I hate running. I really do. Before yesterday, I hadn't run in about three months, just enough time to let the beer and pizza find a nice, comfy place in my system, blood stream, etc. My cholesterol is even down to a good level for me, 235.
So why run when I hate it so much? After a few weeks of it...heck, really after only one or two runs...I love how it makes you feel. (AFTER the sore muscles.) And I want to be in reasonably good shape by the time I'm 50, which is a heck of a lot closer than it used to be.
On to a more pleasant subject: writing. I'm very excited about two projects - actually three - going on now. I started a new short story on Sunday that I've been thinking about for the last three days and can't get out of my head. I'm also taking some time to work on what I hope to be a YA novel based loosely on one of the stories I wrote at Clarion.
The third project is the DC Writer's Way workshop. I participated in the workshop in 2002 and have been fairly active in the readings. Earlier this summer I was asked to lead the Capitol Hill workshop which starts in a couple of weeks. The workshop participants are usually beginners who are looking for direction, how to get started, that sort of thing, but there are often some writing veterans present. Should be a lot of fun. I have no doubt that I'll be the person who learns the most. You always do when you teach.
Now Playing = The Forgotten Arm - Aimee Mann
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Andy Duncan's Beluthahatchie
I had read several of these stories before going to Clarion last year, where Andy was an instructor. I recently read some of the stories I hadn't covered before and re-read others because they're so good.
"The Map to the Homes of the Stars" is probably my favorite Duncan story. In it, Jack lives by himself in the same town that he and his best friend Tom were dying to get out of as teenagers. Both Jack and Tom hungered (lusted is probably more accurate) after nearly every girl in town, but many they considered out of their league for several reasons, some of which were imposed upon them by the small thinking of the townspeople. After Tom and a girl do escape, Jack is haunted with their ghosts and the ghosts of what might have been in his own life.
The story succeeds on so many levels; it's a great story in its own right and contains many laugh out loud scenes that all teenage boys (and maybe some girls) can relate to. But on a deeper level, it's a chilling horror story that haunts deeply. The opportunities we had and didn't take. For some, that's terrifying to consider.
I absolutely loved "Liza and the Crazy Water Man" and can't wait to read it again. Andy not only knows how to capture wonderfully wacky Southern characters, he also knows his history, and in this case, his music history. "Liza" contains such great writing that even though you wonder for awhile where the speculative element lies (It is there), it's such a joy to read, you don't care about anything else.
"Fortitude" is, I believe, a masterwork. General George S. Patton sees himself placed in battles and situations he's already experienced. Like "The Map," "Fortitude" is a haunting story, but haunting in a different way. In one extraordinary scene, Patton lies wounded in a foxhole carrying on a conversation with a soldier and the ghost of his father. I don't know how Andy pulls this off – maybe I'll study it one day – but the scene (like the entire story) is extraordinary.
Now Playing = Young Americans – David Bowie
"The Map to the Homes of the Stars" is probably my favorite Duncan story. In it, Jack lives by himself in the same town that he and his best friend Tom were dying to get out of as teenagers. Both Jack and Tom hungered (lusted is probably more accurate) after nearly every girl in town, but many they considered out of their league for several reasons, some of which were imposed upon them by the small thinking of the townspeople. After Tom and a girl do escape, Jack is haunted with their ghosts and the ghosts of what might have been in his own life.
The story succeeds on so many levels; it's a great story in its own right and contains many laugh out loud scenes that all teenage boys (and maybe some girls) can relate to. But on a deeper level, it's a chilling horror story that haunts deeply. The opportunities we had and didn't take. For some, that's terrifying to consider.
I absolutely loved "Liza and the Crazy Water Man" and can't wait to read it again. Andy not only knows how to capture wonderfully wacky Southern characters, he also knows his history, and in this case, his music history. "Liza" contains such great writing that even though you wonder for awhile where the speculative element lies (It is there), it's such a joy to read, you don't care about anything else.
"Fortitude" is, I believe, a masterwork. General George S. Patton sees himself placed in battles and situations he's already experienced. Like "The Map," "Fortitude" is a haunting story, but haunting in a different way. In one extraordinary scene, Patton lies wounded in a foxhole carrying on a conversation with a soldier and the ghost of his father. I don't know how Andy pulls this off – maybe I'll study it one day – but the scene (like the entire story) is extraordinary.
Now Playing = Young Americans – David Bowie
Friday, August 26, 2005
Baseball
Wednesday night Cindy and I completed our pilgrimage of the three local baseball stadiums. We'd seen the Bowie Baysox early in the season, so early we almost froze from the fifth inning on. The team isn't very good, but the price was right and it's a fun atmosphere.
About a month ago we went to Baltimore and saw the Orioles beat the Yankees (pre-Palmiero steroid controversy), which was a lot of fun. Watching thousands of obnoxious Yankee fans reduced to shame at the very end: priceless.
Then Wednesday night we saw the Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 at RFK Stadium. So here's my comparison of Camden Yards vs. RFK Stadium:
Parking: The nod goes to RFK – Much easier to get in and out of, plus you don't have to deal with parking garages.
Concessions: Camden Yards – You can buy food and/or drink from the street vendors for much less than they charge at the stadium AND Camden lets you bring it in. Not so at RFK. Four bucks for peanuts? Try two on the streets of Balto.
Security: Probably a little better at Camden, although they're a little uptight about it. I expected RFK to be more anal, but they were actually pretty cool.
Fans: Orioles were pretty catatonic. Maybe they were intimidated by the Yankee fans until the final inning. Nationals were much more spirited; of course it's their first year and they're doing surprisingly well, so why not yell your head off and act a fool?
Ticket prices: We were given our tickets to the Nationals game (Thanks, John and Lera!). We paid $8 or $9 for upper level at Camden; RFK upper level is $5.
Entertaining roving vendors: Much more colorful characters schlepping beer and peanuts at RFK.
Overall I'd have to hand it to RFK.
Now I'd love to do the same comparison for the Ravens and Redskins. Anybody got any tickets?
Now Playing = "Stop This World" – Diana Krall
About a month ago we went to Baltimore and saw the Orioles beat the Yankees (pre-Palmiero steroid controversy), which was a lot of fun. Watching thousands of obnoxious Yankee fans reduced to shame at the very end: priceless.
Then Wednesday night we saw the Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 at RFK Stadium. So here's my comparison of Camden Yards vs. RFK Stadium:
Parking: The nod goes to RFK – Much easier to get in and out of, plus you don't have to deal with parking garages.
Concessions: Camden Yards – You can buy food and/or drink from the street vendors for much less than they charge at the stadium AND Camden lets you bring it in. Not so at RFK. Four bucks for peanuts? Try two on the streets of Balto.
Security: Probably a little better at Camden, although they're a little uptight about it. I expected RFK to be more anal, but they were actually pretty cool.
Fans: Orioles were pretty catatonic. Maybe they were intimidated by the Yankee fans until the final inning. Nationals were much more spirited; of course it's their first year and they're doing surprisingly well, so why not yell your head off and act a fool?
Ticket prices: We were given our tickets to the Nationals game (Thanks, John and Lera!). We paid $8 or $9 for upper level at Camden; RFK upper level is $5.
Entertaining roving vendors: Much more colorful characters schlepping beer and peanuts at RFK.
Overall I'd have to hand it to RFK.
Now I'd love to do the same comparison for the Ravens and Redskins. Anybody got any tickets?
Now Playing = "Stop This World" – Diana Krall
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Another Novel?
I wrote my first novel in 2002. Don't worry; you'll never see it. For several months I've been tempted to write another, even though I feel I haven't even come close to learning what I need to know to write a good short story. But that pull is there.
I got about 20,000 words into a new novel a few months ago and realized I wasn't ready for that particular story. There's too much about the characters I don't know yet. I'll come back to it, but I've recently started another that I feel more comfortable with. I'm really excited about it for a couple of reasons:
1) It's based on a story that I've been thinking a lot about, one I did at Clarion called "His Greatest Performance" about a weird old silent movie actor who lives across the street from a twelve-year-old boy. I think it's got possibilities and it's a story I'm excited about. At least for now the story is flowing very well; it sure doesn't feel like work.
2) I think I've finally got a process I can work with. Kelly Link uses this method; I think Michael Swanwick does too: Start the story, write what you want (or think you want). When you go back the next day, spend some time with what you've written - read it over and edit. Add some new stuff, but don't edit. Let it flow. The next day, start at the beginning. Keep editing. Get to the point where you stopped. Add new stuff. I think this allows you to edit and polish as you go and not wait until the end. Sure, I'm sure I'll go back and change stuff, but what I've written seems a lot more like a finished product than it did before.
Seems to be working for the beginning of the novel and a new short story I'm working on as well.
Almost finished with The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens, most of which is very good. After Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, it's nice to read some short fiction.
Now Playing = "The Crippled Lion" – Michael Nesmith
I got about 20,000 words into a new novel a few months ago and realized I wasn't ready for that particular story. There's too much about the characters I don't know yet. I'll come back to it, but I've recently started another that I feel more comfortable with. I'm really excited about it for a couple of reasons:
1) It's based on a story that I've been thinking a lot about, one I did at Clarion called "His Greatest Performance" about a weird old silent movie actor who lives across the street from a twelve-year-old boy. I think it's got possibilities and it's a story I'm excited about. At least for now the story is flowing very well; it sure doesn't feel like work.
2) I think I've finally got a process I can work with. Kelly Link uses this method; I think Michael Swanwick does too: Start the story, write what you want (or think you want). When you go back the next day, spend some time with what you've written - read it over and edit. Add some new stuff, but don't edit. Let it flow. The next day, start at the beginning. Keep editing. Get to the point where you stopped. Add new stuff. I think this allows you to edit and polish as you go and not wait until the end. Sure, I'm sure I'll go back and change stuff, but what I've written seems a lot more like a finished product than it did before.
Seems to be working for the beginning of the novel and a new short story I'm working on as well.
Almost finished with The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens, most of which is very good. After Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, it's nice to read some short fiction.
Now Playing = "The Crippled Lion" – Michael Nesmith
Monday, August 22, 2005
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
A few months ago I read the first hundred pages of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and gave up. It was frustrating going, but the problem was mine, not Susanna Clarke's. It all started when Kelly Link recommended the book to me at Clarion last summer. She recommended several books to me and every one that I read I enjoyed tremendously. Back then, it was just another book on the list. I knew little about it. (I didn't even know that at the time it was still awaiting publication.)
I saw it come in when I was working at Barnes & Noble and was shocked at its staggering size. I tried to evade all talk/reviews/rumors about the book, but over and over I heard the inevitable "Harry Potter for Adults" tag being thrown around. I wanted to read it, but didn't want to shell out $28.00 to see if I'd like it. After all, I'd never read anything by Clarke.
When it finally came to my library, I had to wait. A long time. Then as I was ambling around the library one afternoon, there it was. So I grabbed it, took it home, fed the dog, and settled down to Part I: Mr Norrell.
After 100 pages, I turned it back in to the library.
I think most of the problem was with me, but possibly part of the problem was in the book's promotion. Bloomsbury heavily promoted the book, milking Neil Gaiman's "Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years" quote to the nth degree, setting the book up to a standard impossible to meet. This combined with the "Harry Potter for Adults" (which was probably NOT devised by Bloomsbury) probably had a lot to do with my expectations for the novel.
In short, I expected something to happen during the first 100 pages.
Well... it doesn't. And it does.
When you think about it, Clarke has done something extraordinary. She's created a world out of a country – England – and then created a world within a world, the magical realm. It's also a lost world. At the beginning of the book, the York society of magicians laments the fact that magic, real magic, has vanished from England. With elegant language, rich description and a very light touch, Clarke creates a world (You could almost call it an alternate history.) that does not contain flashy, sensational 4th of July tpye fireworks, but nonetheless is magical in its atmosphere and characterizations. The world she creates and the characters that inhabit it reminded me of the world of Jane Austen: very proper, very British, and never, ever in a hurry.
Not exactly what you'd expect when you hear Gaiman's quote or the "Harry Potter for Adults" blurb. That's a different expectation.
The second time I picked up the book, my expectations were different. I felt more comfortable in Clarke's world. I didn't expect fireworks. I still didn't think a lot happened in the first 100 pages, but I was willing to go with the author.
My patience paid off. I suspect yours will too.
The book is not so much about what happens (Much of the "action" takes place off-stage until about the last third of the book.) as it is about what is suggested and implied. It's important to get inside the characters of Norrell and Strange. Just as importantly (maybe even more so), readers have to know how the rest of the characters will react to them. And since so much of what happens is implied, the reader is forced to look at the bigger picture of what's going on here. The implications of the story are quite large if you spend much time thinking about it (and you should).
Clarke has spent a lot of time and effort in getting the details just right. Sure, sometimes she goes overboard. Several of the footnotes could be sliced for my tastes; others are essential and engrossing. The most fascinating aspect for me was the books that were mentioned. Dozens of books of magic are alluded to and they're all fascinating. (I dare you to not speculate on just what types of wonderful things are lurking inside those volumes...)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a book that requires patience. It's not a page-turner. It took me about a month to get through it. Any expectations of Harry Potter, Tolkien, high fantasy, or just about anything else will have to be abandoned if you're to enjoy the book. Don't compare it to anything else because there really isn't anything else to compare it to; in this, Gaiman is correct, and if that's what he means by his blurb, I'm inclined to agree with him. In this fast-food culture we live in, Jonathan Strange is a multi-course dinner to be savored. Pace yourself. Eat slowly. Enjoy.
Now Playing = "Nevada Fighter" – Michael Nesmith
I saw it come in when I was working at Barnes & Noble and was shocked at its staggering size. I tried to evade all talk/reviews/rumors about the book, but over and over I heard the inevitable "Harry Potter for Adults" tag being thrown around. I wanted to read it, but didn't want to shell out $28.00 to see if I'd like it. After all, I'd never read anything by Clarke.
When it finally came to my library, I had to wait. A long time. Then as I was ambling around the library one afternoon, there it was. So I grabbed it, took it home, fed the dog, and settled down to Part I: Mr Norrell.
After 100 pages, I turned it back in to the library.
I think most of the problem was with me, but possibly part of the problem was in the book's promotion. Bloomsbury heavily promoted the book, milking Neil Gaiman's "Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years" quote to the nth degree, setting the book up to a standard impossible to meet. This combined with the "Harry Potter for Adults" (which was probably NOT devised by Bloomsbury) probably had a lot to do with my expectations for the novel.
In short, I expected something to happen during the first 100 pages.
Well... it doesn't. And it does.
When you think about it, Clarke has done something extraordinary. She's created a world out of a country – England – and then created a world within a world, the magical realm. It's also a lost world. At the beginning of the book, the York society of magicians laments the fact that magic, real magic, has vanished from England. With elegant language, rich description and a very light touch, Clarke creates a world (You could almost call it an alternate history.) that does not contain flashy, sensational 4th of July tpye fireworks, but nonetheless is magical in its atmosphere and characterizations. The world she creates and the characters that inhabit it reminded me of the world of Jane Austen: very proper, very British, and never, ever in a hurry.
Not exactly what you'd expect when you hear Gaiman's quote or the "Harry Potter for Adults" blurb. That's a different expectation.
The second time I picked up the book, my expectations were different. I felt more comfortable in Clarke's world. I didn't expect fireworks. I still didn't think a lot happened in the first 100 pages, but I was willing to go with the author.
My patience paid off. I suspect yours will too.
The book is not so much about what happens (Much of the "action" takes place off-stage until about the last third of the book.) as it is about what is suggested and implied. It's important to get inside the characters of Norrell and Strange. Just as importantly (maybe even more so), readers have to know how the rest of the characters will react to them. And since so much of what happens is implied, the reader is forced to look at the bigger picture of what's going on here. The implications of the story are quite large if you spend much time thinking about it (and you should).
Clarke has spent a lot of time and effort in getting the details just right. Sure, sometimes she goes overboard. Several of the footnotes could be sliced for my tastes; others are essential and engrossing. The most fascinating aspect for me was the books that were mentioned. Dozens of books of magic are alluded to and they're all fascinating. (I dare you to not speculate on just what types of wonderful things are lurking inside those volumes...)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a book that requires patience. It's not a page-turner. It took me about a month to get through it. Any expectations of Harry Potter, Tolkien, high fantasy, or just about anything else will have to be abandoned if you're to enjoy the book. Don't compare it to anything else because there really isn't anything else to compare it to; in this, Gaiman is correct, and if that's what he means by his blurb, I'm inclined to agree with him. In this fast-food culture we live in, Jonathan Strange is a multi-course dinner to be savored. Pace yourself. Eat slowly. Enjoy.
Now Playing = "Nevada Fighter" – Michael Nesmith
Thursday, August 18, 2005
A Few Good Films
Sometimes it's nice to take a break from reading and watch a movie or two. I've seen some pretty enjoyable ones during the past few weeks.
First, Cindy and I went to see War of the Worlds on Saturday. It's been out for a few weeks, so I was pretty surprised to see a packed theatre. (Of course it was a Saturday and it was also hot as blazes outside.) I'm a sucker for Spielberg; I'll pretty much go see anything he does (although I haven't seen them all). There are some incredible visuals going on as well as good storytelling. Not a "great" film, but quite good.
I didn't really expect much from the Battlestar Galactica mini-series (on DVD from NetFlix), but was pleasantly surprised. The effects were quite refreshing, especially for a TV show. Sure, most of it is formula - not only formula, but formula generated to 1) get the SciFi Channel to back at least one full season and 2) to get you to watch it - but it's formula done well. I'll probably rent at least the first disc of Season One.
The real viewing experience of the past week has been The Decalogue. I've only watched Decalogue One, but it is an incredible film. The first film was so sad, yet so well done I have an inner struggle whether to watch it again or go on to the second film. It's hard to describe. The film deals with human problems, problems for which there are no easy answers. You won't leave the film and wander around the house looking for something to eat; it'll stay with you, it'll make you think, it'll make you ask yourself many questions. You may not like the answers, but The Decalogue is a collection of films you can't ignore.
Sort of makes Must Love Dogs look like dust bunnies in your basement.
Now Playing = "Space Oddity" - David Bowie
First, Cindy and I went to see War of the Worlds on Saturday. It's been out for a few weeks, so I was pretty surprised to see a packed theatre. (Of course it was a Saturday and it was also hot as blazes outside.) I'm a sucker for Spielberg; I'll pretty much go see anything he does (although I haven't seen them all). There are some incredible visuals going on as well as good storytelling. Not a "great" film, but quite good.
I didn't really expect much from the Battlestar Galactica mini-series (on DVD from NetFlix), but was pleasantly surprised. The effects were quite refreshing, especially for a TV show. Sure, most of it is formula - not only formula, but formula generated to 1) get the SciFi Channel to back at least one full season and 2) to get you to watch it - but it's formula done well. I'll probably rent at least the first disc of Season One.
The real viewing experience of the past week has been The Decalogue. I've only watched Decalogue One, but it is an incredible film. The first film was so sad, yet so well done I have an inner struggle whether to watch it again or go on to the second film. It's hard to describe. The film deals with human problems, problems for which there are no easy answers. You won't leave the film and wander around the house looking for something to eat; it'll stay with you, it'll make you think, it'll make you ask yourself many questions. You may not like the answers, but The Decalogue is a collection of films you can't ignore.
Sort of makes Must Love Dogs look like dust bunnies in your basement.
Now Playing = "Space Oddity" - David Bowie
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Clarion Journals
Even though it's been over a year since Clarion, I'm geared up to put my journal online. I've read a lot of good ones from years past and from those who've just finished. I know that reading the journals from others helped me tremendously. I'm just returning the favor. I should start posting in the next few days.
www.awolverton7.blogspot.com
www.awolverton7.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 11, 2005
A 20-Minute Story
Some days you go out scouting for books to sell and nothing shows up. When that happens, there's only one thing to do: Buy books for yourself.
I was in the neighborhood, so I decided to check out Daedalus Books in Columbia. I immediately found one book that Kelly Link had recommended at Clarion, The Cutting Room by Louise Welch. I was tempted to pick up a new edition of The Complete Stories of Eudora Welty, but I already have an earlier (beat up) edition. So I schlepped around the store some more...M.T. Anderson's Feed was there, but I was looking for Thirsty. The only spec fic that really tempted me was F. Paul Wilson's The Barrens and Others, but I decided to pass on it. (I've got two of his other books waiting for my attention as it is.) I also passed on Sharyn November's Firebirds, only because it was a book club edition.
Then I saw an anthology of short stories (literary) including several short shorts that writers had written in 20 minutes. I didn't read any of the stories, but I did go home and try to write one.
Now I will normally spend about 10 – 15 minutes on a freewrite. (For those of you new to the term, a freewrite is simply an exercise in which you write for the allotted time without stopping to think, rest, or most importantly, edit.) Usually a freewrite will yield one or two good ideas or maybe even one good line for future use, but it's never a complete story.
But this time I decided to write a completed story in 20 minutes. (Plus Malcolm is looking for submissions for The Journal, so I hoped to kill two birds with one stone. Sorry...sometimes only a cliché will do.)
It wasn't bad. I gave it to Cindy and she pointed out a part that was confusing. I decided to sleep on it and fix it the next day, which I did. So I sent it to Malcolm a few minutes ago. Even if he doesn't accept it, it was fun and it allowed me to free myself from some of the other stories I've been bogged down with.
Now Playing = "If Not for You" – George Harrison
I was in the neighborhood, so I decided to check out Daedalus Books in Columbia. I immediately found one book that Kelly Link had recommended at Clarion, The Cutting Room by Louise Welch. I was tempted to pick up a new edition of The Complete Stories of Eudora Welty, but I already have an earlier (beat up) edition. So I schlepped around the store some more...M.T. Anderson's Feed was there, but I was looking for Thirsty. The only spec fic that really tempted me was F. Paul Wilson's The Barrens and Others, but I decided to pass on it. (I've got two of his other books waiting for my attention as it is.) I also passed on Sharyn November's Firebirds, only because it was a book club edition.
Then I saw an anthology of short stories (literary) including several short shorts that writers had written in 20 minutes. I didn't read any of the stories, but I did go home and try to write one.
Now I will normally spend about 10 – 15 minutes on a freewrite. (For those of you new to the term, a freewrite is simply an exercise in which you write for the allotted time without stopping to think, rest, or most importantly, edit.) Usually a freewrite will yield one or two good ideas or maybe even one good line for future use, but it's never a complete story.
But this time I decided to write a completed story in 20 minutes. (Plus Malcolm is looking for submissions for The Journal, so I hoped to kill two birds with one stone. Sorry...sometimes only a cliché will do.)
It wasn't bad. I gave it to Cindy and she pointed out a part that was confusing. I decided to sleep on it and fix it the next day, which I did. So I sent it to Malcolm a few minutes ago. Even if he doesn't accept it, it was fun and it allowed me to free myself from some of the other stories I've been bogged down with.
Now Playing = "If Not for You" – George Harrison
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Bullet/Some Thoughts on Writing Bleak Stories
We found out today that our greyhound Bullet does not have bone cancer. We took him for X-rays today and he definitely has arthritis, but shows no signs of cancer. We're so thankful he's okay. We can treat the arthritis and have a couple of options. Bullet has been sleeping like rock, but the doctor said he should be less groggy tomorrow. Can't wait to see him jumping around, ripping up and down the stairs, acting like a big goof.
I was a little nervous about submitting a story to my Clarion buddies, but I finally did. Even before they critiqued it (a story called "The Post-Game Show"), I knew it wasn't the best I could do. As John S. mentioned, it is a bleak story with no hope at all visible anywhere. I guess I see so many people who have no hope, have nothing to believe in and I guess that hopelessness is what I wanted to portray. But John's right, there should be some ray of light in there. I also think I'm still trying to throw too many ideas into my stories, clouding the main theme(s).
My first thought was, "Man, I didn't learn JACK at Clarion; my writing still sucks!" But I think I'm able to see things that I know are problems now, if I step back and look at my stories from someone else's eyes. That's hard for me right now, but I think it will come. I also have to train myself (other writers may disagree) to move on to something else for a time when I'm stuck on a story. I did that today and got a great opening for a new story.
10:20....read or watch Twilight Zone? Hmmm......
Now Playing = "Diamonds and Rust" – Joan Baez
I was a little nervous about submitting a story to my Clarion buddies, but I finally did. Even before they critiqued it (a story called "The Post-Game Show"), I knew it wasn't the best I could do. As John S. mentioned, it is a bleak story with no hope at all visible anywhere. I guess I see so many people who have no hope, have nothing to believe in and I guess that hopelessness is what I wanted to portray. But John's right, there should be some ray of light in there. I also think I'm still trying to throw too many ideas into my stories, clouding the main theme(s).
My first thought was, "Man, I didn't learn JACK at Clarion; my writing still sucks!" But I think I'm able to see things that I know are problems now, if I step back and look at my stories from someone else's eyes. That's hard for me right now, but I think it will come. I also have to train myself (other writers may disagree) to move on to something else for a time when I'm stuck on a story. I did that today and got a great opening for a new story.
10:20....read or watch Twilight Zone? Hmmm......
Now Playing = "Diamonds and Rust" – Joan Baez
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Night Moves/Twilight Zone
The latest entry in my continuing series of Forgotten 70's Films is Night Moves [1975](which was a film at least a year before it was a song by Bob Seger). Gene Hackman plays Harry, a private detective hired by a middle-aged, second-rate Hollywood starlet to find her missing daughter (played by a VERY young Melanie Griffith). Harry takes the case, despite the protests of his wife (Susan Clark).
The film is part Sunset Boulevard, part Raymond Chandler, part Elmore Leonard. For some reason, the film has been largely forgotten, which is a real shame. Directed by Arthur Penn (who will always be remembered for Bonnie and Clyde, and rightfully so), Night Moves is a way above-average detective flick with great acting, characters, and direction. Penn is excellent at making his camera convey character information. There's a great shot where the four leads are all in one room, trying to sort things out. They're all in one room, but Penn has positioned them in such a way that we see their individual isolation, loneliness and utter helplessness. The last ten minutes of the film, while a little confusing, are edited very well. When you see it, you'll understand how important an editor can be to a film.
Book sales have been going pretty well, so yesterday I treated myself to buying the first season of The Twilight Zone (at Costco, of course). I immediately watched two episodes last night, "Long Live Walter Jamison," one of my favorites. The audio commentary with Kevin McCarthy wasn't so great, but the episode looks sharp and clear. Really a nice job, considering these episodes are over 40 years old. I also watched "A World of Difference," just because it had been years since I'd seen it. Can't wait to jump into some of the real classics like "Time Enough at Last," "Monsters are Due on Maple Street," and many more.
Now Playing = The Older Stuff – Michael Nesmith
The film is part Sunset Boulevard, part Raymond Chandler, part Elmore Leonard. For some reason, the film has been largely forgotten, which is a real shame. Directed by Arthur Penn (who will always be remembered for Bonnie and Clyde, and rightfully so), Night Moves is a way above-average detective flick with great acting, characters, and direction. Penn is excellent at making his camera convey character information. There's a great shot where the four leads are all in one room, trying to sort things out. They're all in one room, but Penn has positioned them in such a way that we see their individual isolation, loneliness and utter helplessness. The last ten minutes of the film, while a little confusing, are edited very well. When you see it, you'll understand how important an editor can be to a film.
Book sales have been going pretty well, so yesterday I treated myself to buying the first season of The Twilight Zone (at Costco, of course). I immediately watched two episodes last night, "Long Live Walter Jamison," one of my favorites. The audio commentary with Kevin McCarthy wasn't so great, but the episode looks sharp and clear. Really a nice job, considering these episodes are over 40 years old. I also watched "A World of Difference," just because it had been years since I'd seen it. Can't wait to jump into some of the real classics like "Time Enough at Last," "Monsters are Due on Maple Street," and many more.
Now Playing = The Older Stuff – Michael Nesmith
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Why Are We Here/End of the World/A Purple Giraffe
It seems that several of the stories I've read lately have to do with The Meaning of Life/What are We Here For? Today as I was waiting at the doctor's office (to get a tetanus shot, thanks to an old bed frame I moved), I read a couple of stories from the new Hartwell/Cramer Year's Best Fantasy 5: Dale Bailey's "The End of the World as We Know It" and David D. Levine's "Charlie the Purple Giraffe Was Acting Strangely." I thought both were well written and effective.
In Bailey's story, a man wakes up to find that everyone he knows is dead. Also dead are the telephones as well as all television and radio stations. A part of the man continues going through the motions, realizing that the world has probably just about run its course, but still he follows familiar routines. Levine's "Charlie" is more comical (although Bailey's story is not without humor): a purple giraffe comic book character comes to realize what he actually is, a character in a comic book. He can't get anyone else to believe him – his friend the orange squirrel or the rhinoceros doctor. "There are no readers," they tell him. But if they don't exist for the readers, why are they there?
Both stories seem to ask the question "Why are we here?" I think it's enormously interesting that writers are still asking the question. The answer says a lot about your worldview. Is life just a cruel joke? Is there a purpose? Is there a God? (I believe there is.)
I suppose these would be labeled "postmodern" stories. I enjoy reading them and I've written a few that I would consider postmodern. However you classify them, these are good stories and ask questions that people want answered. Interesting reading.
Now Playing = Blood on the Tracks (The New York Sessions) – Bob Dylan [Thanks, Trent!]
In Bailey's story, a man wakes up to find that everyone he knows is dead. Also dead are the telephones as well as all television and radio stations. A part of the man continues going through the motions, realizing that the world has probably just about run its course, but still he follows familiar routines. Levine's "Charlie" is more comical (although Bailey's story is not without humor): a purple giraffe comic book character comes to realize what he actually is, a character in a comic book. He can't get anyone else to believe him – his friend the orange squirrel or the rhinoceros doctor. "There are no readers," they tell him. But if they don't exist for the readers, why are they there?
Both stories seem to ask the question "Why are we here?" I think it's enormously interesting that writers are still asking the question. The answer says a lot about your worldview. Is life just a cruel joke? Is there a purpose? Is there a God? (I believe there is.)
I suppose these would be labeled "postmodern" stories. I enjoy reading them and I've written a few that I would consider postmodern. However you classify them, these are good stories and ask questions that people want answered. Interesting reading.
Now Playing = Blood on the Tracks (The New York Sessions) – Bob Dylan [Thanks, Trent!]
Monday, August 01, 2005
Late-Night Reading/Afternoon Reading/24
I should have been able to sleep last night. Cindy and I spent the day spackling and sanding the new room in the basement, then went to Home Depot to buy primer, paint and other fun stuff. Then we tried to figure out how our Murphy Bed is assembled. (No instructions.) Plus I worked on a story. (That's the strenuous part.)
Anyway, I couldn't sleep. So I got Gregory Frost's new collection Attack of the Jazz Giants off the bookshelf and read the first story, "The Girlfriends of Dorian Gray," a wonderful twist on the Dorian Gray tale and a commentary on dieting, weight, relationships and more. Good stuff.
But I eventually drifted off to sleep. Until my greyhound Bullet got me up at 5:15 to go to his "area." Was wide awake, so I tried a story from the new Hartwell/Cramer Year's Best Fantasy 5, John Kessel's hilarious "The Baum Plan for Financial Independence." Great characters, small-time thieves who stumble on a secret passageway while robbing a house. Kessel has a lot to say about our comfort zones. The story especially resonated with me as it seems to partially address the way we sometimes think too small. Wonderful story.
This afternoon I got to read the first part of one of my new stories at a Writer's Way reading at Malcolm X Park in DC. It was fairly well received for an audience that usually does not consist of any spec fic readers. I also met a couple of people who are interested in signing up for the workshop I'll be leading on Capitol Hill this fall, which should be a lot of fun.
Received The Year's Best Fantasy and SF for Teens (Hayden and Yolen, eds) and Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners, which I've already begun to devour. The title story, "Magic for Beginners" is pure Link: a wonderful, un-put-downable story that works its own magic as a story, but demands to be read multiple times for the depth and richness she's so good at. Plus it's fun.
Cindy and I also started watching the first season of 24 last night. (Okay, so we're a little bit behind.) With two episodes down, so far it's pretty good. It's good to be back with Netflix.
Now Playing = Elephant – White Stripes
Anyway, I couldn't sleep. So I got Gregory Frost's new collection Attack of the Jazz Giants off the bookshelf and read the first story, "The Girlfriends of Dorian Gray," a wonderful twist on the Dorian Gray tale and a commentary on dieting, weight, relationships and more. Good stuff.
But I eventually drifted off to sleep. Until my greyhound Bullet got me up at 5:15 to go to his "area." Was wide awake, so I tried a story from the new Hartwell/Cramer Year's Best Fantasy 5, John Kessel's hilarious "The Baum Plan for Financial Independence." Great characters, small-time thieves who stumble on a secret passageway while robbing a house. Kessel has a lot to say about our comfort zones. The story especially resonated with me as it seems to partially address the way we sometimes think too small. Wonderful story.
This afternoon I got to read the first part of one of my new stories at a Writer's Way reading at Malcolm X Park in DC. It was fairly well received for an audience that usually does not consist of any spec fic readers. I also met a couple of people who are interested in signing up for the workshop I'll be leading on Capitol Hill this fall, which should be a lot of fun.
Received The Year's Best Fantasy and SF for Teens (Hayden and Yolen, eds) and Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners, which I've already begun to devour. The title story, "Magic for Beginners" is pure Link: a wonderful, un-put-downable story that works its own magic as a story, but demands to be read multiple times for the depth and richness she's so good at. Plus it's fun.
Cindy and I also started watching the first season of 24 last night. (Okay, so we're a little bit behind.) With two episodes down, so far it's pretty good. It's good to be back with Netflix.
Now Playing = Elephant – White Stripes
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Back in Town, Swimming in Short Fiction & Movies
I've been back from my Georgia/Arizona trip for a few days now, almost caught up with all the stuff I had to do before I left. I actually did get to work on a few stories while I was away and one of them is almost ready to send out. Looks like Gordon Van Gelder will get the first shot at it (whether he wants it or not).
Read a couple of books on vacation that I enjoyed pretty well – Robert McCammon's Boy's Life and Steve Hamilton's first mystery (and Edgar winner, I believe) A Cold Day in Paradise. I didn't read very many stories, but since I've been back I've read a couple of older ones – Harlan Ellison's "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" (excellent) and "The River Styx Runs Upstream" by Dan Simmons, which just tore me apart.
Almost as good as the Simmons story was the Harlan Ellison introduction to the Simmons collection Prayers to Broken Stones. In it, Ellison describes a workshop experience that started out abysmally: he really ripped into an old man who apparently had little talent, but refused to stop writing. (The old guy had written something like 62 novels, all unpublished.) Then Ellison read a story by Simmons that turned everything around. It was an early version of "The River Styx" and Ellison was really moved by it. He declared Simmons a bona-fide writer on the spot and told him he would be blessed/cursed for the rest of his life as a bona-fide writer.
Two extremes at the same workshop. Sometimes I wonder which one I'm closer to.
Cut back on my cable channels and rejoined NetFlix. Ah...goodbye local video stores and your choking late fees, bad selection and unresponsive employees.
Now Playing = Beggars Banquet – Rolling Stones
Read a couple of books on vacation that I enjoyed pretty well – Robert McCammon's Boy's Life and Steve Hamilton's first mystery (and Edgar winner, I believe) A Cold Day in Paradise. I didn't read very many stories, but since I've been back I've read a couple of older ones – Harlan Ellison's "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" (excellent) and "The River Styx Runs Upstream" by Dan Simmons, which just tore me apart.
Almost as good as the Simmons story was the Harlan Ellison introduction to the Simmons collection Prayers to Broken Stones. In it, Ellison describes a workshop experience that started out abysmally: he really ripped into an old man who apparently had little talent, but refused to stop writing. (The old guy had written something like 62 novels, all unpublished.) Then Ellison read a story by Simmons that turned everything around. It was an early version of "The River Styx" and Ellison was really moved by it. He declared Simmons a bona-fide writer on the spot and told him he would be blessed/cursed for the rest of his life as a bona-fide writer.
Two extremes at the same workshop. Sometimes I wonder which one I'm closer to.
Cut back on my cable channels and rejoined NetFlix. Ah...goodbye local video stores and your choking late fees, bad selection and unresponsive employees.
Now Playing = Beggars Banquet – Rolling Stones
Monday, July 11, 2005
Cooling Off in Arizona
Cindy and I are visiting my mom, my brother and his wife, their two dogs and two horses in Arizona. Yesterday was a nice toasty 112 degrees. Good for a nice jog. Cindy saw a sign advertising a local marathon...in January.
We took my mom to church yesterday. You know you're in a retirement town when ALL of the church parking spaces are handicapped. But the people were friendly and the service was nice. One of the prayer requests in the bulletin read: "Please pray for the pastor's wives." Hmmmm....How many does the guy have?
Haven't really done much writing yet (Hey, I'm on vacation!), but I brought a few stories that need some attention. I'll probably do a little work today. My brother Bob has a great house that has a little patio on the roof. It's great for sunsets, or an evening drink, or just sitting around talking. I'd love to do some writing up there, but I probably wouldn't be able to do much after 6:00 AM or before 9:00 PM. (I still can't get used to this time. I've kept my watch set to Eastern time, confound it!)
Reading some stories from Cicada magazine, which are very good. My Clarion buddy Trent has had a story accepted there. I found a copy at a library sale and will probably go back and pick up the others I saw. Plus there's a used bookstore nearby....I'm there.
Reading Robert McCammon's Boy's Life which I'm enjoying about 80% of. I'm about 100 pages from the end and I'm hoping for a good ending. He's thrown a lot of ingredients in the soup; we'll see what comes out.
To all those at Clarion - hang it there, you're almost done.
Now Playing: Bob's Air Conditioner. Sweet music....
We took my mom to church yesterday. You know you're in a retirement town when ALL of the church parking spaces are handicapped. But the people were friendly and the service was nice. One of the prayer requests in the bulletin read: "Please pray for the pastor's wives." Hmmmm....How many does the guy have?
Haven't really done much writing yet (Hey, I'm on vacation!), but I brought a few stories that need some attention. I'll probably do a little work today. My brother Bob has a great house that has a little patio on the roof. It's great for sunsets, or an evening drink, or just sitting around talking. I'd love to do some writing up there, but I probably wouldn't be able to do much after 6:00 AM or before 9:00 PM. (I still can't get used to this time. I've kept my watch set to Eastern time, confound it!)
Reading some stories from Cicada magazine, which are very good. My Clarion buddy Trent has had a story accepted there. I found a copy at a library sale and will probably go back and pick up the others I saw. Plus there's a used bookstore nearby....I'm there.
Reading Robert McCammon's Boy's Life which I'm enjoying about 80% of. I'm about 100 pages from the end and I'm hoping for a good ending. He's thrown a lot of ingredients in the soup; we'll see what comes out.
To all those at Clarion - hang it there, you're almost done.
Now Playing: Bob's Air Conditioner. Sweet music....
Monday, June 27, 2005
Cinderella Man
Ron Howard's Cinderella Man is, to use a cliche, one of those films they don't make anymore. The story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe) could easily have been picked up fifty years ago by a director like Frank Capra. Howard has pulled back and made the film with less realism and grit than he could have, but Braddock's story is what's important and Howard delivers it well. Sure, not all of the scenes work – a couple of the scenes with Renee Zellweger are sappy, and some of the fight banter is contrived, but I can overlook that stuff. Braddock comes across as a good guy (even if Crowe isn't) that you want to root for.
Cinderella Man might even be considered an Oscar contender if not for its release date. It's likely no one connected with the Academy will remember it six months from now and that's too bad.
Cinderella Man is not a great film, but it's very good. I've always believed that Ron Howard doesn't get enough credit, but more and more I read critics bashing his films. I mean, come on, he's already being slammed for The Da Vinci Code and it won't be released for almost another year! Howard has been accused of everything from poor craftsmanship to selling out. Sorry, I don't buy it.
Howard isn't my favorite director and I don't care for some of his films, but that's an issue of taste; he's not incompetent. As a director, he's hired to produce films that will be entertaining to a large audience. For quite a lot of the movie-going public, his films are entertaining. Splash, Coccoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13, Far and Away, A Beautiful Mind and many others attest to the fact that Howard knows how to make an entertaining film. That's his job.
Everyone's tastes are different. You might not like Cinderella Man, you might not think what Howard produces is art, and you might think he's too Capra-ish in light of Scorcese, Tarrantino, etc. That's fine. But he's not incompetent. Learn how to separate taste from craft. They're two different things.
Now Playing = The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Cinderella Man might even be considered an Oscar contender if not for its release date. It's likely no one connected with the Academy will remember it six months from now and that's too bad.
Cinderella Man is not a great film, but it's very good. I've always believed that Ron Howard doesn't get enough credit, but more and more I read critics bashing his films. I mean, come on, he's already being slammed for The Da Vinci Code and it won't be released for almost another year! Howard has been accused of everything from poor craftsmanship to selling out. Sorry, I don't buy it.
Howard isn't my favorite director and I don't care for some of his films, but that's an issue of taste; he's not incompetent. As a director, he's hired to produce films that will be entertaining to a large audience. For quite a lot of the movie-going public, his films are entertaining. Splash, Coccoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13, Far and Away, A Beautiful Mind and many others attest to the fact that Howard knows how to make an entertaining film. That's his job.
Everyone's tastes are different. You might not like Cinderella Man, you might not think what Howard produces is art, and you might think he's too Capra-ish in light of Scorcese, Tarrantino, etc. That's fine. But he's not incompetent. Learn how to separate taste from craft. They're two different things.
Now Playing = The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Science Fiction: The Best of 2004/The Things They Carried/New Story
Just finished the Haber/Strahan anthology Science Fiction The Best of 2004 which includes 13 stories from last year. I've already mentioned the Stephen Baxter story, which I enjoyed quite a bit, but some of the others that I thought were very good:
"The Best Christmas Ever" a touching story by James Patrick Kelly, whose work I've really enjoyed discovering.
"The Voluntary State" by Christopher Rowe. Some of my Clarion 2004 buddies and I have talked about this one at length. Nominated for a Nebula, it was one of the most intriguing stories I read this year. It's one of those stories that you have to read multiple times, but it's so good you don't mind.
Any Nancy Kress story is bound to be excellent and "My Mother Dancing" is no exception. "The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid" by Walter Jon Williams is loaded with fun and certainly doesn't seem like it's fifty-seven pages long.
But the story I am most anxious to reread is M. John Harrison's "Tourists," a fascinating setting with fascinating characters in a story that walks a fine line between depression and redemption, especially in it's depiction of the relationships between men and women. It's a story that I wanted more of and I think if I read Harrison's novel Light, I'll get more.
Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried just knocked me down and held an Army-issued boot over my face. Wonderfully written, sometimes hard to stomach, sometimes so uplifting you'll think O'Brien's writing might have the ability to heal just about any wound this world can deliver. His vision of life, death, friendship and love in Vietnam is beyond gripping. You just can't turn away because if you do, you might miss something that no other writer is capable of sharing with you. Outstanding.
I'm about 1,000 words into a new story that takes place entirely at a press conference sometime in the 70's. I like the start, but I can see that it could go in several directions. I have to let the story tell me which direction it should go. Sent out two stores this week bringing my total "stories in circulation" number to five.
Now Playing: The Otis Redding Anthology
"The Best Christmas Ever" a touching story by James Patrick Kelly, whose work I've really enjoyed discovering.
"The Voluntary State" by Christopher Rowe. Some of my Clarion 2004 buddies and I have talked about this one at length. Nominated for a Nebula, it was one of the most intriguing stories I read this year. It's one of those stories that you have to read multiple times, but it's so good you don't mind.
Any Nancy Kress story is bound to be excellent and "My Mother Dancing" is no exception. "The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid" by Walter Jon Williams is loaded with fun and certainly doesn't seem like it's fifty-seven pages long.
But the story I am most anxious to reread is M. John Harrison's "Tourists," a fascinating setting with fascinating characters in a story that walks a fine line between depression and redemption, especially in it's depiction of the relationships between men and women. It's a story that I wanted more of and I think if I read Harrison's novel Light, I'll get more.
Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried just knocked me down and held an Army-issued boot over my face. Wonderfully written, sometimes hard to stomach, sometimes so uplifting you'll think O'Brien's writing might have the ability to heal just about any wound this world can deliver. His vision of life, death, friendship and love in Vietnam is beyond gripping. You just can't turn away because if you do, you might miss something that no other writer is capable of sharing with you. Outstanding.
I'm about 1,000 words into a new story that takes place entirely at a press conference sometime in the 70's. I like the start, but I can see that it could go in several directions. I have to let the story tell me which direction it should go. Sent out two stores this week bringing my total "stories in circulation" number to five.
Now Playing: The Otis Redding Anthology
Monday, June 20, 2005
Forgotten Films of the 70's: The China Syndrome
"She'll do anything we tell her to do." That's one of the first lines of The China Syndrome, the film that literally shook the world in 1979. The line is delivered by decision-making men in a television news control room while watching Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda), a redheaded LA TV news reporter. Kimberly covers mostly fluff human interest stories, but she really wants a chance to report hard news, even though she seems to know the big stories are probably beyond her. Her boss even admits to her that she wasn't hired for her intellectual capabilities.
On a routine assignment to a nuclear power plant, Kimberly and her cameraman Richard (Michael Douglas) witness an accident, only the plant officials aren't calling it an accident, downplaying the event as a "technical glitch." One of the senior workers at the plant (Jack Lemmon) suspects that the "glitch" belies a deeper, more serious problem. Much more serious.
The China Syndrome is remembered primary as a historic film landmark. The film's warning to reconsider nuclear power and its potential dangers turned strangely prophetic: only twelve days after The China Syndrome's release, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania suffered an accident mirrored by the one in the film, sending people to the theatres in droves.
But The China Syndrome should not be relegated to the status of an interesting footnote in film history. The film received four Oscar nominations, a fact largely forgotten today. It's interesting that Jane Fonda would choose to play a character whom at the beginning of the film is little more than a pretty face and by the end of the film has to face some harsh realities. She doesn't overplay; her performance is restrained and believable. With the red hair and the close-ups that she's maybe not the sexpot of the 60's anymore, she's vulnerable. People who wouldn't walk across the street (or the protest line, as the case may have been) to see a Fonda picture just a few years earlier eagerly watched The China Syndrome. And some of them even decided that Jane was a pretty good actor.
Jack Lemmon never gave a bad performance, never. I know I'm biased; I'm a huge Lemmon fan, but the man elevated every film he touched. Just watch Lemmon's body language throughout the film. No one could match him in non-verbal (and often verbal) communication.
The film does have weaknesses. The pacing slows in the middle and although the screenplay does not assume the audience is ignorant, sometimes too much is explained. (Maybe we needed a little more explained in 1979 – nuclear power was something millions of people really didn't understand.)
A couple of the supporting roles are played by actors who worked mostly in television and those roles stand out as either wooden or overplayed. The gap between TV actors and the three stars is widened even further by the performances of Fonda, Lemmon and Douglas.
Last week I saw another "Forgotten Film from the 70's," Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, which has been largely forgotten in the light of The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now. The 70's (My favorite film decade after the 40's) produced so many films covering such a broad range of genres it's easy to overlook great and good ones that fell through the cracks. The China Syndrome is still a good film; The Conversation, great.
Now Playing: The Older Stuff – Michael Nesmith
On a routine assignment to a nuclear power plant, Kimberly and her cameraman Richard (Michael Douglas) witness an accident, only the plant officials aren't calling it an accident, downplaying the event as a "technical glitch." One of the senior workers at the plant (Jack Lemmon) suspects that the "glitch" belies a deeper, more serious problem. Much more serious.
The China Syndrome is remembered primary as a historic film landmark. The film's warning to reconsider nuclear power and its potential dangers turned strangely prophetic: only twelve days after The China Syndrome's release, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania suffered an accident mirrored by the one in the film, sending people to the theatres in droves.
But The China Syndrome should not be relegated to the status of an interesting footnote in film history. The film received four Oscar nominations, a fact largely forgotten today. It's interesting that Jane Fonda would choose to play a character whom at the beginning of the film is little more than a pretty face and by the end of the film has to face some harsh realities. She doesn't overplay; her performance is restrained and believable. With the red hair and the close-ups that she's maybe not the sexpot of the 60's anymore, she's vulnerable. People who wouldn't walk across the street (or the protest line, as the case may have been) to see a Fonda picture just a few years earlier eagerly watched The China Syndrome. And some of them even decided that Jane was a pretty good actor.
Jack Lemmon never gave a bad performance, never. I know I'm biased; I'm a huge Lemmon fan, but the man elevated every film he touched. Just watch Lemmon's body language throughout the film. No one could match him in non-verbal (and often verbal) communication.
The film does have weaknesses. The pacing slows in the middle and although the screenplay does not assume the audience is ignorant, sometimes too much is explained. (Maybe we needed a little more explained in 1979 – nuclear power was something millions of people really didn't understand.)
A couple of the supporting roles are played by actors who worked mostly in television and those roles stand out as either wooden or overplayed. The gap between TV actors and the three stars is widened even further by the performances of Fonda, Lemmon and Douglas.
Last week I saw another "Forgotten Film from the 70's," Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, which has been largely forgotten in the light of The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now. The 70's (My favorite film decade after the 40's) produced so many films covering such a broad range of genres it's easy to overlook great and good ones that fell through the cracks. The China Syndrome is still a good film; The Conversation, great.
Now Playing: The Older Stuff – Michael Nesmith
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson
Dylan and Willie at Prince George's Stadium, Bowie, Maryland, June 14, 2005: I have never lived closer to a Dylan concert site (7 miles) or taken more time to get there (an hour and a half due to an accident less than a quarter mile from the venue). When everything was said and done, I walked into the stadium just in time to hear Willie start in on his opener "Whiskey River."
Maybe Willie's been hanging around Dylan too long; he started his signature tune with a half-talking/half-singing style similar to Bob's and kept it going for the entire night. The black cowboy hat and black t-shirt sure looked like Willie, but I'd never heard his voice this weary. He dropped phrases like they were memos from the IRS.
But it was still fun. And the man can still play guitar like nobody's business.
I saw Dylan in 1995 the day after the O.J. Simpson verdict and in 2005 the day after the Michael Jackson verdict. On both occasions Dylan opened with "Drifter's Escape," which I thought was hilarious.
Dylan had his five-piece band decked out in white and black western shirts and black pants while the "Columbia recording artist" wore black with red stripes down the pants-leg and red pocket stitching. And a black hat. I was a little disappointed that Dylan never left the keyboard except for a couple of times to step out and play harmonica. I've seen Dylan for nearly twenty years and I've always thought he performs his best when it's just him and his guitar.
But he really kicked the doors in last night. I never would have figured I'd hear so many different styles done so well.
"Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" featured a vocal that almost pleaded with resigned desperation as Dylan ended most of the phrases with withdrawn octave leaps, something I'd never heard him even attempt before. "Lonesome Day Blues" showed that Bob can deliver, yes, a pronounced yet authentic blues vocal. "Shooting Star" was downright lyrical, easily topping the studio version.
Starting with "Highway 61," Dylan showcased his excellent band. These guys soared with blistering solos and stunning interludes, extending the typical running time of most of the remaining songs by at least a couple of minutes. "Stuck Inside of Mobile" reached back to the Nashville Skyline days, proving these guys can honk out some serious country. I've seen a lot of Dylan shows, but I've never heard any greater energy than I did when he drove "Summer Days" through the night like a rocket.
"This Wheel's on Fire," "John Brown," and "Chimes of Freedom" were all great. Only with "Bye and Bye" did Dylan miss the mark, sounding a bit tentative and out-of-place.
(Bob had a little fun with the crowd, plunking out "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the keyboard. What can you say? The man's a riot.)
The first encore "Masters of War" was full of grit and raw power and when it was over I think we all wished the stadium was a little closer to Pennsylvania Avenue. The evening ended with "Like a Rolling Stone," and if you had any doubts about whether Bob can still deliver at age 64, all you had to do was listen to him sneer "how does it feel."
After the show, waiting for the traffic to move, a teenage kid ran through the cars, waving his arms, yelling "Dylan! Dylan! Dylan!"
Yeah, I'd say Bob can still deliver.
Now Playing = Highway 61 Revisited (What else?)
Maybe Willie's been hanging around Dylan too long; he started his signature tune with a half-talking/half-singing style similar to Bob's and kept it going for the entire night. The black cowboy hat and black t-shirt sure looked like Willie, but I'd never heard his voice this weary. He dropped phrases like they were memos from the IRS.
But it was still fun. And the man can still play guitar like nobody's business.
I saw Dylan in 1995 the day after the O.J. Simpson verdict and in 2005 the day after the Michael Jackson verdict. On both occasions Dylan opened with "Drifter's Escape," which I thought was hilarious.
Dylan had his five-piece band decked out in white and black western shirts and black pants while the "Columbia recording artist" wore black with red stripes down the pants-leg and red pocket stitching. And a black hat. I was a little disappointed that Dylan never left the keyboard except for a couple of times to step out and play harmonica. I've seen Dylan for nearly twenty years and I've always thought he performs his best when it's just him and his guitar.
But he really kicked the doors in last night. I never would have figured I'd hear so many different styles done so well.
"Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" featured a vocal that almost pleaded with resigned desperation as Dylan ended most of the phrases with withdrawn octave leaps, something I'd never heard him even attempt before. "Lonesome Day Blues" showed that Bob can deliver, yes, a pronounced yet authentic blues vocal. "Shooting Star" was downright lyrical, easily topping the studio version.
Starting with "Highway 61," Dylan showcased his excellent band. These guys soared with blistering solos and stunning interludes, extending the typical running time of most of the remaining songs by at least a couple of minutes. "Stuck Inside of Mobile" reached back to the Nashville Skyline days, proving these guys can honk out some serious country. I've seen a lot of Dylan shows, but I've never heard any greater energy than I did when he drove "Summer Days" through the night like a rocket.
"This Wheel's on Fire," "John Brown," and "Chimes of Freedom" were all great. Only with "Bye and Bye" did Dylan miss the mark, sounding a bit tentative and out-of-place.
(Bob had a little fun with the crowd, plunking out "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the keyboard. What can you say? The man's a riot.)
The first encore "Masters of War" was full of grit and raw power and when it was over I think we all wished the stadium was a little closer to Pennsylvania Avenue. The evening ended with "Like a Rolling Stone," and if you had any doubts about whether Bob can still deliver at age 64, all you had to do was listen to him sneer "how does it feel."
After the show, waiting for the traffic to move, a teenage kid ran through the cars, waving his arms, yelling "Dylan! Dylan! Dylan!"
Yeah, I'd say Bob can still deliver.
Now Playing = Highway 61 Revisited (What else?)
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Clarion One Year Ago/Stephen Baxter
It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Clarion. I think about that experience and those people every single day, but I think the thing I learned most was what I didn't know. I realized quickly that I hadn't read enough of the genre. I've been working to correct that, reading not only sf/f but also lit, mostly short fiction. Things are beginning to focus more clearly in my writing as I see good writing in the work of others. My ratio of reading to writing is probably 3 to 1 right now and that's okay. For now.
Read Stephen Baxter's "PeriAndry's Quest" from Karen Haber and Jonathan Strahan's Best of 2004. I haven't read much Baxter, only one other short story from the same anthology in 2003, which was a hard sf space opera (which I enjoyed). "PeriAndry's Quest" was a real surprise. I expected straight-ahead hard sf, but the story contains really little hard sf elements. (What's there is crucial to the story, but it's very reader-friendly for a science idiot like me.)
I guess what surprised me is the humanity and emotion of the story. It's very touching, almost fairy-tale like in it's manner. Baxter avoids making his characters one-dimensional fairy-tale clones by creating just enough of a sf backdrop: love between two beings separated by time distortion. And the ending is not what you would expect from a fairy-tale. Enjoyed it.
Now Playing: One Endless Night - Jimmie Dale Gilmore (not nearly as good as The Flatlanders' More a Legend Than a Band)
Read Stephen Baxter's "PeriAndry's Quest" from Karen Haber and Jonathan Strahan's Best of 2004. I haven't read much Baxter, only one other short story from the same anthology in 2003, which was a hard sf space opera (which I enjoyed). "PeriAndry's Quest" was a real surprise. I expected straight-ahead hard sf, but the story contains really little hard sf elements. (What's there is crucial to the story, but it's very reader-friendly for a science idiot like me.)
I guess what surprised me is the humanity and emotion of the story. It's very touching, almost fairy-tale like in it's manner. Baxter avoids making his characters one-dimensional fairy-tale clones by creating just enough of a sf backdrop: love between two beings separated by time distortion. And the ending is not what you would expect from a fairy-tale. Enjoyed it.
Now Playing: One Endless Night - Jimmie Dale Gilmore (not nearly as good as The Flatlanders' More a Legend Than a Band)
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
It's Been Three Months???
Wow, time does get away...
Finished two books (reading, not writing) this week - Train by Pete Dexter and Blood Is the Sky, a mystery by Steve Hamilton. Dexter draws some very interesting characters while showing (not telling) how violence, racism, and just trying to do the right thing can really screw up things. Blood Is the Sky was a nice read; Hamilton knows how to keep the pages turning as well as anybody.
Lately I've been reading more lit. short stories than sf/f, T.C. Boyle in particular.
I guess for the last few months I've read more than I've written. For where I am now, I think that's the smart thing to do. All the reading has helped me identify not just "bad" writing in my work and others, but also how events progress, how character is developed, how initial promises between author and reader are kept or broken.
So here we are one year after Clarion and the writing output is slow; very slow. I finished a story a couple of weeks ago that literally took six months. It was like pulling teeth...or just brushing my greyhound's teeth. This one is coming easier, but I'm still in the learning process. I have to keep telling myself that I'm still working on fundamental matters. And that's okay. For now...
More on the one-year anniversary of Clarion later.
Now Playing: Rubber Soul - Beatles
Finished two books (reading, not writing) this week - Train by Pete Dexter and Blood Is the Sky, a mystery by Steve Hamilton. Dexter draws some very interesting characters while showing (not telling) how violence, racism, and just trying to do the right thing can really screw up things. Blood Is the Sky was a nice read; Hamilton knows how to keep the pages turning as well as anybody.
Lately I've been reading more lit. short stories than sf/f, T.C. Boyle in particular.
I guess for the last few months I've read more than I've written. For where I am now, I think that's the smart thing to do. All the reading has helped me identify not just "bad" writing in my work and others, but also how events progress, how character is developed, how initial promises between author and reader are kept or broken.
So here we are one year after Clarion and the writing output is slow; very slow. I finished a story a couple of weeks ago that literally took six months. It was like pulling teeth...or just brushing my greyhound's teeth. This one is coming easier, but I'm still in the learning process. I have to keep telling myself that I'm still working on fundamental matters. And that's okay. For now...
More on the one-year anniversary of Clarion later.
Now Playing: Rubber Soul - Beatles
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