p-r-i, public radio international

I was happily dorking out on the subway this morning, listening to my podcast of this week's "Studio 360," from PRI (Public Radio International). It was a great, diverse episode: i learned about how laboratories are making diamonds out of gas (because apparently when diamonds change form they skip the liquid phase altogether and go from solid to gas and can be, therefore, made from gas to solid. science is so crazy sometimes.) and heard two interviews with authors, one of whom was george saunders. now, i wasn't really a fan of what saunders read--his prose was a little stunted, a little self-aggrandizing. but he had a couple really good things to say during the interview, including this:

"I think that's a good way to think about art...everything is true and false at once, and maybe the artist is just like the Shakespearean moron who just says everything at once, and kind of stirs things up, and then just walks away."

maybe that's true. maybe we artists really are just here to say "hey you! hey! look at this!" and then leave the audience to work out what it means. maybe that's why i've been so open to premiering george's songs, songs that aren't always easy to listen to or understand. because that's not really the point, making something that's easy. if i wanted that, i'd cover john tesh songs with a casio keyboard.

just a thought to start out your day. more later.