Long Live the Lists!
To perform the revolutionary act of making lists; the daily to-dos, the 100 movies to watch, the books to read this year, the places to visit this decade, is to confer some meaningful points on the inherently meaningless plane of life; is to believe that transferring words on a virgin sheet is a step short of living them, and to assume with an untainted innocence that the valley of time stretches far beyond tomorrow. To make lists is to be an existential hero, to not give up in the face of Sisyphean tragedy of life.
To kiss his wife June is
on the to-do list of Johny Cash.
Jack Kerouac’s reading list.
Artist Adolf
Konrad’s packing list.
Architect Eero Saarinen gave his wife Aline a letter listing her best attributes.
"I perceive value, I confer value, I create value, I even create - or guarantee - existence. Hence, my compulsion to make “lists.” The things (Beethoven’s music, movies, business firms) won’t exist unless I signify my interest in them by at least noting down their names." . - Susan Sontag
Artist Janice Lowry’s journal entry. She created 126 volumes of such journals in her life.
Internal memo sent by David Ogilvy to all his employees.
List of European artists suggested by Picasso for the first modern art show in US.
"The list is the origin of culture. It's part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible. It also wants to create order — not always, but often. And how, as a human being, does one face infinity? How does one attempt to grasp the incomprehensible? Through lists, through catalogs, through collections in museums and through encyclopedias and dictionaries. - Umberto Eco
Songwriter Woodie Guthrie’s
New Year’s resolution list at 30.
Michelangelo’s grocery list, further illustrated for his illiterate servant.
Houdini’s prop list for his most famous magic act ‘Houdini Upside Down’.
A list of other lists:
thanks for stopping by. hope you have a bearable time.