A Life in Smoke

[rmbittner]

A number of years ago, the BBC posted these audio reflections (and slideshow) from avid pipe smoker and author Alan Sillitoe. I love this and thought it was definitely worth sharing with the community here (it's only about 4 minutes long):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/6748859.stm
BTW, unless you were a contemporary English fiction major, his name might not ring a bell. He's probably best known in the U.S. for his short story "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," which used to be required reading in high school. But he's written a lot of novels and short stories. And his memories of how smoking has been a beloved part of his life are just wonderful. (I love the photo of the women in the pipe factory, each of them with a pipe in her mouth!)
Bob

 

[bubblehead33]

That was quite interesting, thanks for sharing Bob.

 

[05venturer]

Very cool.

My oh My How Times have changed

 

[allan]

I grew up with smoke in my life. Tobacco smoke to me gives an immediate sensory memory of 'good times'. My parents would have friends over and several smoked (my parents did not) and now the memory is ingrained in my subconcious somewhere.
movie theaters, planes, bars, everywhere...
I feel that I don't really fit in to this new modern way of being.
Allan

 

[yadan]

Great video - the narrative, the pics and the music - thanks for posting! ::

 

[cortezattic]

10 pipes a day. My kinda guy! Thanks for posting. :clap:

 

[jwp159]

10 pipes a day. My kinda guy! Thanks for posting.

+1

 

[swhipple]

Nice! It does seem somehow that we've lost something in our modern world.

 

[brian64]

Great post...what a smoker's paradise it used to be.

 

[gwtwdbss]

Great vid. thanks for sharing. I am feeling better from my common cold that has lasted a week now. Hopefully I will be able to light up and enjoy a pipe in another day or two. I love seeing pics of old guys smoking a pipe. It is very nostalgic.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

He is so right on. As a writer myself (ok... I'm still working on my first novel)since I started smoking the pipe, it does help me think and relax while I consider the next chapter. And when I'm done writing, it's quite enjoyable to sit back and read what I've written so far.
and it makes me feel like Tolkien, or Jordan, or C.S. Lewis

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

He is so right on. As a writer myself (ok... I'm still working on my first novel)since I started smoking the pipe, it does help me think and relax while I consider the next chapter. And when I'm done writing, it's quite enjoyable to sit back and read what I've written so far.
and it makes me feel like Tolkien, or Jordan, or C.S. Lewis

 

[sparroa]

I know him from the novel 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' which was made into a popular film and was very influential at the time of its publication in the UK. (I picked it up in a used bookshop many moons later...)
Alan Sillitoe died in 2010 at the age of 82, so it is safe to say that he had a pretty good run.
He was quite a character.
Thanks for posting that, Bob. I was not aware of this piece. It provided a great listen for a few minutes...

 

[rigmedic1]

Thanks for posting this, that was really great. I have always relished the fact that by smoking my pipe, I am sharing in a ritual of a great many of the writers and thinkers of the past.

 

[fnord]

Wow, Bob. Thank you for this. I saw the movie "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" long before reading the short story and became a Tom Courtenay fan for life.
On a sidenote, I'd damn near pay three to one if that's not a very young Albert Finney with a go to hell grin at 1:31 of this slideshow.
Excellent post.
Fnord

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Nice little story with some great pictures.

 

[cygnusx1]

Just think, at the rate we are going, we won't even be able to watch videos about smoking!

 

[eibhir]

That made me smile. I really liked the last pic with him and his pipe writing with a fountain pen. A good film. Thanks!

 

[rmbittner]

Surprised no one pointed out/lusted after the round tin of Three Nuns featured in one of the photos of the author. Can you imagine smoking, basically, one tin of that every other day? (And that's after he cut back to just 10 bowls a day!)
Bob

 

[pipesicle]

loved the narration and the postings. Thanks!