I share my thoughts about Ian Curtis's biography "Touching from a Distance." My video about Ian Curtis and mental health: • Ian Curtis and mental ... My Twitter: / sturm_und_drang My Goodreads: / emily-l
I dont know. This is her story. Remember, there are always 2 sides to a story. Unfortunately, the person to tell the other side is dead. His epilepsy, lack of control of his own body ,taking all that medication, pressure and more pressure from the band to continue as normal, the affair with Annik (although she stated it was platonic but his band mates called her his girlfriend, whatever), his marriage with a child alone is a huge responsibility. He clearly made the mistake of getting married too young. It was probably a huge huge burden to him. All of the above aggravated his already poor mental state. He gave up with nobody around to help him.
I think the band not allowing women to be on the stage was a form of protection honestly, 70s punk crowds were extremely hostile and caused havoc. They mocked Curtis for his seizures and rioted when he clearly wasn't in a state to do a full show. Being increasingly more popular they played at gigs in which the sex pistols played at instead of pubs or very small venues. People would get seriously hurt. But who knows
At least her book being brutally truthful about their relationship lends credibility to her claim that Ian wasn’t a devotee of Fascist ideology. If Deborah wanted to destroy Ian’s memory she would have called him a Nazi.
This is such a great video, please make more videos about Joy Division your fascination and articulated speeches on mental illness and joy division in general are so insightful
From other people around that time they also considered Debbie to be very controlling as well, but she'd hardly put that in the book. It's very obvious that she plays the victim and Ian is the villan in the book, and in some cases that was true. Ian was no angel, and he no doubt treated his wife differently to other people but we also need to bear in mind that we are looking back using our morals of today. Back then in the late 70's, early 80's men were the dominant ones in the marriage, or 'meant' to be anyway. I'm not trying to dismiss his behaviour, he was an arsehole to Debbie, but I don't think it was born out of hatred. Just looking at his lyrics on closer, he is filled with guilt and remorse for what he has done to her and to others, so he clearly did have a conscience and knew what were the right and wrong ways to conduct himself, but due to his complex nature and depressive episodes, he often found this very difficult to do.
His personality fits with his fascination with fascism. Different people fit with different ideologies and they are connected to their personality. And even if he wasn't fascist, he still had personality of a right person which is all about order (also as evidence he voted for Margaret Thatcher who is a conservative). Right wing beliefs are generally about believing you are doing things the right way and seeking order because of how harmful the alternatives are. It can be about the way you dress to, to your habits and so forth. Fascism on the other hand, while having these things at its core, its fundamentally its an alternative world view (hence why its also called 3rd position) which looks at thing from different perspectives throughout the whole spectrum and changes its system progressively (which is why it can be viewed in a certain way "progressive"). This sort of system of thought can be applied to Ian Curtis personality. He did consider many things in his life and changed progressively until his death.
To be honest, I found her performance to be cringy, especially the "answer me, Ian! Don't ignore me." and "JUST ANSWER ME, IAN, PLEASE ANSWER ME!!!" lines. At that point, I felt like I was watching a soap opera
I’d rather not even bother reading that book. I’ve heard enough. Let the myth, mystique of Ian Curtis alone. He’s at peace now. Just enjoy what he left us and thank him.
Being a Joy Division and New Order lover since I was a kid, I just ran across this am think you've done a great job reviewing it. I remember buying the book when it first came out and have to say that you've voiced a lot of similar thoughts I had after reading it, particularly that a myth had been created but that he was just a guy at the end of the day, and seemed to have been quite the controlling prick with his partner - which doesn't diminish what a creative genius he was. Good stuff Emiloid
Control/24 Hour Party People.....still brings me to my knees. Especially the ending scene of Control where Debbie finds Ian hung in the kitchen and holds her baby outside crying for help...and then they play "Atmosphere". It's difficult to watch.
Yeah fair enough,its always hard for wives/girlfriends being with any genius...see Higgins,Best and many others..always s price to pay for average people,as they are wired up differently!!!
I need to read this book but in Hooky's book, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, he says that Ian and Debbie were always fighting. Hooky does a more nostalgic and often humorous approach in writing about those days in Joy Division so I am curious to read Debbie's account. I can definitely imagine that being in a band with Ian was much different than being married to him. Thank you for sharing your review and appreciate your insight. It's on my next reading list.
i remember being surprised by some of his old fashioned attitudes towards women. You just assume someone responsible for such incredible art would be perfect in every way. I guess women's rights had only become a burning issue a few years before Joy Division . His voting Tory is another mystery. But its true of a lot of great artists that they are less than perfect human beings.
Ian is something different to everyone always everywhere - look forward to seeing other fans in LA on the 18th (I’ll be dancing up front - usually left of center🤙🏽😎)
Lived in Manchester from 1979 when I would've been 12 relocated from a small nearby town ...my Dad was committed to a psychiatric ward never recovered mother remarried so we ended up in the city. Learnt the guitar heard about Curtis' death a few days later on the John Peel show when he played 'Atmosphere' bought all the albums and regretted being that bit too young to have been part of the scene. Read this book back in the 90's when it came out.
Who are you, girl.. your way of thinking is so fresh and thoughts coming out of your mouth so alluring (no unappropriate intentions behind, just sayin')
There isn't my truth and your truth. There is just truth or falsehood. There is my experience and yours, and my perception and yours. That we as humans are limited in our ability to apprehend and know the truth doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Relativism is self-negating.
Written from the women’s mind. Ian killed himself. She’s partly to blame. She was a classic wretched woman. She’s gonna write the book to make her look awesome. Ian’s the dead one. Remember. That book would piss Ian off.
Sexism is not a word. No one hates women. Women are not things that can't be criticized. And if she really found him controlling she could of dumped him years before that.
Although I have often said it myself, I don't really know what people expect when they say: "why didn't anyone do anything? Why didn't anyone help him"? As though they were their parents. When a person cannot look after themselves, can we expect their peers to look after themselves as well as the guy who's not managing? I mean, it would be nice. But, is it reasonable?
Many women keep their married names after divorce for reason's that are their own. A co-worker jokingly said that if she's divorced and was getting remarried...she'd pick a man with 4 letters (or less) in his last name. Her husband's last name has 10 letters in it! Imagine the time and hassle of dealing with all that paperwork (not to mention the cost) for changes to occur. Well, in the end it's her perogative... 👠 😊
