Actor and storyteller Spalding Gray, best known for writing and starring in the autobiographical film monologue, Swimming to Cambodia, was confirmed dead today after going missing for nearly two months.
The body of 62-year-old Gray was pulled out of the East River off Brooklyn yesterday.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/ ... 39819.html
Vale Spalding Gray...
I really enjoyed "Swimming to Cambodia" and he was a wonderful comic actor.
Sad.
Sad.
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Spalding
You know, Spalding Gray always seemed so confident to me. Maybe a little nervous or unsure, but basically confident.
I wonder what sent him over the edge...
I wonder what sent him over the edge...
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Indeed.
Spalding once appeared on the usually verbally verbose Dave Fanning radio show once, and just went on and on for 2 hours. Dave couldn't get a word in, no mean feat on Spalding's part. Good obit. in today's Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/st ... 30,00.html
Spalding once appeared on the usually verbally verbose Dave Fanning radio show once, and just went on and on for 2 hours. Dave couldn't get a word in, no mean feat on Spalding's part. Good obit. in today's Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/st ... 30,00.html
Last edited by martinfoyle on Sat Jan 01, 2005 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Better late than never. Saw this piece in last sunday's Observer and meant to add it on then. World events proved distracting. Here it is now.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0, ... 48,00.html
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0, ... 48,00.html
Thanks for posting that, it's a well-done piece.
His life and death scare me, it's just all so close to the bone, and though I think he was very smart, I don't think much of his art. I feel horrible for the pain he underwent. It's funny how many people say suicide is selfish (and it is, but that misses the point) but think of his art as something given less selfishly. I think his monologues and writing were disturbingly narcissitic, and that that's what people liked about it as art. To pretend his death wasn't the likely outcome seems oblivious or disingenuous... the 'creative suicide' was watching him die a slow death onstage or in his written words, nothing to do with ferries or literal (as opposed to literary) waters.
Ugh. I am so sorry for him and his family, the whole thing scares the bejesus outta me.
His life and death scare me, it's just all so close to the bone, and though I think he was very smart, I don't think much of his art. I feel horrible for the pain he underwent. It's funny how many people say suicide is selfish (and it is, but that misses the point) but think of his art as something given less selfishly. I think his monologues and writing were disturbingly narcissitic, and that that's what people liked about it as art. To pretend his death wasn't the likely outcome seems oblivious or disingenuous... the 'creative suicide' was watching him die a slow death onstage or in his written words, nothing to do with ferries or literal (as opposed to literary) waters.
Ugh. I am so sorry for him and his family, the whole thing scares the bejesus outta me.
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The last time I saw him, my friend and I were wondering how much longer he might be around. He was doing Morning, Noon and Night and he was bad. I mean really bad. He seemed to be worse for doing the piece. And what was worse was that you could see that he was underneath that mess of depression in there and just couldn't get out. His art suffered for it as did his life and his family. We left feeling horribly melancholy.
I liked his writing most of all. It was narcissistic, but enjoyable, especially when he performed it.
Sadly, depression killed him in the end. But, thankfully, his family can now put an end to it affecting them. I'll miss him....but I am glad he isn't suffering any more.
I liked his writing most of all. It was narcissistic, but enjoyable, especially when he performed it.
Sadly, depression killed him in the end. But, thankfully, his family can now put an end to it affecting them. I'll miss him....but I am glad he isn't suffering any more.
Where are the strong?
Who are the trusted?
Who are the trusted?