Monday, August 16, 2004

The Abe Lincoln Simulacrum Idea Philip Dick's novel We Can Build You features a simulacrum of President Abraham Lincoln used to both comic and profound effect. When I read the novel, I assumed that Dick was poking fun at the audio-animatronic Abraham Lincoln on Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. However, I recently learned from an interview printed in the D. Scott Apel edited Philip K. Dick: The Dream Connection that Dick actually wrote the novel years before Disneyland created the Lincoln attraction: DSA: Speaking of We Can Build You and Disneyland in the same sentence, I've wondered for years how many times you went to the Lincoln exhibit on some foreign substance and wondered how you could write a book about it. PKD: Well, you know -- maybe you didn't know this -- but my book was written long before Disney proposed building the Mr. Lincoln robot. That book was written in the '50s ... I wrote that novel before Disney even proposed to build the Lincoln simulacrum. I couldn't sell it for years and years ... I have seen the Lincoln simulacrum down there. I cut out the notice in the newspaper that Disney planned to build the Lincoln simulacrum and pasted it up on the wall of my study. I remember doing that because the novel had already been written. so he built it and I went down to Disneyland and looked at the goddam thing. (32-3) I recommend We Can Build You, by the way. In a ranking of his novels, it is certainly in the top half and well worth reading. 1:18:12 AM    comment [] Inquiring minds ... Last Friday, the Washington Post reported on George and Laura's "courtesy call" on Nancy Reagan. Try to believe one of the nation's top newspapers thought the following was newsworthy: The mostly policy-free content of the visit with Reagan was underscored by a brief appearance before reporters at the end. She noted that Bush met Duchess, the dog that entertainment mogul Merv Griffin gave her after former president Ronald Reagan died in June. "We really admire Mrs. Reagan's strength and her love of a great president, and her friendship," Bush said. "We really thank you for the tour of your beautiful back yard." "I'm so glad you came," Reagan said. "Thanks so much." "Thank you," said Bush. "Thanks so much," Laura Bush added. "I'm always happy to see you," Reagan said. "Thank you very much," Laura Bush said. Yes, I can see how the visit was "mostly policy-free [in] content." Postscript: The web-based version of the article dropped this section. Gee, I wonder why the editor would do that? 12:02:23 AM    comment []

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