A Chimney Sweep, Paul Bowles and Yesterday's Perfume

It is strange how even life’s seemingly little inconsequential events are often interconnected and can lead from one planned occurrence to a somewhat unexpected one. Thus for example, last week when we had a chimney sweep in to remove soot and the remnants of a bird nest from the house chimneys, I had covered some of the furniture to protect it from dust. When the work was finished, I removed the sheet coverings, moved the couch and exposed the full height bookcase in order to clean behind it. In doing so I managed to dislodge a book from the overloaded shelves, called ‘Yesterday’s Perfume’ by Cherie Nutting. This is a book memoir of the author’s affection for both Paul Bowles, the famous American writer, and indeed of Morocco, where Bowles spent much of his life. I had totally forgotten that I had acquired this book and was delighted to find it in such an unexpected way. Cleaning implements were quickly set aside and I began to peruse the book’s writing and photographs. This lead to my re-examining my treasured shelf collection of his novels, music and the DVD’s of his film ‘The Sheltering Sky’.

Paul Bowles has been one of my favourite writers for some time as the photo accompanying this blog post will testify. His written works are often dark in tone and disturbing in their breadth of vision but nevertheless explore man’s existential quest for meaning in a chaotic world. The American writer Norman Mailer I feel best described his importance as follows:

“Paul Bowles opened up the world of Hip; he let in the murder, the drugs, the incest, the death of the square, the call of the orgy, the end of civilization”.

Among the distinguished writers whose lives intersected to a degree with Bowles, are Aaron Copland (influenced Bowles music), Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. Thus Bowles autobiography, ‘Without Stopping’ is a good introduction to both his fellow writers and his work in general. However, it is for the novel ‘The Sheltering Sky’ that he is most famous, principally because it was turned into a film by Bernardo Bertolucci. However, I would strongly recommend that anyone wishing to appreciate the film should read the novel first as without the inspiration of the written word, the film may appear long and unstructured even if beautifully photographed.

The Sheltering Sky chronicles the odyssey of an American couple in the deserts of North Africa and far be it from me to attempt to explore its core themes here. However, one of its interesting ideas which particularly appeals to me is the difference that Bowles saw between a tourist and a traveller. It is worth quoting from the book here:

“The difference is partly one of time, he would explain. Where the tourist generally hurries back home at the end of a few weeks or months, the traveller belongs no more to one place than the other, moves slowly over periods of years, from one part of the earth to another---another important difference between tourist and traveller is that the former accepts his own civilisation without question; not so the traveller who compares it with the others and rejects those elements he finds not to his liking—“

At a time when many of our personal experiences are being defined in writing and music by ever narrower publishing criteria and that in travel by ever more packaged products, I feel that the work of Paul Bowles can still offer an exotic and stimulating prism on real life which can be an inspiration to us all.

May I end therefore by wishing that we can travel in hope and read in joy with Paul Bowles as a true companion.