Saturday, May 02, 2009

From the Master's Hand

“And now he stands beneath the rose escarpment above the flash and glare of the magnesium and the whirring film of celluloid immortality. This is the moment, the peak, the pinnacle; after this, all is ebb.” - William Faulkner, May 1962; Louisville, Kentucky

In years gone by Sports Illustrated sent William Faulkner to the Derby to write about it for them. Such a shame we get nothing of the sort these days. An old timer recalls driving Faulkner around to Lexington the week prior to the Derby to visit the farms. Ol' Bill fell asleep on the way back... but near Bardstone the old timer swears Faulkner woke with a start...

"I'd never mistake that smell! There's distillery around here! Close!"

He didn't say if they stopped or not.

1 comment:

Bill said...

William Faulkner. Pfffftt.

Hunter S. Thompson.
It’s a fantastic scene– thousands of people fainting, crying, copulating, trampling each other and fighting with broken whiskey bottles...