Viva Lewes Issue #137 February 2018

COLUMN
David Jarman
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
“Change and decay in
all around I see”, intones
Uncle Theodore near the
beginning of Evelyn Waugh’s
novel Scoop. He is, as always,
plotting his escape from the
rural fastness of Boot Magna
Hall to go, for one last time,
on the razzle in London. The
hymn that Uncle Theodore
invokes sees change and decay
as phenomena equally to
be lamented and the prayer
therein is addressed to The
Lord because he ‘changeth
not’. But nowadays, whilst
decay continues to get a
bad press, change seems to be welcomed and
embraced, irrespective of the circumstances.
We are encouraged not to be afraid of change,
however natural such fear might seem to be.
But sometimes – Russia in October 1917, say, or
Germany on 30 January, 1933 – being very afraid
indeed is an entirely rational response to change.
The media, especially the BBC, always seem to
favour regime change in all countries, regardless
of possible consequences – tens of thousands
killed, crippling civil wars that continue for years.
My youngest son attended recently his King’s
College London postgraduate awards ceremony.
(The MA academic dress he had to wear was
designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood, no less.
Quite a journey from the King’s Road!) One of
the keynote speeches exhorted the assembled
postgraduates to go out from The Barbican and
change the world.
I’m writing this in January when, of course,
personal change is very much in the air and New
Year’s resolutions not yet trashed. For increasing
numbers it’s ‘dry’ January. Such a dumb
idea. Again there’s the
assumption that change –
turning to ‘face the strange’
as David Bowie put it – and
setting one’s self challenges
are of necessity positive
things to do. But why? And
shouldn’t consideration be
given to those your personal
changes might affect?
After 34 years of marriage
I certainly don’t want
my wife to change. And
though this might smack
of complacency, I don’t
think she would want me
to change. Or not much.
I’m going on her reaction to my decision, ten
years ago, to join a book group. She thought
this so alarmingly out of character that she only
cheered up when I had assured her that my, as
she saw it, mid-life crisis would be confined to
joining that group.
The number of new books that promise to change
your life are extraordinary, of course, as are
the number of people who claim to have been
changed by the books they have read. But I share
the scepticism of Ben Lerner in his 2011 novel,
Leaving the Atocha Station.
‘I was intensely suspicious of people who claimed
a poem or painting or piece of music changed
their life, especially since I had often known these
people before and after their experience and could
register no change’.
Back to Evelyn Waugh. All political parties
promise sweeping change. Perhaps they always
did. Waugh never voted in general elections
but once said that he might be minded to vote
Conservative if only they showed the slightest
intention of actually conserving anything.
Photo of Evelyn Waugh by Carl Van Vechten
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