From Disdain to the Beautiful Stuff

"Get awed on a regular basis."

Earlier this year, I devoured Faith, Hope and Carnage, which is essentially a book-length interview between musician Nick Cave and journalist Sean O’Hagan. The exchange printed on its back cover is what made me buy it when I saw it in Barnes & Noble:

Nick Cave: We may shed many skins, but we are essentially the same damn snake.

Sean O’Hagan: But surely your outlook is entirely different now?

NC: Well, the young Nick Cave could afford to hold the world in some form of disdain because he had no idea of what was coming down the line. I can see now that this disdain or contempt for the world was a kind of luxury or indulgece, even a vanity. He had no notion of the preciousness of life — the fragility. He had no idea how difficult, but essential, it is to love the world and to treat the world with mercy.

I’ve been through some shit the past few years. That’s all I’ll say about the past few years. And really, the shit of the past few years began with shit over many years prior. But the past…