Be back later. I've got work to do!
Ebert: Those are not great drawings But they are my drawings, and they evoke being in those places at those times.
The key is to accept ownership of your sketches and not hold them to some arbitrary standard.
Fascinating entry, Roger. Paul sounds like quite a character. And the drawings - I never knew you had artistic abilities other than writing. They are fabulous! I hope you share more of them with us. Is this how you document all of your travels?
I have heard of people who through brain trauma lost the capacity to sleep. But this wouldn't explain the ability to survive without what seems to be a biological necessity.
However there are verified reports of individuals who can go for days with only brief intermittent catnaps. If they could do this sitting up with their eyes open, who would know? Possibly not even the subject.
Some claim they only survived college by developing ths ability.
What a magical story about a thoroughly fascintating man.
You must have many of these stories, given all of your travels. It's good that you have a place here to tell them, and readers such as I eager to hear them. Keep them coming!
You give me a little glimpse of France here in your tale, where I have never been. I know so very little of the culture and language of France.
I did see my very first French film yesterday, at the age of 49!, at the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF). Since I can't get to the comment section on the CIFF post for some reason, I'll tell you the story here if you don't mind.
I saw "Tomorrow at Dawn". A psychological thriller about two brothers, with one drawn dangerously into the other's imaginary obsession of historical re-enactments. Duels being central to the story and the suspense. What an incredible film! I was captivated throughout, as was the pin-drop quiet crowd. Moved forward to the edge of our seats at times. Wow!
A rich film-going experience. It was brilliantly done - story, music, suspense, and incredible photography! Was it brilliant because of a particular director? Or because that is the nature of French films? I've only seen one now, so I can't answer.
Speaking of photography, Roger, I had an exquisite dilemma in Chicago this weekend. 24 hours. 4 film tickets to the festival. A new camera around my neck.
The dilemma? Do I use my limited time in the beautiful city of Chicago to express my own creativity, or to revel in the creativity of others? Painful, to choose.
I did both. I saw two awesome films (Women in Trouble, Tomorrow at Dawn). And I abandoned two others (Effi Briest, Persecution (French!)). I toured the city in my car and on foot to capture Chicago as I see it. I enjoyed the hell out of both!
Click on my name and check out the new featured gallery on my photo website to see Chicago as I saw it in one 24 hour period - literally. I arrived at 6pm Friday and left at 6pm Saturday.
Bonus points if you find the pic of the wave-surfing duck that I watched for 10 minutes at North Ave Beach!
Ebert: You are one hell of a photographer. I defy anyone who hasn't visited Chicago to look at those photographs and tell me this isn't an awesomely beautiful city.
I have walked every step of every area you photograph.
Your first French film at 49? Your 50s are going to be great. On average their films are more human and grown-up than ours. Their stars are not so grotesquely famous.
If you liked that thriller, try renting "Tell No One." Or you can even stream it live on Netflix. Made a bunch of best 10 lists.
BTW, the reason you couldn't post on the CIFF blog was that the comments somehow got turned off! I've repaired that, and posted there your comments above
This is the reason I come to your site every week. You transcend "movie critic"!
Daniel Vera wrote, Isn't it sad how our own mortality binds us to sleep? Even when battling in war, it is mutually accepted by both sides that once it hits 9 p.m., no more fighting, and if you do attack during then, that's VERRY bad manners! And don't even get me started about eating! That's just the lamest chain of our fleshiness!
Asterix in Britain has the Britons stop fighting every day at 5pm for tea (or rather, before the titular hero accidentally invents tea, hot water with milk).
In my dreams, I do not have to sleep.
But I am still envious of Paul.
OH MY GOD.
Holy f*cking shyte.
I can't believe you haven't published a little volume of your drawings and watercolors. I can't believe you've kept them essentially hidden - as God knows I went looking for examples and couldn't find any.
These are WONDERFUL you idiot! (Marie smacks Roger in the head!) And no, I'm not just saying that. I'm more like Gene Siskel than not; I'm always going to tell you what I think.
Note: this is how artists talk, so don't anyone be offended for Roger if I call him names - it's a sign of respect. :)
And they're wonderful; truly wonderful. I just fired off an e-mail to my old boss Marv Newland - to whom I'd praised them and for being so struck by their like-minded looseness and spontaneity.
I've struggled with O'Rourke's and for trying to catch a decent likeness of the people in the photo I'm using for reference in my painting. And every time I work on it, it tightens up. And I wanted it to be more loosey-goosey; sigh! I spent last night working on it and crashed around 5:00 am, now I wake up, answer some e-mails, visit the blog and what do I find...?!
LOOSEY-GOOSEY!
But not my goose, your goose! Aaaarggh! (laughing as I shake my head.)
Seeing your drawings and watercolors was like a breath of fresh air, after spending hours on my own painting. I envy their looseness and freshness and everything about them. I hate you. I mean that. I hate you with a deep affection filled with admiration and envy. :)
I'll be thinking of you later tonight when I watch Dexter.
I can't believe you haven't publicly shown these to people - good God man, but what's your measuring stick?! What were you afraid of? As they're charming and delightful and full of life.
I'd love to wear a summer dress with "Nous visitons un club de jazz de Montauban" and "Les musiciens arrivent pour un concert en plein air à Moissac" printed onto the fabric so I could move with the Art swirling all around me in the breeze.
Talented basterd. :)
Ebert: I'm glad this one made it past the spam filter.
Say, you ain't too bad a sketcher, there, Ebert. Catt's family are all painters and sketchers. I more or less quit in college. I couldn't top my masterpiece, a portrait of our poli-sci prof in full rant, with Mickey Mouse ears. It earned me the love of a very beautiful blonde girl. A feller ought get some reward for his work.
I believe this story and I love calliopes and mechanical carousel music. I get sick to death of synthesized and sampled sounds, but never of merry-go-round music.
I believe the man never slept, too. Years ago I had a habit of 3 hours sleep a night and a little p.m. nap. I had lots and lots of energy. Then I had to return to the workaday world awhile where one moons furtively at the clock while doing repetitious things for pay. I'd go home, get into bed and snore for 12 hours. None of the work was half as vigorous as what I'd do cheerfully on 3 hours sleep. The sheer mind-numbing and soul-sucking of ordinary jobs was unbelievably exhausting after years of being away from them.
Here's another guy who never sleeps, has sex 15 times a day with his 4 wives (I wonder what he does about the uneven division), and is paid by the Egyptian government not to work because he might hurt somebody or wreck something. There's a pic of him holding up a car with one arm. True or false? Dunno. But he bends a coin in double with his eye at this interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-funYodm9kI&feature=related
Ebert: Where do you find these videos? But I make it that he married 28 times and has 35 children. I twittered this immediately.
I am merely an undergrad in psychology, but I do recall some studies done on people with unusual sleep patterns.
In one case, a man slept for three hours a day. An elderly woman slept for 90 minutes. The most remarkable case was a man who apparently actually slept for 15 minutes, although his rest period was 45 minutes total. I cannot recall the specifics of the persons, as my classes were about 20 years ago.
I think it is possible the gentleman you encountered either did not sleep, or had a sleep pattern so slight he did not register it as sleep. What a gift! It would be like having two lives, compared to the one life we all live.
Sleep is still one of the most mysterious aspects of the human experience. Personally, I need between 7 and 8 hours, and I appreciate the joy of a deep, restful sleep. Still, to have a sleep pattern that enables you to live so much more of the day would be a genuine gift.
Ebert: Where do you find these videos? But I make it that he married 28 times and has 35 children. I twittered this immediately.
---I was mooning around for documentaries on ancient Egypt and it just showed up. The number of wives was down to 4 by the interview. I suppose the other 24 just plumb wore out. The interview is in 2 parts, but they're not consecutive. The one has over 400 comments, but they're in Arabic script. It'd be nice to know if the posters had heard of this independently of the TV interview.
Having had insomnia in the past and spending a good 2-3 years without any deep sleep, I can say with absolute authority that I wouldn't miss it if I never slept. It is, after all, just laying on your back with your eyes closed. However, I would miss dreams. The only thing that bugged me about the insomnia, apart from being perpetually exhausted, is that I had lost half my world. Where was the old victorian mansion with the many staircases and secret rooms that I sometimes explored? Where was the scrapyard with the Merry-Go-Round at the center? Where was the tangle of rusted pipes, metal catwalks and ladders and strange buildings, rising up like a modern art sculpture out of an endless tan desert? I'm a big fan of the here and now, but I genuinely missed those places.
The Citroen 2CV is one of a quartet of "perfect" cars, along with the old VW Beetle, Fiat 500 and Austin Mini. Small, ruthlessly efficient and so simple that even a child could fix them. The last modern car that we had in North America that even ressembled the four above was the late 90's Geo Metro with the 3 cylinder. I had two of them and, as much of musclecar enthusiast as I am, I couldn't help but admire their purity. They were so... mechanical, and that spoke to the little kid inside me that liked to tear things apart to see what made them work. Nowadays, cars are made by computers, not men, and it shows in their lack of a soul.
Randy Masters: Ah yes... french films. Being French myself I have the good fortune of being able to watch them without subtitles and savor the subtle inflections of the language. I watched Louis De Funès in "Sur un Arbre Perché" the other day. I wouldn't recommend it because it's such a verbal comedy, but it's worth checking out as a curiosity. If you've never seen any french films at all DO check out "The Wages of Fear", a movie made in 1952 that will very much shock you at how modern it is. Others to look out for are: "Le Samouraï", "Z", "Viva La Vie", and of course "C'était un Rendez-Vous" which is a personal favorite of mine.
When I was a kid I read only french comics like Metal Hurlant, Tintin Magazine, Spirou and Pif Gadget. I tried superhero comics like Hulk or Spide-Man, but found them ridiculous and childish in comparison. Just to give you an example of how adult some of the stuff I read could be: Metal Hurlant, which was a for kids and teens in France, was translated into English and published word for word in the US as "Heavy Metal".
When sleep is overtaking you, you have one last turbo button. Close your eyes, point your head down, and continue typing. If you learn to do this without falling asleep, you'll find yourself in a bizarre super-productive meditative trance-state. I'm really curious if there is anyone else out there who has finished their work, before the deadline, in this way. Let me know!
I teach first year composition at the University of South Florida in Tampa. I think most of my students do this for every paper they turn in to me. They very rarely get A's. I chastise them constantly for it, but don't tell them that as a PhD student myself, I don't exactly practice what I preach. Last paper of mine I had due I stayed up till two AM working through the haze of half-sleep and showed up the next day utterly certain I had written a crap paper. I wound up being the only student in the class to get 100% on it, but then again I'm a much better writer than any of my students.
Re: Egyptian Incredible Hulk.
I'll let you dudes into a secret: we're all like him.
He's actually a wimp.
Omer M
I would be very sad not to sleep. When the day is over, I am tired and my good cheer wanes. But after a wonderful night's sleep (8 hours, please!) I am eager to live again.
If life just went on and on and on without rest, it would be grim indeed.
Ok...that memoir should be coming along nicely eh...even the illustrations are showing up now! :)
My favorite is the first one (can't see the name too clear on the bottom). I'm not surprised that you like watercolors as oppose to acrylics or oils. I'm also not surprised at your style. There is a fluidity to it that is reflective of your writing. You're a natural.
And I can probably never ever identify with Monsieur Delpat, for sleep is such a deep source of pleasure and comfort that I can never imagine living without it. What is awakeness without sleep? And the dreams...the luminous and watercolor like dreams that simmer in the darkness of sleep! What is life without dreaming?
So now I discover you can draw, too.
If you happen to let it slip that you also juggle, play saxophone, and have a machine shop in your basement I'm going to jump in front of a truck.
It's probably been said before (most likely by you) that since you've lost the ability to speak, you have found your Voice.
Many thanks, good Sir.
Ebert: Anyone can draw, countless better than me.
Just imagine how manly that sounds, to tell your girlfriend: "I don't sleep. I never sleep." This fellow of yours is only a skip and hop from becoming Kubrick's Star Child. Now he only has to rule out the "breathing" and "eating" part.
I suggest an air filtering machine for those who want to sleep but can't. I thought it would be too loud, but it works like magic.
Ebert: I like my Venta.
"The key is to accept ownership of your sketches and not hold them to some arbitrary standard."
Yes, indeed.
People are always amazed by my travel sketchbooks and say, "I could never do anything like that." I'm far from the world's greatest draftsman, but the sketchbooks are greater souvenirs than anything I could buy anywhere, and better (in my opinion) than photos. Photos are a dime a dozen - and I take a lot of photos, too - but looking through the sketchbooks reminds me of what it was like sitting in the piazza in Siena or standing in front of the Terra Cotta Army, who was there and what was happening while I was drawing. The sense memories associated with the drawings are stronger by far than anything the photos can evoke.
People say, "I could never do that, I can't draw," to which I reply, "There's not many people who CAN'T draw, there's mostly just lots of people who DON'T draw."
Ebert: People indulge ununrealistic expectations for themselves.
I too long to live a life without sleep, to achieve what Kevin H. calls "maturity beyond his years."
But I find myself longing for sleep so I can sprint through those endless fields in my dreams, and I think these adventurous nights on the cerebral frontiers are maturing experiences.
I'm a closeted Freudian (though now it seems I'm coming out), and I revel in my unconscious explorations, and reflect on them on my walk to work every morning. That hard part, though, is taking work seriously after a night spent riding a bicycle across the Atlantic Ocean.
There needs to be a movie about that Incredible Hulk guy. Sadly, Andre the Giant is long gone, or he'd be great in that kind of role.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_familial_insomnia
I cannot think of a worse illness; with others, at least dreams exist as reprieves.
Up until about last year I was striving to be like Paul and Bazz up above. When I was in middle school, I loathed the "waste of time" known as sleep. I decided that it was like anything else and I only had to wean myself off it, but to no avail.
For the past 4 years I've been completing two degrees at USC, one in guitar performance and one in neuroscience. Needless to say, my candle was being blowtorched at both ends. I found sleeping schedules called the Uberman and Everyman sleep cycle in which you can reclaim those valuable hours back from the posturepedic monster in the bedroom. Perfect for learning portuguese, getting in tip top shape, and of course seeing all those movies that you've been telling me about for the past 7 years.
So what changed (Other than the 2 week hell period it takes to adapt to the cycles)? As Isaac Bate said above, I found someone I love. I have a feeling that living without sleep would feel similar to being the last survivor in the postapocalyptic/zombie plagued/mysteriously uninhabited world we see in so many movies. How can you feel connected to people when they all disappear at the end of the day? Suddenly they are just visitors in your world. Right now, I'm happy to sacrifice a few hours because the minutes just before and after are the happiest I've known.
Ebert: This guy tried it for 100 days:
http://www.xeeban.com/xeeban/archives/000003.html
Thomas Ryan, I'm in the middle of a similar process of procrastination right now. I started my paper at about 2. I got a glass of OJ a can of Monster and a banana and techno playing on pandora... I didnt really plan this it just happens... haha but I tried out your closing eyes thing and im just not sure about that... Strangely I find it hard to type with my eyes closed. I think that I worry about typing errors and therefore accidentally create typos in an attempt to avoid them... I duno its 5:33am... and hmmm I need to finish this paper... and then write another paper.... and then if theres time in there somewhere, build a web application hahaha oh procrastination... you are my friend... BBBAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm so awake and ive only drank like half a monster in the past 3 hours... and if anyone gonna complain, F*** punctuation....
What we wouldn't do if only we had the time.
I've known people who only sleep three hours a day. I always wondered how they could keep on concentrating.
A sublime mechanical musical machine moment from film can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnonxa-ivoY&NR=1
Ebert: Brilliant! I've just linked it on the entry.
For some reason I am reminded of As I Lay Dying's purpose for life: preparing to be dead for a very long time. Maybe this guy was making the absolute most of it knowing that to be true. I have read somewhere that science can't come up with a really good reason for why we sleep. You would think the amount of sleep we need is dependant on the amount of energy we expend that day, and that on days we work harder physically we would need more sleep than on days we just watch tv or something. It isn't like that at all, we need what we need regardless.
Undoubtedly we would get more done if we were awake longer, like Paul, so good for him. I enjoy sleep, it's a good way to get away from it all without doing drugs. As a matter of fact if we could all stay up all the time the best selling drug would probably be something that knocked you out for 8 hours. The grass be greener, as they say.
Hi Roger, thank you for recounting the wonderful memories. And the drawings! Surely you're a great writer and illustrator hardbound into one. Did you say Monsieur Paul never slept at all, and that he's great with these small mechanical parts? Hmmm, so what are the chances that he had actually invented the Cronos Device*?
----------------------------
* The Cronos Device is a golden, jewel-like scarab of whirling mechanisms and vicious needle-like legs that imparts to anyone who owns it the boon – or curse – of eternal life (youth).
Reference: http://www.theperlmanpages.i12.com/bsmovies/cronosrev2.htm
P.S. If Monsieur Paul had been a painter, I would have chosen The Picture of Dorian Gray sans the debauchery.
Ebert: It's a wicked little bug:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940506/REVIEWS/405060303/1023
Beautiful. Thank you, Roger, for telling this story.
(I'm forwarding to the rest of the English department at the high school where I teach.)
I've always wondered if we really need to sleep to get the rest we need. Perhaps he is in such a meditative state while fixing watches or cars or other widgets that he gets all the repairative rest that he needs.
Ebert, I too like your art. I can see why you are critical of it, there are parts where likely you did not draw it as well as it was in your head. But, the emotive response is strong. Would it be better with stronger or more consistent technique? Perhaps. But it doesn't mean that the art isn't worth displaying for others to take enjoyment from.
Omer M! Can you translate some of the comments about the strongman for us?
I felt the same about a mere 3 hours sleep too, Carra, until I tried it. The trick for me, however was getting to concentrate on things I loved all day and into the night. A co-worker at an 8 hour job also slept only 3 hours; I couldn't do that.
I know you're a vivid dreamer, Grace, I've got a talent for that myself. What happened was plenty of dreams in 3 hours, then more in an afternoon nap. I'd jot 'em down. Very useful.
What I like about this man, is the thought of him engaging in his craft, alone in his workshop. There is something about tinkering with mechanical things that sets the mind above our normal, everyday approach to work.
I've heard artists describe the process of painting in two different ways, either they have a very vague idea of where they are going or they have a very precise idea, and simply need to copy onto the canvas the vision in their mind. For me, the later approach would be more satisfying, and it is the type of thinking I enjoy when I'm tinkering with mechanical things. In other words, it's technology that can be completely held within your imagination. As opposed to something like computer technology, which is always built on top of someone else's and not completely your own, and thus, less satisfying. Imagine if all paintings were begun by someone else and it was simply your job to finish them. Sure, some beautiful art can be made, but where is the satisfaction of the artist?
But when you look into the guts of a mechanical thing, you can take in the beauty of the entire mechanism, and see it for what it is, a work of art. There was a program about craftsmen on TV recently. One man was studying to be a locksmith, specializing in old fashioned mechanisms. On his bench was a lock taken from an old jail that he was going to refurbish and put back in working order. He removed the back panel to reveal the mechanism and pointed out the ornate workmanship hidden within. For example, a series of plates with little heart shapes cut into them. Why were they there? They served no other purpose then to make there appearance more beautiful. Who would see it? No one, except for another locksmith. This sort of pride is often lost in our modern approach to work.
I'm sure you look at your watercolors with the same sort of pride. You see your decisions laid out before you and you feel that they were good decisions. You take ownership of the thing. I made this! Everyone needs to have that in their life, do something that has their signature on the bottom corner. You need to say 'this is me'! Then, at the end of the day after a good meal and a nice glass of wine, you can angle your chair towards the sunset and regard it peacefully, and with a sense of quiet satisfaction.
Ebert: I never have any idea of where a drawing is going, and just start in and see what comes up.
Roger,
What a lovely story. It is forever evident that your talent extends far beyond reviewing movies. I have a question, though: do you ever lecture? A friend and I were discussing today how highly we regard your opinions (you are often cited as the only movie reviewer I take the time to read), and we agreed that seeing you lecture would be quite an experience. You should really consider it. Unfortunately, we are all the way down in San Antonio, TX, but Austin would be a pretty respectable venue city. Just a suggestion.
Gabriella
Ebert: I used to lecture unceasingly, but my lecturing days are over. :)
I really enjoyed “The man who didn't sleep” essay. I have always been particularly fond of Truman Capote’s essays—my favorite writer because of his style. I was never certain until now precisely what it was about his style that appealed to me so much. Viewing your drawings juxtaposed with your essay made me realize that it has everything to do with decisions about what to include and what to leave out. The rhythm in Nous visitons un club de jazz de Montauban also reveals a music lover.
Marie Haws on October 18, 2009 7:38 PM I envy their looseness and freshness and everything about them. I hate you. I mean that. I hate you with a deep affection filled with admiration and envy. : )
Not quite the way I'd put it, but the feelings very much reflect my own.
@d. d. jacobson on October 18, 2009 10:53 PM
I suspect that he does also juggle, play saxophone, and have a machine shop in his basement. I don't know what your tiping-point is, so don't go jumping in front of a truck, but he also plays the piano.
The sketching is perfect for a story about France, methinks, but I must disagree with another commenter about "dime a dozen" photographs. They acquire power over time; pedestrian snapshots from my father's bar mitzvah (1923) or my mom showing off the new baby in '46 are magic. Nicole's slender, slightly flapperish grandma on a picnic in Calabria with her boyfriend is practically a short story. In the hands of an Irving Penn or Cartier Bresson, it is a profound medium capable of classics -- but the folk photos of everyday people are wonderful, too, especially over time. They remind me of folksongs.
Seems to me that wondering if Paul REALLY slept misses the point. He reminded me of my Uncle Dave Krooth, who used to say that the notebook he kept in his jacket's inside pocket (long before PDA's) contained "all the information worth knowing." He would never make this claim without displaying his most delightful smile.
I drove a great old Peugot for a short while, with a sunroof and a four-on-the-column transmission. When the starter drive died, I found out it had been made in Algeria. French cars are as different from American as French films, and long live the difference!
Ebert: I love those Jack Lane photos of O'Rourke's. Priceless memories. I would like to think the photo of Al the Greek would evoke the man even in someone who had never known him.
Roger, it may well be true about Paul not needing to sleep. I had a friend in college who slept one night per week, usually Saturday, if I remember right. I had no reason to doubt him, and whenever anyone pulled an all-nighter he would be awake. He said he didn't try to stay up, he just needed that amount of sleep. He was one of the calmest, best-adjusted, most brilliant people I've ever met.
Meanwhile, I have a friend now who sleeps two hours per night, says that's all he needs. He'll stay up watching movies, whatever, sleep a couple of hours, go to work. I've seen him in the mornings, and there's no sign of fatigue. He's over 40, and has more energy than just about anyone I know.
Sounds like Monsieur Paul is/was the two of them combined!
I thought I was reading a borges story for a minute! Honestly, more of this kind of stuff would be so so great. I keep pointing people in the direction of your blog, and its really entries like this that gives my suggestion credence. This, and your continual references to Suttree, my favorite book ever. So, yeah, maybe a biweekly autobiographical entry, alternating with a biweekly "why everyone should read suttree" entry.
Also, have you ever written anything akin to your "Great Movies" series for literature? Would love to know what you're reading/think I should be reading.
Ebert: I twittered this immediately.
I assume you meant googled
Ebert: I know. It's hard to believe:
http://twitter.com/ebertchicago
Near where I grew up in NJ, there was a little establishment out on U.S. 130, Tom's Motel, and the sign out front announced, "I AM AWAKE I NEVER SLEEP." As a kid, Tom seemed pretty scary. I pictured him behind the counter, board-straight and stock-still, staring. Waiting. Norman Bates with cobwebs hanging off his ears.
Paul Delprat seems infinitely nicer. Vive la différence!
sean on October 19, 2009 3:33 PM Would love to know what you're reading/think I should be reading.
Perhaps an idea whose time has come?
Or maybe I'm beating a dead horse to death?
Ebert: I know, I know.
This isn't really relevant, but I was at the mall today looking to pick up a couple of DVDs, and I came across a copy of "Sugar." I've wanted to see it ever since reading yours and many others' reviews. The only thing was, on the cover there was a sticker that read "PG-13 version." That made me kind of uneasy, so when I got home I looked it up and saw that it was originally rated R. Are you aware they did this, and do you have any idea why? I've heard of films being re-cut so they can be shown in classrooms, so maybe that was the case here. Either way though, I wish they had offered both versions of the film, as I would prefer to view it in its original form.
Ebert: Netflix also says it's PG-13. But here is the official MPAA listing:
Title: Sugar (2008)
Rating: R
Rating Reason: Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.
Distributor: Single A Films, Inc.
Alternate Titles: Untitled Dominican Baseball Project
It probably should have been PG-13 to begin with. You won't miss much.
And God made night and and day...and life long enough that he might stand and stare betimes...and work, and rest.....don't tell me he actually don't never go to sleep?
Well, "Les Toits" is my favorite. If I came across it in a market, I'd consider buying it, even if I didn't know who it was from. Paintings of France go with the story, but Roger, you must have some paintings of Venice, N'est Pas? I'll look forward to seeing them when next you write about that city!
Hello Roger,
You have invoked in my mind a vivid image of a mischievous gentleman, smiling as he says “vous n’avez encore rien vu !” It would probably be very difficult draw and especially paint exactly; such expressions are a question of millimetric differences. The thickness of a pen line between happy and sad, and everybody is a face expert. There is even a part of the brain specialised in face reconnaissance!
However, a quick sketch can evoke this expression without showing it; leaving the viewer’s imagination add the details the same way your sentences “show” Paul Delprat’s expression with words.
Photography can do this as well, but it will usually take 50 almost good pictures to capture a truly mischievous grin. Movies probably do the best job of capturing this kind of image, although they also invoke such a tremendous amount of work, cameraman, director, actor and lighting director... and as most home movies show, without all of these, movies are not all that they can be.
My favourite image is “l’ancienne grange de Paul et Danielle”. One of the secrets of good sketching is knowing when to stop and that one is just right (well, perhaps just a wee tad overdone in the ..awning, ironwork, down at the right :-).
Regards
Michel Lamontagne
I've seen a lot of people up above here talking about failed efforts to wean themselves off of sleep and can't resist relating this anecdote. Over the summer I worked for a law firm that deals with financial, estate and tax management for high net worth (re: stonking rich) individuals. One of the things I took away from the experience is that rich people are all bonkers. Obviously I can't name names, but one of our clients became convinced that he could live without ever sleeping and was in fact practicing weaning himself off of sleep entirely. I'd heard about this through the grapevine long before I actually got the chance to meet the guy and I'll never forget the day he came into the office for a meeting, hunched over, bags under his eyes, barely able to keep his eyes open and immediately asked for coffee. I had to show him to the conference room, though since I was just a lowly intern I wasn't allowed to stay, but he was already nodding off by the time I got to the door and I'm guessing fully conked out by the time my boss stepped into the room. And now for the punchline: the man is one of the world's foremost spinal surgeons.
Thanks for sharing the video on replacing watch batteries. I had no idea it was so simple! I resurrected my old, dead Timex from the junk drawer this morning after seeing your post, and after enduring three watch-less years. All it took was a trip to the drug store, four bucks and about five minutes of tinkering and - hey presto - I've got a watch and another invaluable life skill. Thanks!
Ebert: I've always wanted to do that.
I am a grateful man, Robbie Kendall, for that link to the big music machine. I actually search YouTube for old music machines.
Player pianos sound so much better than computerized stuff. That's because the rolls were played by pianists like Paderewski, and the little slots in the paper recorded the dynamics, too.
Love these snippets of your fascinating life. I hope there is a savvy publisher around the corner who realizes that this is the autobiography that should be published.
Ebert: Those are not great drawings But they are my drawings, and they evoke being in those places at those times.
I wish more artists would consider that comment. I've spent many hours, if not days, perusing art from technically talented artists. Most can't seem to construct a meaningful piece of artwork. They can't capture a moment with any depth. Some artists without a trained hand appreciate the emotion behind the artwork a little more.
Randy Masters:
First French film? Oh man. I reccommend Delicatessen to anyone that will will listen to me. I've been flirting with French film for a while, but haven't delved as deeply as I would like. French films have a distinct narrative style. Unlike American films, it flips away from the main character's POV for a fleeting moment, then back again. I love it. Most everyone I know dislikes it, which limits my opportunities for viewing French films.
I've just added "Tell No One" to my queue. Looks like I'll have to forego sleep to find the time to watch it.
"It is well with me only when I have a chisel in my hand"...
Michelangelo
"In the water, Milo could see the reflection of the moon. It seemed to be trembling as much as he was- in the chilly, misty night. Sleep was not possible. He drifted on through the darkness, hoping to find the morning waiting just around the bend."
That's a quote about insomnia (narration by Dudley Moore) from one of my favorite family films, "The Adventures of Milos and Otis" (1986). Did you and Gene Siskel ever see it, Roger? I've heard that you and him once reviewed it, but I can't find the alleged video anywhere on the At the Movies website.
Tom Dark!
Yes, I probably can translate. Though the broadcast is in Egyptian-Arabic dialect, it's still pretty clear. Is there anything in particular you're looking for? The translation is pretty loyal (despite being a MEMRI broadcast), though for some reason, they didn't translate the broadcasters exclaiming "Alhamdulillah!" (Praise/Thanks be to God!). I think that would have made the piece more funny.
I gotta admit that my favorite aspect of this video is that they're all speaking so politely to each other.
"I drink melted butter and I eat raw mutton."
It just doesn't get any better than that.
Omer M
I have made a habit of visiting your site weekly, and it's has become a temporary surprise road trip in the middle of a more or less predictable work week. One moment, I'm catching up on the various film festivals of the world, the next, I've been invited to join you down your memory lane. Your posts (and replies) make me long to return to Chicago, a city I've only been in for a few days. (I really thought it had my heart, until I saw the Seattle skyline again. I will always love that toddlin' town, but it has to be a close 2nd for me).
There was once a time where I was filled with questions for you, mostly about how to keep hope when it seems that every movie is terrible (and how to keep the sense of magic with films when you're in so deep). But now, as I begin to settle in the comfort of aging, I am happy to "e-listen" to whatever you feel needs to be shared.
I work graveyard shifts as a paramedic, but if I didn't, I'd have to be like Paul. Three in the morning is the absolute best time of the day. Even now, after four years of living my life ass-backwards to everyone else, it amazes me how strange and wonderful the most common things can be when no one else is awake. Try listening to your favorite song at three in the morning and tell me you aren't suddenly hearing it with new ears.
Side note: When I was in mid-school I wrote a short story about a man who stopped sleeping. It ended with him dying of exhaustion. What can I say, I'm a realist. But I like Paul's story better.
Have you read the children's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick? This post made me think of it. It has so many elements that mesh with this: film, France, automata... I think you would love it. (It won the Caldecott medal a couple years ago.) I don't want to spoil anything but it also involves a fictionalized Georges Melies.
Hello Roger,
I don't sleep either, not a wink. I slept for an hour in 2005 after paddling a canoe all day, but that made me feel sick when I woke up.
I'm never tired either, I guess there must be more people out there who don't sleep but it does seem unlikely.
Some local students made a film about me once, never got to see the finished item though...
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this entry, sounds like a magical experience meeting these people.
Adam
Ebert: Have you ever discussed this with a doctor?
I love the art on your blog.
Sometimes you come across people as fascinating as fictions, and I think you have met such people more frequently than us. You have enviable recollections. And you have your nice drawings.
Recently, I finally finished reading "Suttree". I am not sure I understand all of it. However, for everytime I got headache due to its rich vocabulary, there was reward. I was amused that McCarthy used some words I have encountered in my textbooks for Biology study(e.g. "atavistic"), and I got many memorable images in my head. Sadly, I am not a good painter. Maybe you can produce some watercolors based on scenes from the book. By the way, for recreation before delving into Border Trilogy, I chose Stephen King's "Duma Key". It is the story of man who starts drawing pictures, which make troubles a lot in the story.
Speaking of sleep, I need sleep these days, especially before going to Seoul for watching movies. I realized that early in this year. I did not sleep to catch the bus at AM 6:00, and it seemed fine at 8 o'clock in the morning after arriving at Seoul. However, the problem appeared in the afternoon. In 2008, I struggled with the desire to sleep while watching "There Will Be Blood" even I was excited with wonderful sequences. And in 2009, the problem could not be ignored anymore. While watching "He's Just Not That Into You", I was asleep a little for the first time since "Entrapment"(However, I managed to write review for my blog). After that, I sleep at least for 4 hours whenever I have to go to Seoul or any other far places for movies on the next day.
P.S.
My digital wristwatch is still working after more than 10 years. I have had watch battery replaced once or twice a year, but YouTube clip will not help me. In case of mine, the lid at the back was hold by four small screws. I go to the shop.
Omer: Yes, I probably can translate. Though the broadcast is in Egyptian-Arabic dialect, it's still pretty clear. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?
---Yes! I'd like to know what they're saying in the posts section below the video, all of which is written in Arabic. In general, do they believe this story or disbelieve it? Do any of the posters know about this story apart from the TV interview? Thanks much!
Old barns always have and always will be a source of great treasures.
I sleep perhaps 2/3 hours a night now, down from the five I got before my illness. You read more, do more, and see things that other people don't get to see.
But life blurs and softens round the edge. You get the feeling that you never experience life as clearly and sharply and immediately as other people. That you experience more, but less vividly.
I read that some people who sleep very little may be actually sleeping in milliseconds, as they blink. What a horribly fascinating thought, that there are moments of unconsciousness we don't even recognise
Great entry!
My girlfriend keeps a sketch book and has always encouraged me to try as well. Of course, I've never thought twice about it before.
But recently I just finished a wonderful tour of Europe and looking back at the many digital photos I've taken, I feel that the mood, atmosphere and personal feeling are lacking in all of them.
All those wonderful memories now look seem like the "token tourist or party pictures".
Anyways, I'm returning to Paris for New Years and think I may give try to give this a go.
As a man who writes stories I would be bad off if I did not sleep. Sleeping is when I get all of my best ideas! I am convinced that sleeping is one of the most important things I do!
Thanks for the tip. I checked a few other websites, and it seems only the Blu-ray version of "Sugar" is available in the original R rated form. I don't have a Blu-ray player right now, so that's not really an option for me, but if you think it won't affect the film, I'll probably pick up the PG-13 DVD.
Dear Roger,
Thanks for the story on Paul and Daniele. Unfortunately, Paul is now sleeping for good. He had so much to repair yet.
The farm is still there. Marie-Ki is occasionally having news from Daniele, who was spending time between France and Martinique....
I don't know what happened to his collections; they could have been turned into a museum of all types of mechanical devices....with workshops for city dwellers who have never seen an old engine, a clock mechanism ....everything being now electrical ....and activated at a distance...
What about your studebaker? Paul would have been crazy about it!
I enjoyed remembering this visit, its sounds so far away!!!
You see your readers appreciate your drawings, you should come back to sketching, it is so lively and warm, not like the today's digital pictures. Your last one is a little Rothko!!
Cheers as you say....!
A bientôt,
Le bonjour amical de Paris!
Oh Roger.
Reading that you desired a Citroën CV2 is like someone telling you their cinematic desire is to experience Clifford in 35mm.
It is, quite possibly, one of the worst cars ever made.Here's a Coles Notes introduction
Love the journal and the links you share with us on, *cough*, twitter. You're quite good at it for a newbie.
-Jason
Ebert: But, but... beloved? Right?
Some folks sleep far more than others, and benefit from it.
Steve Allen, a dandy jazz musician, comedian and TV show host (one of the originators of the format) apparently slept 13-14 hours a night.
But when he was awake, he made full use of his time.
He is reported to have had two tape recorders with him at all times to capture the firehose stream of ideas he had while awake.
One size sure doesn't fit all when it comes to sleep. And while it might be nice to have that extra 6 or 8 hours a night available for conscious activity ... it is a DANDY place to dream.
I just finished McCarthy's "The Road", and what has particularly stayed with me is the refusal of the Boy to tell his dreams to the Man. That happens at least three times in the story, and every time the Boy elects to keep the thoughts to himself. In a world such as that- when you're lucky to meet one of your own kind, and far more luckier if that person isn't a cannibal- your fantasies are all that keep you going. They distract you from the awful truth of reality. Sleep can be the most precious highlight of the day.
I just read your review of John Hillcoat's film adaptation, and I am officially concerned. I have been waiting for this film since fall of last year, but your review spells out everything I'm worried about. "The Road" unfilmable? I was afraid you'd say that...
By the way, is there a specific reason why the review isn't on the site's main page? Is it because the film hasn't officially been released yet?
Ebert: Yes.
My guess is that the man doesn't exude much energy during the day (or during the night for that matter). Otherwise it is like saying there's a car that runs with no gas or elecricity.
Hi Tom,
[RE: Egyptian Incredible Hulk]
I didn't even think to look at the comments. They're funny in that they say the same stuff we'd expect English language comments to say. That should obvious, but for some reason wasn't obvious to me. I guess I expected that it would take much longer to type things in Arabic, so people would say nicer things? I guess that's my own ignorance revealing itself.
Yes, some commenters *seem* to believe it and some don't believe it, but most of the comments are jokes. I say *seem* because I might be missing sarcasm. I think overall, everyone seems to enjoy the video.
-- Even some of the skeptics are funny in that their comments are simple expressions like, "unreasonable." But, some are not as polite, and say things like, "you are a liar and may you crawl under the earth you devil."
-- Some want real proof of his strength.
-- Some are criticizing the television show for exploiting him.
-- Some say that the source of the guy's strength is egyptian beans, falafel, koshari (an Egyptian dish that is a bit like pasta).
-- Many of the comments are expressing sympathy or admiration for his wives (note the 15 that keeps appearing).
-- Some are doing the math (regarding how many humans it takes to equal 1 horsepower, and how many horsepower he claims).
-- Some want to meet his doctor, who told him that he could spend his day with his wives.
-- Some are saying that he must be stupid because he doesn't do anything except have sex all day. Quite a few seem to think that he is, his wives are, or the show hosts are missing a few marbles.
-- MANY are praising/invoking God. Some are invoking God as celebration of the man, and others are invoking God as in "oh my God this is crazy."
-- Likewise, some are criticizing Islam. Some of those points are funny: if he is this strong, then he is stronger than your prophet, which means he is stronger than your god.
-- "Dog" keeps appearing in the comments. I'm assuming that they are directed at other commenters. The standard Arab insult is to call someone a dog (akin to our usage of a$$).
-- Some are suggesting careers, like wrestling, boxing, lying (as in, "he's a professional liar"), fighting the Pharaoh (i.e. usually the President of Egypt or POTUS), fighting Israelis, real life move hero.
-- The name Samson keeps appearing. I'm assuming it's the Biblical Samson.
-- You might also notice -- ههههههههه -- which I believe is hahahahahahahaha.
I hope this helps. But I missed any comments claiming to know the story or the hulk. But, that's typical of MEMRI. We call it "bad MEMRI." If you want Arabs depicted as savages or clowns, watch MEMRI. [Fair Disclosure: I'm not an Arab].
In any case, I'm still scratching my head over the original posting as well as the commenters stating that they never sleep. I don't remember what my personal record is for staying continuously awake, but my longest continuous work day was some 23 hours. I was so delirious at the end of it that was shouting at a stoplight.
I hope all is well.
Omer M
Hey, never mind these people who don't sleep, how about people who never eat?
Teresa Neumann, for instance, lived on nothing but a communion wafer per day from teenhood until she died at age 64 or 65.
Not providing a URL because she also bled every Friday or so, "the stigmata," and the pics are kind of revolting. This should have the interested flocking to find them after all.
Then there was that Hindu lady in AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI who never ate at all. She loved to cook for people, tho'. She said that when she was 12 she was so upset with kids teasing her about being fat she prayed to Krishna to do something about it, and voila.
My friend Hehpsehboah is kind of like that. She eats only little ploops of puffed rice cakes and has been trying to get her little Pekingese dog to do the same. She used to call me every day to talk for hours. I'm still not sure of what to think of having a prophetess have a crush on me... www.thecosmicenergyexperience.com
Adam Zanzie wrote, I just read your review of John Hillcoat's film adaptation, and I am officially concerned. I have been waiting for this film since fall of last year, but your review spells out everything I'm worried about. "The Road" unfilmable? I was afraid you'd say that...
I just saw the trailer today (after spending the past year dutifully avoiding reading anything about the movie). I know you shouldn't trust trailers, but it really didn't look promising. The visuals look about as bleak as Zombieland's (where did all the ash and soot go?), the mother's role seems to have been unnecessarily expanded on, and the end of the trailer made it look like an action movie. That last part doesn't really bother me (could very well be a case of executive meddling to attract more people), but the other two are worrisome.
As a matter of curiosity and astonishment are the sketches and watercolours embedded in the text yours?
Regarding the watercolour at the bottom, it is what I believe is termed impressionism. As far as I make it can, it seems a view from a certain altitude. It would appear the blue sky on top, the red glow of an already just disappeared sun, and the green fields laced with the darker green of pathways/ trees/bushes?...or have I got it all wrong?
Knowing the rest of your work this should not be too surprising. What might be surprising would be the solution of equations...but that has been known to co-exist , otherwise what is the word polymath about?
Ebert: Indeed mine.
Thanks for taking a look at my site, i'm glad you like my stuff -
As for your question,
I went to see a doctor when I was 14, but I got the distinct impression that he didn't believe me, and finding that out I didn't really bother to plead my case much further.
There was a time when I was really concerned, as it seems obvious that sleep is important for the body - but at the same time I had a friend who was diagnosed with an eating disorder and I saw first hand the stress and stigmatism that came with everyone knowing, so I made a concious decision to hide it.
It wasn't like I was up raving all night; until I moved out of my family home to go to university I just lay in bed all night reading.
I don't ever feel tired really, but now I don't think I'd tell a doctor that I never sleep, mainly because I don't have to deal with any ill effects - however if one ever wanted to do a case study on insomnia (if thats what it is), I've always thought I'd be a good subject.
If there's a particular print you like one you likefrom my site, please let me know and I will send it to you.
Adam
Ebert: I love that one of the looming tall trees in a forest. Can you send me a link and I'll post it?
Looks like it might have been done in the middle of the night...
This blog entry is superior to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in every way.
Roger,
Thanks for the beautiful and haunting story. Don't we all have our cavernous barns filled with the stuff we collect there.
Your reminiscence sounds in so many ways like many of the dream-world stories by Steven Millhauser: the eccentric, driven genius and his passion for automated figures and wondrous machines. Even your writing sounds similar in the way it caresses details and in how the next phrase surprises with its skewed wonder. I am curious if you've read his work. If not, you might try some of his short stories.
@ Grace!
"And the dreams...the luminous and watercolor like dreams that simmer in the darkness of sleep! What is life without dreaming?"
Exactly. Just so.
What dreams may come to those who have them,
deftly painted and like breathing, without effort
one's brush imagination, the canvas all that falls
within reach of the mind's eye.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHCtLzmras
Where do such sights and sounds as those come from, then,
if not from where sleeping thoughts rise to meet them in the ether?
What is life without dreaming, if not a world without Art.
- Marie having a trippy moment. :)
"Ebert: Those are not great drawings But they are my drawings, and they evoke being in those places at those times."
The only people who envy technical skill are those not hampered by it. At least I think classical music is easier than a walking bass line in Jazz. :)
When people dance, they express what they're feeling. Lines can do the same. They dance, but as a feeling frozen in time. Your drawings FEEL like something. That's why I think they're great.
But it's your work, you can think think what you like. And I'll think you're an idiot and all's well.
Smile.
Many thanks for the rundown on the postings about the Egyptian strongman, Omer, although they still leave things somewhat opaque. I've done strongman stunts myself, quite surprised myself, never certain I could do them again, but it's quite a different "zone" in which they seem possible. But as the man said, "who would hire me to lift big rocks?"
There've been other such people, documented, in history. There was a little man -- "The Mighty Atom," Joseph Greenstein, who did some amazing things. He made a living as a circus performer.
Well I initially thought that only the watercolour below the text was yours which seemed to be easier, but I can now see a stretching ripe french countryside drowning in the colourful splashes of a setting sun. The others show the freedom of fingers and pencil, and seem to have what one might call a touch of professionalism and at least natural aptitude...ofcourse I am no judge of such matters. But it certainly reveals a dimension you kept to yourself.
Certainly people are born equal, but as different as can be.
Yup, here it is...
http://www.fisherart.co.uk/
Thanks,
Adam.
Ebert: That's a great one, but I was thinking more of #28.
You are seriously, seriously good.
I copied one of your drawings for introducing this entry to other people in my blog(I hope a lot of them can read English). If you cannot permit this, please notify me. I will erase the picture as soon as possible and will post the link only.
Ebert: I am flattered.
I had no idea that you created drawings. What kind of kit do you carry? Is it with you at all times?
Your drawings remind of a book that I have that JBKO wrote as a young student traveling in France. It was later published, I believe, after she became First Lady.
P.S. Off-topic comment: May I mention that I was looking at my copy of Cinemania and noticed that your review of St. Elmo's Fire appears on the disk but is missing from your website?
Ebert: I inexplicably stopped drawing some time ago. I wish I knew why. I always carried an artist's sketching pen and this excellent little Winsor & Newton kit:
http://www.bookofjoe.com/2005/12/winsor_newton_w.html
Random musings, in no particular order, and with no particular point except to say, hey.
On God: At one time, I was as true a believer as one could get, not in the righteous area, I’m refering to belief only. Then I read a quote where someone said, Reality is what exists when you stop believing. I became a “realist.” However, after talking about my “realist” beliefs to others for sometime, I was—and still am—ashamed, because I realized that I might have commited a theft or two along the way by taking something from someone without leaving anything in return, or at least anything of any real value. I remember you quoting EE Cummings in your review of “2010”. I would rather learn how to sing from a single bird than to teach a thousand stars how not to dance. So I’m reluctant to get in on too many issues involving God except for the logical quantitative possibilites. I’ve never been to the God thread.
On Tweetering: I’ve always assumed that it required a cell phone, and all I know about cell phones is that after they go off, I have to wait with the Minute Waltz from Jeopardy going on in my head, while the other person sums up their progress toward getting their laundry done. “One of my favorite skits is the one from Mad TV where someone gets a call during a funeral, and they answer it as some do while their at a restaurant. Ever notice how people talk so much louder at their cell phone than they do the person across the table from them?
I really like Nous visitons un club de jazz de Montauban for many reasons, but the self portrait in its bottom right is a particularly nice touch.
I just came from Wiki and didn't find out anything about your art work. Are there many others? How long have you been an artist?
Ebert: Self-portrait, eh?
It was that very site you posted that originally interested me in the Uberman sleep cycle. This blog is actually reinvigorating my interest in the subject actually. As I'm applying to neuroscience PhD programs (one in your neck of the woods at Northwestern), I might make this one of my research interests; especially now that I know that there are people such as Paul and Mr. Fisher in the world. I'm very much interested in what causes conditions like this that "improve" the person's function.
The other subject I am looking to research has to do with savants. You might enjoy the work of Dr. Allan Snyder, a researcher in Australia who has brought about savant skills in normal people using magnetic stimulation to temporarily inhibit a portion of the brain.
A journalist for the NY times was a subject
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/magazine/22SAVANT.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.centreforthemind.com/images/savantskills.pdf
Mr. Ebert,
I studied painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design but, sadly, had graduated and moved away before your visit and lecture several years ago. My painting friends and I used to joke that most painters secretly want to be musicians...and that most musicians secretly want to be painters (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, John Melloncamp, and Tony Bennett have all exhibited their work---some more successfully than others).
Your post brings new light to this phenomenon. While I admit to owning a guitar, despite not really knowing how to play it, what I really fantasize about is writing about movies. Perhaps there is a similar relationship between painters and movie critics?:) Thank you for showing us your drawings. Here's hoping "The Pot and How To Use It" comes in a fully illustrated edition.
Readers,
Hear Dave Van Dyke's "Van Dyke Revue" performing live Thursday 10/22 in a radio studio at 5 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. Central, etc, at:
http://www.waor.com/
Tom Baker's rendition of Doctor Who once said "Sleep is for tortoises." I suppose it was a slight against those who sleep, but have you ever seen a tortoise that doesn't look positively serene?
Love that last picture.
I used to sketch all the time, but it's just one of those things I seem to have stopped doing frequently. A few years ago, I was taking notes while watching a film (it might have been "There Will Be Blood"), and I found myself drawing a doodle of Daniel Plainview. My notebook at work is full of stuff like that, but this is the only one online. Erm, enjoy...I think.
Ebert: Keep going.
Ebert: Self-portrait, eh?
Kinda wished you hadn't revealed that. I remember my hero, Pete Townshend, in an interview way back where the interviewer was giving him this sincere, long, and flattering assessment of "Tommy," and when the guy finally stopped, Pete smiled and said, "Yeah."
: )
Ebert: I never said it was a self-portrait.
@ Adam Fisher -
I like this one! Kitties! :)
http://www.fisherart.co.uk/Images/Uploads/CatHouse62488.jpg
@ Kevin Crimi -
"The other subject I am looking to research has to do with savants."
Have you ever seen that ColorFIELD German/English documentary "Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into The Brain"? It's all about the world of Savants and the autistic. I'd give you the link, but I've been down this road before; Roger's spam filter doesn't like the site for some reason. But it's easy enough to Google and find it that way.
"Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into The Brain" - Written, directed & produced by Petra Höfer and Freddie Röckenhaus.
What makes it so fascinating is that in addition to what's revealed about the world of savants, they end up shedding light on the human mind itself and how it works.
@ Scot Entrican -
"My painting friends and I used to joke that most painters secretly want to be musicians...and that most musicians secretly want to be painters (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, John Melloncamp, and Tony Bennett have all exhibited their work---some more successfully than others)."
That's because the other guy's medium looks like fun - whereas yours is work. :)
The times when I have most intensely felt and experienced the inner reality of creation have been those times when I have thrown myself wholeheartedly into a task, when I have carried through with that task to the very end. At such times, I experience a dramatically expanded sense of self. I can almost hear the joyous yell of victory issuing from the depths of my being.
This sense of fulfillment and joy is the crystallization of all the effort-each drop of sweat, each tear-expended to reach that moment. Life's inherent creativity, its dynamic vitality, is brought to the surface only through the strenuous exertions of a life of consistent action.
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/creativity.html
Roger, I had no idea of your artistic talent. Your drawings are charming.
Thankyou, this is it;
http://www.fisherart.co.uk/Images/Uploads/Woods.jpg
Adam.
Ps. I'm eagerly awaiting The Road, the book was fantastic but how on earth will they make the same feelings with film?
Kinda wished you hadn't revealed that [it wasn't a self-portait].
On the topice of movies, I remember a time when Mr Dinero could hardly string two sentences together for fear of being misunderstood. Happily, he's gotten around that--least when he's on Charlie Rose with a couple of other actors.
While reading your story, the Jeff Buckley version of "Je n'en connais pas la fin" played in my head. Here's the link, or go to YouTube and do a search. Bliss.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EECFyOdRYU
Hi Tom (and all),
[Re: Egyptian Incredible Hulk, non-Sleepers and others]
There is a joy in learning about such people, who don't sleep or who have the strength of 300 Horsepower just because they just *might* be true, no? Such stories give hope. Admittedly, there are better things to hope for, but I'm speaking of the possibilities of the human experience.
Something I like about this particular posting is that it isn't just about a guy who doesn't sleep. It's exploring what people do with their time (written by a film critic who also reads and draws), and the exploration itself is presented as this journey through an increasingly interesting series of caves/levels. It's interesting that this particular gentleman uses his time on timepieces.
Ideally, the Egyptian Incredible Hulk would use his free time to do amazing things, but in the end, he just copulates. Of course, copulation has its value.
Anyways, just random musings on an interesting post.
Interestingly, after reading this post, I think I've been yawning 10x as much as I normally do (which already is quite a bit).
Omer M
Savants, you want? Here's Kim Peek, the guy on whom Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man" was loosely based:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhcQG_KItZM
Kim memorized every page of 12,000 books (as of some years back, more by now), reading each page simultaneously with one eye. He's got every note of every Mozart composition memorized, too.
You can ask him what is says in paragraph 3, page 642 of WAR AND PEACE and he'll repeat it verbatim. Same with Mozart and a bunch of other composers' compositions. Tell him your birthdate and he'll tell you what date that was... back further than 1 A.D.
But if you meet him a week later, he probably won't remember your name.
Also there's the black guy who took a ride around Rome in a 'copter, went home and drew the whole thing picture perfect from memory. Can't think of his name.
Now that you're twittering, I'm curious if you've seen this Seinfeld skit on twitter.
http://www.slate.com/id/2231467
Hi Roger, I am certain that Monsieur Paul did (physically) sleep. He might have been referring to his frame of mind when he said that he didn't. For that matter, an old person may say that he is young (at heart), and a man may claim that he is always on the go (always? really?). It's the quirkiness of human expression. Now come to think about it, you said that Monsieur Paul was very exuberant and lively, right? Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was jesting a bit, or if his words were meant to connote another meaning. For as you know, Roger, in order to be truly alive and awake, one cannot do without humour.
Ebert: Did you see the post from Dominique? "He is sleepint at last."
I have written Marie-Christine asking:
J'ai aimé écrire sur notre soirée inoubliable avec Paul et Danielle. At-il vraiment vraiment ne dors jamais?
Hi Tom Dark,
Steven Wiltshire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAfaM_CBvP8
and while we're at it:
Jon Stewart interviews Christopher McDougall about the Tarahumara who apparently have 50+ mile running races.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-18-2009/christopher-mcdougall
But, I don't think they hold a candle to a guy who bends coins with his eyes.
Most interesting.
Omer M
Roger wrote, "Did you see the post from Dominique? "He is sleeping at last."
Yes, I did see that post. I also read the one posted by Adam Fisher about not even having a wink.
Hmmmm, wait a minute, this reminds me of something I read years ago... Ah, here it is, from NEWTON BBS - Ask a Scientist:
Here's additional info on sharks' and dolphins' "sleeping" habits: http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/b_sleep.htm
Maybe, Roger, just maybe, some people sleep differently from what we consider conventional sleep. That's my awful guess (no scientific backing, though). Weirder things have happened before. Speaking of which, how the hell did Simeon Stylites manage his toiletries while up there in the pillar for 37 years?
Ebert: Just like a pigeon does.
To answer your Dafoe/"Antichrist" question: Has there been a more harrowing and courageous performance this year?
Yes, Charlotte Gainsbourg's.
Roger, you really crack me up. You've managed to hit two stones with one bird. :)
Thank you for magically transporting us there with your wicked skills.
I couldn't help but wonder what he does after orgasm.
The fourth stage is hope.
Hi Roger,
This is off-topic, but I wanted to thank you for the link in your review of "An Education" to the Guardian story by Lynn Barber. I was interested in the movie anyway, and your 4 star review cemented that interest. But wow, to find out that it was essentially a real story! No wonder Nick Hornby was so interested in getting it onscreen. I'm glad that such a great story ended up being turned into a terrific movie.
I just realized today that those are YOUR drawings Roger! I thought they were... I don't know... somebody elses. They're very charming; I especially like the 2nd and 3rd ones, which put me in mind of early Modernists and Expressionists, like Matisse, Picasso, Kirchner, Modigliani, etc. Do you have any more hiding somewhere? You could do a whole entry about your sketches! That would be excellent.
Hello Roger,
Not quite new news:
A new study reports the discovery of the first gene involved in regulating the length of human sleep. A rare mutation in the “DEC2” gene enables some people to function well on only six hours of sleep per night.
http://sleepeducation.blogspot.com/2009/08/short-sleep-gene-when-six-hours-is.html
So if there is a gene for six ours of sleep, why not a gene for much less? Gregory Charles, a well know Quebec signer, choir leader and entertainer, gets by with three hours of sleep per night. He also knows the words and melodies of thousands of French and English songs, which he sings on demand during part of his show. However, except for that, he’s kind of boring and rather full of himself. Definitively not as fun as Paul.
Michel Lamontagne
Otterburn Park
Quebec
*reaches for "Un homme qui dort"*
Ebert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ToPoGaA24c
I'm sleepy just thinking about somebody who doesn't sleep.
Thank you for sharing this enchanting story (and equally delightful sketches), Mr. Ebert! I feel like I've just been on a little vacation.
I must ask: are you familiar with The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick?
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_hugo_intro.htm
It has a number of resonances with your story, and conjures up a similar sense of wonder for me. Recommended!
Ebert: Yes. You want to keep watching.
"He never sleeps, he says. He says he'll never die....His feet are light and nimble. He never sleeps. He says that he will never die. He dances in light and shadow and he is a great favorite. He never sleeps, the judge. He is dancing, dancing. He says that he will never die." (Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, p. 335)
Those are your drawings? Wonderful! I especially like L'ancienne grange de Paul et Danielle.
As to the subject of the article, I'm a restlessly prolific person, but I need about 10 hours of sleep per day. And the prime hours for focused quality creative work only amount to about 2 per day, and then 4 of middling to good, and then if I try to cram any more work in it falls off from mediocre to scattershot and poor. My trick seems to be working at a mad pace for those good 2 hours.
I'm with Grace -- life without dreaming? A horrible concept.
I suffered a severe bout of insomnia for several months, sleeping perhaps an hour or less each day, back in 1999. I took a second full-time job, figuring I might as well get paid for my misery. Then I got a THIRD job, part-time at a movie theater so I could watch free movies whenever I wanted. If I had it to do over again (God forbid), I'd skip the extra jobs and spend the time writing and reading more.
I found it very upsetting to miss out on dreams and that period of rest just before sleep where you lay in quiet reflection about the previous day's events and wonder what the world will bring when you wake up. It's far nicer to great a new day by waking up to it, in my opinion. An occasional all-nighter is okay, but a lifetime of it strikes me as missing out on something far more important than simply being "more productive". I personally have never considered sleeping and dreaming to be unproductive.
Mr. Ebert, love the artwork, I hope you'll treat us to more in the future!
*P.S. -- Aaron Reese, "Tell No One" is a great film. It got hammered by a lot of critics who said it was "too Hollywood", but ignore them. It's like a modern-day Hitchcock film, I dare say.
Ebert:I 'm with you on "Tell No One."
Roger, I found your story fascinating, though sad. What a wonderful couple you describe! Their life together sounds idyllic. Sad though, because of the lack of contact between you since that wonderful evening. I hope you are still in touch with your friend from your story. I know time moves us in differing directions, and personal time is often difficult to come by, but I feel that this couple were worth the time, even with the language differences.
I wish I could meet someone like that.
By the way, I love reading your reviews, you usually enjoy the movies I enjoy, too. (But I never read them until AFTER I have seen the movie, I want to see them with 'fresh' eyes!)
Ebert: We didn't speak each other's languages. Dominique posted higher on the thread, and Marie-Christine wrote me directly. Dominique was bittersweet: "He is sleeping at last."
Hi Roger,
Regarding sleep, I found this Scientific American article about sleep to be very interesting. It explains how during sleep our brains sort through the day's memories and toss out the dross and re-inforce the memories it thinks are important. There is much more there.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-snoozing-makes-you-smarter
Don
Now a 60 painter but then an 18 year-old question mark of a California girl I felt freed by Henry Miller's book, "To Paint is to Love Again". Yes, a few blotches of paint and you are in that landscape, dream or memory.
Anyone can.
Jamila Fitzgerald
Marrakech
Roger, thank you for adding so much to our lives; not just movie-wise, but life-experience wise. Your sense of inquisitiveness and openness is delightful and has left me smiling. I love your interpretation of the sun setting. Thank you.
Marie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHCtLzmras
Where do such sights and sounds as those come from, then,
if not from where sleeping thoughts rise to meet them in the ether?
What is life without dreaming, if not a world without Art.
Thank you SO much for that trailer! You would not believe how much memory came flooding back..."What dreams may come" is one of my favorite films, and nostalgic because I had to dash out during it in theater and missed a segment. I didn't really understood it then...but I was completely mesmerized nonetheless. The cinematography was something beyond its time, I feel, and the film was underappreciated by the masses. I have to buy it now. I need to own this film.
Your bubbliness always make me smile :)
Ebert: I loved it, too.
As this amazing man has obviously found out..sleep is highly overated..
What a wonderful tale. I think you should consider writing short stories or a novel..maybe a screenplay. Not about this but in general. You know how to tell a story.