June 8, 2004

• Anomaly

  From today’s New York Times: Robert Quine, 61, Punk Rock Guitarist, Philosopher’s Nephew, Dies By BEN SISARIO Robert Quine, a noted guitarist of the New York rock scene of the 1970′s and 80′s who played with Richard Hell, Lou Reed and others, died last week in his home in Manhattan. He was 61. He was found dead by the police on Saturday, said James Marshall, a friend. The police found a note and said they believed the death was a suicide but are awaiting a medical examiner’s report.  Mr. Marshall said he believed Mr. Quine died on May 31. In the loud world of New York punk, where crude simplicity trumped most conventional notions of musical skill, Mr. Quine stood out as a stylish virtuoso…. “He was an extraordinary mixture of taste, intelligence, and rock ‘n’ roll abilities, coupled with major technique and a scholar’s memory for every decent guitar lick ever played under the musical sun,” Mr. Reed said…. Mr. Quine was an anomaly in the punk scene. Older than most of his fellow musicians, he had a law degree and was nearly bald, and wore button-down shirts and sport coats and described his appearance as that of a “deranged insurance salesman.”…. His uncle, the philosopher W. V. Quine, died in 2000.

  “Anomalies must be expected along the conceptual frontier between the temporal and the eternal.” – The Death of Adam, by Marilynne Robinson, Houghton Mifflin, 1998, essay on Marguerite de Navarre “D’exterieur en l’interieur entre Qui va par moi, et au milieu du centre Me trouvera, qui suis le point unique, La fin, le but de la mathematique; Le cercle suis dont toute chose vient, Le point ou tout retourne et se maintient.” – Marguerite de Navarre

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