Where can I find a good defense of the use of c*cks*cker?

January 4, 2008 9:54 AM

Does anyone know where I can find an oft-mentioned but hard-to-find letter by David Milch?

"At Strauss's urging, Milch wrote an essay on the subject-five single-spaced pages, followed by four pages of bibliography-defending realism and freedom of expression as indispensable correctives to the varnished mythologies of the West perpetrated by Hollywood."

This is from a letter that David Milch wrote defending the use of dirty words in Deadwood. Apparently he wrote it in case HBO went batshit over the language, but apparently never had to send it to them (a testament to the people of vision at HBO). However, I've never been able to find the "five single-spaced pages" in their entirety. Anybody know where this is?

posted by nushustu to media & arts (5 comments total)

Is there any reason to assume it's anywhere beside's Milch's desk drawer?
posted by jessamyn at 9:56 AM on January 4, 2008

Jessamyn,

It's been mentioned (and quoted) by several reporters in stories about Milch and Deadwood. I suppose each of them could have requested it from him, or perhaps one reporter has seen it and all stories since then have just mentioned that nugget from the original story, but I was hoping that it's out there somewhere, because it sounds like a great read.
posted by nushustu at 10:02 AM on January 4, 2008

Why would he or anyone think that HBO would try to get him to change the language just for the sake of cleaning up profanity? Isn't that the reason you do a show like that on HBO?
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 10:22 AM on January 4, 2008

Was this before or after HBO broadcast an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm centred around the phrase "Beloved *unt"?
posted by skylar at 10:26 AM on January 4, 2008

(Sorry I can't answer your question, but thank you for linking to that engrossing article.)
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:00 PM on January 4, 2008