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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "bryan" <munki100@pacbell.net> |
| Subject | Re: Suicides R (not) Us |
| Date | Thu, 23 Oct 2003 19:37:31 -0700 |
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Stewart wrote:
> I admit that it's likely that my reaction to this news has been
> colored by the fact that I never cared much for Elliott
> Smith's music, nor indeed for the man himself
I don't quite know what to say about this except that I just
knew this was why you made the comments you did in the
first place, Stewart. Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. I just
can't believe some of the stuff I'm reading on this list. NO
OTHER LIST I'm on is reacting the way that some of the
people on this list are reacting. No one.
Stewart also wrote:
> but I stand by my opinion that -- not necessarily on a
> conscious level although I wouldn't put it past him -- in
> some ways, Elliott Smith chose to commit suicide, and
> specifically that he chose to commit suicide in the manner
> that he did, in order to become a legendary tragic figure.
I wrote these comments to another list last night, and repeat
them here (sorry if some of you have seen this already...),
but I hesitate to point out that it only "appears" to have been
suicide, according to the initial reports (but hey, wasn't Bobby
Fuller's death in '66 reported as a suicide at first?). If he did
indeed kill himself, I haven't read any mention of there being
a suicide note....To my knowledge, there hasn't yet been a
full report released by the LAPD crime scene investigators...
or an autopsy...
It may be something else entirely...I can't quite imagine what
kind of psychic pain you have to be in to be able to plunge a
knife in your chest to end your life. It's gotta be a way that
very few people commit suicide. I wonder what the insurance
actuaries (or whatever they're called) would reveal about it ...
Think about it. I mean, is it even possible to be able to stab
through your ribcage like that? In fact, with Elliott's access to
drugs, I'm wondering why he didn't just OD on heroin, or
pills, or do something else...if he did indeed choose to end
his life...I don't buy the "self-mythologizing" myself....
So, perhaps everyone is jumping the gun by saying he committed
suicide...perhaps he was attacked by a crazy knife-wielding
burglar, or a crazy knife-wielding girlfriend? Or, perhaps I'm
being naive, and Smith really did kill himself by stabbing himself
once with a knife in his chest. I just can't believe it. But, I don't
personally think that a person who chooses to kill himself in
this manner is doing any more "self-mythologizing" than a
person who takes his/her life in any other manner, jumping off
a building, or sucking on the business end of a shotgun. They're
all equally horrible ways to die, and I don't think the person who
thinks about killing themselves really gives as much thought to
it ("self-mythologizing")...they just want the pain to end...I'm sure
they don't think "Oh wow, I'm going to be a martyr for killing
myself in such a passionate way..."
Anyway, this whole thing just makes me sick. I'd spoken with
Elliott Smith a few times (and I know his girlfriend Jen Chiba...)
I found Smith to be shy, withdrawn, with a dry wit....while
we sat at the bar at Spaceland one night, he was writing the
lyrics for the song "Son of Sam" on a bar napkin while we talked
(I took a peak at it while he went to the restroom)...
Not sure if it was posted on this list or not (forgive me if I'm
reposting something I read here originally), but this online
interview for Under The Radar may have been one of his very
last interviews.... http://www.undertheradarmag.com/es.html
Definitely check it out if you're a fan....Here's an excerpt:
"You see, over the past few months another little rumor has
also been floating about. There's been talk of Smith being
clean, sober and ready to get back to work. Instead of holding
their breath, most fans would rather wait and see it to believe
it. Well, the wait is over. This rumor is actually made up of
100% truth. So shout it from the rooftops: Elliott Smith is back!"
RIP Elliott,
Bryan
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