Movie star

Dear Diary,

Life is pretty cool at the moment. I dig archæology. Christmas is coming up. Once my next two papers are out of the way, I’ll finish my novella ‘Forbidden Fruits’ and also my play ‘Zenobia’. I just have to divide my time between reading and writing for academia and also writing creatively. It is highly unlikely that I will ever fulfil my ambition of becoming a Doctor of history or indeed, an established author. My style is too wordy, and only appreciated by a select few.

I have recently fallen in love with the literature of Sir Thomas Browne. He is a scholarly precision and his works flow like a meandering river of learning, steeped in classical culture and moral philosophy of the most proper sort. I think he appeals to me every bit as much as Charles Lamb or Ralph Waldo Emerson.

My love life extends only as far as reading (and writing) poetry. This year has been ... challenging, but perhaps my most proud moment is becoming a movie star.

I am not permitted to blog about it, but seeing as I may well have been paid for the acting job this week, I see no harm in blogging about it.

Next year, in the spring, appearing in the cinemas is Fox’s production of Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd. During the carnival scene (with a bear!) is a boxing match happening. I have a speaking part, and play the rôle of a Bookie, a book-maker who takes bets on the boxing. In said scene is a dashing young man in an ochre-coloured jacket, wearing a colourful waistcoat, with a red handkerchief, wearing a bowler hat. He takes the money from everybody, including Sgt. Troy (played by Tom Sturridge). That is essentially the entire film. I intend to cut and paste that whole scene, repeating it in slow motion with kick-ass slide guitar goin’ on in the background. Vanity? Yes. But I’ve never been a movie star before, and am very excited about being in the pictures. People will see this film all across the world.

I love Thomas Hardy, and I was honoured to be a featured artist.

Back to the archæology flex. Time to get that paper written.

Max.

“...the iniquity of oblivion blindly scattereth her poppy, and deals with the memory of men without distinction to merit perpetuity. Who can but pity the founder of the Pyramids? Herostratus lives that burnt the Temple of Diana, he is almost lost that built it; Time hath spared the Epitaph of Adrian’s horse, confounded that of himself. In vain we compute our felicities by the advantage of our good names, since bad equall durations; and Thersites is like to live long as Agamemnon, who knows whether the best of men be known? or whether there be not more remarkable persons forgot, then any that stand rememberēd in the known account of time? Without the favour of the everlasting register, the first man had been as unknown as the last, and Methuselahs long life had been his only Chronicle.” - Sir Thomas Browne, from Urn Burial.