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Genie Zum Anfassen Kultur und in einem beispiellos riesi- gen, vielstimmigen Textteppich die ganze Stadt zur Sprache bringen. Keiner ist ein Held, der kei- nen Sänger hat, das wussten schon die antiken Medien- theoretiker. Joe Goulds Sänger wurde Joseph Mitchell, Repor- ter und Redakteur der Zeit- schrift „The New Yorker“: Dort erschien 1942 ein liebevoll ziseliertes Gould-Porträt von Mitchell mit dem Titel „Profes- sor Möwe“, das stark zur Pro- minenz des schriftstellernden Stadtstreichers beitrug, und dort erschien auch 1964, sieben Jah- re nach dessen Tod, die gro- ße Geschichte „Joe Goulds Ge- heimnis“, auf der Goulds Nach- ruhm – wie auch der seines passionierten Biografen Mitchell – beruht. KINOWELT Nun gibt es die beiden Gould- Schauspieler Holm in „Joe Goulds Geheimnis“: Lyrik in der Möwensprache Geschichten in einem schmalen Band erstmals auf Deutsch, und gleichzeitig kommt der Film „Joe Goulds KINO Geheimnis“ in die deutschen Kinos, dem das schwer Vorstellbare gelingt, aus der Beziehung zwischen dem diskreten Chro- Genie zum Anfassen nisten und dem hemmungslos possessiven, auch aufsässig wichtigtuerischen und Ein New Yorker Stadtstreicher namens Joe Gould, schrillen Gossengenie eine Kinogeschichte zu machen*. der sich für einen großen Schriftsteller hielt, erlebt in Buch Es ist ein Werk der Liebe. Der Schau- und Film einen erstaunlichen Nachruhm. spieler und Regisseur Stanley Tucci sagt, er sei schon ein Bewunderer des empfindsa- er im New Yorker Greenwich Vil- seinem globalen Nachruhm überzeugt, men „New Yorker“-Chronisten Mitchell lage nach einem waschechten Bo- prophezeite, eines Tages werde das Por- gewesen, bevor ihm das Joe-Gould-Film- Whemien Ausschau hielt – zu einer trät im Whitney Museum zu sehen sein. projekt offeriert wurde. Und bevor er dann Zeit, als es das noch gab –, bekam früher Dort hängt es nun tatsächlich – wenn auch beschloss, die Mitchell-Rolle selbst zu über- oder später Joseph Ferdinand Gould vor- nicht Goulds, sondern der Malerin wegen nehmen, wusste er schon, wer die Ideal- geführt, einen Penner mit Geniestatus. Er – und fällt noch immer durch Kühnheit besetzung für Gould wäre, diesen hageren war Harvard-Absolvent aus uralter New- auf: Es zeigt Gould als nackten, knochigen kleinen Kobold mit struppigem Bart: der England-Familie, streunte aber in abge- Satyr mit dreifachem Phallus. englische Schauspieler Ian Holm, der wetzten Klamotten durchs Biotop, um sich In den vierziger Jahren war Gould zeit- schon in „Big Night“, Tuccis erstem Spiel- ein äußeres Existenzminimum zusammen- weise täglich in der Minetta Tavern im film als Regisseur, sein Gegenspieler vor zuschnorren, während er seine ganze in- Greenwich Village zu besichtigen, wie er, der Kamera gewesen war. nere Energie an ein monumentales Litera- immer am selben Tisch, Holm, in der Tat, ist turwerk wendete. emsig an seinem Le- in Tuccis atmosphärisch In den zwanziger Jahren vermochte der benswerk schrieb. Der dichtem, dem Boheme- wortmächtige Exzentriker Gould (1889 bis Wirt spendierte ihm eine Ambiente der vierziger 1957) Autoren wie Ezra Pound, E. E. Cum- warme Mahlzeit, dafür Jahre phantasievoll nach- mings oder Marianne Moore so zu faszi- ließ der Künstler sich spürendem Film ein nieren, dass einige Gould-Texte den Weg in den Touristen aus der Glücksfall und ein riesi- avantgardistische Zeitschriften fanden. Auf Provinz als Originalge- ges komödiantisches Ver- Künstlerpartys allerdings war er oft auch nie zum Anfassen prä- gnügen: Er hat die irr- eine gefürchtete Lachnummer: Gould be- sentieren. Für einen lichternde Exzentrik und hauptete, die Schreie der Möwen zu ver- Drink oder eine Spende die scharfe, großmäulige stehen, auch amerikanische Lyrik in diese gab er auch Auskunft Suada der Figur, doch er Sprache übersetzt zu haben, und war im- über sein „work in pro- hat auch, was Mitchell mer gern zu einer Demonstration bereit – gress“: Es füllte Hunder- schon 1932 bei seiner mit flatternden Armbewegungen und wil- te von Schulheften, war ersten Begegnung mit dem Gekreisch. inzwischen schon neun- Gould hinter dessen grel- In den dreißiger Jahren wurde Gould mal oder gar zwölfmal * Joseph Mitchell: „Joe Goulds von der Malerin Alice Neel so provozie- so lang wie die Bibel, MUSEUM A. NEEL / WHITNEY Geheimnis“. Deutsch von Eike rend kühn porträtiert, dass niemand das sollte „The Oral History Gould-Porträt von Alice Neel (1933) Schönfeld. Kiepenheuer & Witsch Bild auszustellen wagte. Doch Gould, von Of Our Time“ heißen Ein Satyr im Museum Verlag, Köln; 192 Seiten; 34 Mark. 192 der spiegel 33/2000 lem Auftreten erkannte: „etwas Kindliches Neel, Steve Martin als neugieriger Lektor) und Verlorenes“. rührt an die Frage: Ist dieser Spinner, der Sein Jahrhundertwerk aber ist eine Fata sich selbst zur Kunstfigur gemacht hat, nicht Morgana geblieben. Seine „Oral History“, so gut ein Künstler eigenen Rechts wie ir- schrieb er, sei, seit er sich von 1917 an gendeiner? Oder wie Joseph Mitchell, der mit einem Leben in Nachtasylen beschied, sich auf Partys gern über den großen New- um sich ganz dem großen Werk zu wid- York-Roman auslässt, den er schreiben men, „für mich Strick und Schafott, Bett möchte, obwohl er im Grunde doch weiß, und Speise, Frau und Flittchen,Wunde und dass er ihn nie schreiben wird? Während das Salz darin, Whiskey und Aspirin, Fels die beiden Männer, jeder für sich, an ihren und Erlösung. Sie ist das Einzige. Nichts literarischen Luftschlössern basteln, zeigt anderes zählt“. Kein Zweifel, Gould der Film mit sanfter Ironie, wie Mitchells schrieb mit missionarischem Sendungs- Frau Therese als Fotografin still und unbe- bewusstsein im Lauf der Jahrzehnte viele irrbar ein Werk dieser Art vollbringt: ein hundert Schulhefte voll. Doch niemand Porträt der Stadt aus lauter Porträts. wusste, wo sie alle blieben, und niemand Joe Gould hat am Ende seines Lebens bekam je mehr als ein gutes halbes Dut- nur noch die Möwensprache gesprochen. zend zu Gesicht. Und Joseph Mitchell hat nach dem Je dringender der treue Mitchell, von Erscheinen von „Joe Goulds Geheimnis“ einem Verlagslektor unterstützt, größere noch 30 Jahre lang regelmäßig sein Büro Teile des Werks zu lesen wünschte, des- in der „New Yorker“-Redaktion aufge- to phantastischer wurden Goulds Aus- sucht, dort offenbar auch immer an flüchte, warum das nicht möglich sei. Manuskripten getippt, aber nie wieder Als Gould schließlich erklärte, das Opus eine Geschichte veröffentlicht. In sein solle ohnehin erst nach seinem Tod publi- KINOWELT Gould-Porträt hat er für diesen wie für ziert werden, da nur die Nachwelt seine Mitchell-Darsteller und Regisseur Tucci sich selbst ein schönes Alibi hineinge- Größe würde schätzen können, begriff Literarische Luftschlösser schrieben: In Anbetracht der „Niaga- Mitchell: Die ganze „Oral History“ war rafälle von Büchern, die in diesem Au- ein Phantom, ein Hirngespinst, eine Le- Geheimnis, und Mitchell behielt es 20 Jah- genblick aus den Druckpressen der Welt benslüge; Gould brachte in manischem re lang für sich. herausquellen“, sei der Verzicht doch eine Wiederholungszwang nur immer wieder Stanley Tuccis Gould-Film, dem in Ne- weise Haltung. Anders gesagt: Die schöns- und wieder und wieder dieselben paar Ge- benrollen auch ein paar Stars Kolorit geben ten Bücher seien und blieben die unge- schichten zu Papier. Das war Joe Goulds (Susan Sarandon als Boheme-Malerin Alice schriebenen. Urs Jenny.
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