Byron, Byron everywhere

[bironic]

The BBC miniseries "Byron" that aired a couple of years ago in England has (finally) arrived here, which is exciting, even if it's on BBC America, which Basic Cable doesn't carry; it's only a matter of time before PBS picks it up. Here is one of my favorite passages from Alessandra Stanley's review in the NYTimes today:

"Byron" begins in 1811 when the young British aristocrat (Jonny Lee Miller) is on a seigneurial sex tour of the Mediterranean, sprawled next to his tent caressing a half-naked Greek boy as his manservant and companions discreetly avert their eyes. "I should not believe what they say then, that in your land true pleasure is forbidden, only women are allowed?" a sultanlike Ottoman governor of Athens asks his foreign visitor over tea. "Customs vary," Byron replies.

Later on in a list of latter-day Byronic icons Stanley mentions that John de Lancie based Q in part on Byron. I didn't know he or the screenwriters did that consciously, even though you can easily see the poet's influence on the character: arrogant, subversive, seductive, omnipotent, ambiguous, effeminate, willful, etc. He looks the part too, with his pale skin, dark curly hair and sinuous movements.

I remember reading all about The Byronic Q in some articles of Atara Stein's (one of which focuses on Picard/Q slashiness) back in the day, and I hear she has a section on him in her book, The Byronic Hero in Film, Fiction and Television, which wasn't out when I wrote my paper at school but is available now. I ordered it from Amazon or e-Bay a couple of days ago after I remembered that it had a publication date in late 2004. Found it for pretty cheap, too. I also picked out about 6 or 7 other books during the week, mostly texts I used at school, biographies about Byron and histories of the vampire in literature and other such stuff. Because nothing says Productivity like glutting yourself on literary criticism purchases. Now I can pencil the margins to my heart's content without worrying about library reprimands or late fees.

Henry Jenkins' Textual Poachers is next on the wish list, but that's for another project entirely. It's going to have to wait anyway because I've gotten so much this week and I have trouble spending money all at once when I don't have a budget. Plus synn and chalcopyrite and I are spending the day in the city tomorrow inclusive of a ballet matinee, two meals and train fare. Totally worth it to see David Hallberg on stage again.

P.S. Go listen to Steven Lynch's Halloween song if you haven't heard it yet.

Comments

[musicisbelievng.livejournal.com]

haven't heard a new stephen lynch song in awhile. go here (http://www.amateurtransplants.com/) and listen to the london underground song. hehe.

[supersaps.livejournal.com]

The Byron series sounds LOVELY - caressing of half-naked Greek boys should be mandatory in all modern historical dramas.

I'm thinking of circulating a petition to that effect. :)

Yay for book spending sprees - at least yours wasn't All Terry Pratchett, All The Time like my latest excursion to Waterstone's. And it feels good to own something and be able to brand it yours and use it to your heart's content, doesn't it. (Possibly that's why I have such trouble with relationships. :))

[supersaps.livejournal.com]

Whoops - that was me, Catilinarian, on Sapna's computer. In case the lusting over half-naked boys didn't tip you off.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Hey! I didn't realize it was you right away -- I'm gullible when it comes to LJ names, I guess. Sounds like no one but you on second reading, though.

Nothing wrong with Pratchett-fests, unless you're in one of those slumps where you keep reading them even after they've stopped being enjoyable. I've been in non-fiction mode lately but hope to dip back into novels when all this papers-and-journals craziness dies down.