AV Club starts a two-part interview with Harlan Ellison, on occasion of a new biographical film about him, Dreams with Sharp Teeth.
All my life, I have tried to help people. I don’t talk about it much, ’cause that kind of thing only leads to people sending you letters saying, [Adopts nasal voice.] “I understand that you will help out people in distress. I need money to raise marigolds.” So I don’t want that. I don’t want mooches. But I perform six miracles before breakfast every day. And it’s part of my responsibility as a member of the species, I guess. Which sounds so fucking pompous and noble when you put it into words—particularly when you put it into print, so I urge you to be careful about it—you sound like a goddamn fool. And it makes me nervous when I sound like a goddamn fool. I don’t mind being a goddamn fool. [Laughs.] I just don’t like sounding like a goddamn fool.
The online version is actually substantially longer than what’s printed in this week’s Onion.
I have tremendous respect for Ellison, and admiration for the admiration he has drawn from creators I admire. And while he’s got an ego the size of a major asteroid, nine out of ten times it appears to be deserved. I find his non-fiction and essay writing to be spectacular. Now if only I actually liked his stories better.
Part 2 is here.