The other writing project staring me in the face is the one about “Network.” Actually, there’s an even more daunting third project out there that I don’t even want to write about, but let’s not go there right now.
My preparation for the “Network” project so far has been to re-immerse myself in the culture of 1973-76. I’ve rewatched not just “Network,” but also “All the President’s Men,” “Nashville” and “Taxi Driver.” I’ve also started reading some books about the oil crisis and the popular reaction to it.
There’s something surprising that’s coming up for me, though. My memories of the 1970s as a child were of Nixon’s demise due to Watergate, Vietnam and the oil-crisis induced recession, and a short-term restoration of the Democratic Party after the shellacking the party took in the 1972 elections. But the literature of the era — and the films, for that matter — tell a different story.
Everything in these films hints at the America to come.
From “All the President’s Men,” the massive potential for a President to raise nearly unlimited money and to find unique uses for abundant campaign resources.
“Taxi Driver” raises two issues that will come to dominate American politics: the dark power of vigilante justice as a racist response to urban violence, and the forces set loose on the culture by the sexual revolution, especially the confluence of children and sex trafficking.
“Nashville” features a bizarre disembodied political candidate who communicates via a car loudspeaker spouting populist phrases: not unlike leaders taking to X or Truth Social to declare everything from personal grievances to war updates.
And then there’s “Network,” where so many cultural forces align at once that I need to take a full series to detail them.
My point isn’t that what we are living through right now is a direct echo of the 1970s, it’s something stranger. Nearly everything we are experiencing now feels like a direct extrapolation of forces let loose in that era, forces that few people in America understood as they were experiencing them, but a handful of remarkably adept filmmakers were able to capture in films that have become classics.
It’s all a powerful argument for storytellers to askew period pieces and fantasy genres. Focus on the world you see as it exists — you’ll be surprised just how much you capture.
Now that my Montaigne Project URL is back online, perhaps I should start by discussing what’s up with “Essai by Essay.” I’ve recently pulled the first edition of the book from all retail channels in anticipation of my new version. Originally I thought this edition would include just some minor pagination updates and minor editing.
But the more I get into the project, the more I actively dislike the first edition of the book. I’m doing fairly extensive editing across the essays and expect to be engaged in this work for a couple more weeks, at least.
There’s something else that’s bothering me as well, however. Somewhere along the line, my writing about Montaigne lost me and no longer fits the premise of my introduction. I think it’s right for me to shift my analysis of Montaigne as I learn more, but it’s a mistake to turn the book into purely a chapter-by-chapter analysis of his writing.
This may not be something I can address in the second edition, I might just be better off creating a book that works on its existing terms. At some point, however, I need to return to the original purpose of the project, using Montaigne’s model to bring my own thoughts and experiences to light.
That does not mean another 107 day Montaigne marathon is in order. But a better balance needs to be struck, perhaps in a future third edition.
My next Movies Scene By Scene project will be the Sidney Lumet directed film “Network” by Paddy Chayevsky. It’s not only a brilliant, prophetic film, but also an essential piece of 1970s cultural history, harkening to a time much like ours. boxd.it/1VqG
I am bringing back my old URL for My Montaigne Project so that I can continue work on a couple of projects.
The first is the second edition of my book “Essai by Essay.” I’m already deep into the editing process on the new edition, but I think it would be helpful to slow down a little and workshop some of the chapter revisions, so I’m going to do that on the blog.
The second is my new “Network” project, which will include not just my scene-by-scene approach to the film, but also a cultural history of the early 70s, which I think is essential to attaining a full understanding of the film.
These projects will happen in conjunction, and will likely span over several weeks. We’ll see what comes after all.
By the way, I’ve also converted my danielmconley.com site into an author’s site that I’ll use primarily to promote my books. That URL does have a blog attached to it, but I will likely use it only to announce new publications and, from time to time, link to content here.