Synopses & Reviews
"Wide-awake and sensuously lyrical, Mark Mordue's Dastgah gets in behind the shell of the familiar, reminding us that the world is vast and strange and that everything is-in case we've forgotten-happening for the first time."-Sven Birkerts, Editor of AGNIand author of My Sky Blue Trades: Growing Up Counter in a Contrary Time
"As much as travel books are my favorite genre of novels, and as deeply as they are rooted in the 19th century, before the invention of photography and then film, Mark has written the first one that takes this precious and rare species into the 21st century."-Wim Wenders, director of Paris, Texas; Wings of Desire; and Buena Vista Social Club.
"An extraordinary and dazzling voyage across continents and into the mind. Mordue's book is almost impossible to summarize-reportage, reflection and poetry are all conjured onto the page as he grapples with the state of the world and his place in it."-Giles Milton, author of Nathaniel's Nutmeg
Australian writer Mark Mordue invites you to journey with him from a Rolling Stones concert in Istanbul to conversations with mullahs and junkies in Tehran, and from a cricket match in Calcutta to an S&M bar in New York, as well as many points in between. Mordue chronicles his year long global trip with his girlfriend, Lisa Nicol, exploring countries many Westerners never see as well as issues of world citizenship in the 21st century. Dastgahwill take you to all kinds of places across the world and inside yourself.
The word "dastgah"is drawn from Persian classical music. In order to play a dastgah with fellow musicians, an entire "map"must be memorized. How you then play a dastgah is entirely up to you.
Mark Mordue's work has been published in Interview, Madison, Speak, The Nationand Salonin the U.S., as well as Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ, The Australianand Sydney Morning Heraldin Australia. Mordue is the winner of a 1992 Human Rights Media Award, and from 1992 to 1997, he was the founding editor of Australia's leading pop culture magazine Australian Style.
Review
I JUST TOOK A TRIP around the world in one go, first zigzagging my way through this incredible book, and finally, almost feverishly, making sure I hadnt missed out on a chapter along the way. Im not sure what Id call it now: A road movie of the mind, a diary, a love story, a new version of the subterranean homesick and wanderlust blues anyway, its a great ride. Paul Bowles and Kerouac are in the back, and Mark Mordue has taken over the wheel of that pickup truck from Bruce Chatwin, whos dozing in the passenger seat. WIM WENDERS, director of Paris, Texas; Wings of Desire; and The Buena Vista Social Club.
WIDE-AWAKE AND SENSUOUSLY LYRICAL, Mark Mordue's Dastgah gets in behind the shell of the familiar, reminding us that the world is vast and strange and that everything is in case we've forgotten happening for the first time. SVEN BIRKERTS, editor of AGNI and author of My Sky Blue Trades: Growing Up Counter in a Contrary Time
AN EXTRAORDINARY AND DAZZLING VOYAGE across continents and into the mind. Mordue's book is almost impossible to summarize reportage, reflection and poetry are all conjured onto the page as he grapples with the state of the world and his place in it. GILES MILTON, author of Nathaniel's Nutmeg: Or, the True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History
A lovely, fascinating book. DAVID ALMOND, author of The Fire-Eaters and 2003 Whitbread Award Winner
METICULOUSLY ASSEMBLED... Mordue has elevated Dastgah beyond the realms of the traditional travelogue by sharing not only what he learned about cultures he visited, but also his brutally honest self-discoveries. ELLE
A LOVELY IMPRESSIONISTIC BOOK... idiosyncratic, entertaining, vulnerable and unpretentious ... Mordue skitters between worlds, not sparing his readers the contrast. NEWSWEEK
DASTGAH IS MUCH MORE about what it means to be a traveler than a travel book. This is brave writing, unafraid to open itself to awkward emotions with honesty and passion. MARIE CLAIRE
Synopsis
MARK MORDUE is a writer, journalist, and editor. His work has been published in Interview, Madison, Speak, The Nation, and Salon in the U.S., as well as Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ, The Australian, and Sydney Morning Herald in Australia. Mordue is the winner of a 1992 Human Rights Media Award, and from 1992 to 1997 he was the founding editor of Australias leading pop culture magazine, Australian Style.
Synopsis
AWARD-WINNING AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST Mark Mordue invites you on his world trip that ranges from a Rolling Stones concert in Istanbul to talking with mullahs and junkies in Tehran, and from a cricket match in Calcutta to an S&M bar in New York, in addition to many points in between. Mordue chronicles his year-long global journey with his girlfriend, Lisa Nicol, exploring countries most Americans never see as well as issues of world citizenship in the 21st century. Written in the tradition of literary journalism, Dastgah will take you to all kinds of places, across the world ... and inside yourself.
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface xi
india: Death or Life 19
Lightning Storm Over Calcutta 3 | After the Rain 7
First Ride/Blue Wallet/Day of the Dickhead 14 | The Big Match 22
nepa l: Cant Face It 41
Superstition Kills Woman 29 | Roadkill 30 | Fireman 44 /
The Angry Hand 49 | The Pole 51
A Matter of Interpretation 67
indi a: Take Me With You 73
Not Far From
63 | Varanasi Morning 65
Notes on a Train from Varanasi to Delhi 68 | The Searchers 71
On Temple Road: the Way, the Truth, the Light 74
United k ingdom: No One is Useless 89
Electric Avenue, Brixton 83 | Himbasha 85
No Stars in the Sky 89 | Never Enough 98
Paris: Divine Spirit 105
The Dead 101 | Green Light 112
Turk e y: Old Clothes 119
Whom Do I Meet? 117 | Istanbul, City of Cats 119
Revenge on François 120 | Olympus Presleyiad 126
Town Hall One 127 | Kayseri, 20 October 1998 130
Double cross 131
ir a n: Over All Vision 151
Dream 155 | Waiting for a chance 157
The Car that Killed Elvis 165 | Opium Poem 183
Is Terry Venables Evil? 185 | Taksi God 195
Dead Flowers 197 | Moses Baba and His Brother 208
Songbird (Flower of the Night) 213 | Dastgah 215
Close to us 223 | Coffee in Tehran 227
Motherless Child 229 | The Call 232 | The Azerbaijanis 233
The Gifts 237
Paris: Help! 225
Paris is a Mist of Zeroes 243
Robbed and Crying: a Poor Mans Ballet 244
New York: Ash Sleep 235
I Get Lucky 255 | Land of the Giants 257
Pissing in the Wind 265 | New York Conversation 273
S&M: An American Express Story 279
Gay Talese is Hungry 282 | The Chelsea Dilemma 285
Wild Girl in New York City 309
I Sat Down by Columbus and Wrote 311
On Hudson Street 315
Australia: Prayer of Touching 293
When I Wake Up 321
Acknowledgements and Credits 299
Notes to the American Edition 308