I am a bit of a fan of John Higgs, having read all of his previous books, which include The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned One Million Pounds, The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next, William Blake vs. The World, I Have America Surrounded: The Life of Timothy Leary, Love and Let Die: Bond, the Beatles and the British Psyche and Dr. Who: Exterminate/ Regenerate.
I loved reading all these books as the subject matter Higgs covers in each is so distinct; his work often takes many turns that have often bamboozled me, yet kept me invested in his concepts of "Reality Tunnels" and "Circumambient Narratives" and the like. I've always thought that Higgs seems to be a Humanist at heart, and he gets to the core questions we all ask: What is our purpose, and how does this affect the narrative we tell ourselves?
Higgs starts with the outpouring of love that spread around the world, both online and in the real world, when David Lynch's death was announced. Public memorial sites popped up in a couple of places, including Bob's Big Boy restaurant, and items as varied as doughnuts, coffee cups, photos of Laura Palmer, and models of the baby from Eraserhead were left by fans. These spontaneous outpourings of appreciation for a lived life are rare, but some of the most prominent in my lifetime have been for Princess Diana, David Bowie and Keith Flint. Lynch affected people profoundly who felt connected through his works, be it film, TV, art, or music. He was a true Renaissance Man who lived the Art Life, and Higgs examines this.
He begins with a quick biography, highlighting the story of the naked, bloodied woman he and his brother saw in their youth in a small town in Boise, Idaho. The image of a beautiful, abused woman would be a motif that carries through much of his work, as was his idealized, charmed, white picket fence childhood life, but all through a mirror darkly.
Higgs looks at how Transcendental Meditation (TM) was something Lynch practiced, but it wasn't what gave him his creativity, as he had started filming Eraserhead a year before discovering TM. Rather, the practice helped him to realize that you had to go with the flow and that not everything has to make sense, as life often doesn't make sense—life was numinous. Lynch showed the darkness in the world but believed in the beauty of existence; this is what underlines the Lynchian Cinematic Universe. So, "In Heaven, everything is fine," indeed, mash potato-cheeked Lady Behind the Radiator!
Higgs looks at Lynch's thought process and doesn't pretend to understand his methodology but states rather simply that Lynch liked the ideas he had and often went intuitively with his feelings rather than some high-brow process. To quote early Simpsons:
His dreamlike logic and sense of playfulness didn't come from his meditation and dreams but more from his waking dreamlike moments when he let his mind wonder. He was able to settle the "chattering monkey" of the mind and let his subconscious take over, something many screenwriters cannot do as they want a clear narrative with a traditional five-story arc.
Lynch's success following Wild At Heart and Twin Peaks is considered, as is the backlash after Fire Walk With Me. However, it has been reappraised and is considered a masterpiece, especially post #MeToo, where abuse against women and power play has been much more openly talked about. Lynch continued unabated and continued to produce wonderful work that still pushed boundaries. Lynch himself became a bit of a brand; people bought into him and his product, but it was not for everyone—and that's okay.
Lynch's work wasn't without its issues for some: he didn't feature many Black actors or LGBTQ+ people in his works at all. Lynch himself stated that he was not overly concerned with prejudice, identity politics, or other culture wars but rather larger themes of humanity like "What is evil?" and "Where does the ill that people do come from?" Whilst I get what he was saying, I also understand that representation matters, and sometimes you need to bring people into the fold of your wider-themed work. However, we do know that he was a friend to the trans community when he had Agent Cole (played by himself) say to trans character Denise Bryson (played by David Duchovny), "I told those clowns [at the FBI] to fix your hearts or die."
Higgs then looks at the Lynchian motifs that occur throughout his work including: coffee, doughnuts, the black and white chevron floor, lush red curtains, flickering lights, the buzz of electricity, doppelgängers, and trees. The chevron floor particularly hints at the Lynchian Cinematic Universe.
The penultimate chapter looks at Twin Peaks: The Return and the complexities of making it. It was a bold move on Showtime's part, and it really paid off. Lynch mastered his form and distilled all his experience into an 18-hour movie that meandered and riveted in equal measure.
Higgs is an excellent writer, and his skill in conveying a complex life with verve and energy is compelling. The fact that he presents Lynch, flaws and all, as a true pioneer who sought the Art Life and lived for his work is a true gift.
I would highly recommend this book, as this is a singular life lived, and we may never know the like again so who better than Higgs to cover it?
LINK- Twin Peaks: The Return Series Review
LINK- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review
LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review
LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again
LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review
LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review
LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review