Susan Sontag’s diaries reveal a witty fondness for the humble list, as a way of conferring value and exploring the realms of her knowledge. Her list of likes and dislikes has become justly notorious. Here Thurston Moore, founding member of Sonic Youth, picks up that baton
LIKE
Susan Sontag, especially the splendid portrait of her in the bear suit, and I like that her birthday is January 16th – the same as my true love; Disk Union; Cherry Garcia; PG Tips; The Flash; Jonathan the dog (RIP); Eurostar to Paris; Lee Ranaldo’s collection of Beat literature; Iggy; Cheetah Chrome; Leni Sinclair; Bees; Honey; ZDB (Lisbon); Road trips with Coco; Trans-consciousness; Belarus Free Theatre; Anthology Film Archives; The spectacular non-violent artwork of London’s Angry Brigade; Oxfam; Blue hair; MC5; Rockheim’s Black Metal Room; Radieux Radio; Mimeograph machines; Anne Waldman; Italy; Zazie’s piano solos; Jules’ five-year-old voice; Guinness cake; The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics; Lou and Laurie with their dog at Wallsé; Chelsea Manning; Warm scones; Shooting stars; Agent Provocateur; The BFI; Debbie Googe; The Diggers (San Fran); Puppy breath; Louise Brooks; Cassette tapes; The trees in Clissold Park; Paul Marlow; Hardcore matinees; Cafe OTO; Catenaries; Her mandolin rehearsals; Eleanor Moore (my ‘mum’) on the beach; Gareth Pugh; Afternoon tea in Newington Green; Flashback Records; Southbank Poetry Library; Norwegian black metal; Mermaids; Community gardens; Astrid Proll; The BBC; Vivienne Westwood; Star children; Letting the Led out; Saints; Popcorn; Sonny Sharrock; The Full Moon
DISLIKE
Borders; Passports; “Leaders”; Royalty; Front of house sound limiters; Aggressive spell-checks; Sirens; Mobile phones; Meat; Weaponry; Cars; Digital music; Slander; Courgettes; “Vacations”; US presidential elections being too dismal to speak of; Knighthoods; Being called “Sir” in general; Haters; Meanies; Ghost writers; Ghosts; Sun-dried tomatoes; Sun burning; Los Angeles; Conservatives not conserving; Orwellian speak; The smug; The second take; Airport fiction; No pudding; No-smoking signs; No-skateboarding signs; No-bicycle signs; No-dogs signs; Saying goodbye
Thurston Moore appeared at the launch of the Bowers & Wilkins Listening Room at House of St Barnabas, London, to celebrate the audio brand’s 50th anniversary
This article is taken from PORT issue 19, out now.
