REALITY?: Painting

Posted on November 10, 2009 by susan

Someday I’ll get back into the visual rather than the literary of my creative energy but for the last couple of days, the painting has been large scale–the size of my frame shop/barn.

IMG_0001 IMG_0003

I’ve scraped, painted a first coat with an oil primer, and am awaiting help from a friend who lacks the fear of heights that my husband and I both share (that should be a consideration when dating, but who thinks of it?) to go up on the high ladder and paint the peaks. Oh I can get up there, no problem; I just can’t let go of the ladder to paint.

Don’t think I’ll be blessed with the Indian Summer in November long enough to do a second coat, but at least the wood’s a bit better protected for winter and it doesn’t look quite as bad with the peeling paint.

Maybe I could get a job as a house painter…of single story houses.

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REALITY?: For some, maybe

Posted on November 9, 2009 by susan

What People Think

Click here to vote on The Affordable Health Care for America Act. Click here to vote on The Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act
14% For, 86% Against

Vote on this Bill

H.R. 3962
The Affordable Health Care for America Act
Costs $15,256.35 per family

H.R. 3548
The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009
Costs $24.40 per family

(http://www.washingtonwatch.com/blog/2009/11/09/washingtonwatch-com-digest-november-9-2009/)

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WRITING: Groups

Posted on November 3, 2009 by susan

I’d just about given up on writing groups. Locally, there just didn’t seem to be any number of serious writers. Internetally, the groups were mainly genre fiction and stuck to the rules of writing as if they’d be struck down by the hand of some god if they didn’t. Edgy was misunderstood. No, edgy was downright frowned upon.

Of course that doesn’t mean there aren’t great writing groups out there, but I just hadn’t come across a group before with the high caliber writing, the support of literary journals, the honest critique as well as the support and appreciation that I’ve found just recently at Fictionaut.com.  So like a stray cat, I’m drinking the milk of some great short story writing, being not afraid to comment and getting some nice comments on my own humble offering of stories.

What’s nice is that so many people will bother to read the stories. Many have even braved my hypertext story and I hope to present more of those at their site, maybe encourage more writers to try the hypertext form. These are strangers and they’ve shown more interest in the work presented than I can scare up among friends and writer friends in the flesh.

Maybe it’s the level of commitment that these particular artists are at, or maybe the novelty of the site will wear off eventually for many here too, but in the meantime, I’m really feeling the movement of ideas and the creative force that one only read about in artistic community.

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LITERATURE: Acquisitions

Posted on October 30, 2009 by susan

Boy, the library sales aren’t what they used to be. Only five books picked up this morning:

Next – Michael Crichton
The Tommyknockers – Stephen King
The Shipping News – Annie Proulx
The Crying of Lot 49 – Thomas Pychon
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

Guess it’s Amazon.com for a birthday present for myself. Or maybe a couple; cause, you know, I like saved so much on the books at the sale.

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LITERATURE: The English Patient – Pace

Posted on October 27, 2009 by susan

I don’t even want to look to see when I started this because I know it’s been months and frankly, I’m only a little under a third through it. Not completely the book’s fault, since I spent three or four months doing nothing but writing hyperfiction so at least I have a decent excuse for not being up on my reading.

That said, it’s still a problem of pace for me with this book. What stands out for me here is that while I know this was made into a movie, I did not see the movie but seem to be reading it as if it were a movie I’m watching rather than a book that I’m reading. Even the music seems to com through, you know, that melancholy string sound that holds all the tension, emotion, and mostly despair of the setting of the narrative. The characters seem to have been well-beaten into submission by the events of war long before we come upon them in this bombed-out and abandoned villa in the Tuscany hills. As a matter of fact, I find the drifting in and out of morphined sleep of the English patient not much different than the wanderings of Hana, or Caravaggio.

Finally, the character of Kip, a young sikh soldier who has the job of finding land mines left behind by the retreating enemy armies, enters the small social circle at the villa. This may bring some life into the story which I still feel is following a sweet violinistic mood. Even revelations of who the characters are and how they got to this meeting point have been harrowing war stories, yet presented in a sort of smoky bubble that keep apart from each other.

Perhaps it is this, the fact that we get the characters after they’ve been twisted and ravaged by war, that keeps the tone (for me) in an anticlimactic somberness.

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WRITING & HYPERTEXT: Feelings

Posted on October 25, 2009 by susan

Yeah, it’s got to feel right. If it feels good, do it, so they say. And as I suspected, even with all the personal enthusiasm for hypertext narrative, the creative flow open full blast, and the best of intentions to get something accomplished before year end, I don’t think NaNoWriMo is right for me.

For one thing, I’m not a groupie type person. If there’s real camaraderie and team support–and there could be here, though I don’t seem to find a group compatible with my own interests and I sure as hell don’t need to be a team cheerleader again–it could be fun. But there seems to be a huge number of fantasy genre, youth-oriented, starry-eyed or ego-driven participants among the serious writers but none interested at all in hypertext form.

Which brings me to the second point, that my main purpose of gaining some interest in hypertext and new media doesn’t seem to be a likely prospect. No one’s really responded to two inquiries in the forums. Judging by the forum discussions, I’m not fitting in real well with the attitude of writing nor the experience.

And, back to my original reluctance to join this over the past several years, I still don’t like that “push the words out, don’t worry if it’s crap, it’s word-count that matters, kill your inner editor, blah, blah” that may work for some writers, but it sure doesn’t appeal to me as a skillful approach to a craft.  Hell, I’m constantly editing and though I find it more likely to be written decently the first time than it used to be, it’s more from the editing phase of the experience (and from reading well-written literature) than from pushing words out.

So while I’m signed up at NaNoWriMo, and still have a week to make up my mind, I’m not thinking that I’m going to be participating. Besides, I still don’t have a story concept, November’s my busy time at the shop, and my neck and back are still screwed up from the summer’s 100 Days Project to feel real excited about taking part.

Posted in HYPERTEXT, WRITING | 1 Comment

REALITY?: Job Discrimination–but it’s okay.

Posted on October 14, 2009 by susan

It’s no big surprise that older workers who have been laid off are having a much harder time finding a job than younger workers. It’s always been that way, and with the current unemployment near 10%, it’s only gotten worse.

And yes, there are things to do with your resume that can creatively overlook some of your years and experience to focus on more youth-oriented skills. For example, play down the years of experience and play up the “willing to face new challenges” bit.

But I didn’t bother posting again about this situation merely for fun or reinforcement; what got my blood simmering this morning is a quote from today’s MSNBC’s article on “Laid-off Workers Face Biases in Job Search.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t change society’s stereotypes, but individuals can separate themselves by noting how they don’t match the stereotype,” said Bendick.

“Unfortunately, we can’t change society’s stereotypes…”

Well society sure did something for gender and for race and religion. Oh yeah, and for sexual preferences and physical impairment.  But for age? Nah, why bother.

In other words, while society flocks around their darlings of the moment, whatever’s trendy, old people still aren’t cute or needy enough to garner any liberal interest.

Posted in CURRENT AFFAIRS, REALITY | 2 Comments

HYPERTEXT & NEW MEDIA: The Means

Posted on October 11, 2009 by susan

In this case, methods of working up funding for a project that someone may feel passionate about but can’t get others interested in backing.

Led by the notorious Anne (who has more skills at tunneling through the web than a mole underground) to Kickstarter, which seems to be a place to lay out your idea and hope for some promises of dollars to help you get started. This one, for example, caught my eye because it’s so close to what I took part in with the 100 Days Project: 50 Characters in 50 Weeks, spiels the maker, is,

“…an exploration of humanity. It’s an exploration of acting and storytelling, but also of what it is to be human. There are lots of laughs, there are some tears. There are nice people and mean ones, but none of them are two-dimensional. Each film is designed to transport you, to make you laugh, think, and feel, if only for a few minutes… and I’m trying to create fifty of them in a year.”

Hi, my name is Brent Rose. I’m an actor, writer, and film-maker, and I’m working on the toughest project of my life. I am trying to create fifty short films in under a year. The project is called 50 Characters in 50 Weeks (or “50in50”).

An ambitious endeavor, and as of this moment, he’s got $1748 collected with 44 backers and 26 days to go.

What then, can I promise in return for some cash to fund CD’s and a website on hypertext stories? This is a possibility to get this project off the ground, not just for the money–which would take it above the personally-funded hokey stage to a more professional level–but for the chance to generate interest in the hypertext medium.

Ach, more thinking to do.

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POETRY & HYPERTEXT: A Poem

Posted on October 8, 2009 by susan

For National Poetry Day (UK) a quickie hypertext poem complete with pictures of today’s lovely day:  The Wise Leaf

100809h1

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REALITY?: Yes, they really were the good ole days

Posted on October 6, 2009 by susan

Now I’m beginning to understand why old people are such pains in the ass; we remember when things WERE better, nicer, higher quality, reasonably priced (relatively), easier, and get this, FASTER.

After a shock that one of the smaller grocery stores I like to frequent, Adam’s Supermarkets, in Canton, CT was renovating their entire store and believe it or not, closing their deli department, I was forced to go to the new super Stop & Shop in Unionville which I do like, but not to just run in and out the way I’m prone to do for a couple quick things. Which is what I tried to do today.

Unfortunately, after ringing up almost all of a $30.00 order, the sales clerk had to stop and ring for somebody to unlock something so that I could buy the beer and she could ring up the rest of the order. After close to eight minutes, and assuring the new clerk it wasn’t her fault but my popsicles were melting, I left.

This is progress? Years ago they put your ice cream in a freezer bag (and before  you greenies get on my case, my mother reused those bags many, many times for our school lunches) which would have eased the problem at least in that one area. Should the register lock up and force a 60 year-old to wait to buy beer? No. That problem would take a bit more managing I suppose. Like applying common sense.

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HYPERTEXT & WRITING: The Creative Process

Posted on October 1, 2009 by susan

While I’ve still not recovered from the 100-Day project to get back on track with reading and reviewing literature here, tonight along with five of the 14 participants I will be presenting a brief talk on the creative process.

100day poster

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REALITY?: Extremes

Posted on September 24, 2009 by susan

Been running into a lot of contrasting opinions. To me, often riding the middle rail and playing devil’s advocate is probably more wearying than taking a strong stand on either side of many of the issues. The Right has their Rush Limbaugh, the Left, Michael Moore. Liberals are upset about the Patriot Act spying and the government knowing which library books we take out while the Conservatives are more concerned about having a government with a medical data base on us. I can’t help remembering a lovely young lady I took a college class with who refused to reveal her choice of presidential candidate yet didn’t seem to think twice about letting the class know the status of her virginity. It’s about what’s personal, precious, or private to each individual and each one is different.

Even the very same event, the very same speech, an image locked onto film, is seen in 360 degrees of view, with the obvious 180 degree opposite being an inevitable part.

I try to remember not to try to convince anybody of anything. There are as many who believe I’m naive or ignorant as there are those who think instead that those folk are the ones who are clueless. Despite the intensity of disagreement, I’m grateful for the diversity of opinion, even the extremes. Though it’d be nice to keep the simmering from boiling over, it’s pretty clear to me that if someone can be so passionate about something, and this is assuming that a certain amount of knowledge of the situation is a part of it, there is value in that viewpoint. Nobody gets all het up about something if they think they’re wrong.

As the French say, “Vive la difference!”

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WRITING: Story Minutes

Posted on September 12, 2009 by susan

Mary Ellen Molski of Tribelet of Hoodlums has put together a new website dedicated to free reading and enjoyment of stories in various forms called Askewniverse.

Coming fresh off a project wherein various artists contributed daily for one hundred days through this summer, Mary Ellen’s work was to give us a different character every day and this has blossomed into the need to tell some of their stories, or to listen to those who didn’t make the cut for the project.

Various ‘authors’ will be showcased, and the idea is to offer a place to enjoy both as artist and viewer/reader of work that might otherwise be unavailable for sharing. Check it out.

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REALITY?: 9/11/01

Posted on September 11, 2009 by susan

As a tribute and a reminder, I’m reposting a poem I wrote several years ago.

September 11, 2001

He laughs and runs just like the other boys even though
he doesn’t have a father just his mom.
Wild-eyed big-grinned wild-legged games of tag
with hands held open at the ready.
On a schoolyard in Missouri grassy brown and littered
with the colors of September
he’s happy, unaware of any threat except for
maybe Brandon who’s a bully and likes to pick on little kids.
He slows and for a moment stops and listens.
Eyes dart at the subtle hum that only he can hear
off in the distance.
Shoulders pull together at an imagined rush of wind.
Brown-black curly head dipped down,
he cringes as a plane glides overhead.
Sometimes his friends will tease him
but most times they somehow know and don’t,
remembering what Miss McCallum told them about
that picture in their history book, about that day.
He’s just a little boy
and he was only two some years before in New York City.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: The President’s Speech

Posted on September 7, 2009 by susan

Though I do understand the concern on the part of some parents regarding the President’s planned speech to schoolchildren this week, I still can’t help but feel that it’s the type of panicked mob mentality response that’s often the case of much ado about nothing.

While it might have been more prudent to speak directly to children with their parents present and thus choose an early evening broadcast time, it shouldn’t be a necessary consideration. He is, after all, the President and hopefully has their best interests as his primary goal.

Parents who are up in arms against this speech may have the experience of the liberal political pressure that’s aimed at students on many college campuses, but the White House has assured us that this televised speech is in response to the large dropout numbers and meant to encourage kids to work hard and remain in school. My only negative concern might be that if the idea of a college education is touted as being necessary, it might make those who have chosen other paths or who honestly do not have that option open to them feel less meaningful. But this is speculation on my part; I don’t know how the address is laid out and neither does anyone else.

Otherwise, it’s the same inspirational b.s. they’re hearing; only this time, maybe they’ll listen.

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