Post 8

I'm up to page 87 with my initial draft of a pictorial response to the 'City Of Glass.'

* 'The question is the story itself and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell.'

I've decided that I will try to represent the complete story by storyboarding from one page to the next. It is a page by page instant response to the story. I've decided to stay committed to following this through from beginning to end, setting myself a definite agenda. On some pages I've drawn more images than others. I feel that I can get an essence of the narrative by meticulously documenting it and hope the images that I produce will give me a starting point to build upon.

A difficulty that I've found in working this way is somehow marrying the 'feel' of the book along with the narrative. It seems to operate on so many levels that I'm aware of the fact that I'll need to be experimental to find images that will work alongside the text.

Pages 3,4 and 5.

Why does Quinn claim to be Auster?

I've found that my characters have morphed into shadowy silhouettes, entities. Is this an intention of the author or my subjective response to the story so far? Is this my way of 'simplifying' the multi layered written narrative with less complex images...?

I'm interested in the idea that Quinn had a successful 'old life' as a writer with a wife and child. It puts across the sense of place, grounding. It suggests that there was once a time when the character of Quinn could have been placed, pinned down. Now, it seems, he lacks a real sense of place...

'Motion is of the essence...'

Pages 3,4,5...

'because he did not consider to be the author of what he wrote, he did not feel responsible for it and therefore, was not compelled to defend it in his heart.' ( upon becoming Wilson).

Am I just an idea? Marc Renshaw? What would happen if I decided to change my name as an artist , the things that I wear, the way I act, the type of work that I produce? I could be 50 different artists all at once....

(Quinn)... seems tom be at some sort of crossroads, has something dramatic caused him to exist in a new way?

'he no longer existed for anyone but himself...'

'New York was an inexhaustible space, a labyrinth of endless steps, and no matter how far he walked, no matter how well he come to know it's neighbourhoods and streets, it always left him with the sense of being nowhere...'

'On his best walks he was able to feel he was nowhere and this was finally all he ever asked of things, to be nowhere...'

'New York was the nowhere he built around himself...'

At this point in the story it would appear he had a place in which to return, the 1 bed flat. He is able to get a feel of being nowhere on his walks but is still able to go home at the end of his day.

'The whole city is a junk heap.'

I was on the tube a few months back, on an above ground section on the way to Liverpool St and was taken by sections of debris mixed in with rusting metal pipes, wires, lagging, litter, paper, broken glass. Its like the city is an ocean washing up its debris to the edges of rail lines.

I'm compelled to visit new places, especially stumbling upon 'gems' close to home. like finding a new stretch of beach recently on the Lincolnshire coast, the anticipation of ascending the escalator at another tube station for the first time...something about the city...characters on the tube. 'Can't give too much eye contact...'

Back to the story....

Quinn gives himself a 'get out clause,' is he either Quinn, Wilson or Auster?

Who is Quinn? He seems to be a non person...a nothing. Does he exist? A figment?

Metaphysics: " Part of a philosophy which is concerned with the understanding of reality and developing theories about what exists and how we know it exists." Collins Corbuld dictionary.

As I'm reading the book I'm already pre conditioned to expect the unexpected...all is not what it seems. It almost sees inevitable that the end of this story will certainly leave more questions than answers.

Is Quinn lonely? does he long for the 'old life' ?

P94...Quinn enters the flat of Auster (the author) and notices the toys and hints to family life...a sense of place that Quinn seems to lose more and more as the story develops.