why is he telling you all this? (the pervasiveness of autobiography)

horsemouth has been wittering on about the pervasiveness of autobiography

'I think covid has born many memoirs. also the current shit show that is the modern world is leading lots of people to grasp around desperately for some sort of salvation, and so books on ‘how my garden saved my life’ and other such topics (although most commonly this one) are in abundance...' replied chloe.

covid was certainly a big part of it. the chattering classes confined in the domestic realm. horsemouth experienced covid as very transformative  but horsemouth thinks the autobiographical turn goes back earlier. 

the thing that made lockdown possible was the internet, film streaming services but also social media.

once there was a notion of privacy and of private life. instead now there is a constant performance. the life of the writer is recruited into the work in the same way as it was formerly excluded - ok you know about kafka's life and loves because max brod didn't burn the diaries like he was supposed to, but how much do you know about kubin? or werfel? or milena jesenka? or indeed brod himself? (people from the same scene as kafka but whom fate didn't promote to glory to the same extent). 

and indeed how would it change your understanding of their works if you knew more about their lives? 

writers used to be busy behind the proscenium arch of the novel, anonymised, understood through their works. now their works are understood through them, through their lives recreated in biography. similarly for musicians. 

it is good that gardens are saving people's lives and sanity, but when in voltaire candide is shuffling round his garden it is a measure of hard-won wisdom but also of defeat - faced by the horror of the world (and who can blame him) candide has retreated into private life, into his garden. but this retreat is not a good thing. it is not a victory. 

horsemouth is enjoying the garden. he has just seen the first pea pod of the season, he has eaten the first few strawberries, the flowers are out on a few of the runner bean plants. his garden is behind those of his neighbours (he is just much less skilled). he has, however, realised that he has planted the onion seedlings out incorrectly and is going to have to do that again (oh dear). 

horsemouth has been out to unleash the chickens and in a bit he will go out and unlock the abbey. 

so why is he telling you all this? he finds it very reassuring to write. he began (he thinks) on a holiday in spain in about 1990 - malaga, granada, seville, cordoba, ronda, he began out of loneliness but also out of a determination to go and see. 

then there were the work diaries and commonplace books (look horsemouth here's a free book you can write in while you visit all these august institutions with their well-stocked libraries). 

he kids himself that it is publicity for his musical and cultural products. he hopes that you find some use in it (but he would probably do it anyway).