...I have a new poem, "Afterward" up at The Camel Saloon and here under "Words In Print."
...A really good angry song is "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. I played it, oh, five times back to back while in the car today. And Rage Against the Machine is a great band name.
..."Parenthood" was great last night. I smile through the whole show every time I watch it.
...They're putting out "Best of the Web" and "Pushcart" nominees. I'm happy for anyone who gets nominated, but I have to say I am often surprised. I understand it's subjective, but really great stuff by other people doesn't make it when some average stuff by others do. I think almost anything xTx writes could be nominated. Same with Kim Chinquee or Barry Graham or Meg. Where are they??
...I'm crafting my next novel. I have most of the characters. I just need more conflict. I think this will actually be funny and happy. How do you really know, though, until someone else reads it? I'm really good at writing tragic. In high school I had my own column and used to write funny stuff all the time. Maybe I can get that mojo back. It seems like I have about two years to write a best-seller, then Barnes and Nobel will fall into a black pit and only Stephen King and Janet Evanovich will have book deals. Two years if fast. That's a lot of pressure.
...I've taken up the guitar again. I think I'll stick with it this time. I have long fingers, thin fingers. I should be good at it. Just have trouble switching chords fast enough. If anyone has any tips, please advise.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
...I have two new poems, "Migrants" and "Taken Away" up at Verse Wisconsin and also here under "Words In Print."
...What a strange feeling not being under the burden of the novel, very odd. I should be esctatic, feel liberated. Instead I feel befuddled and directionless.
...Bob Mayer spoke at the PNWA Writer's Conference in Seattle. I got on his mailing list. Here is a very interesting article--Barnes and Noble disappearing? Really? And what am I to do, when only brand name writers are going to make it and I'm not even a mid-lister? Yikes...
...Here's Bob:
We’re back. September has been crazy and the pace isn’t going to slow down in October, but the Warrior Writer on-line loop will be back for October, but with a somewhat difference focus, which I’ll describe further on.
I presented at the Wrangling for Writing Conference in Tucson this past weekend. It was an excellent conference and I learned a lot.
Frankly no one knows what is really going on with publishing. I’m going to give you my best guesses based on my experiences and reading and listening to many people with different experiences. One workshop this past weekend was full of great information from Jerry Simmons who worked many years in the NY Publishing business. He started out by saying he had no idea what the future of publishing was. But he gave it his best shot and I’ll incorporate what he said into my knowledge.
Here are some facts:
The Big 6 Publishers control 95% of print publishing.
Starting in 1995, the print business began contracting.
The decline of the book chains is biggest problem for traditional publishers. Borders will soon be gone. I believe Barnes and Noble won’t be far behind. This means the selling of print books will fall more and more to places like Target and Walmart (besides the growing digital market). To me this means midlist authors are in an even worse bind than ever as far as print, because those places are only going to rack Brand Name authors. We’re going to miss Barnes and Noble’s huge shelf spaces. On the bright side, the eBook market is wide open.
There are only 300 indie boosktores left and they’re dying off too. 10 years ago there were 4,000.
7 out of 10 books printed by the Big 6 lose money.
10% of their titles generate 90% of their revenue.
Those two facts indicate a reality: the focus for the Big 6 is going to be more and more on the Brand authors and less on midlist. The problem is: where are the next generation of Brand Name Authors going to come from?
Here’s the conundrum that NY doesn’t want to face: The book business is the same but the retail business has changed. While NY basically operates the same, the way books are sold has changed dramatically. How many music retailers are left in your town?
The focus is too much on celebrity books in NY and many are money-losers. Much more so than all those midlist authors. The bestseller lists are very deceptive. For example, Kate Gosselin’s recent book sold only 11,000 copies yet hit #6 on the NY Times list. Someone is playing with the numbers to make it look good, but many of those big deals are money-bleeders for trad publishers.
The overhead for the Big 6 operating out of the Big Apple is way too high. Heck, even Who Dares Wins Publishing, which we started up this year and operates out of my office in WA and Jennifer Talty’s office in NY, has overhead. We could never operate brick and mortar out of a NY office. So that’s something that’s going to have to be addressed. I see further major contractions occurring in NY and more out-sourcing of jobs to people digitally. The acquiring editors will still be in NY with the agents, but a lot of the other parts are going to be out-sourced.
Social Media is essential for authors, regardless of how they are published. We came out with We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media by Kristen Lamb recently and it’s our bestseller in a number of formats. Kristen also runs a very active blog on writing and publishing here. I have also revamped my blog and renamed it Write It Forward. The focus of the blog is very much like this newsletter: what’s the latest in publishing along with tips on the craft of writing.
There are two major trends in publishing going on right now:
1. Mid list authors going it on their own. Actually, this is creeping upward. David Morrell just announced he is bringing nine books from his backlist into print AND his newest title on his own, skipping traditional publishing altogether. This is biggest name fiction writer to do this. I’m going to do the math on self-publishing on a separate Warrior Writer post on the loop later this month. The perception right now is that overall, the quality of self-published books is poor. The reality is, most new authors who have self-published are indeed putting up poor quality. However, there are a number of traditionally published authors who are bringing backlist into print and these are books (like mine, hint hint) that have hit bestseller lists. Readers will separate the quality out. Thank you.
2. Digital publishing is exploding. I’ve seen it just this year. In January, there were many yawns at the Digital Book World conference. Those yawns have changed to expressions of shock. I’ve been predicting in these newsletters and on the internal loop that the change from print to digital would be many times faster than most were predicting and I’ve been proved right (slight pat on the back). Change is happening exponentially, not linearly. I predict by the end of 2011 we will be close to 50-60% of all books being digital. Jenny Crusie emailed me that her latest release, Maybe This Time, which hit the NY Times list, had 40% sales in eBook with 60% in hardcover. Romance is a genre where readers are very tech-savvy so that might lead the way. Although, I suspect Scifi might also be a genre that is tech heavy.
The problem is this: the makers of digital platforms like Kindle and iPad want content. The Big 6 are loath to give digital content to them because they believe it cuts into their hardcover and other print sales and would hurt their own business. So there is a huge divide between the platform makers, primarily Amazon and Apple, and the content providers.
This is the VOID that will destroy some of the Big 6 if they don’t exploit it. And also the VOID which savvy writers can fill. I’ll do a WW Loop post on the VOID in October.
With digital books you’re looking at volume of sales, not pricing. This is where the Big 6 are also making a mistake. But because of their high overhead, they’re forced into a pricing system that isn’t working. Charging $14.99 for a new eBook just isn’t going to survive. Plus Kindle is forcing the pricing because anything over $9.99 doesn’t get the 70% royalty rate.
Again, I’m going to devote a WW Loop post to the math of eBooks in October.
eBooks are changing the playing field as far as book length. Both ways. For print, you needed at least 60,000 words to be viable. Ebooks can be as small as 10,000. In fact, books with less content as selling better. On the other hand, my current WIP, which runs 170,000 words will also not be a problem in eBook as far as printing and paper costs. Also, an enhanced version with maps and photos is being developed.
Something that is starting to be addressed is how do I create additional value for ebook content? David Baldacci recently added content to his recent release. Because the platform can accept additional content, it is inevitable that it will become an inherent part of the business. While Kindle doesn’t want to get into multimedia, the iPad does support it.
Right now there are 6 formatting styles for eBook—some day there will be one.
A self-published book that sells 5 or 6 thousand books will get interest from the Big 6 and literary agents.
All in all, I think it’s an exciting time to be an author with lots of opportunities. But only if you educate yourself and stay on top of the latest developments and trends.
...What a strange feeling not being under the burden of the novel, very odd. I should be esctatic, feel liberated. Instead I feel befuddled and directionless.
...Bob Mayer spoke at the PNWA Writer's Conference in Seattle. I got on his mailing list. Here is a very interesting article--Barnes and Noble disappearing? Really? And what am I to do, when only brand name writers are going to make it and I'm not even a mid-lister? Yikes...
...Here's Bob:
We’re back. September has been crazy and the pace isn’t going to slow down in October, but the Warrior Writer on-line loop will be back for October, but with a somewhat difference focus, which I’ll describe further on.
I presented at the Wrangling for Writing Conference in Tucson this past weekend. It was an excellent conference and I learned a lot.
Frankly no one knows what is really going on with publishing. I’m going to give you my best guesses based on my experiences and reading and listening to many people with different experiences. One workshop this past weekend was full of great information from Jerry Simmons who worked many years in the NY Publishing business. He started out by saying he had no idea what the future of publishing was. But he gave it his best shot and I’ll incorporate what he said into my knowledge.
Here are some facts:
The Big 6 Publishers control 95% of print publishing.
Starting in 1995, the print business began contracting.
The decline of the book chains is biggest problem for traditional publishers. Borders will soon be gone. I believe Barnes and Noble won’t be far behind. This means the selling of print books will fall more and more to places like Target and Walmart (besides the growing digital market). To me this means midlist authors are in an even worse bind than ever as far as print, because those places are only going to rack Brand Name authors. We’re going to miss Barnes and Noble’s huge shelf spaces. On the bright side, the eBook market is wide open.
There are only 300 indie boosktores left and they’re dying off too. 10 years ago there were 4,000.
7 out of 10 books printed by the Big 6 lose money.
10% of their titles generate 90% of their revenue.
Those two facts indicate a reality: the focus for the Big 6 is going to be more and more on the Brand authors and less on midlist. The problem is: where are the next generation of Brand Name Authors going to come from?
Here’s the conundrum that NY doesn’t want to face: The book business is the same but the retail business has changed. While NY basically operates the same, the way books are sold has changed dramatically. How many music retailers are left in your town?
The focus is too much on celebrity books in NY and many are money-losers. Much more so than all those midlist authors. The bestseller lists are very deceptive. For example, Kate Gosselin’s recent book sold only 11,000 copies yet hit #6 on the NY Times list. Someone is playing with the numbers to make it look good, but many of those big deals are money-bleeders for trad publishers.
The overhead for the Big 6 operating out of the Big Apple is way too high. Heck, even Who Dares Wins Publishing, which we started up this year and operates out of my office in WA and Jennifer Talty’s office in NY, has overhead. We could never operate brick and mortar out of a NY office. So that’s something that’s going to have to be addressed. I see further major contractions occurring in NY and more out-sourcing of jobs to people digitally. The acquiring editors will still be in NY with the agents, but a lot of the other parts are going to be out-sourced.
Social Media is essential for authors, regardless of how they are published. We came out with We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media by Kristen Lamb recently and it’s our bestseller in a number of formats. Kristen also runs a very active blog on writing and publishing here. I have also revamped my blog and renamed it Write It Forward. The focus of the blog is very much like this newsletter: what’s the latest in publishing along with tips on the craft of writing.
There are two major trends in publishing going on right now:
1. Mid list authors going it on their own. Actually, this is creeping upward. David Morrell just announced he is bringing nine books from his backlist into print AND his newest title on his own, skipping traditional publishing altogether. This is biggest name fiction writer to do this. I’m going to do the math on self-publishing on a separate Warrior Writer post on the loop later this month. The perception right now is that overall, the quality of self-published books is poor. The reality is, most new authors who have self-published are indeed putting up poor quality. However, there are a number of traditionally published authors who are bringing backlist into print and these are books (like mine, hint hint) that have hit bestseller lists. Readers will separate the quality out. Thank you.
2. Digital publishing is exploding. I’ve seen it just this year. In January, there were many yawns at the Digital Book World conference. Those yawns have changed to expressions of shock. I’ve been predicting in these newsletters and on the internal loop that the change from print to digital would be many times faster than most were predicting and I’ve been proved right (slight pat on the back). Change is happening exponentially, not linearly. I predict by the end of 2011 we will be close to 50-60% of all books being digital. Jenny Crusie emailed me that her latest release, Maybe This Time, which hit the NY Times list, had 40% sales in eBook with 60% in hardcover. Romance is a genre where readers are very tech-savvy so that might lead the way. Although, I suspect Scifi might also be a genre that is tech heavy.
The problem is this: the makers of digital platforms like Kindle and iPad want content. The Big 6 are loath to give digital content to them because they believe it cuts into their hardcover and other print sales and would hurt their own business. So there is a huge divide between the platform makers, primarily Amazon and Apple, and the content providers.
This is the VOID that will destroy some of the Big 6 if they don’t exploit it. And also the VOID which savvy writers can fill. I’ll do a WW Loop post on the VOID in October.
With digital books you’re looking at volume of sales, not pricing. This is where the Big 6 are also making a mistake. But because of their high overhead, they’re forced into a pricing system that isn’t working. Charging $14.99 for a new eBook just isn’t going to survive. Plus Kindle is forcing the pricing because anything over $9.99 doesn’t get the 70% royalty rate.
Again, I’m going to devote a WW Loop post to the math of eBooks in October.
eBooks are changing the playing field as far as book length. Both ways. For print, you needed at least 60,000 words to be viable. Ebooks can be as small as 10,000. In fact, books with less content as selling better. On the other hand, my current WIP, which runs 170,000 words will also not be a problem in eBook as far as printing and paper costs. Also, an enhanced version with maps and photos is being developed.
Something that is starting to be addressed is how do I create additional value for ebook content? David Baldacci recently added content to his recent release. Because the platform can accept additional content, it is inevitable that it will become an inherent part of the business. While Kindle doesn’t want to get into multimedia, the iPad does support it.
Right now there are 6 formatting styles for eBook—some day there will be one.
A self-published book that sells 5 or 6 thousand books will get interest from the Big 6 and literary agents.
All in all, I think it’s an exciting time to be an author with lots of opportunities. But only if you educate yourself and stay on top of the latest developments and trends.
Monday, September 27, 2010
…Thanks to my good friend, Meg Pokrass, I have a new piece, "Mermaid" up at BLIP magazine and here under "Words In Print."
…I was rejected again by PANK last night. I think that makes 16 times. I have two more pieces I'll try, then I'll pack up my PANK bags and mosey on into the sunset.
…I finished my novel editing today. It's a strange feeling. Maybe it's like what prisoners feel when the barbwire gates screech open and they're standing in the open air, free, but no one around to greet them. Is the novel good? I don't even know anymore. And what I also don't know is how writers can enjoy the editing process. I'd rather have ice picks shoved through both corneas. But that's just me.
…I just finished Sharon Olds' "The Dead and The Living." Some of her poems were really good. Some--the ones about her kids-- were uncomfortable. She has no probably writing about their private body parts. But using the "C" word to describe her seven year old's penis seemed a little over the top… Anyway, I wonder how many people read poetry. I know there are a lot of poets around. I know people read quite a bit of poetry online, myself included. But how many people actually pay money and buy a volume of poetry, that's what I wonder. I bet less than one percent of all poets can make a living from their writing. That's sort of sad.
…"Grey's Anatomy" is a good show. Last season's finale was probably the second best episode of television ever, next to the "Lost" pilot. People who don't watch television are missing out. It seems like the quality of shows is the best ever. If you scrub out reality tv and all the inane alphabet shows-- CSI, NCSI, L&O-- many are as good as films. There are actually too many good ones. Consider these:
--Parenthood (outstanding, truly)
--The Office
--Grey's
--Mad Men
--Empire Boardwalk
--Nurse Jackie
--Dexter
--Modern Family
--Mike and Molly
--Raising Hope
and on and on.
…I get a lot of magazines. Magazines are a good value, if you think about it. Plus they help you keep up on pop culture. "Interview" is one I especially like. It's been around a longggg time. Andy Warhol started it. The photography is always stellar and while it takes some time for each interview to get going, it's fun to see celebs interviewing fellow celebs. Blake Lively was interviewed by Ben Afflect (I always want to shout "Aflack" like the duck in those insurance commercials every time I write or say his name.) Blake comes across pretty genuine, humble and fun. She had a stunning turn in "The Town." Her whole family is in show business--all four siblings act, her dad's an agent and her mom does something.
…Changing gears for a moment--how nutty is that guy that runs Iran? What a wack job. He wants the UN to open an investigation into the events of 9/11 because "all the world believes the United States was behind what happened." I wonder what Iranian citizens think of that loon. And how the hell did he ever get to be in charge? Anyway, I'm just saying…
…"Let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way around. In prose, the worst thing you can do with words is to surrender them." -- George Orwell
…I was rejected again by PANK last night. I think that makes 16 times. I have two more pieces I'll try, then I'll pack up my PANK bags and mosey on into the sunset.
…I finished my novel editing today. It's a strange feeling. Maybe it's like what prisoners feel when the barbwire gates screech open and they're standing in the open air, free, but no one around to greet them. Is the novel good? I don't even know anymore. And what I also don't know is how writers can enjoy the editing process. I'd rather have ice picks shoved through both corneas. But that's just me.
…I just finished Sharon Olds' "The Dead and The Living." Some of her poems were really good. Some--the ones about her kids-- were uncomfortable. She has no probably writing about their private body parts. But using the "C" word to describe her seven year old's penis seemed a little over the top… Anyway, I wonder how many people read poetry. I know there are a lot of poets around. I know people read quite a bit of poetry online, myself included. But how many people actually pay money and buy a volume of poetry, that's what I wonder. I bet less than one percent of all poets can make a living from their writing. That's sort of sad.
…"Grey's Anatomy" is a good show. Last season's finale was probably the second best episode of television ever, next to the "Lost" pilot. People who don't watch television are missing out. It seems like the quality of shows is the best ever. If you scrub out reality tv and all the inane alphabet shows-- CSI, NCSI, L&O-- many are as good as films. There are actually too many good ones. Consider these:
--Parenthood (outstanding, truly)
--The Office
--Grey's
--Mad Men
--Empire Boardwalk
--Nurse Jackie
--Dexter
--Modern Family
--Mike and Molly
--Raising Hope
and on and on.
…I get a lot of magazines. Magazines are a good value, if you think about it. Plus they help you keep up on pop culture. "Interview" is one I especially like. It's been around a longggg time. Andy Warhol started it. The photography is always stellar and while it takes some time for each interview to get going, it's fun to see celebs interviewing fellow celebs. Blake Lively was interviewed by Ben Afflect (I always want to shout "Aflack" like the duck in those insurance commercials every time I write or say his name.) Blake comes across pretty genuine, humble and fun. She had a stunning turn in "The Town." Her whole family is in show business--all four siblings act, her dad's an agent and her mom does something.
…Changing gears for a moment--how nutty is that guy that runs Iran? What a wack job. He wants the UN to open an investigation into the events of 9/11 because "all the world believes the United States was behind what happened." I wonder what Iranian citizens think of that loon. And how the hell did he ever get to be in charge? Anyway, I'm just saying…
…"Let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way around. In prose, the worst thing you can do with words is to surrender them." -- George Orwell
Saturday, September 25, 2010
…I have three things up:
--Two poems, "Carousel" and "Genie" at Bananafish, and
--Zombie Indian Summer at xTx's blog, which I love, No Time To Say It.
They're also all here under "Words In Print."
--I am a runner. I run long. Problem is I get injured a lot. I do not like being sick or injured and will usually not fess up that I am. This mornning was my 18 miler. At the start, my back was so sore I could hardly walk. So I took off my five pound water belt and walked, running little spurts every so often. After awhile the soreness went away and I ran 18 straight without stopping. Now my body feels like that scene in The Sopranos--a show I miss dearly--where they tie the guy to a chair and beat him with baseball bats.
…Do you ever wonder how many people are doing something they love, if not the the very thing they always wanted to do? The world would be a lot different if that were the case. Of course, life wouldn't function because who would do all the sucky jobs? Maybe everyone would have to do sucky jobs for a certain period, gaining points or credits and once you had enough sucky job points accumulated, you could trade them in for dream job points and once you had enough of those, maybe you could get the dream job. The world would probably tilt on it's axis a bit, though. For instance, I just read in Esquire that being an A list movie star was considered the #1 dream job of 38 % of American males, both young and old. There aren't enough films for all those people, so that would pose a problem. But do you ever wonder (I guess I think too much, huh?) about all the very talented people, the uniquely talented people who, for whatever reason, don't make it? Nick Drake is a classic example. He killed himself at 24, then got discovered after his death and has a cult following (one of his songs is on the Visa commercial--or maybe it's Mastercard--where they drape gigantic orange curtains over buildings.) Van Gough's another good example. There a lots of them.
…I think I would write if no one read my stuff. Actually I know I would because I've been doing that for years and years now.
…I've decided to go to AWP in February. It's primarily a writer's conference for the online, flash sort of writers. I'm one of those now, yet I still very much feel like an outsider. I'll go and try to be gregarious. I am equal parts shy and social. At the AWP I will be the latter. I will make it a point to introduce myself to all the great writers I admire but have never met. It will be fun and worthwhile, I'll make sure of it.
…Here's some more Annie Dillard (I've never seen a picture of her, and I know I could Google her name, but I have this image of her that I don't want dispelled (as a sort of Jane Goodall type, sage tank-top, hairy armpits, wild, curly brown hair, no makeup, freckles, sort of cute and attractive in that unvarnished, jungle way…) Shes quite a genius, our Annie. She has this lovely stilted style and captures the essence of a thing and spins it in a unique way. Oh, Annie…
"How we spend out days, is of course, how we spend out lives. What we do with this hour and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order--willed, faked, and so b rought into being; it is a peace and a haven st into the wreak of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself decades later, still living. Each day is the same, so you remember the series afterward as a blurred and powerful pattern."
--Two poems, "Carousel" and "Genie" at Bananafish, and
--Zombie Indian Summer at xTx's blog, which I love, No Time To Say It.
They're also all here under "Words In Print."
--I am a runner. I run long. Problem is I get injured a lot. I do not like being sick or injured and will usually not fess up that I am. This mornning was my 18 miler. At the start, my back was so sore I could hardly walk. So I took off my five pound water belt and walked, running little spurts every so often. After awhile the soreness went away and I ran 18 straight without stopping. Now my body feels like that scene in The Sopranos--a show I miss dearly--where they tie the guy to a chair and beat him with baseball bats.
…Do you ever wonder how many people are doing something they love, if not the the very thing they always wanted to do? The world would be a lot different if that were the case. Of course, life wouldn't function because who would do all the sucky jobs? Maybe everyone would have to do sucky jobs for a certain period, gaining points or credits and once you had enough sucky job points accumulated, you could trade them in for dream job points and once you had enough of those, maybe you could get the dream job. The world would probably tilt on it's axis a bit, though. For instance, I just read in Esquire that being an A list movie star was considered the #1 dream job of 38 % of American males, both young and old. There aren't enough films for all those people, so that would pose a problem. But do you ever wonder (I guess I think too much, huh?) about all the very talented people, the uniquely talented people who, for whatever reason, don't make it? Nick Drake is a classic example. He killed himself at 24, then got discovered after his death and has a cult following (one of his songs is on the Visa commercial--or maybe it's Mastercard--where they drape gigantic orange curtains over buildings.) Van Gough's another good example. There a lots of them.
…I think I would write if no one read my stuff. Actually I know I would because I've been doing that for years and years now.
…I've decided to go to AWP in February. It's primarily a writer's conference for the online, flash sort of writers. I'm one of those now, yet I still very much feel like an outsider. I'll go and try to be gregarious. I am equal parts shy and social. At the AWP I will be the latter. I will make it a point to introduce myself to all the great writers I admire but have never met. It will be fun and worthwhile, I'll make sure of it.
…Here's some more Annie Dillard (I've never seen a picture of her, and I know I could Google her name, but I have this image of her that I don't want dispelled (as a sort of Jane Goodall type, sage tank-top, hairy armpits, wild, curly brown hair, no makeup, freckles, sort of cute and attractive in that unvarnished, jungle way…) Shes quite a genius, our Annie. She has this lovely stilted style and captures the essence of a thing and spins it in a unique way. Oh, Annie…
"How we spend out days, is of course, how we spend out lives. What we do with this hour and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order--willed, faked, and so b rought into being; it is a peace and a haven st into the wreak of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself decades later, still living. Each day is the same, so you remember the series afterward as a blurred and powerful pattern."
Friday, September 24, 2010
...I have three new pieces up:
--"Daughter" @ Dogzplot
--"Doppelganger" @ Vis a Tergo, and
--"Front Porch" @ The Camel Saloon
All are also here under "Words In Print"
...Yesterday I picked my son up at school and we had a very fun day/evening together. We saw "The Town." It's a B+. Strong acting, directing, moves fast. I like violence now and then, too, which this movie has. The Boston dialect, however, was hard to decifer sometimes and the story was also a tad predictable, but otherwise this was very entertaining, through the whole 2 hours and 3 minutes. Thumbs up!
...Afterward we saw Vampire Weekend play the Paramount. They were outstanding. Played every song they had, covered the Boss's "Going Down" (it was Bruce's B. Day yesterday) and lit the crowd on fire. My son and I bopped in the mosh pit until we were exhausted. The average age of attendants was 16-26, but I didn't care. Vampire Weekend--you should check them out. There's nothing like them.
...Lindsay Lohan is back in jail tonight. You could say, "Why does anyone care?" Well, obviously they do. Obviously a lot of people care. It would be very easy to dislike Lindsay, even to the point of loathing her. She comes across contrived, arrogant and haughty, a raspier, more trailer trash-version of Paris Hilton. It'd be natural to wish her ill. But you know, without forgiveness, all of us would be screwed.
...I remember Robert Downey Jr. was in a similar situation as Linds. He got arrested four times for drug posession. He got arrested for breaking and entering when they found him asleep on some stranger's foyer, stoned out of his mind. No one would work with him. When I met him at an event, he was sweating and trembling and very clearly still on something. That was five years ago. Look at Robert now--one of the most sought-after actors.
...Similarily, I'll never forget coming back from a week's vacation in Mexico and seeing a photo of Britney Speakers with a shaved head, some hideous ensemble that made her look fifty pounds heavier, swinging a pink, Minnie Mouse umbrella at a paparazzi. I thought it was a joke, photo-shopped, something like that. But it wasn't, of course. From there things got worse: crotch shots of her without underwear; walking barefoot in a gas station restaurant; handing her little boy a pack of cigarettes to play with; checking into a mental ward, losing custody of her kids... Now Brit's as big as ever.
...So, I guess the point is two fold: 1.) We all need to be cut some slack. "People who least deserve love are usually the ones who need it the most." And, 2. )Never say never. Everybody gets a second chance, it's just depends what's done with it. People (Americans, especially) love a comeback story. And thank God for that.
...Here are two quotes I like: "I write because I read, and I just think it's part of the same conversation. I've always thought writers are only readers who sort of go karaoke. They here something they really admire, or wish they had done, so they set out to do it. More and more, I write for a specific purpose, or audience, or to see if I can do it." -- Thomas Lynch
"Be tough on your writing, then be tough on getting it sold. This ain't no buisiness for sissies." -- Nat Sobel
....
--"Daughter" @ Dogzplot
--"Doppelganger" @ Vis a Tergo, and
--"Front Porch" @ The Camel Saloon
All are also here under "Words In Print"
...Yesterday I picked my son up at school and we had a very fun day/evening together. We saw "The Town." It's a B+. Strong acting, directing, moves fast. I like violence now and then, too, which this movie has. The Boston dialect, however, was hard to decifer sometimes and the story was also a tad predictable, but otherwise this was very entertaining, through the whole 2 hours and 3 minutes. Thumbs up!
...Afterward we saw Vampire Weekend play the Paramount. They were outstanding. Played every song they had, covered the Boss's "Going Down" (it was Bruce's B. Day yesterday) and lit the crowd on fire. My son and I bopped in the mosh pit until we were exhausted. The average age of attendants was 16-26, but I didn't care. Vampire Weekend--you should check them out. There's nothing like them.
...Lindsay Lohan is back in jail tonight. You could say, "Why does anyone care?" Well, obviously they do. Obviously a lot of people care. It would be very easy to dislike Lindsay, even to the point of loathing her. She comes across contrived, arrogant and haughty, a raspier, more trailer trash-version of Paris Hilton. It'd be natural to wish her ill. But you know, without forgiveness, all of us would be screwed.
...I remember Robert Downey Jr. was in a similar situation as Linds. He got arrested four times for drug posession. He got arrested for breaking and entering when they found him asleep on some stranger's foyer, stoned out of his mind. No one would work with him. When I met him at an event, he was sweating and trembling and very clearly still on something. That was five years ago. Look at Robert now--one of the most sought-after actors.
...Similarily, I'll never forget coming back from a week's vacation in Mexico and seeing a photo of Britney Speakers with a shaved head, some hideous ensemble that made her look fifty pounds heavier, swinging a pink, Minnie Mouse umbrella at a paparazzi. I thought it was a joke, photo-shopped, something like that. But it wasn't, of course. From there things got worse: crotch shots of her without underwear; walking barefoot in a gas station restaurant; handing her little boy a pack of cigarettes to play with; checking into a mental ward, losing custody of her kids... Now Brit's as big as ever.
...So, I guess the point is two fold: 1.) We all need to be cut some slack. "People who least deserve love are usually the ones who need it the most." And, 2. )Never say never. Everybody gets a second chance, it's just depends what's done with it. People (Americans, especially) love a comeback story. And thank God for that.
...Here are two quotes I like: "I write because I read, and I just think it's part of the same conversation. I've always thought writers are only readers who sort of go karaoke. They here something they really admire, or wish they had done, so they set out to do it. More and more, I write for a specific purpose, or audience, or to see if I can do it." -- Thomas Lynch
"Be tough on your writing, then be tough on getting it sold. This ain't no buisiness for sissies." -- Nat Sobel
....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
…I have three new pieces up:
- "Facts About the Moon" @ The Smoking Poet
- "Press Rewind" @ Troubadour 21, and
- "Cyber" @ Unfold
They are all also here under "Words in Print."
…I just returned from taking my daughter to college. I would like to go back to college. I would make less mistakes if I did. Probably, though, I wouldn't have as much fun. College was an unwieldy, rowdy movie for me, sort of like "Animal House" come-to-life. "Animal House" but real, with consequences. It was also dangerous. Freedom + a 19 year old drinking age = Danger. Toss in other ingredients I won't mention here, and, well, you get danger to the 10th power. But, going to college again, I would probably learn a lot more. This time around, I'm certain I'd retain things for longer periods of times. I wouldn't skip class to watch "All My Children" or play RISK tournaments with a pony keg at the ready. This time I'd be attentive. Also, I wouldn't be so shy and demure around professors. I realize now they're just people, so I'd be complementary to the good ones. I'd write them thank you notes and encourage them. On the flip side, I'd be vocal about the bad professors, especially the ones that don't like kids. (It always gets me how some teachers hate kids. If you hate kids, go work in a convolescent center, or a glue factory.) Anyway, my girl is now officially a college freshman. I miss her, of course, and am a little bit envious, but she'll be fine and I'll be fine and life will swirl on as it most appropriately should.
…One of my brothers is a hero of mine. He went to Viet Nam at the age of twenty, saw a lot of action on the DMZ, and came back broken in ways no young man should. Last night I went with him to an auction that benefits War Vets. It was held at a lake on the edge of Idaho, in the boonies, with dirt roads, surrounded by scores of rusty-looking pine trees. By the time we arrived, there were in excess of one hundred Harley's in the make-shift parking lot. Acres of black leather--jackets and chaps. Pony-tailed men in doo rags. Lots of tats. The chicks were not too appealing. (Actually, you can scratch the "too" in that last sentence.) I felt a tad out of place in my skinny cardigan and oxford button down. My shoes were denim and orange with toggles for shoe laces. My jacket came from Ambercrombie. Plus, I wasn't carrying any weapons, not even mace or a BB gun… It was an odd experience, yet also pretty special--this netherworld culture all getting together to help somebody less fortunate. Ninety percent in attendance were vets themselves. Many were in wheelchairs or had a prosthesis. A sense of pride and loyalty floated below the surface, but it also spilled over in blantant, patriotic displays. I imagine, if you could get past the cigarette smoke and croaky voices, and sit down with most of these people, you'd probably hear stories that would break your heart a few times over. What I really saw there was love. And I came away again reminded that we all wear costumes, all different kinds, it's just that a lot of us, especially the ones in suits or skinny carigans--well, we don't usually realize it.
…I'm going to watch "Presumed Innocent" tonight. I hope it holds up. I don't really like Harrison Ford, but this film and three others --"Frantic," "The Fugitive" and "Witness"--are among my favorites, ones I think about at odd times for random reasons. I hope you are watching a great film. Sometimes there's nothing better.
- "Facts About the Moon" @ The Smoking Poet
- "Press Rewind" @ Troubadour 21, and
- "Cyber" @ Unfold
They are all also here under "Words in Print."
…I just returned from taking my daughter to college. I would like to go back to college. I would make less mistakes if I did. Probably, though, I wouldn't have as much fun. College was an unwieldy, rowdy movie for me, sort of like "Animal House" come-to-life. "Animal House" but real, with consequences. It was also dangerous. Freedom + a 19 year old drinking age = Danger. Toss in other ingredients I won't mention here, and, well, you get danger to the 10th power. But, going to college again, I would probably learn a lot more. This time around, I'm certain I'd retain things for longer periods of times. I wouldn't skip class to watch "All My Children" or play RISK tournaments with a pony keg at the ready. This time I'd be attentive. Also, I wouldn't be so shy and demure around professors. I realize now they're just people, so I'd be complementary to the good ones. I'd write them thank you notes and encourage them. On the flip side, I'd be vocal about the bad professors, especially the ones that don't like kids. (It always gets me how some teachers hate kids. If you hate kids, go work in a convolescent center, or a glue factory.) Anyway, my girl is now officially a college freshman. I miss her, of course, and am a little bit envious, but she'll be fine and I'll be fine and life will swirl on as it most appropriately should.
…One of my brothers is a hero of mine. He went to Viet Nam at the age of twenty, saw a lot of action on the DMZ, and came back broken in ways no young man should. Last night I went with him to an auction that benefits War Vets. It was held at a lake on the edge of Idaho, in the boonies, with dirt roads, surrounded by scores of rusty-looking pine trees. By the time we arrived, there were in excess of one hundred Harley's in the make-shift parking lot. Acres of black leather--jackets and chaps. Pony-tailed men in doo rags. Lots of tats. The chicks were not too appealing. (Actually, you can scratch the "too" in that last sentence.) I felt a tad out of place in my skinny cardigan and oxford button down. My shoes were denim and orange with toggles for shoe laces. My jacket came from Ambercrombie. Plus, I wasn't carrying any weapons, not even mace or a BB gun… It was an odd experience, yet also pretty special--this netherworld culture all getting together to help somebody less fortunate. Ninety percent in attendance were vets themselves. Many were in wheelchairs or had a prosthesis. A sense of pride and loyalty floated below the surface, but it also spilled over in blantant, patriotic displays. I imagine, if you could get past the cigarette smoke and croaky voices, and sit down with most of these people, you'd probably hear stories that would break your heart a few times over. What I really saw there was love. And I came away again reminded that we all wear costumes, all different kinds, it's just that a lot of us, especially the ones in suits or skinny carigans--well, we don't usually realize it.
…I'm going to watch "Presumed Innocent" tonight. I hope it holds up. I don't really like Harrison Ford, but this film and three others --"Frantic," "The Fugitive" and "Witness"--are among my favorites, ones I think about at odd times for random reasons. I hope you are watching a great film. Sometimes there's nothing better.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
...I have a new Twitter fiction, haiku-type thingy called "Mirror" up at Unfold and also here under "Words In Print." I'm not sure if it's any good. I don't think I like it. I come off as if I'm trying too hard.
...I used to try to defend Seattle against people who claimed it rained too much here. The fact is, it does rain too much here. We use up all our vocabulary describing the rain--showers, drizzzle, downpour, deluge, light rain, heavy rain, big fat ass rain...I could have filled several bathtubs in the last two hours with how much water has fallen. But rain is supposed to purify the air, so there's that.
...Tomorrow is a sad day. Actually they've all been depressing the last week or so. We drive to central Washington and drop off my daughter. I was going to write her something, but then thought that'd be kind of hokey. I'm not above hokey, but the words are slippery when it comes to that subject.
...I rewrote/edited an especially violent scene in my novel yesterday. Today I read it back and it's quite good. Often times when I read something back I think, "That's crap." I'm nearing the end of the edit. At least this round anyway.
...Yesterday I mentioned Barry Graham at Dogzplot. Here's some of his fine writing from Elimae:
Two Fictions
Barry Graham
Smoke
And so it begins, like this, waiting too long for a lazy train out of West Toledo. Sugar white smoke ascends from the broken window of a nearby tool shed. On the concrete platform couples embrace, preparing to go their separate ways, pretending next time they meet they will pull out a map and choose a place, Ann Arbor or Los Angeles or Atlantic City, and that's where they'll belong, where they'll build a life and live happy, forever, like Shrek and Fiona or sharks or birthday party magic they no longer believe in. And why should they. The train hasn't left yet, but they both look eagerly towards the tracks, anticipating its departure.
The Great Wall
And so it begins, like this, waiting too long for a lazy train out of South Camden. The sky expands, turns lemonade pink along the river line before she departs. I pat her ass and we kiss for a long time but not long enough and I cry when I think she's not looking. Ask the Chinese or the Germans about secrets and revolutions and masonry, I say, and she starts to nod then stops. No need, she says, the French tell me other things. So I nod too, neither of us knowing what we meant. Why she's coming and going. Why the sun sets so beautifully on such occasions.
...I used to try to defend Seattle against people who claimed it rained too much here. The fact is, it does rain too much here. We use up all our vocabulary describing the rain--showers, drizzzle, downpour, deluge, light rain, heavy rain, big fat ass rain...I could have filled several bathtubs in the last two hours with how much water has fallen. But rain is supposed to purify the air, so there's that.
...Tomorrow is a sad day. Actually they've all been depressing the last week or so. We drive to central Washington and drop off my daughter. I was going to write her something, but then thought that'd be kind of hokey. I'm not above hokey, but the words are slippery when it comes to that subject.
...I rewrote/edited an especially violent scene in my novel yesterday. Today I read it back and it's quite good. Often times when I read something back I think, "That's crap." I'm nearing the end of the edit. At least this round anyway.
...Yesterday I mentioned Barry Graham at Dogzplot. Here's some of his fine writing from Elimae:
Two Fictions
Barry Graham
Smoke
And so it begins, like this, waiting too long for a lazy train out of West Toledo. Sugar white smoke ascends from the broken window of a nearby tool shed. On the concrete platform couples embrace, preparing to go their separate ways, pretending next time they meet they will pull out a map and choose a place, Ann Arbor or Los Angeles or Atlantic City, and that's where they'll belong, where they'll build a life and live happy, forever, like Shrek and Fiona or sharks or birthday party magic they no longer believe in. And why should they. The train hasn't left yet, but they both look eagerly towards the tracks, anticipating its departure.
The Great Wall
And so it begins, like this, waiting too long for a lazy train out of South Camden. The sky expands, turns lemonade pink along the river line before she departs. I pat her ass and we kiss for a long time but not long enough and I cry when I think she's not looking. Ask the Chinese or the Germans about secrets and revolutions and masonry, I say, and she starts to nod then stops. No need, she says, the French tell me other things. So I nod too, neither of us knowing what we meant. Why she's coming and going. Why the sun sets so beautifully on such occasions.
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