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« Caffeine, Clooney and me | Main | Friend of the earth? »
Saturday
Jul282007

Shades of Gray

SmokingDiaries_100.jpg Interesting interview with playwright Simon Gray, author of The Smoking Diaries (left), in today's Guardian. Gray is a close personal friend of fellow playwright (and Oscar-winning screenwriter) Ronald Harwood. Ronnie, a member of Forest's Supporters Council, is a fierce critic of public smoking bans.  
His friend, it would seem, is ambivalent, which demonstrates that, even among smokers, there is more than one point of view. Here's a taster:

[Gray] finds it odd that he has become a poster boy for cigarettes. True, he has puffed in the face of adversity, but he never championed smoking. "It's thought that I'm a great defender of smoking, but I'm not. I mostly hate it. It's vile and destructive." He pauses, wondering whether he's being too harsh. "It's given me pleasure, one has to be fair, and on occasion I think it's saved my life." How? "There have been times when I have felt you're never alone with a cigarette. Sometimes when you're desperate or depressed a cigarette is invaluable. But I'd much rather not have smoked."

Nowadays, he says, he hasn't the energy to smoke 65 a day. He complains that modern film actors don't know how to smoke properly. For Gray, smoking is an art, an occupation and a curse. He hates the smoking ban in principle, but is grateful for it in practice: "When I'm in a restaurant it means for two to three hours I don't smoke. I'm quite pleased about that."

Full interview HERE.

Reader Comments (3)

It seems that Mr.Gray needs the Goverment to control his life, and appreciates the interferance. This 'vile and destructive' habit is obviously a huge, nasty monkey on his back, which he would rather unload.
The fight against the attacks on smoking, based on lies and mis-information, doesn't need people like Mr. Gray on its' side.

July 30, 2007 at 2:28 | Unregistered CommenterZitori

Bet he can't wait for the day that they extend the ban to other areas so that he cuts down even more.

July 31, 2007 at 8:19 | Unregistered CommenterJoyce

disgraceful bet he cant wait till theres a CCTV in his room so he can cut down!

August 1, 2007 at 14:16 | Unregistered CommenterCarlo

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