Saturday, September 16, 2017

Harry Dean Stanton

I had the immense pleasure of watching Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction on a plane over the holidays a few years back. I took notes....

David Lynch: How would you describe yourself?
Harry Dean Stanton: As nothing. There is no self.

David Lynch: How would you like to be remembered?
Harry Dean Stanton: Doesn't matter.

David Lynch: What were your dreams as a child?
Harry Dean Stanton: Nightmares.
   
My old man used to say, go straight ahead until you hit something.

I've avoided success artfully

It's all gonna go away. You're gonna go. I'm gonna go. The sun's burning out. The earth is going to go. It's all transient. Everything is transient, so it's ultimately not important. It's all fleeting. Passing. But it's liberating. Just everything happens. It's one connected whole that's happening. That's the Buddhist take but I'm not a Buddhist.

David Lynch: What are you?
Harry Dean Stanton: I'm nothing. When you're nothing there's no problems.