The
Archive of David Watkin: Oscar-winning Cinematographer  |
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 The two volumes of David Watkin's autobiography are no longer available on this site. Copies can now be bought from Mullen Rare Books on Amazon. Why Is There Only One Word For Thesaurus? – £45.00 and Was Clara Schumann a Fag Hag? – £22.00 |
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“Was
Clara Schumann a Fag-Hag?” is the second volume of an autobiography
mainly, but not entirely, about the film business. Although essential parts from the earlier volume re-appear this is, to all intents and purposes, a new piece of work. “Much has happened in ten years and, as short term memory gets worse, long term memory seems to sharpen” First Volume: Why Is There Only One Word For Thesaurus? Being an Autobiography of David Watkin  An autobiography of British Cinematographer, David Watkin. Full of life, energy and attitude. Published by subscription with the support of the many luminaries with whom he has worked. Some comments on its earlier companion – from, literally, worlds apart. This is an exercise in self-publishing, the handsomest I have ever come across. Many a commercial publisher should sit down with it. The design of the whole book, from dust jacket (lovely picture of the author at work!) through page layout to binding is exemplary Jim Ballentyne. Fuck a stoat, what a wickedly funny book! I laughed, I cried, I read huge pieces aloud to Kathleen, and I smile every time I see it on my bookshelves, sitting between Fritz Lang’s Biography and some hyper-intellectual stuff by Wim Wenders. So I demand that you live forever so you can keep writing, and thank you again for your kindness to me and Katherine in Florence, David Lawrence, Hollywood DOP. I get an awful lot of film biogs and autobiogs, and most of them are overwritten and rather tedious. Yours is remarkably fresh and different, to say nothing of immensely readable. I need hardly add that your book stays firmly on my shelves, while the autobiogs of several others (who shall remain nameless) are on their way to the Oxfam Shop. Have a smashing 00. Very best wishes, Barry Norman The chapter is a delight, as I knew it would be. The stories are funny and, best of all, reading it is like hearing you speak. Love, Sidney Lumet Yours is quite different; fabulously gossipy, tremendously funny, gloriously outspoken with stable after stable of hobby-horses. It is also beautifully produced and I must congratulate your collaborators on their taste, style and execution. It will make you hundreds of friends and offendees far beyond the list of subscribers. Anyway it's bloody marvelous and I'm enjoying every word of it. Yours in haste, Joe Mendoza |
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