7 years of inconsequence - the 7th anniversary of horsemouth's beginning to blog

'who is entitled to write his reminiscences? everyone. because no one is obliged to read them.' says herzen in my past and thoughts (it's good enough and short enough to be repeated). 

it is the 7th anniversary of horsemouth's beginning to blog (on myspace - remember myspace?). he had the perfect post for you - saved from his recently returned myspace postings - but he has lost it in the mountain of 7 years of  inconsequence.

and despite horsemouth's keeping a diary - stuff keeps refusing to happen.

'autobiography is an exercise in self-forgiveness' says journalist janet malcolm. this morning it rains - this afternoon there may be sun. horsemouth has been pretty dumb - he finds this hard to forgive.

'there were holes in the fabric just where are reader was most hungry for densty and richness. people often leave no record of the most critical or passionate moments of their lives. they leave laundry bills and manifestoes.'  

so says a.s.byatt in their introduction to a.j.a.symons 'experiment in biography' the quest for corvo. (crypt charity shop roman road - £1)

horsemouth is no exception to this golden rule - horsemouth will leave you nothing but reading lists, chord sheets, musically illiterate music criticism, diegesis, commentary, backsliding, intellectual impoverishment, lists - expect no more of him.

recently horsemouth sat in east india dock park and read richard mabey's plant-spotting guide to metro-land, the suburbs served by the metropolitan line (£1 ditto ditto). it was fun. hazlitt (apparently) did the same walks over and over 'hesitating to quit the one I am on, afraid to snap the brittle threads of memory'.