Patrick's Stories

Finishing a First Draft

2011-11-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

On August 20th, 2011 I finished the first draft a book I started writing back in the winter of 2008. Here's a picture of a 12 year Glenfiddich Scotch I drank to celebrate.

The book is titled The Constable of Bridge. The first draft clocked in at 142,765 words (which is around 400 pages). I wrote it on Scrivener. Its divided into two parts. 28 chapters and a prologue and epilogue.

It's fantasy. But it's also a mystery. And there's a bit of science fiction thrown in. (What can I say? I like to mix and match genres!) It takes place in a town called Bridge--a place that I had oh-so-much fun discovering.

On the advice of Stephen King's On Writing (a fantastic book--one of my favorites) I waited a few months after finishing the first draft and am just now starting to print out its pages and begin my first read-through.

I'm vaguely terrified of doing this.

One, because its a lot of work and I'm inherently lazy and a famous procrastinator.

Two, because I know that I'm going to have to re-write and cut a lot, especially in the 1st half of the book. A whole hell of a lot has changed since I first began figuring out what kind of town Bridge is and what kind of people live there. Like, A LOT.

If there is one thing that I've learned while writing TCoB, its that it's an incredibly BAD idea to start a novel with only an idea and hope you just figure out what is going to happen as you write (this is very contrary to King's On Writing--which makes sense because King's one weakness in his novels is that he's very uneven at bringing them to conclusion).

Sometimes the next step in the journey does not just appear. Sometimes you're walking in fog without any clue that there's a ledge right next to you and your book could just plunge off the fucking side without any hope of recovery if you're not careful. Then you will have wasted months writing 30,000 words that you just have to trash with almost nothing to show for it. I had to restart Bridge three goddam times because I just thought I could make it up as I went. I only finished because I forced myself to produce a basic outline.

You see, I was afraid an outline would restrict me too much. I was terrified of that, in fact. But I found that as long as I had a vague notion of where I was going, I actually had the freedom to deviate significantly from it wherever I felt cause. Basically it helped me finish, and whatever helps you finish can't be all bad. You have to plan. You just have to. Well, sometimes. Perhaps its just that for THIS book, I had to create an outline and the next one I won't. I'll let you know when I finish the next book.

Anyway, I've just started reading the prologue and first chapter. I like them. They make me smile. There's some good stuff there. There's also some stuff I need to change, but nothing serious. I'll refrain from making editor marks until I read through the rest. Only after I've done a complete read-through will I go back and start taking notes and making changes.

Once I've fixed all the serious continuity errors, rewritten or axed or added scenes as necessary, then I'll edit for language. Cut the crap. Trim it down to make it lean and mean.

During that time, I'll also start sending the thing out to agents and publishers. I will probably start going to Cons (science fiction and fantasy conventions for you non-geeks) and see if I can make any contacts there as well.

And during all this, I'll still be working on other short stories.

I just had a great idea for one today. Its about how certain creatures can only get you if you invite them in. Its about chat rooms on the internet. It is going to be really fun.

Well, I'm back

2011-11-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

I think anyone who has ever had a blog that they haven't written in for awhile should be allowed to crib Sam's last line from Lord of the Rings (just once, mind you) as a blog post title when writing their obligatory-sorry-I-haven't-updated-this-in-awhile-but-I'm-starting-up-again-and-will try-to-post-more-faithfully post.

So, yes. I finally figured out how to switch my blog Patrick's Stories from my old hotmail address to my current gmail. I know my Google-employed flatmate Matt is pleased that I've done away with the last of my old obsolete emails. Anyway, now that I can post in the blog under my current gmail address, I think I'll be posting a bit more.

So, now that I've quoted Samwise and promised faithfully to try and update regularly, etc., etc., lets talk about what's happening in my life.

What are the latest stories? Well it turns out quite a lot has gone on since I posted last.

I ran another marathon.

I went to France and Scotland for two weeks.

I finished the first draft of my fantasy/mystery/science-fiction The Constable of Bridge. I'm just now starting the dreadful task of editing it. Its going to be a lot of work.

I also wrote two new short stories "Quotable Magic" and "Frozen" and am in the midst of trying to decide which of all these works to begin editing/polishing. I plan on polishing at least one story and submitting it for my dream school Clarion Writer's Workshop which George RR Martin will be teaching at this year.

Work at Great Books Foundation is actually going pretty well.

I've been really enjoying guitar lessons at The Old Town School of Folk Music, an organization I cannot recommend highly enough to anyone interested in learning any kind of music. I can now play all the 12 major chords pretty well, play and sing with confidence about 4-5 songs, finger-pick one song really well. Right now I'm in the middle of barre chords--which are really fucking hard, by the way. I can play them, if I'm given about a minute to position my fingers. When I get really frustrated by it, I tell myself that I used to feel the same way about forming a C or G chord and now those things are easy, so hopefully barre chords will go the same way.

I'm surprised to find myself really enjoying my 30's so far. I felt like I was in a bit of a funk these past few years. Maybe that happens at the end of every decade and once the new decade starts, each of us is infused with a fresh dose of energy and perspective to enjoy all the advantages that this new decade brings. Or it could be that a combination of music classes, lots of running, and working on stories with some regularity has made me into a happier person.

Anyway, I plan on doing a more detailed post devoted to each of the things I've mentioned above, plus of course, any new and exciting stories that come my way.

Luna Springs now available on Big Pulp!

2011-07-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! My science fiction story "Luna Springs" is available in the latest issue of Big Pulp magazine!

You can check out the magazine's web page here: http://www.bigpulp.com/

The Fall 2011 issue of Big Pulp (which has some really great stories in it) can be either purchased in print form or downloaded here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/big-pulp-summer-2011/16209457

I'm pretty excited. Big Pulp is a pretty sweet magazine and e-zine.

To some of you, the title "Luna Springs" may sound familiar. You might be thinking, "Wait a minute, Pat, didn't that story already get published?"

Well, astute reader, that sort of true. Luna Springs made its first public appearance a few years back as an AUDIO story on the award-winning podcast Drabblecast, hosted by Norm Sherman. (feel free to take a listen, links in this post and at top of the blog) "Luna Springs" has never seen the light of day in print or text format online.

Until now!

the last two weeks--Part Two

2011-04-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

So, where was I?

Oh yeah. Following the weekend where I went across the state of MI twice, watched the Red Wings lose, ran a 8k race, and listened to my published story, I crashed pretty hard on Sunday. I needed to, because there was a lot going on the following week.

See, Neil Gaiman's book Neverwhere was chosen as this year's One Book One Chicago. Those of you that know me know that Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and sort of one of my hero's. If we were in the Middle Ages, I would beg to be his apprentice, do all his chores, and sleep outside his house, learning all that I could from this master-storyteller. Nowadays that's apparently "illegal" and author's apparently will call the fascist police who will "arrest" you for "stalking." Whatever, I guess I know some people who hate freedom.

Gaiman's wrote all the Sandman comics (which are amongst my favorite comics ever), the book American Gods (which inspired "The Sparrow"), the Newberry Awarding-winning The Graveyard Book, the book Stardust (which the movie is based on), and whole slew of excellent short stories, comic books, and poems. He is who I want to be when I grow up. Sans British accent.

Neverwhere initially started out as a TV show for the BBC which Gaiman created, but wasn't happy with (due to budget restrictions) and subsequently wrote as a book. Its one of the best urban fantasy's out there. There is London Above, which normal folks like you and me walk around going about our daily lives... and there is London Below. London Below is populated by the forgotten people, people who've slipped through the cracks. It is where the myths dwell, where succubi and rat folk go to war, where souls can be kept in blue eggs for safe-keeping. In London Below, Knight's Bridge, and all the other tube stations are named quite literally. I enjoyed the book immensely when I read it years ago and quite enjoyed Lifeline Theater's adaption of it last summer. So when I found out that Neil was coming to give several talks for One Book One Chicago, I was like, "Oh hell yes I'm going to these events, no matter what the restraining orders say."

The first event was to be a conversation with Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife and Neil, held in Harold Washington Library. I've met Audrey very briefly through a friend at work. Very interesting lady. Talented writer, fantastic artist, and an eclectic conversationalist. The problem was that this was scheduled the very same evening as my guitar class at Old Town School of Folk Music. This was a bit of dilemma. I loved the class and I wasn't going to miss it (especially after paying $160 for the 8 lessons). However... NEIL GAIMAN IN CHICAGO!!! I couldn't miss that either. However, I knew he was scheduled to go to another event the following night, so I figured I'd be responsible, skip this first event and go to class. That is until I walked by Harold Washington library, saw the really cool Neverwhere poster in the library and figured, "What the hell? I can make it work."

So I waited in line, reading some newly-checked out books, and got in. Not in the room that Neil and Audrey were in. That seats only a few hundred I'm afraid. I did get into the overflow room, where I had a front seat to a giant movie screen to watch the interview live. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Many interesting things were said. I did have to leave early, sprinting across Chicago, riding trains, leaping onto buses, packing guitars and flagging down cabs, but I also made it to guitar class--only 10 minutes late. And I also had time to buy a signed copy of American Gods along the way.

One event down, one more to go. The second Gaiman talk the next day promised to be more fun than the first. The Cathedral at U of C is beautiful, though the seats in the pews aren't comfortable. (Favorite comment from the event was a college student telling her friend, "Well he's British, so of course he's ADORABLE.) " Gaiman gave a half hour reading from the pulpit (hilarious) and then a short talk followed by Q&A from the audience. No, I did not ask him anything, but we did learn, amongst other things, that HBO is talks with him to produce a show based on American Gods.

Part of the reason I think HBO initiated these talks with Gaiman is because of next item on my list of interesting things I was very excited about. See, two weekends ago, HBO PREMIERED GAME OF THRONES!!!

I've been waiting years to watch this adaptation. Game of Thrones is the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George Martin. I've posted about it before--it might be the best fantasy currently being written. That HBO has decided to adapt it makes me happy beyond belief. The first episode was amazing--as both a viewer and a fan. The reactions were so positive that HBO already decided to renew for a second season! Some say its fantasy for people who don't like fantasy. Others say its Lord of the Rings meets Sopranos or The Wire. I think its simply a beautifully written story containing some of the most fully realized human characters I've ever read. The first two episodes have been simply amazing--from acting, to setting, to special effects--they're knocking it out of the frickin' park. The geek in me is very pleased.

Not only that, but GRRM (the acronym for George R.R. Martin) just announced today that he's finished with book #5 in the series! A DANCE WITH DRAGONS IS DONE! I've been waiting for that book for five years! It comes out on July 12th and I can promise you I will have taken that day off.

Finally, a bit of an update on my story "The Sparrow" up on Cast Macabre. The editor of the site asked me to either write or record an explanation of how I came up with the story and my writing process in general. Using the free software Audacity, and my Mac's built-in mike, I recorded a two-minute on it. Its going to be posted soon. And apparently, the editor enjoyed it enough that he's interested in having me read a few of their stories!

OK, that's all for now. There's a few other things I could mention (some interesting writing and reading lately), guitar performances, running schedules, Great Books Chicago, Decepticons attacking the building where I work, interesting encounters with homeless people and bike messengers--but I'll hold off. Have to save something for the next entry!

the last two weeks--Part One

2011-04-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter folks!

So I just finished watching HBO's Game of Thrones and, at the moment, I'm sipping some mead (brought to the apartment courtesy of the lovely Jen Vanderplaats) and reflecting: I have to say it's been an pretty interesting, pretty awesome last few weeks.

I'll start the recap on Friday, April 8th. Technically two weeks and two days, but close enough, says I. Anyway, I took that day off and took the Amtrak Wolverine train back to Portage, MI to visit the family. The reason for the visit is that I bought my dad and my brother Sean tickets to the Red Wings vs. Blackhawks game at Joe Louis Arena as a Christmas gift. I try to do something like this every year, either for my mom or sisters, or my dad and my brother. Event gifts are fun, and its a good way to keep in touch with my family, since almost all of them are in Michigan.

So after spending a few pleasant hours at home, Dad, Sean, and I drove 2.5 hours to Joe Louis in Detroit to watch the game. I had a nice time talking with my dad and little brother during the drive. The game, unfortunately was a bit of a blowout. The frickin' Blackhawks scored in literally the first minute and added two more goals before the end of the first period. Halfway through the game, it was pretty clear we were in for a blowout. The three of us still had fun. Can't wait until Sean is 21 (he's 10 years younger than me--so just turned 20) and we can all have some beers. Of course, two days later the Wings had an awesome game and destroyed the Blackhawks in Chicago. Would have been nice of you to play that well for me and my family, fellas!

We drove the long 2.5 hours back and I spent the night in Portage and took a train back next afternoon to Chicago. Had to leave that afternoon, because I was running the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago Sunday morning. I have a bit of an interesting history with that race. The first time I ran it in 2005 with my very good friend and former roommate Nick Vanderkwaak and my family came to watch. Nick and I did pretty good, clocking in at around 38 minutes, just under 8 minutes per mile. I think we even qualified for a competitive start the next year. The second time next I ran it in 2006 I wasn't as fast, about 42 minutes, but it was still fun. After that race, I ran into my good friend Jackie Hurley's mom, who happens to actually be in charge of the event--which is the 2nd largest race in Chicago. She hooked me up with tickets to the Champion Tent. It was hilarious. Suffice to say, the tent was a little nicer than what the average finisher gets. There's mimosas. Chef's making omelettes. Bacon. Pastries. Fresh fruit. And here's stocky me, amongst all these stick thin elite runners. I proceeded to smuggle food out to all my non-champion friends outside the tent. The fifth time I was in line, the chef looked at me with raised eyebrows, to which I responded, "Hey, I run like a champion, I eat like a champion." The third time I signed up for the race in 2007, I... didn't run. I skipped. We had a really wild party the night before. Shame. There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere.

Fast forward a few years later, and I decided to make the Shamrock my first race of 2011 but it happened to be on the same weekend that I was going to the Red Wings game with Dad and Sean. No worries, I could make that work. Saturday night, after getting back from MI, I stopped off at my friend James Brock's place to get my race packet he'd picked up for me while I was watching the Wings get slaughtered. Brock and I both did the Chicago Marathon last year. The one that was hot as hell. (though not as bad as the one in 2006) This time, we told ourselves, at least we didn't have to worry about the weather. I mean, what were the chances it would be 80 degrees on April 10th?

Of course, it was 82 degrees that morning during the race. Brock and I must have pissed off God or something. Despite the shitty hot weather, I was pretty happy with my run. I've gotten a bit slower in my old age (and fatter) and I was in this case just hoping to break 50 minutes, which I did. 48 minutes. 10 minutes slower than I was 5 years ago. Running 9:44 per mile as opposed to 7:44. Hmmm. I told myself I'd have to see what I could do about that. But I'd worry about that later. After the race, Brock, Cheryl (his wife), and I met up with another friend Jamie and others, had some beers and a late brunch and called it a morning.

It was a good weekend. Not just because I got to see family, watch the Red Wings lose, or run a race with friends. That weekend I also received word that my short story "The Sparrow" was released on Cast Macabre, a podcast website (see previous post for details). It was fucking awesome to listen to a voice actor (with a British accent--to give it a touch of class) read my story. I was really happy with it. (more on that to come)

Just realized how long this entry is becoming and I've decided to split it here. Will work on Part Two tomorrow. There's still lots of interesting stuff to come!

The Sparrow out on Cast Macabre!

2011-04-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to be able to say that one of my stories "The Sparrow" can now be listened to on the excellent podcast site Cast Macabre.

You can go to the website linked above where it is episode #37*, download (or subscribe) via iTunes, or listen directly here.

SPOILERS: "The Sparrow" takes place in what is called the Middle Passage, a rather non-descript term used to refer to the appallingly brutal voyage slave traders took between the African continent and the United States in the 18th century. It may also feature zombies. All this to basically say that it might not be for the squeamish: there's explicit violence, gore, and language. /END SPOILERS

"The Sparrow" is now officially my most re-published story. It was first released a few years back on the now defunct Horror Library's website where it won a monthly contest. Then it was republished in the excellent e-zine Allegory. (which you can download and read from their website for $2--links on the side of my blog page)

Now its available to LISTEN to as an audio play. I have to confess I like Cast Macabre's version best! Reader Graeme Dunlop does an excellent job with the voices of the characters and the music and sound effects are superb.

Its a half hour long, but if you get a chance, please listen to it and let me know what you think.

*Odd coincidence enough, this is the second story that is an Episode #37 on a podcast (another of my stories, "Luna Springs" is Episode #37 on The Drabblecast podcast)

Wisdom of Our Mothers

2010-11-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Familia Books announces the release of a new anthology, Wisdom of Our Mothers. It includes the work of local writer Patrick Hurley and is edited by Eric Bowen.

Patrick Hurley is Production Coordinator for The Great Books Foundation and has been published in several books, magazines, e-zines, and fiction podcasts, including Allegory, Niteblade, Big Pulp, The Drabblecast, Well Told Tales, and Ghostlight.

Comprised of stories and poetry by eighty-eight accomplished contemporary authors from around the world, the collection explores the theme of lessons learned from the authors’ mothers. It is the brain-child of part-time philanthropist Eric Bowen. Guided by his own mother’s teaching that “one does well by doing good,” Bowen has pledged half his profits from the book to raise funds for shelters for abused mothers and children.

Everyone has a mother, and readers will doubtlessly find stories in this anthology that relate to their own experiences. Yet Bowen’s presentation isn’t sentimental. The mothers profiled in the stories are human. Their virtues are balanced by their flaws, and in some cases, the lessons learned from those flaws form the basis of the story.

The anthology explores maternal wisdom in various categories: emotional, relationship, and practical skills; virtues, humor, and heritage. One chapter delves into “the dark side,” profiling some truly dysfunctional mothers. “From other lands” describes motherhood in cultures outside the American mainstream.

This book now available on the Familia Books website, www.familiabooks.com, and from CreateSpace.com, will soon be available at your local bookstore and through major internet booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

WISDOM OF OUR MOTHERS

ISBN 978-145-363101-0

296 pps.

List Price: $14.95

Familia Books

Eric Bowen, Editor

PMB 326

1225 East Sunset Drive Suite 145

Bellingham, WA 98226

www.familiabooks.com

ericjbowen@comcast.net

Quarterly Update

2010-10-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Every three months or so, the president of the Great Books Foundation informs me that its time to send him a quarterly update, which basically means: summarize all the shit your department has been working on the past three months so that board members and have an inkling what it is you're doing. (The Production Department, which I run, is a department of one, by the way.)

I thought it was time for my own quarterly update. OK, that's not entirely accurate. I thought it was time to write one several weeks ago when I began to write this blog entry, while on the Amtrak train from Chicago to Kalamazoo for Cheryl and Brock's wedding.

I love train rides. Much nicer than planes. You're sitting in a comfortable seat, with all the room you need. You can watch the world fly by without a worry in the world. You can read if you like, or, since there's an outlet in every seat, you can also watch a DVD on your laptop.

And if you're like me, you can write. Which is what I did. After typing out a 1,000 good words for my book that morning, I thought I'd type out a bit of a entry for my blog.

...

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the entry that day, and so, here we are, several weeks later represented rather sadly by ellipses above. Summer has said her farewells and we're in the midst of a brisk Chicago autumn. I feel as though there are so many things to talk about. Work. Marathon training. Paying off debts. Writing a book. Where to begin, where to begin?

I had a lot of fun this summer. Many good adventures. But as fun as they were, I cannot escape the fact that I'm getting older. I see it in my face, feel it in my body, and know it in my heart. Hangovers hurt more. Weight seems to be harder to shed. Work actually stresses me out. I can't read as fast as I used to. And for the first time that I can recall, I'm a little scared of this. Its been six years since I moved to Chicago. Six years. I don't want to to look back in another six and wonder why it is that I haven't grown up yet.

I don't feel older. I just feel more tired. In the past, when summer turned to fall I used to wonder what the next season's adventures would bring. Who I'd meet, what I'd do. Now everything just seems stagnant and the same. I used to think I still had time to learn to play guitar or maybe go out to Maine for a fall and live in a cabin. At 25, you still have the luxury of unrealistic dreams. Of inner fantasies that pass the time and make the mundane bearable. At 29, they seem to weigh heavier, to become burdens rather than escapes.

In fact, my three resolutions: 1. finish book 2. run marathon 3. pay off credit cards were created in large part to fight this growing fear.

Of course, the summer where I decide to run a marathon has to be the one where Chicago gets the worst heat wave its had in five years. God running in hot weather sucks! I'm naturally warm-blooded anyway, and the air was so humid this summer it felt like I was swimming instead of running.

And here's the thing, when my running mileage gets up there, its bloody HARD to find the energy to write.

I remember this happened round the same time when I trained for the marathon five years ago. Once I started running into the double digits on the weekends, all my creative writing basically went out the window. It was not until the marathon was over that I was able to get back in the saddle. I thought I was prepared this time to face that. And I was wrong.

Writing stories comes in such odd spurts for me. Everyone always spouts bullshit about waiting for the muse, and while that has some truth, (there definitely is a muse (who's awesome, btw)), the thing that no one likes to talk about and no one likes to hear is that it takes a lot of discipline, A fucking ton of discipline, actually, along with hard work, a bit of talent, and a smidgen of luck.

I'm usually lucky with stuff like that. Mostly. I think I have talent. A bit, anyway. The big problem is my creative discipline, which is about as dependable as a bipolar leprechaun on crack. Sometimes its there, in full force, jumping on my shoulder, shouting “GET 'ER DONE!” and other times its just gone. Probably in a back alley doing crack somewhere with the other leprechauns.

So I'll go for a week or two, writing most days, some decent, some amazing, some shitty. And then, I just... stop. Its as if it becomes terrifying and impossible to sit down and write. And this lasts for weeks. And that is sort of where I'm at right now.

The marathon is a few days away. I'm prepared for it. It actually should be almost fun. But I haven't written anything substantial in weeks.

So, I'm writing this to say that once I've ran it (and I will post about it) its time to shift back into writing mode. If you've seen a leprechaun running around with bloodshot eyes and powder around his mouth, please let me know.

Inception

2010-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have lots of other updates I could post about, including how marathon training is going (decent), how my book is coming along (so-so), and how my debt-paying quest has gone (excellent, but problematic). And I will write posts about all of those things soon. Really, I will. I promise.

In the meantime, this past weekend after visiting Michigan to see both my family and Dave Williams' family (with a side of Egglestons), on Sunday my brother Sean, sister Nora, and I went to see the film Inception.

I think the mark of a great movie is one that stays with you, that you turn over in your head before going to sleep. Inception was certainly one of those for me. Nolan is a talented filmmaker with an excellent vision. Almost everything about the film is sleek and well-crafted.

After watching it, I've been sifting through various theories on the web about the film, seeing if there's anything I might have missed. (that is what the Internet is for, is it not?)

[Major Spoilers Ahead]

There are those who've watched the film and come away with the theory that the whole thing was a dream. I can see why. Because we are shown that the end may or may not be Cobb's dream, (which is a great ambiguous clincher), it's tempting to think, "Ooo, we don't see the top fall over. We don't know if Cobb's dreaming or not... Maybe, MAYBE the whole fucking film is a dream!"

In some ways, this is true. After all, it's a work of fiction and so it is a dream: on a meta-fictional level. By Nolan having his characters explain to each other (and the audience) the narrative tools that all fiction (film or otherwise) use, such as scene shifts and or lucky narrative events, etc., as simply the mechanics of how a shared dream works, he not only allows us to suspend our disbelief, but actually pulls the viewer in deeper by forcing them to wonder if the whole thing is a dream.

I mean, I thought it unlikely that Cillian Murphy's character would have so easily believed Cobb in the "hotel", but then I thought, "Well, the guy's in a dream of a dream. He's had several dozen projections of his subconscious security team killed, so he's probably not operating with a full deck at the moment." It's a narrative ploy that is both devious and effective. (in contrast, Nolan's Joker pulled off quite a few nigh-impossible feats, but our disbelief was just as suspended there because we could say "Its a comic book movie")

One can say, "but wait, who names their child Ariadne? That's obvious symbolism. She must be an aspect of his Jungian psyche! Same with Arthur. And what if Eames was a doctor? Then his name would be Dr. Eames!"

That's a little too obvious. Stories use archetypes. (that's why they're archetypes) Because of the exceptionally complex meta-juggling that Nolan is doing throughout the film, especially with his finale, it's difficult to sift through what in the film is a dream and what is simply a narrative device. I should add that I think that was done deliberately. That's what makes it fun. Nolan deliberately leaves it ambiguous enough so that you could debate the whole thing. Mal's attempt to seduce Cobb to stay in limbo by questioning his reality is another lie, but like all powerful lies, contains a grain of truth (since this is a fictional story). Her attempt to persuade him to stay serves a double-purposed of getting Cobb, as well as us, the audience, to question his reality.

However, the theory that the whole film is Cobb's dream fails to take into account the narrative moments in which Cobb has absolutely no part in: Saito waking up an a train in front of the Asian kid. Arthur training Ariadne on the Penrose staircase. Ariadne watching Cobb sleep. Arthur kissing Ariadne. Saito and Eame's interaction on the elevator. Arthur fighting a Spider-man-esque/Matrixy battle in the hotel. Eames going all James Bond on the skis. (Eames was awesome by the way)

So, I think that up until the end, it was all real (in that fictional world).

Now, after Cobb wakes up on the plane after rescuing Saito... I'm not so sure.

The remainder of the film did seem to have an ethereal quality to it, and seemed almost too perfect. But the maddening thing is: THAT'S HOW ALL FILMS END.

Think about the end of Ocean's 11. Or The Italian Job. Or any movie when a parent reunites with their children.

I could go either way, but I like to think that in the end, it was real, that Cobb succeeded and did reunite with his kids, after finally putting his guilt over his ex-wife to rest.

The fact that I felt moved enough to think about the film this much (I definitely plan on seeing it again) makes me enjoy it all the more. I'm glad that there are artists like Chris Nolan around, who aren't afraid to be unique, who aren't afraid to test the audience. Inception was a treat. One that I plan on experiencing again soon.

after the vacations, a sign of maturity

2010-05-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

So Costa Rica, my sister's graduation, and Las Vegas are all done. Thank God. I think its a sign of growing up that I still have some money in the bank after all that. Not a lot of money, mind you, and my plan to pay off the last of my credit cards has been set back by at least a month or two, but a few years ago I would have come back from a series of trips like that completely broke.

So yay for growing up. After working this weekend, I'll have the last part of the Vegas paid off, and its just smooth sailing of paying down CC debt from there.

You see, I gave myself three goals (you could call them resolutions--but I decided on them in March, not January 1st) for this year. 1. Finish writing the first draft of my book The Constable of Bridge 2. PAY OFF CREDIT CARDS 3. Run a marathon.

So far, each of these goals is actually proceeding along fairly smoothly. My writing has been fairly consistent and fun this past month or so, I've been prepping for my marathon training, which starts in June, and I've made some good strides forward to pay down debt.

Growing up is weird. Sometimes I'm half convinced that the key to being a successful grownup is to fool yourself into thinking that you enjoy hard work. Other times, I have this sneaking suspicion that everyone is faking it, no really has any idea what the hell they're doing, and adulthood has been this fabled myth that few actually achieve before they're 80.

I think I myself may have grown up a leetle bit these past few years. Certainly I don't blow all my money at bars the way I used to. I have more patience at work, more self-control at meetings. I have a much better ability to say no to my friends when they want to go out. I can focus on the task at hand a little better. Five years ago, when I did the Chicago marathon, that was all I had time for. I trained for that and worked at GBF and that was it. I couldn't find the energy or wherewithal to write. Now, I'm managing to juggle two jobs, writing, and marathon training. So yeah, hence my theory that growing up = fooling yourself into liking hard work.

Speaking of which, at the moment the blog entry is rapidly devolving an excuse not to work on my book, so I must end this entry before the demons of procrastination take too firm a hold...

"The Nature of My Game" story available

2010-05-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I was informed last week by A. W. Gifford, editor of Ghostlight Magazine, the fiction magazine put out by Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, that my short story "The Nature of My Game" was published this past fall in the premiere issue, Volume 1 Issue 1.

You can order a PDF version of the entire magazine ($4) or perfect-bound soft-cover print edition ($8.95 plus shipping) of the issue, which, along with my 1,000-word story, contains some great fiction and poetry. Here's the link. And here's a link to the page of other publications put out by GLAHW.

I'll also be adding the links to my publishing list on the right side of the blog. "The Nature of My Game" is quite a short story, one which I really enjoyed writing and now have a sort of amusing view on. Check it out, when you get a chance.

Un Sueño

2010-04-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

In English, sueño means dream. Towards the end of my week in Costa Rica, while stopping for a cafecita (small cup of coffee) on our way back from Limon, our bus driver Randall (pronounced ren-DAHL) asked me how I enjoying Costa Rica thus far, to which I replied, "Es como un sueño."

Its like a dream. And my week in Costa Rica, in Santa Ana was dreamlike. There may be more buildings in Santa Ana now, more Ticos riding motocicletas, but the mountains have not changed, the amazing vistas are the same, the air still smells like summer.

The people also seem the same, especially my amazing old professor and his wife, Don Jorge and Doña Ana. Jorge is a reknowned opera singer, sociologist, author, carpenter, and environmentalist. He is, quite simply, the most interesting man alive.

Anyway, as I mentioned in my previous entry, my sister Nora has been studying there these past several months on the same program I did six years ago. My friend Matt and I decided to take a week's vacation and visit her group. I thought it would be a great chance to relive some of my "glory" days in Costa Rica, as well as catch up with some of my favorite professors. Also, Anna Eggleston, a dear friend of mine and fellow Costa Rica alum from my group was living in Santa Ana, which was an added bonus. (Anna and I were each other's partners in Salsa class--we were awesome)

I had a great time. Pura vida is how they say it in Costa Rica, and it was a week's worth of pura vida for me. We hiked through the mountains, planted trees for reforestation, did pottery, danced salsa, went snorkeling, ate delicious food, saw ancient ruins.

One of the best aspects of the trip were the people I was with. Nora is, of course, always fun to hang out with (hey, she's a Hurley!) as is Matt, and it was awesome to see Anna. But the rest of Nora's group were strangers to me, besides a little conversations I'd had with Nora about them on the phone. They are an amazing bunch of students, funny, kind, and always up for an adventure. I'm lucky to have met them.

Some of my favorite memories from the week were hiking up the mountains, then hiking back down in the dark, stopping at a bar called Buena Vista halfway down for the best beer, 80's music, and french fries ever, seeing a giant school of silver fish snorkeling, relaxing on a motor boat to an awesome view, relaxing at Jorge and Ana's awesome house, drinking games in the hotel, conversations with Gabriel, another awesome professor, in his class, the farewell party at the bar, and simply playing cards on the beach or chatting in a coffee shop. It may sound corny, but I felt truly blessed to have had this experience, to "relive" for one week one of my favorite semesters in college.

My week back in Costa Rica was una semana perfecta, a perfect week, almost too good to be true. And, like all the best dreams, it ended too quickly.

Links and things

2010-04-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've been abominably lazy in keeping up with this blog. Without regular entries, I imagine its hard to keep regular readers. Therefore, I'm making a spring resolution to try and update the blog once a week.

We'll see how that goes.

In the meantime, things have happened in my life. St. Patrick's Day was fun, if rather inebriated. I had a lovely visit with my mother, father, and brother Sean over Easter. And I'm going to Costa Rica in less then a week, to visit my sister Nora, who is participating in the same study abroad program I did several years ago. I love reading her blog. She writes wonderfully and it gives me a marvelous sensation of deja vu.

Anyhow, the reason I've been remiss in my own blogging is that I've been working on my book, still tentatively titled The Constable of Bridge and is also going, more or less, well. I hope to finish the first draft (finally) by the end of this year.

I'm also doing the 2010 Chicago marathon. Which should be both fun and extremely stressful.

But enough about me, here are some links to images and videos I've come across the past few weeks that I thought would be fun to share:

This first image could be retitled "How Pat Operates in his Cubicle":

I love it! This second image I found on Digg.com and really needs no explanation. (and only a leetle spelling correction) Its awesomeness explains itself:

Then there are two videos I found both educational and compelling. The first is an update on Epic 2014 (shown to me originally by my friend Andy Wilkerson), and is called Epic 2015. A few years old, but still terribly relevant I find:

The second is more about the movement of social media, a phenomena of which this blog is just a small droplet in a digital tsunami:

(the embedded video doesn't quite fit within my posting margins, so a better view of the video can be found here)

Here's a link to the great author Margaret Atwood's thoughts on Twitter.

Finally, for something beautiful and fun, a link to the animated advertisement for Neil Gaiman's lovely poem "Instructions," which is about what to do if you're caught in a fairy tale and is soon to be published in book form, illustrated by the amazing Charles Vess.

[ETA] Crap! I almost forgot about Neil Cameron's A TO Z OF AWESOMENESS, both educational and a fuckton of coolness.

Alan Moore can tell you why I tell stories

2010-02-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

I just came across a brilliant clip on youtube taken from the documentary The Mindscape of Alan Moore, in which Mr. Moore succinctly describes what he believes about magic and art:

Link here .

Suffice to say, I completely agree with everything he says. When I'm telling a story, I honestly have no idea where it comes from. But it feels powerful. It feels like something other. And it feels amazing. Magic is a good of an explanation as any, in fact, its the best I've heard. It rings true.

For those of you who don't know, Alan Moore is a brilliant, British, eccentric writer of comic books. He is considered to be, if not the best, one of the most best writers of comic books ever. His large body of work includes V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentleman, and of course, the much-lauded Watchmen. His DC comic The Killing Joke gave me nightmares.

His video clip above gave me much food for thought.

ETA: and I have just finished Chapter 6 of my novel today, which I've been chipping away at all week!

winter is cold, beards are itchy, and writing a blog helps

2009-12-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

As I look out my window to a bright sun and blue sky,

I find it hard to believe that winter has arrived. Yet arrived it has, and with a cold vengeance. While we certainly don't have the snow in West Michigan, Chicago being along Lake Michigan makes for some bitterly frigid winters.

In response to this, I've unpacked my hat and gloves, dusted off my winter coats, and attempted to grow a beard:

--which I thought would make me look like a "struggling writer" but instead, I think makes me look more like a "potential serial killer." Whatever the case may be, its at least helping to keep my face warm.

Speaking of a struggling writer, after I posted two of my poems in the previous blog entry, one published and one the unofficial, unpublished "sequel", I thought I would check the list of links of my other published stories. And well that I did. It turned out that many of the links were old or bad. So I've updated them. You can listen to the two podcast stories for free, read several online shorts free as well, or order the printed books anthologies. Enjoy!

Now, back to working on my book, which I've been putting off by making this blog entry because A. I'm slightly hungover (damn alcoholic eggnog) and B. I'm a slacker.

Back to work!

two poems

2009-12-05T13:55:00.001-08:00

The first thing I published after graduating from Aquinas in 2004 was the poem "The Pipes of Pan," which was printed in the The Willows magazine back in February 2007. The magazine has since gone under, and the poem is nowhere to be found online, though I do retain one of my contributor's copies.

A colleague of mine noted the (unintentional) similarity between my poem and Christopher Marlowe's poem to Sir Walter Raleigh 'The Passionate Sheperd to His Love.' He mentioned it would be fun to read an answering poem, much in the way Sir Walter answered Marlowe with, 'The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd.'

And so I wrote the poem "The Maenad's Answer." I present them both now here, free of charge, for your enjoyment. Comments are, of course, welcome:

The Pipes of Pan
By Patrick Hurley

Have you heard my pipes,
my lass,
their sweet, seductive call?

They’re chilling, shrilling, trilling,
my lass,
amongst the leaves of fall.

Have you heard them dance,
my lass,
their fey, haunting tune?

They’re cooing, hooing, blewing
my lass,
‘yond the far side of the moon.

They’re calling out for you,
my lass,
to leave both hearth and home.

Come, climb out your window,
my lass,
the night is ours to roam.

We’ll dance and sing and caper and prance,
and frolick the night away.

We’ll whisper, and kiss, and flicker, and drink,
until the dawn of day.

Then we’ll taste your sweet perfume,
naked under cloudless moon,
and when sunrise doth start to loom,

We’ll all fade away.

We’ll all fade away.

Then you shall return,
my lass,
where mother and father wait.

Naked and alone,
my lass,
left adrift by fate.

Count your lucky stars,
my lass,
to walk through father’s hall.

Next time we come a’ calling,
my lass,
you may not return at all.

For the troupe of Pan,
is a hungry troupe,
whose merry-making ne’er ends.

And though we drink and drink and drink,
on food we must depend.

This is why,
oh my fair lass,
we call on thee alone.

For, from time to time,
my lass,
Pan’s troupe needs
flesh and bone.

The Maenad’s Answer to Pan
By Patrick Hurley

Yes I’ve heard your pipes,
my lad,
sounding through my wall.

They’re fleeting, cheating, bleating,
my lad,
hardly seductive at all.

Oh, I’ve seen you dance,
my lad,
prancing like a loon.

Perching, searching, lurching,
my lad,
a hairy, drunk buffoon.

I will walk with you,
my lad,
in the woods so late.

Little do you know,
my lad,
there my sisters wait.

You’ll lie and steal and brag and boast,
idling the night away.

Whilst I pretend to smile and laugh,
thinking of how you’ll pay

Our hungry eyes shine in the gloom,
the beating drums proclaim your doom,
and rising sun will mark you tomb.

Oh how you’ll pay.

Oh how you’ll pay.

Oh you might come through,
my lad,
with naught but aching head.

Winesick and forlorn,
my lad,
wishing you were dead.

Count your stupid blessings
my lad,
to wake w’ both horns intact.

Next time you come a’calling
my lad,
you may leave on your back.

For a Maenad’s claws
are long and sharp
and hunger for taste of man.

Because we take what we can find,
we’ll settle for foolish Pan.

So you see,
oh fairy lad,
the truth of my sisterhood.

We’ll save a dance for you,
my lad,
in the end
we will have blood.

the good and the bad (and the cool)

2009-10-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

THE GOOD:
-great weekend... tons of things got done

-I GOT ANOTHER STORY ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION. "The Nature of My Game" is one of my shortest stories, coming in at only 1,000 words, but also one of my favorites. It is perhaps a tad heavy handed, a leetle overtly symbolic, I still love the beat to it, love the ending: it was a lot of fun to finish. I wrote it several years ago, but re-wrote and heavily edited it listening continuously to one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs, a lyric from which the title of story comes from. The magazine to finally accept the piece (I had numerous rejection letters on this story, with editors saying they really liked it, but it was not for them) is called Ghostlight Magazine, a quarterly put out by the Great Lakes Horror Writers association. Such good news!

THE BAD:
-I haven't written anything this week. I feel like such a fucking slacker.

-Work has been the pits and the shits. Just this week. Not because of anything I've done... Its just been super fucking busy, and people are losing their minds with all the projects that are careening back and forth. Can't wait for another two weeks to pass. I desperately want to take a week's vacation. Not 'til after Thanksgiving though.

THE COOL:
Check out some of the artwork I've been in charge of directin/creating at work, with a really talented artist Rich Lo:

I laughed for about a minute straight...

2009-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Simply awesome.

Quick Update

2009-10-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

I have a new phone. (T-Mobile Wing, given to me as a gift)

I have taken pictures with my phone, of my apartment, which I enjoy very much:

I have Twitter. I enjoy it very much.

I have a raise. Not much, but enough to order out every once in awhile and not feel guilty.

I am desperately out of shape. Seriously, I had trouble running my favorite two mile lake route.

I haven't written anything for my book in two weeks.

I paid off a credit card. (in large part due to working part time for my friends at Shutterbooth Chicago)

I have had several very nice personal rejections letters for stories recently, all of which tell me how my story was great and almost made it in. I find these maddening since I'm simultaneous grateful for the praise but frustrated that some of my stories are still unpublished.

I am hungry. Time to order out. Hello Cozy Noodle!!!

Story

2009-09-02T21:23:00.001-07:00

Some days its easy, other days it isn't.

Some days its something I'm always meaning to get to, but it keeps eluding me, obscured by life's meaningless repetitive chores.

Other days I hide from it and try not to think about it, to forget it exists.

But it's always there in the back of my mind. It always finds me.

And then...

Then there are the days when it feels like a wife, a lover, a friend. It sounds like the best song I've ever heard or tastes like the best food I've ever eaten.

I realize as I write this that my ramble could just as easily refer to life in general as it does its titular subject. How amazing. How lovely and simple.

Life should be a story.

blue sky over a blue lake

2009-08-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning after a very late and very fun night with friends. Though still quite tired, I knew that it was past 11am and if I didn't want to waste the day or destroy my sleep schedule, it was time to emerge from my cocoon of soft sheets and warm comforters, open the door from my cavernous and pitch-black room, and start the day.

I stumbled into the kitchen, poured the rest of yesterday's coffee into a cup and heated the mug in the microwave. While the coffee was re-heating, I cracked open two eggs into a bowl, dashed some salt and pepper in, poured in two "gloops" of milk, whisked, and poured the mixture onto a pan to begin making some scrambled eggs. While the eggs cooked to a fluffy white, I toasted a slice of bread, spread Choco-spread on the toast, pulled my coffee out of the microwave and poured in decent helpings of milk and sugar, changing the blackish mixture within the cup into something creamy and brown.

Once my breakfast was ready, I took the book that I'd been reading, set it out on the table on the patio, placed down a hand-woven placemat from Nicaragua that was a gift from a friend on the table, and laid out my breakfast.

There was a brisk wind off Lake Michigan and the sun shone merrily in the sky, transforming the water into a sea of sapphires and diamonds. I sat with book in one hand, fork in the other, enjoying myself by combining my two favorite activities: reading and eating. Without knowing why, I stopped for a moment. I looked around, felt the warm sun on my face, the cool breeze caressing my skin.

Simply put, it was absolutely beautiful. The breakfast, the book, the coffee, the patio, the sun and the wind. The bright sky, confectionary clouds, the azure water. I sat for a minute, taking it all in, as I have before and will again.

And I realized one simple thing: despite the tiredness of the morning, the mild hangover, the stress at work, the frustrations with writing a book, despite all the turmoils of growing up, letting go and saying goodbye: I am happy.

To realize one's happiness is a simple but joyous thing. And while I have yet to achieve all the goals I have set forth in my life, I realize that, for the most part, I have made a good beginning.

Not my bitch, nor yours

2009-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

George R.R. Martin is one of my favorite authors. His epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the most amazing things I've ever read. (and re-read, several times) Here's a good synopsis of it from one of its best fansites around, westeros.org:

Imagine a feudal kingdom on a massive continent in a world filled with many cultures and half-legendary lands and an ancient history. Imagine a time where dragons once lived but magic is now dwindling, yet the seasons can be long or short, bringing glorious summers or terrible winters that last years at a time. Imagine a massive iron throne from which seven kingdoms are ruled, with false knights and true all gathered about it in hopes of blood or glory or profit, and shadows behind it pushing the pieces that make up the game of thrones.

It is as of now, unfinished. Currently, Mr. Martin is working on book five of seven, titled A Dance with Dragons. This volume has taken longer than he initially expected, causing a very small, but somewhat trollish, whiny, and wah-entitlement-me-now! cadre of fans to actively and quite rudely complain on his website and in other chatrooms.

They are, quite simply, douchebags.

One of said d-bags actually wrote to Neil Gaiman (another favorite author of mine) asking if he had a right to feel entitled to have Mr. Martin finish the series. To which Neil simply replied in his very famous blog "George Martin is not your bitch." (read the awesome post here)

The quote "George Martin is not your bitch" has since grown to become somewhat of a meme against these trolls. Which leads me to the original reason I had for posting this blog entry, one of the funniest songs I've heard in a while:

Sci Fi Songs: Sci-Fi Song #20: George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch

The song is funny, true, and quite catchy. Well played Mr. John Anealio!

writing a book rant

2009-08-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Goddam you Chapter 2. Every other chapter does what its supposed to. Only you, you bloody cheeky monkey, you convoluted mish-mash of POV shifts, scene changes, and flash-backs, continue to vex me. One day, you will pay for your insolence. This I do so swear.

Fuck you, Chapter 2. Seriously. Do not make me resort to Extreme Measures. I'm not afraid to take Arthur Quilling Crouch's advice and Kill My Darlings.

You best get in line.

/takes deep breath

Okay, done now. :)

warm up blog--getting back in the game!

2009-08-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. Its been quite a while since last I wrote anything for this blog. In my defense, it has been one of the busiest summers I've had in a while, both in professional and social sense. A three million dollar publishing project for work (more on that in another entry perhaps) and three weddings, a funeral, bachelor party, moving into a new apartment and my youngest brother's high school graduation open house.

So yes, busy summer. Not only that, but I'm still trying to write a book. And usually, when it comes to hoarding my creative energy, its a choice between struggling with the book or blogging. And, much as I hate to say it, working on the book will win every time.

But this weekend I spent a satisfying amount of time working on the book (my first--working title The Constable of Bridge) and I felt that I could blog guilt-free.

So this is a warm up blog entry, one to get myself back in the swing of things. Nothing too long or too thoughtful, just random bylines and funny links. Including a comparison between traditional archeological methods vs. doing things the Indiana Jones way:

Things like this just make me a happy panda. Now, I don't know if you've anyone reading this has ever played any old school role-playing games, such as Dungeon & Dragons or Shadowrun. I have, though back in high school I took great pains to hide this little habit from all of my "normal" friends.

If you have played an old-school role-playing game (with metal miniatures, dice, hexagon maps, and the works--no, World of Warcraft doesn't count) and if you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, you have GOT to check out this website.

DM of the Rings

Using screen stills from the movie, the scenario is: what-if LOTR never existed and someone tried to make it a D&D campaign? My synopsis doesn't do it justice. But for those who ever rolled a twenty-sided die and hoped for a 19 or 20, this is absolutely fucking hilarious.

Also, for the Star Wars fans, same concept, a homage to the DM of the Rings, here:

Darths & Droids

Anyway, I hope to become a more active presence on this blog once more. I'm still submitting stories to various magazine and working hard on the book. I hope to have it done by year's end. If any new shorts stories get published, you'll hear it here first!

This made my day...

2009-04-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this link today and it filled my day with happiness and wonder. If I had had this sleeping bag as a child, I would never have slept in a real bed. (note the lightsaber zipper)

It turns out that it was actually an April Fool's joke, but the demand for item became so big that ThinkGeek is contacting Lucasfilm to apply for a license.

(note: if you haven't seen The Empire Strikes Back, you won't get this at all)

(--and if you haven't seen The Empire Strikes Back, why are we friends? Because you clearly hate freedom)

Taken

2009-03-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

I think the tagline to the recent action film Taken should be:

"You will believe that Liam Neeson is still a complete bad ass."

If all action movies were this well made, I probably would go to more of them. It wasn't overflowing with intelligence or anything, but there was a modicum of smart believability, just enough to carry it off.

There were some small issues, such as the overabundance of the Daddy Knows Best syndrome, the fact that in reality, those who operate in human trafficking (the bad guys in the film) rarely pick rich Westerners as their target.

However, it was a very satisfying, fun, dark, and brutally gruesome movie. Liam Neeson carried it off well. Its hard NOT to want to watch human traffickers get the living shit kicked out of them.

Oh my Ogame and a Faceoff

2009-02-16T19:46:00.001-08:00

I don't know if its because of my addictive personality, because I haven't played a video game in a while, or because I'm a huge nerd, (probably all three) but I'm completely enthralled with Ogame, a free, text-based real-time space empire strategy game. A few months or so ago my friend Adam got my roommate, me, and a few others to sign up and since then I've been playing it more and more. If I paid as much attention to the stock market as I did to this, I think I might be a rich man.

The problem is, of course, that I'm playing the game when I should be writing, editing, or sending stories out. We'll see how my resolution to write first, play later goes.

ps. This story completely fascinated me. A new face!?! How amazing is that? What really impressed me was how the addition of nasal lining actually stimulated olfactory tissue in the brain and how her sense of taste was restored. I'm curious to see if immunosuppressants will actually work so that her body won't reject the new tissue. I've often wondered what long term side effects of taking such immunosuppresants would be on one's overall health.

tea and taxes

2009-02-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't been on here in a while to update this thing, have I?

In my defense, I've been fighting a terrible cold for the past week, the details and symptoms of which I'll keep to myself. Its been hard dragging my sorry self to work and I've pretty much had no leftover energy to devote to such things as writing, working out, chores, or editing. Luckily I think I'm on the mend.

I will say that the illness bore some good fruit. Because coffee was drying my throat out and causing my mouth to feel like I was being choked with toffee, I switched to drinking green tea for my daily caffeine dosage.

And that, my friends, has definitely been a good thing. I did a little research. Green tea is WAY healthier for you. Maybe its psychosomatic, but I definitely feel better as I sip it. Also, I've noticed several overall health benefits. I sleep better. I don't have coffee breath. Not as jittery. Methinks that even after the illness has finally passed through my system, I may still make the switch permanent.

Anyway, I've been sipping tea and getting things done all day today, including cleaning up my bedroom, buying groceries, and... doing my taxes. The good news is, because of the interest I pay every year on my absurdly large student loans, I am getting a decent return.

The bad news is, I pay interest every year on absurdly large student loans. Sigh. But then again, I think of trips I made, the great semesters I had in Costa Rica, Peru, Ireland, and Chicago and even on campus at Aquinas, and I'm grateful. At least that's what I keep telling myself every month when I write the check.

So. Taxes done? Check. Room cleaned? Check? Actual food in kitchen? Check. Now that the bare necessities are out of the way, time to get back to working on my stories.

Speaking of which, the editor of Well Told Tales just informed me that, in addition to the audio version of my story being available on their podcast website, its also going to be broadcast on the radio this Saturday night. Here's what he had to say:

"One of our readers -- J.B. Goodspeed (a.k.a. Jacob Keebler) -- set it up. He has a three-hour block on Saturday nights, so after a couple of hours of his own music show, we'll get the third hour for "The Well Told Tales Radio Hour," slated to run at 11 p.m. PT on 92.5 The Why (http://925kyhy.com/.)"

How cool is that!?!

A Parliament of Me

2009-01-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Last night, I had the immense pleasure of listening to Andy Catt's reading of my short story "A Parliament of Me," broadcast on the excellent podcast website Well Told Tales.

I was blown away.

The special effects, the different voices that Mr. Catt employed, everything was amazing, far beyond what I expected. One of the interesting changes was his use of British accents for the character(s), something that I never intended when I wrote the story, but now that I hear it, very much approve.

I describe "A Parliament of Me" as Jorge Luis Borges meets Stephen King. It is my one Borges-esque story, although I wrote it long before I had ever read Borges.

The story is roughly 18 minutes long and is completely free and very easy to listen to (though I would suggest, if you like the story, and enjoy website, that you might donate a small amount). Check it out when you can! Here's the link.

inaugaration and my own anticipation

2009-01-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

I very much enjoyed watching the inaugural ceremonies this morning and look forward to catching the re-run of The Daily Show's satirical coverage of the event tomorrow evening.

In the meantime, I've been told that one of my stories will be broadcast in two days time, and the editor of the website, Well Told Tales, told me it was one of their best readings yet.

I'm excited beyond words. For both myself and the country.

This just blew my mind...

2009-01-17T11:46:00.001-08:00

Neil Gaiman, one of my heroes, linked to this article from his blog and after reading it, I feel I must do the same:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126911.300-our-world-may-be-a-giant-hologram.html?full=true&print=true

I'm very much reminded of Edwin Abbott's book Flatland. Perhaps the British teacher and theologian was more right in his geometrical/sociological satire than we knew. I particularly like the part where the universe is described as "pringle" shaped. (though reading further, if the hologram theory proves sound, it might be actually be sphere shaped, if I understood the article correctly--which I probably didn't)

Fascinating stuff, and it actually feeds into an idea for a story I've been toying around with.

All I will say as a hint is that in the kingdom of the blind, the man who can see is king.

Works of art that made my day.

2009-01-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Feegles

2009-01-06T13:56:00.001-08:00

People keep asking me why I can't stop laughing when I'm reading Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books about the Feegles (or Nac Mac Feegle) (or also the Wee Free Men, as they sometimes call themselves).

I try to explain to them that they are books featuring creatures that are like indestructible Smurfs from Scotland, on crack, who have watched Braveheart 1000 times.

Most of the time, they respond by giving me a puzzled look and backing away slowly.

But for those of you who are wondering, I've found some perfect illustrations by Paul Kidby depicting what Feegles are and why they're so awesome:

Garrison Keillor rocks

2009-01-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

One of the only reasons I enjoy Mondays is Garrison Keillor's weekly "News From Lake Wobegone" monologues, available online for free to download and listen to. This week's (1/3/09) story was a repeat, but its one of my favorites, because it combines two of my favorite things: Costa Rica and Lake Wobegone. Check it out, when you can:

http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/podcasts/xml/prairie_home_companion/news_from_lake_wobegon.xml

time to clock back in

2009-01-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

As much as I would love to keep on doing what I've been doing for the past weeks, which essentially has been taking it easy, reading books and eating far too much unhealthy foods, I'm beginning to feel restless...

I think my uneasy feeling is my intuition telling me that real life is about to start up once more tomorrow, and that I'd better get ready to get back in the game.

Ah well. My mom once told me that heaven for me would probably entail a comfortable couch and an unlimited supply of both books and breakfast cereal. Perhaps she was right (and I'm inclined to think she partially was) but I need to get writing again. Unless I've pushed myself, I find it difficult to relax and "take 'er easy". I guess its just that Catholic guilt at work!

Well, perhaps its time to excise the guilt. Work, here I come!

Ah, the Holidays

2009-01-01T00:48:00.001-08:00

Overall, I must say that they went rather well!

I had a great, surprisingly drama-free, time visiting the family, sitting around the house watching movies on Sean's new big screen projector. I loved my gifts and I think everyone in the fam appreciated the ones from me.

Both the Hurley and LaForge Christmas gatherings were completely awesome.

Also, I had a lovely time visiting wineries in Canada and catching up with a dear friend.

And finally New Years.

Let's just say that I celebrated this New Year's Eve with a literal "bang" as it were. (no, my pun has nothing to do with sex you pervs).

Apparently, I am no one to be trifled with. In the way of a hint...so far, after last night's misadventures I've been given the nicknames "Killer", "Irish Avenger", "Rocky", and most suprisingly "Ghandi." (thanks EJ) Ask me about it and I may tell you what happened.

And that's all.

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Love,

-the Irish Avenging, Killer Ghandi

I'm back

2008-12-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well, to be more accurate, my computer is back. Back from the dead, that is. My hard drive started acting up around Thanksgiving, and then, in a brilliant move inspired by a moment of neanderthalish anger, I punched the part of the dock where the hard drive was located, causing the computer to shut down for good.

Luckily, I have a roommate who works for Google and is a computer whiz. Luckily, I had backed nearly all of my writing. I purchased a new hard drive, and am now in the process of recovering nearly all of the files I lost.

Unluckily, I let this be an excuse not to work on my book or any of my writing for the past few weeks, and its grown cold. So today, I forced myself to sit down and begin working once again. After a bit, with the help of a generously-sized mocha, I was able to get out about 500 words or so, and edited a lot of other good stuff.

So I'm back. Or rather, the book is back.

The Sandman comics

2008-11-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

Marc Bernardin posts on his PopWatch blog on Entertainment Weekly about his love for Neil Gaiman's stellar comic book series The Sandman:

PopWatch: The Sandman

--which pretty much says all that I would say to anyone who has never read The Sandman.

You should. It will change your life. I know it changed mine.

NaNoWriMo--update

2008-11-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

It is quickly becoming apparent to me that, though I've been making great strides in my book The Constable of Bridge, I probably won't make the 50000 word goal by the end of this month.

Ah well.

Its the struggle, the journey that is important, no? So, as improbable as success might be, it feels like the correct decision is to go down fighting.

Victory Rally at Grant Park

2008-11-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, I was there. My friend's fiance was out of town and she invited me to be her "date" for the ticketed portion of the rally in Grant Park. We had a quick dinner and a pint at the Emerald Loop, then headed over.

The weather was perfect. The mood in the air was festive but a little anxious. There was a shared look on peoples' faces, a hopeful expression, a knowing smile that here was another kindred spirit who had made the choice to believe in hope rather than cynicism.

One thing that struck me was the sheer diversity of the people in attendance, much more so than any Republican Rally that I'd seen on TV. Everyone I spoke with seemed to have a bit more intelligence and wit than that average Republican crowd (ie: no one screaming "socialist", "terrorist", or "kill 'em").

We were at the third checkpoint when they called Pennsylvania for Obama and I became quietly confident.

We had just entered the rally when they called Ohio, I started to grin. It was over. People were afraid to say it, there was almost an unspoken worry about jinxing the election, but mathematically I knew it would be impossible for McCain to come back after this point.

Then Virginia turned blue. We realized that this was actually happening. After California closed, Grant Park exploded into triumphant cheers that would make the spirits of MLK and JFK proud!

McCain's concession speech wasn't bad. The sentiment where I was standing was that if this had been the way he'd run his campaign from start to finish, the race would have been much closer. There were a few cheers when we saw Caribou Barbie crying though, and I heard someone, seemingly in the spirit of Eric Cartman, cry out "Palin's tears taste delicious to me!"

Obama's speech, his call to service as it were, was perfectly timed and delivered. It basically said, "We're only just getting started." I could barely make him out from where I was standing, but the jumbotron provided a great picture. His face looked at once both glad and grim, as though he was realizing the enormity of the task before him. Was glad to see Joe Biden and their families out on stage. Pictures of Jesse and Oprah crying were touching.

Before he left, Obama gave a final wave to the crowd in my direction, and, though I feel like a corny little kid writing this, it felt magical.

It was like someone had sprayed Happy Gas throughout the city.The crowds outside the rally were jubilant, a little wild, but with an almost surprising lack of hostility or anarchy. Loved walking around downtown.

I was so exhausted that it didn't really hit me until I made it back to my apartment late into the night. Before going to bed, I watched will.i.am's "Yes We Can" music video. It was then I realized what had just happened, that freedom, caring, and intelligence had actually beat out jingoism, hate, ignorance, and greed. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that we actually might have a chance in this world to make things better.

To echo what we were all crying in Grant Park last night.

Yes, we can.

Yes, we did.

NaNoWriMo

2008-11-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Or, National Novel Writing Month.

One signs up and commits to trying to write 50,000 words during the month of November. That equates to 1667 words per day.

I've decided to give it a go. Since I was hungover Saturday from a fun-tastic Friday Halloween and didn't write a thing, I had to double up and attempt to get in two days worth of writing today, Sunday.

Somehow, after chugging two cups of coffee, I slugged my way through 3200 words. Now I feel mentally exhausted and a bid post-caffeinated edgy.

But it was fun. I've already started this novel, The Constable of Bridge, but I figured this would be a good way to keep it going.

Wish me luck.

I voted today...

2008-10-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

...and I feel fine!

The Early Registration was at 69 W. Washington, right by my office in the Loop. Only took about 45 minutes in line during lunch. As I stood in line, I observed the e older gentleman in front of me, the pretty young woman with an iPod in front of him, the mother with USA stitched into winter cap, and a guy with dreadlocks. For all the diversity in the line, everyone seemed to have the same anticipatory smile on their face.

I felt an odd surge of patriotism and it was heart-warming. Something was in the wind, and it felt like change.

2008 blog entries

2008-10-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

H'okay so here's the deal.

I've had a few different online journals, and I decided to centralize all of them onto one web log. This one. I tried to figure out a way to import all of the entrees from my Myspace Journal and my Livejournal account, but to no avail. My roommate Matt doesn't think its possible, and since he's a techie guy who works for Google, I'll take his word for it. What does this mean? It means that I'm going to have to do things the old fashioned way, by cutting and pasting.

It means these three post are going to be frickin' huge. They're sort of like catch-up posts. What I've done is divide three posts by year. This post has all of my entries from 2008, the previous, 2007, and the one before that, 2006. I'll also be posting notices on my former blogs directing reader's interested in my life and/or writing career to this page.

And so, without further interruption, extrapolation, or rambling, let the catch-up posts begin!

Friday, June 06, 2008
vote for my story,
Hi friends,

Niteblade, the ezine that published my Dante/Hell‑is‑a‑circus story 'The Seventh Day' also prints a Best of the Year book anthology.

This year the book will be titled LOST INNOCENCE, which I think 'The Seventh Day' is perfect for. However, the majority of the contents in the anthology is based on votes.

So...VOTE FOR ME! Its my birthday in a couple days, so consider it as a birthday present.

Monday, June 02, 2008
the hits keep coming!
Had some good news yesterday! This past winter, I read that a publisher called Familia Books was looking to put out an anthology about mothers. I sent them a poem I wrote while at Aquinas and they want to include it in their book! Best of all, they apparently are going to pay me $100 for the poem!

This is by far the most I've been paid per/word, well over professional rates. The only other time I ever made that much money was when I won an Aquinas College short story contest way back in 2003. More details to come soon...

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
new short story "The Affairs of Wizards" available in book anthology!
Several years ago, back when i was a freshman in college I had the idea to write a short story that satirized the whole fantasy/Dungeon and Dragon roleplaying concept. Namely, that when "heroes" kill monsters, they are in fact committing genocide and hunting endangered species.

The result was an extremely rough clunky tale called "The Affairs of Wizards" (the title taken from a portion of a saying attributed by Sam Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings). Many years and revisions later, it had become a story that I was moderately happy with that contained some fairly funny moments.

I realize now that what I thought was an original idea (ooo, I'll satirize fantasy tropes!) has already been done quite well and quite prolifically by Terry Pratchett. For those of you who don't know, Terry Pratchett is the 2nd best selling author in England (he was first, until JK Rowling came along with her Harry Potter books). Picture Lord of the Rings meets Monty Python. Pratchett is amazing and I can't recommend him enough.

So I now view my story as a poor-man's, American Pratchett. And I thought it would never see the light of day. However, I found out about a publishing company looking to produce an anthology of comic fantasy and science fiction and thought I'd give them a try. To my great surprise, they accepted my story and its now available in the actual physical book: Strange Worlds of Lunacy: The Galaxy's Silliest Anthology

Its fairly funny. I chuckled at some of the poems and stories. The art is pretty cool too! Not a bad deal at $14.95. Enjoy!

Sunday, May 25, 2008
The Sparrow now available!
My horror short story "The Sparrow" is now available on the current issue of the Allegory e-zine. You can also download the PDF for free if you like. Allegory is the first magazine I've been paid at a semi-pro rate for, and also the first magazine that has reprinted a story that I published.

So I'm pretty pleased. Feel free to send comments! Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008
good news
I was notified today that my short story "The Sparrow" was accepted as a reprint in Allegory magazine.

Reprint means that it was published somewhere else first. A magazine has to really like your story if they accept it as a reprint! Quite flattering actually. "The Sparrow" is a horror short story about a zombie outbreak on a slave ship in the 1800’s in the midst of its journey across the Middle Passage. Not usually the type of thing I write, but I had a lot of fun with it, and I was intrigued by the idea of contrasting a real-life human monstrosity with fictional super-natural monstrosities. How do those who treat others inhumanely react to something truly inhuman?

The story was first published on the website "The Horror Library" as the winner of its monthly Slushpile contest. To be honest, I wasn’t happy with the format, nor was I happy with the quality of stories that I was competing against. At Allegory, I’ll get a little compensation for my work plus a much better presentation of the story.

All in all, a great way to start the day!

24 March 2008 @ 09:43 pm
lets see...
Had some good ideas, one for a story I'm working on, another yet to be written. I think I'm more excited about the new idea, but that's the nature of my ADD creative beast. The book goes. I'm procrastinating another part of the chapter at the moment.

Work goes. The Easter break was awesome and I need to catch up on sleep if I'm going to back in the swing of things.

Finally, I saw Darjeeling Limited, Royal Tenenbaums, and a play called 13 Dead Husbands all in the same weekend. The result was an absurdist, romantic, humorous extravaganza that, on reflection, I think was very good for my soul.

And on a final note, I'm relieved St. Patrick's Day is done. Rule for next year: No calling ex-girlfriend's "whore", even if they show up at a party with their boyfriend that they had no business being at.

'cause that's just rude.

2/25/08
another acceptance!
After weeks of the dreariest winter I've experienced since living in Chicago, after a month of dull hum-drum boredom, I came home this evening to open my email and receive some great news.

I had another story accepted! The story is called "The Affairs of Wizards," and its actually a humor/satire of the whole Dungeon and Dragons concept. The title actually comes from a portion of a borrowed quote of Tolkien's.

Anyway, the book is called Strange Worlds of Lunacy, which is a pretty good fit for the story. I've been published in a magazine, an e-zine, a website, and a podcast. This makes my first book!

There are few things that compare to reading an acceptance letter for a story you've submitted for publication. Finishing a marathon, having sex, writing something really, truly, fucking electric...

Be that as it may, I'm feeling pretty good. The story is what I call my Terry Pratchett story, though I wrote it before ever having read Pratchett. (I also have written a Borges story, a Stephen King story, etc.) Perhaps its time to break out the bubbly...

14 February 2008 @ 10:11 am
A death
I just found out that an old friend of mine from college died this week.

Its a wierd feeling. 6 years ago we were fairly close, but drifted to the realm of friendly acquaintances by the time we were seniors and after I went to Costa Rica and Chicago we sort of fell off eachother's radars.

I've had classmates from high school pass away before now, but that seemed so far removed from my life, almost a different universe.

But friends from college? That feels like it was just yesterday. Its different from family. Aquinas felt like this safe little utopian bubble, removed from the world. Yes, there was occasional drama, as there must be in such an enclosed setting, but for the most part it was really fun. And now the bubble has burst. The maddening thing is that no one in our circle of friends knows how it happened.

And the most tragic part is that she has a little girl, who's now about 6 years old. I remember playing with Maddy senior year when she was a toddler. I hope that her family is okay.

And Amy, I hope you're okay now too.

1 February 2008 @ 02:00 pm
Scrivener: so far, so good!
I'll admit, initially I was afraid that I wasted $40.00 on the Scrivener softward but the last few days have showed me that those fears were groundless!

I've definitely been able to organize the book and it really has helps put things in perspective for me. The work has continued and I feel confident that its heading in a good direction. From here on out, its Word for short stories and Scrivener for books.

(I only pray that everything continues to go smoothly. Its usually at this point in the process where something goes pear-shaped.)

And then on a personal sidenote, my parents and little brother came in for the weekend. We went out to an Irish pub for dinner and saw a movie. It was nice.

07 February 2008 @ 11:17 pm
a book and a kook
What started out as a way to comment on George RR Martin's "Not-a-Blog" Livejournal account has morphed into a desire to actually write something. Not that I haven't been writing a lot lately, just not on Livejournal.

I just purchased the program Scrivener last night and have been learning the ins-an-outs of it today. For short stories, its not practical, but I've definitely noticed its potential for longer works, especially books.

And since, for the first time in awhile, I'm attempting a book, and its been going pretty good guns, I thought I'd try organizing it. The story was quickly approaching that point where I wasn't sure what to do next, and much as I hate to potentially squelch any creativity by adding structure and even >gasp< an outline, another voice in my head told me it might be a good idea. I guess its time to grow up. (a little)

So there it is, and so far it seems to have gone well. I'll do a little more organizing and fiddling tomorrow, and really try to knock something out of the park on Saturday.

On a sidenote, there's this really obnoxious trollish person who keeps entering things on GRRM's Livejournal. I know it shouldn't bother me, especially because I'm sure Mr. Martin can take care of himself, but a part of me just wanted to find this guy and kick his ass. I'm reminded of my favorite part of the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, where they hunt down every troll who commented on them and beat them down. I wish this guy lived in Chicago, then we could meet up and discuss things in person. (meaning I could scare him) Alas, trolls are a cowardly lot who hide behind their internet anonymity ...

2007 blog entries

2008-10-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here are all my blog posts from my Myspace page from the intriguing year of 2007. Some reading lists, but also a lot of news about my published stories. 2007 was the year I started to get published!

Monday, December 10, 2007
new story "The Seventh Day" available
So I just had another story come out in the December issue of the e-zine Niteblade. The story is title "The Seventh Day" and its sort of a modern homage to Dante's Inferno. (that means its about hell) I actually read it at the Twilight Tales open mic this past November

I'm excited about it for two reasons.

One, it was one of the first stories I wrote after moving to Chicago, and it taught me a lot about writing and self-editing. Seriously, this story went through about 30 drafts and numerous cuts before getting accepted. It is also one of the first stories where the characters just seemed to step off the page and take over. Especially Mr. Lucas. (read the story to figure out what I mean)

Two, its the first story I've written that's received its own illustration! Its just a black and white line drawing, but it as still done by a professional, award-winning illustrator!

The good news is that the issue of Niteblade is free and available online. You can find it at this link:

www.niteblade.com

Click on the December 2007 issue, then click beneath the cover image, then click on the link beneath the Support the Writer's Strike sign (which I agree with, btw), then click on my story. There's the story illustration, and then a nice little author bio, and links to the story itself.

Or, you could donate $2 and by the ad-free PDF of the magazine. Speaking as someone whose other job is layout and design, I was quite impressed with how the PDF mag was laid out. Honestly, it makes my story and the others in the issue a lot better laid out. Plus, it supports the small fiction guys and its a steal. Not all of the stories in there are top quality, but some made for interesting reads. Anyway, I hope that you give my story a perusal. I'd love to hear what you think!

Friday, November 16, 2007
new story, The Sparrow
Alright, I won't sugar-coat it, I'm shilling yet another one of my stories that's just been published. The good news is that this one's free too. The bad news is, well, its not bad news per se, but its a caution that this tale might not be to everyone's taste.

The story is called "The Sparrow" and takes place on a slave cargo ship in the 1800's embarking on the Middle Passage, the leg of the voyage where slavers left from Africa and made their way to the Americas.

Its got zombies.

And that's where the "not for everyone" warning label comes in. The story is actually not as gory as one might think, and in my opinion, the violence is tasteful and not gratuitous. But you can't paint the deplorable conditions of the Middle Passage in pretty colors, and when zombies are added to the mix, there might be a little blood that gets spilled. I was fascinated by the idea of the story, especially the premise of how those who treat others inhumanly for a living would react in the face of something truly inhuman.

The Sparrow won a monthly contest at the website called Horror Library. It can be founded under the Slushpile link. (slushpile is an editors' term piles of submitted stories) I was the featured monthly pick.

You can read the story by going to www.horrorlibrary.net. Again, proceed with caution. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Luna Springs--available NOW!
My latest published story, "Luna Springs", is available for free download in audio format from the podcast Drabblecast. Drabblecast is a weekly short fiction podcast/website and "Luna Springs" is a science-fiction satire.

There are two ways you can listen to the story:

1. If you have the program iTunes, go to iTunes Music Store, click on Podcasts, and do a search for Drabblecast. After Wednesday, 11/7, "Luna Springs" should be available.

2. Or you can go directly to the Drabblecast website: Luna Springs I was extremely happy with how the reading came out. Please give it a listen (remember its free--although you can donate money to the site if you feel so inclined) and send me comments if you like!

Tuesday, November 06, 2007
What movies you ask?

But wait, I thought that since summer blockbuster season was over, there would be no more geeky movies for Pat to get excited about. (Spider-man 3? Pirates of the Caribbean? Pah!)

In this, dear blog reader person, whomever you are, you would be wrong. Very wrong. For you see, on Friday, November 16th, two movies will be released that I have been waiting for for a long time.

1. Beowulf There are so many reasons I'm excited about this movie. It has a dragon and demons and heroes. It has swords. And vikings. It's motion-capture CGI. Anothony Hopkins. Angelina Jolie. Its FREAKIN' BEOWULF PEOPLE!!! The only damn thing I liked in High school Honor's English. Its arm-ripping, blood-pounding, ale-quaffing adventure! AND, it was written by one of my favorite authors of all time, my hero, the man I want to be when I grow up: Neil Gaiman. (oh, and it has nude scenes with Angelina Jolie...digital yes, but still kinda, um, awesome?)

2. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.'Nuff said.

Sunday, September 23, 2007
Number 4!
A few quick updates...

1. I'm no longer going to be posting a reading list here, since my friend at work Rachel emailed me this really cool website called Goodreads, which lets me list all the books I've read in a very nice format. I highly recommend the site to readers.

2. I just found out this week that I've had my fourth story accepted! The story is called The Sparrow, and it takes place on a slave ship in the 1800's. Its got zombies. Anyway, it'll be on a website called the Horror Library.net! Their myspace site is on my friends list. Check 'em out.

3. Another story of mine, Luna Springs, is going to be the feature piece on the weekly podcast, Drabblecast, on October 24th! Its a quick story, and I'm very eager to hear what it sounds like when read aloud.

That's all for now...

Monday, September 17, 2007
Fuck!
God damn it! I just heard the news that Jim Rigney, the man who wrote under the well known non-de-plume as Robert Jordan, died yesterday. Man, this sucks. Robert Jordan began, in the 90's, writing the Wheel of Time fantasy series, a series of books that I began reading all the way back in 7th grade.

The books started off so excellent, though each one at about 900 pages was quite a thing to digest. In fact, Jordan was almost a by-word for fantasy series that grow and grow. Back in high school, I freakin' loved these books. I would re-read them all the time. I started to lose interest after a poorly-written book 10, with no end in sight, but book 11 had brought me back into the fold.

In many ways, us fans never wanted the journey to end. I had always hoped he would be able to conquer his disease and finish his series as JK Rowling and Stephen King had done. And now, the road that seemed like it would go ever onward has halted. My condolences go out to his family and friends. What a tragic thing...

The only thing more I can think to say (and while it is corny, it is true, as so many true things are) is that while Jordan has passed into the Light, his characters will live on.

Friday, August 24, 2007
published again!
I guess good things come in three's. I jut got word that my short story, Luna Springs, has been accepted to be read aloud in a weekly online podcast called Drabblecast!

YESSSSSS!!!!!!

So now, by the end of this year I'll have a poem and two short stories published! Fan-freakin'-tastic. Although my grand total of payment for these stories has been pretty low, its still nice to have gotten some money. More info to come on the details of when the stories will get published.

Also, because of the places that the stories have been accepted, I'll have a work in print, a work online, and a work in audio format! Which is pretty cool.

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Dark Knight pt. 2
I'm an extra in the movie! I'll be filming all day Sunday on set. (God that sounds cool) Yeeeaaahhhhhh!

Saturday, August 11, 2007
Do you want to read my published poem?

As most of you know, I just had my first post-Aquinas bit of writing published this July! To add on to that good news, I just found out yesterday that another one of my stories, The Seventh Day, has been accepted into an online magazine called Niteblade! (should be out this December!)

The reason I'm send this out to you all, is that most of you expressed interest in owning a copy of the magazine I just got published in. Unfortunately, they only gave me 2 free contributor copies. But I'd still like y'all to have the issue. So here's what I'm thinking.

You could either:

A. email me back saying that you'd like a copy and I'll order it online for you, you can pay me back later with either $3.50 or a beer.

B. order the magazine yourself online. Here's the link to their store: http://thewillows.myshopify.com

The magazine is called The Willows and costs $3.50, and I'm in the July issue. Most of the fiction is pretty dark/scary, as is my poem The Pipes of Pan, so be forewarned! If you're getting this, that means you're one of my friends or family who's supported me while I've worked on getting my writing career off the ground, and honestly, that means more than I can say. Its no best-seller, but its a start!

Monday, July 23, 2007
H-Pizzle
Which is, to say, my roommate's "gangsta" nickname for Harry Potter.

Though I am in the midst of a lot of books right now, (far too many to try to put into an updated reading list since my last one--dammit!), I put them all aside for the 7th book by now-billionaire JK Rowling.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: wow. Halfway through the book I had my doubts, I must admit. It gets very dark, very depressing. I wanted more Snape!!! However, the 2nd half of the book, somehow manages to resolve all the mysteries and give us an almost-too-happy ending. Yes there's deaths, and lots of them, but I seriously thought more main characters were going to bite it. The fear of main characters' death did, however add a spicy, icy anticipation flavor to the book which made the experience more enjoyable.

I was also gratified that several of my (and Adrian Blazek's) prediction came true. Although, in a way, this took away from the surprise, but still, ultimately made the book enjoyable. Character favorite, in some ways, was Snape, who I now compare almost to Dicken's Sydney Carton or Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday as an excellent tragically flawed anti-hero.

The best was how I was totally unaware of whether or not Dumbledore had a plan. I can't tell you what was left to chance and what was it. Suffice to say, Rowlling is good at writing mysteries. I'm in awe of her planning skills. So, in the end, the book lives up to the hype. We have a series that can be re-read, enjoyed, and passed on. I can sit back now and wistfully think of how I began reading about Harry 7 years ago, in my room in the basement of my parents house. We (the Muggle readers) and the characters who live in Rowling's world of magic have all changed a lot since then.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT, BEWARE!
My one question, or regret, is that a portrait of Snape as headmaster was not seen in the headmaster's office after he died. I would have loved for some more resolution between Harry and Snape. The scenes where he looks into Harry's eyes (to see the look of Lily's eyes) as he dies and the epitaph that Harry gives about Snape to his son (named after Snape and Dumbledore) were quite beautiful.

I think a conversation between an older Harry and Snape's portrait by Rowling, would serve as an excellent post-script short story...it'd be great if she ever did that...but I guess that's the nice part of me that wants to see everyone resolve conflicts and be friends. Yeah, I'm an old softy.

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Nananananananana BATMAN!
Those of you who know me, know that I am a nerd.

And with that disclaimer, I have to talk about the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT, which is FILMING in Chicago!!! Last week, my roommate and I came across a Gotham City Police squad car behind our bulding. We waited around for a bit (okay, I did climb onto a truck, all secret-mission-impossible style) and we saw Gary Oldman walk out for a scene as Commissioner Gordon. As if the Fanboy in me couldn't be pleased enough, I just found out that Tuesday and Wed. 6/26-6/27, they are filming Batman RIGHT in front of my office all day!!!! Yes, this is me gushing. No, I will not dress up in a batsuit and punch Heath ledger (he's playing the Joker). Although the thought is tempting...

Saturday, April 28, 2007
Reading List (again)

The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester. How do you get away with murder when nearly everyone is psychic? Good. A sci-fi classic. I'm glad to have read it, the man was ahead of his time. Honestly, I'm surprised that they let the book get published in the 50's.

Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where hackers reign, the Mafia delivers pizza (or else!) the CIA has become the CIC (Central Intelligence Corporation), and no one give a shit who the President is. Again, ahead of its time. Basically, the Matrix movies would not exist but for this book. The style is definitely interesting, I would say that it is the definitive "cyber-punk" or "steam-punk" book.

A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore. Fucking hilarious. Chris Moore is the American Terry Pratchett. Bravo! Thank you Adrian for turning me on to him.

Death: The Time of Your Life, by Neil Gaiman. Amazing, as always. Neil Gaiman, I want to be you when I grow up.

Death: The High Cost of Living, by Neil Gaiman. Ditto above. Death as a cute goth chic is somehow very believable to me.

The Dreamhunters, by Neil Gaiman. A beautifully rendered, beautifully written Asian folktale in which a fox falls in love with a monk, and tries to save his life by pleading to the King of Dreams. Neil Gaiman, I want to be your heir.

A Magic Lover's Treasury of the Fantastic, edited by Margaret Weis. Some quite good stories in here. Others were just so-so. It introduced me to Fritzi Leiber, and there was a fantastic piece by Roger Zelzany, and a good Ray Bradbury. Overall, a very good find at the used bookstore.

The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle. Sad, funny, beautiful, and strange. At times it tired me, and at other times (especially toward the end) it made me want to cry. Sometimes it felt as though Beagle was trying too hard to be symbolic, and then again, it worked perfectly. Get it?

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
PUBLISHED!!!
After stacks of rejection letters, it was bound to finally happen!

The July issue of The Willows, an LA-based dark/speculative fiction magazine will be printing my poem "The Pipes of Pan"!

Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooo!

Be sure to try and pick up a copy!!!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007
If all you're friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Uh, sadly yes. And have done so.

In response to my misguided bleached hair of 7 years past, my friend Annie just asked me if Billy Joe Armstrong jumped off a cliff, would I as well? This got me thinking about an incident during my time in Costa Rica. My friends Chris, Heidi, Theresa and I were all staying in the beautiful little surf town of Montezuma, along the southern coast of Costa Rica.

Montezuma is known for, among other things (including topless beaches and great surfing), its spectular series of freshwater waterfalls and lagoons a couple of miles out from the village. Suffice to say, the place is paradise. Lush green trees, water so clear you can actually see the sunbeams wavering through it, even at 20 feet deep.

One of traditions at the falls is to cliff dive. There are several waterfalls, one 100 feet tall, one that's about 50-60 feet, and a couple of 25 footers. The 25 footers are easy. You can swing off ropes and vines into them. However, several tourists have actually died jumping the 100 footers. For while the pools at the bottom are quite deep, they are surrounded by hard, hard stone. Most people content themselves with the 55 foot waterfall.

When I saw that, I thought, "there is no way in hell I'm jumping that thing." I was happy swinging off ropes from 25 feet up, but after that... Its not that I have a fear of heights. I love climbing, love rollercoasters, I leaned over the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland ferchrissakes!

But, I hate falling. HATE it. I am terrified of bunji-jumping. I actually feel queezy when I think about it. So, naturally, I was content to let my friends do it. Oh, how I underestimated the power of peer pressure and my own wounded machismo!

You see, I expected Chris to jump, and maybe the girls, but I thought they would have to work themselves up to leaping off a 60 foot cliff. Therefore I was a little irritated that both girls jumped without hesitating as soon as we reached the cliffs. Not to be daunted, Chris followed. Then they all did it again. And again.

That's when the taunting started. I'm pretty sure I remember Chris calling me a "Sissy-ass bitch", which I think was what did it. Chanting to myself over and over to "Just fucking do it" I ran at the cliff and jumped...

It takes a long time to fall 60 feet.

Midway through, I made the mistake of opening my eyes and looking down.

Which caused me to shift to my side.

Which caused me to LAND on my side.

Which caused a huge splash and a collective "Ooohhhh" from all of the onlookers, including Chris, Heidi, and Therese. I came up to the surface laughing hysterically, and repeatedly saying over and over, "it hurts when I laugh, hee hee."

Turns out I bruised my ribs on the landing, and they would remain purple and green for the next few weeks, and hurt whenever I raised my arm. Nothing, of course, that a few beers couldn't fix, at least for the night. Apart from the sickness of post-adrenaline rush and the occasional pain in my side I was quite glad that I "conquered" my fear, albeit with the help of some well-placed taunts.

So, would I jump off a cliff if all my friends did it? Probably not again. However, for all fellow lemmings out there, if you must follow your friends over a cliff, my only advice to you is, don't look down.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Reading List (3/6/07)
Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson, a historical account that combines the invention of the Marconi's wireless radio and a doctor's murder of his unfaithful wife and how the two events crossed path's in Victorian London.

The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology, slow going but very creepy

Dracula's Guest, the White Worm, and Other tales, a Bram Stoker collection, everything written by the man outside of Dracula. Fascinating
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

I have just recently finished:
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly
The Vampyre, by Dr. Polidori (a companion to the Frankenstein piece)

The Last Duel, by Eric Jager (a really cool historical account of the last government approved duel in medieval France, and all the intrigue that led up to it) AWESOME!

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, a Pulizter Prize winner, loosely inspired from the story of Siegel and Schuster, the creators of Superman

The Line Between, by Peter Beagle..most of the stories in here were pretty good. There's one about a cat that I think my friend Adrian would like. My favorite is the Sherlock Holmes tribute, but the Two Hearts story made me want to read The Last Unicorn.

The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett
The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett
Eric (or Faust), by Terry Pratchett. All of Pratchett's books are, as always, excellent, combining excellent writing, sharp, to-the-point satire, a good story, and great humor.

I am waiting to read:
Adventures in Unhistory: Conjectures on the Factual Foundations of Several Ancient Legends by Avram Davidson....a historical examination of the factual basis for several common myths...I love the idea!

Winter of Enchantment, by Victoria Walker...hey it looks cool, and Neil Gaiman recommended it

The Empire of Ice Cream, by Jeffrey Ford...a good review in F&SF mag, apparently full of very original stories, something very lacking in the fantastic genre today
The Compete Poe Anthology, by Edgar Allen Poe
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Screw work, I'm going for a run.
What? That's all I got.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Fuck Valentine's Day, its my brother's birthday!
Happy Birthday Sean! He's turning 16, which means come June that I'll be 26. Wow. Now I feel incredibly old. And he'll be able to LEGALLY drive a car! Holy shit!

Watch out streets of Portage. I bet my parents can't wait to cope with one final round of super-fun teenage angst before the last Hurley child is finally out of the house...

Monday, January 08, 2007
New Year's resolutions:
1. To get into marathon shape again.

2. To crush all who stand in between me and world domination.

3. To try and be a better listener.

4. To stop dropping acid.

5. To start snorting cocaine.

6. To figure out what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.

7. To drink a lot of Guinness so I can figure what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.

8. Kill.

9. To instate an 11th commandment in Church dogma that reads "It's not a sin if it's awesome."

10. To read less and watch more reality TV. Apparently I'm missing out on what it means to be an American.

Sunday, January 07, 2007
What I'm reading as of 1/7/07:
The Stolen Child, by Keith Donohue, inspired by Yeat's poem of the same name (and my favorite poem ever) the dual story of boy who is kidnapped and the changeling who replaces him

Lisey's Story, by Stephen King, so far, so fantastic...a famous author's wife must confront things that were left behind after her husband's death...one wonders how much of this is based on King's own life?

White Man, by Tony D'Ouza, interesting unique story of a white missionary worker in Africa, quite vivid and I like how the protagonist really "goes native". Very different from what I imagine my friend Joel is doing right now in Africa.

1602, by Neil Gaiman, all the Marvel superheroes in England during 1602. Fantastic, and winner of the Quill Award

The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susannah Clarke...I love English writers and Clarke's tales capture the magic and otherworldliness that fairy tales SHOULD have

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley...taking a break on it, but still plugging away
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology...weird but fun
A Tolkien Miscellany, by JRR Tolkien...Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a very difficult read, but fascinating...I would say its more scholarly than compelling

Civically Engaged Reader, by the Great Books Foundation (that's my office)

2006 blog entries

2008-07-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

Here are all my online entries from 2006. Mostly reading lists and the like.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006
What I'm reading (as of 12/05/06):
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
The Watchmen, by Alan Moore
Devil in a White City, by Erik Larson (AWESOME)
Lies of Locke Lamoura by Scott Lynch, Ocean's 11 meets fantasy medieval Venice..fantastic!
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology
A Tolkien Miscellany, a Tolkien anthology (duh) but it has EVERYTHING by the man outside his Lord of the Rings stuff, including his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
Solstice Wood, by Patricia McKillip
Temeraire Trilogy, by Naomi Novik
Civically Engaged Reader, by the Great Books Foundation (that's my office)
Cell, by Stephen King (creepy)
The Ice Dragon, by George RR Martin
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (AWESOME!!!!!!)

I'm re-reading:
On Writing, by Stephen King
The Earthsea Trilogy, by Ursula LeGuin

Tuesday, October 24, 2006
This the sound a Production Coordinator makes when he's been gone for 6 days and is now trying desperately to catch up on all the shiza that has piled up on his desk:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

Friday, October 13, 2006
I just went to Prom!
So my friend Jen Vanderplaats decided to have a Prom themed party last weekend. The Prom was called:

"A Knight Under the Sea with Stars in Paris Forever"

Sort of an amalgamation of any prom theme that has ever existed. Each of us were to dress in a costume of some prom-related cliche, and I decided to go as the chaperone, Principal Hurley, which explains the new profile pictures. So, after the sweater vest, tweed coat, glasses, pipe, and name tag I was all set to be the fun, cool, slightly creepy, high school principal.

However, what really made this really weird for me is that my dad actually is a principal, and has been ever since I can remember. So whenever anyone called me Mr Hurley or Principal Hurley, I found myself turning around and looking for my dad. All in all, the party was really fun, and I'm glad I got the chance to bond with some students. God, that sounds dirty.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Dave's wedding...
...was awesome!

For those of you who don't know, Dave Williams, my college roommate for two years and one of my closest friends, just got married this weekend! And I got to be Best Man! This was actually a little more demanding than I thought.

It included organizing a bachelor party, renting a tux, buying gifts, decorating a car (those fuzzy things get tangled quite easily), giving a speech, chaperoning a dollar dance with the groom, thousands upon thousands of annoying pictures, and, at one point, sprinting across Aquinas's campus to bring the groom his car so that he and his lovely bride Missy could ride off into the sunset...

All in all it was a happy affair. Dave had a great time and Missy was lovely. The only two drawbacks were the photographer being a little annoying (I think they are paid to be) and the DJ being HORRENDOUS. What kind of idiotic DJ ends a wedding reception with the song "I got Friends in Low Places"? Whadda maroon!

One wedding down, and one more to go. I gotta fly out to Colorado in less than a month to stand in my roommate Nick's wedding. If you think being bestman is expensive, try buying a 2-way ticket to Denver then booking a hotel for 4 days. Yikes. Weddings. Love 'em or hate 'em, I guess 'tis the season. Good thing I don't foresee myself getting "hitched" for a long, long time, cuz I'd be one broke bastard. (instead of just a bastard)

Friday, September 08, 2006
What I'm reading...
Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I figure since I was in the play in college, I might as well read the book. Very intersting, in that it gives a good perspective into 19th century British Victorian society, has a tons of hidden metaphors for sex, is scary, and finally is just a damn good read. Also, I like coming across passages or bits of dialogue and being like "Oh yes, I remember saying that line..."

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde. Barnes and Nobles was having a 50% sale on their classics, which included both this and Dracula. This book is compelling in so many ways. First of all, it provides a intricate depiction of Oscar Wilde's conflicted beliefs. Secondly, the story is so damn fascinating. We see the subtle fall of a soul, no less proud than Lucifer, give away his morality and damn himself to a life fo misery, all the while trying to convince himself that it was a good decision. Dorian Gray is so conflicted, and the book so well-written...wow. I can't decide if I admire him, despise him, or feel pity for him.

The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett. Imagine the Smurfs as crazy Scottish people who've watched Braveheart one too many times, and you have the Feegles, or Nac Mac Feegle, Terry Pratchett's latest satire in to the realms of the fantastic. A young girl Tiffany must find a way to save her brother from the Queen of the fairies, with only the crazy pictsies as her protectors. As always, Pratchett is perfect. Hilarious, a good story, extremely intelligent, and perfect for children and adults.

A Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett. Sequel to Wee Free Men. The stories keep on getting better. With their rampant cries of "Crivens!", "Scunner!", and "Nae problemo", the Feegles continue to get funnier and funnier as they help Tiffany face off against a strange creature that hunts her.

The Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett. Latest sequel in the Tiffany/Feegle story line. I was extremely lucky to get an advanced copy of this, and it was what started me reading about the Feegles. How does Pratchett do it? How is he so funny and such a good writer ALL THE TIME!!?!???!??! Ah me.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Reading List part IV
Sooooooo, what have I been reading lately? Its hard to remember, since much of my brain has been lost in a fog of beer and Lake Michigan water from my adventures two weeks ago. (see previous blog post) But, be that as it may, I think a new reading list of recently completed books is long overdue. And SO, lo and behold, I give to you (whoever you are) a new list of books read most recently:

The Screwtape Letters, by CS. Lewis. I finally got around, again, to reading this book. It only took two days to finish. Awesome. And very scary. Its slightly disturbing that every time the protagonist Screwtape was describing common ways in which to get mortals to sin, I was like "Holy crap, I do this/think like that/ignore this/believe this ALL THE TIME!!! So either Screwtape's minions are doing one hell of a number on me, or I can chuse to accept that CS Lewis was a stuffy British Oxford don, who had some very peculiar personal habits, but also wrote some very awesome insightful books, and therefore I can sleep easy at night....or can I? Anyway, Clive Staple's notion of hell is strikingly similar to one which I depicted in my short story The Seventh Day. We both believe that Hell operates like a horrible big business conglomerate. Kewl.

Elric of Melnibone: Wierd of the White Wolf, and Elric at the End of Time,by Michael Moorcock. I have chiefly heard of Michael Moorcock, because he is a semi-successful fantasy novelist who is very well known for villifying Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. (my favorite books. Ever) So, I decided to give his Elric series a try, mostly after reading the another one of my heroes, Neil Gaiman, likes him. After reading two short books, my reaction is simply: Meh.
It was gratifying to read someone that I feel I can write more originally and better material then. It gives me hope of being published. And while Moorcock's vision itself of Elric, the tragic albino prince with the black sword is compelling, the stories neither read well nor have depth.

Lirael, by Garth Nix. The second book in his well-known Abhorsen Trilogy. A friend whose opinion in books I trust implicitly recommended this series to me. the first one I read some time ago, and was neither dissappointed nor impressed. My reaction is somewhere in between. The idea is very cool. The Nine Levels of the River of the Dead. A magic use who wields bells that invoke various magical properties. A system of markings and Runes that magic is based on. Very cool. However, my main criticism in the first book Sabriel is the same with Lirael: the characters. The characters are not very real to me, nor are their struggles and plights. This is definitely meant for young adults and grade schoolers. Had I read the books back then, I would most probably have loved them. But now...I just don't get into it. Lirael had brief exciting moments for me, but all in all, just seemed like cookie cutter fantasy, the type which Ursula LeGuin complains of.

Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood. My old AQ friend, Molly, recommended that I try out Margaret Atwood, and then I read an interview with her and was impressed. So I bought at a 2nd hand store Cat's Eye, the novel besides Handmaiden's Tale, that she is most well-known for. I was impressed. The fact that Atwood could make my own elementary school struggles come alive for me, that she could make a girl's struggles with self-image, acceptance, career, and artistic fulfilment come alive for a male reader, is, for lack of a better expression, 'very cool'. I would recommend the book to anyone.

Book of Magic, by Neil Gaiman. An awesome graphic novel that deals with a boy who discovers that he has within him the potential to be the greatest magician of his age. Has a whole host of well-known, and lesser known DC comic characters from their magical pantheon, including Constantine, Dr. Fate, and Gaiman's own Morpheus, the Sandman. Many have noted the similarity between this book and Harry Potter. (this came before JK Rowling's fabulous series). Both boys have glasses and dark hair, live in ordinary worlds and discover magical powers, have pet owls, etc. Gaiman himself says to think nothing of this, and that the apprentice magician archetype has many things in common, including owls. As always, Gaiman suceeds. I'd hate him if he weren't so damn awesome.

The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchett. Another fav British author of mine. Pratchett combines Lord of the Rings with Monty Python. The result is something stunning: both with real, compelling, and emotional stories, and also completely f*..@ing hilarious. The Last Hero is no different, except that it is extensively illustrated. It parodies the concept of Heroes in heroic fantasy, specifically Conan the Barbarian and Xena, among other things such as Apollo 13, Catch 22, and all sorts of mythologies. Pratchett is a master satirist, and those who don't read him do so to their own disadvantage and are missing out.

The Prose Edda, by Snorli Sturrslson. This book is a translation of ancient Danish/Viking myths. Its sort of what the Odyssey is for Greece, the Iliad is for Rome, and what Beowulf or Gawain and the Green Knight are for the British Isles. (although Beowulf is also from the Nordic countries) Its very interesting and informative, though not the most exciting read if you are not into myths. More of a way of providing scholarly insights. I read it because two of my fav. authors, Tolkien and Gaiman, have drawn heavily upon it for their stories. Trust me. Also was interested to read that Loki may have been based on Ulysses and Thor based on Hector of Troy. Que interesante. A good read for mythology buffs. Well, thats about it, or all I can remember anyway. Now I have to start reading some of my own company's books, since we produced like 30 since I've been working there!

Friday, July 28, 2006
The Reunion
Once every year, Eric Johnson, Joseph Lynn, and I have a tradition of meeting in one of our respective dwellings for a week of...well, 'mayhem and madness' sums it up both eloquently and alliteratively. Last year, we were in Phoenix where we drank tequila in Mexico, floated down rivers with beer in Arizona, and cruised the strips in Vegas...
This year, both EJ and Joe came to Chicago. (along with several other Aquinas College Cross Country fellows). What ensued was possibly one of the most fun, exhausting weeks of my life. Driving to Green Bay to meet a girl. Midgets wrestling. Cigars on a rooftop. Chilling on Lake Michigan. Boob jobs. The Big Lebowski. Fado's. Taxi cabs drag racing. VIPs. POWER HOUR. Joe brought a CD of 60 one minute clips of 80's songs, with which a group of people can have what is known as a "Power Hour". In this brilliant game, during each song clip, you take a shot of beer. (I've heard rumors that some people have actually played this game with shots of straight licquor, but believe that to be physically impossible.) Even with beer, it is difficult, as you are effectively drink about 8 cans of beer in an hour.

I learned that, if you and your friends are going to compete in a three person team of a triathalon, that as long as you have a Power Hour two nights before, you'll be okay.

I learned that drinking for 5 straight nights and swimming a half mile leg in a triathalon in 60 degree Lake Michigan weather at 7am is not the best thing for your health. Especially when you are the only person in the triathalon swim who does not have a wetsuit on and is just in board shorts. (I have never been so cold in my life)

I also learned that it is not a good idea to try to cure your cold with having another Power Hour, although it may seem so at the time. I learned that beer and cigars with friends will always taste good, no matter how shitty the beer is. I learned never to let Dave "Kegstand" Kramer go into a public restroom unattended. (especially the girl's restroom), and that Dan Kaspowitz is excellent manbait.

Finally, I learned that I'm lucky to have friends such as these. Thanks for coming down guys!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
the sexy party...
Or not so sexy? I learned a few things...

1. Though its very hard to see in a dimly lit bar, wearing aviator sunglasses is always a good idea and will never go out of style.

2. Silk shirts and straight guys don't always mix.

3. Top Gun costumes are fantastic, and you can wear them anywhere, even at 10 in the morning in a diner.

4. Its a bad idea to spill a drink on the girl you are hitting on. Its an even worse idea to apologize by grabbing her ass. (way to go Chris)

5. Eating Chipotle and spending all morning and afternoon watching Family Guy = the perfect antidote for a hangover.

Quote of the party: After dissappearing for 6 hours and supposedly not remembering anything, the next morning Chris Vilcek summed up his night by saying, "I thought, 'Hey, its time to make some bad decisions.'" Classic and classy.

Monday, June 12, 2006
A funny thing happened on my birthday.
I took the day off of work, and after an excellent lunch with my mom, went to Barnes & Noble, eager to spend the gift card that had been one of the birthday gifts from my parents. After purchasing some new books (The Sandman, Book of Dreams anthology for one), I made my way to Lake Michigan to find a nice lonely bench somewhere to sit and read. The day was exceptionally cold, the sky gray, and the wind was fierce. I found a nice little nook out of the wind, began to sip my mocha and turn the pages. It was perfect.

And then the strangest thing happened. As I perused the different stories, occasionally glancing out at the gray and swirling lake, or stopping to answer a phone call from different birthdaywell-wishers, a man walked out in front of my view along the lake's edge. At first, I thought nothing of this, but then noticed that by strange coincidence, he too carried a Barnes & Noble bag and was sipping a B&N mocha. Very odd. And then, as I answered a phone call from my sister, he too took out his phone and began to chat with someone.

For sometime things went this way, both of us either reading or chatting on our phones. This guy had the same dark hair I did, and in fact looked a bit like me, only extremely thinner, maybe 80lbs lighter.

Finally, after having satisfied my need to read, I walked back to the main path along the lake, ready to head home for some dinner and possibly a movie. It was then I noticed that, still along the border between lake and pavement, my new friend was walking back as well. But for the 50 feet of grass in between us, we might have been mirror images of each other. And no matter in what ways the my path curved and meandered, somehow we kept pace with one another. At last my curiousity and imagination got the better of me, and I turned east to walk over to the lake and see who this stranger was. But when I got to the lake front, he was gone.

Anyway, it was probably just a lot of weird coincidences piled one atop of the other, but it gave me a great idea for a story...

Thursday, May 25, 2006
Reading List Part III
Well, its been awhile since I last entered this stuff in. But here goes, from memory. Oh, and I'd like to include the clause that I may have forgotten some of the books I've read (I know, only a total bookworm forgets books he's read recently)

Battle Royale: A Japanese book translated into English. Was a bestseller in Japan. Sort of an action/thriller with a Lord of the Flies twist. The scene is an alternate version of Eastern Asia, where a totalitarion government controls every aspect of their culture. Every year, one class of 40 middleschoolers are placed on an island, where they must all kill each other. The government claims to force them to do this for research purposes. Also, the kids have to do it, or the collars they are wearing around their necks will explode. Pretty grim, pretty horrific, but very interesting and exciting. At first I was quite shocked by the graphic violence in the book, but then the story pulled me along. While you can tell its a translated book, and the words would flow much better in Japanese, it still works. Basically, its an action thriller that begets some interesting sociological questions of how far we are willing to go to survive.

The Brother's K, by David James Duncan. This book was incredible. I haven't stayed up for until 4 am reading a book for a long time, untll this Brothers K fell into my hands. The last time I was this suprised or delighted by a book to this degree was when I read The Power of One by Bryce Caron. Brothers K examines so many issue, and contains too many interesting characters to explain. Suffice to say it deals with baseball, family bonds, the horrors of war, the dangers of fundamentalist religion, and lots more. While loosely connected to the Brothers Karamazov, the connection is still there, and I would recommend this book to everyone!

Great Irish Stories of the Supernatural I found this anthology at my Grandma's, and she let me keep it. I was blown away. Within are great stories of ghosts, the Sidhe, faeries, devils, and mysteries, that only the Irish can recreate. I felt like I was back in Tully again. Some famous Irish authors included in the work are James Joyce, WB Yeats, Frank O'Conner, John Millington Synge, and Bram Stoker. An excellent read for anyone of Irish descent.

The Way to Rainy Mountain. A collection of stories and myths of the Kiowa Native American tribe. The Kiowa's were a horse-riding, buffalo-hunting people who resided in the Central mid-west. Interesting stories, interesting history. A little slow at times, but I was fascinated by the way thier legends were similar to many other indigenous peoples. Another piece of evidence supporting the collective unconscious I guess. A good book for anyone who likes folktales.

The One True Thing, Anna Quindlen. It was made into a movie in the 90's, which I never saw. Its the story of a woman who she finds herself volunteering to take on the chore of caring for her mother while she is dying of cancer. Slow at first, then compelling. I thought that the author dealt with the topic with an appropriate balance of gritty reality and sensitivity to the subject. While a bit heavy, I think its a beautiful story, particularly apt for those who have had to deal with death and loss firsthand.

Monday, May 22, 2006
conversation of the Day
So the managing copy editor and I are commiserating about how insane our projects at work are, and she says,
"it must be hard for you to be caught in the middle of these crazy groups of women who are yelling at each other all day."

To which I responded,
"Are you kidding? I grew up in an Irish Catholic family with 2 sisters, an overbearing mother, and like 30 aunts. I've been yelled at and bossed around by crazy women ever since the day I was born."

We both laughed about this for like 10 minutes, then sighed, and went about our work. Then, realizing how true this actually was for me, I went out to find a nip of baileys or whiskey I could pour into my coffee.

Saturday, April 29, 2006
Invisible Children
No, this is not the title of a new comic book I started reading or a short story that I came up with. This is the title of a brilliant documentary that I saw last weekend, which brought a tear to my eye and rocked my world.

Invisible Children was filmed by 3 students who went to Uganda and came across a horrible, tragic phenomena that is happening there. Every day, a multitude of kids must traverse insane distances to sleep in public places in the city or risk being kidnapped by rebel forces in Uganda. What happens to the children, as they are indoctrinated into the rebel army (called the Lord's Resistance Army I believe) is just too awful to describe.

Anyway, I have a weakness for little kids, and I can't stand it when they suffer. So thanks to this movie I've a new cause added to my list (I can only handle a few more!) Tonight in Grant park, there are many people (including me) going to camp out there as a sign of solidarity for these kids, and also a little letter writing campaign. Corny maybe, but the thought of kids being kidnapped and tortured....well, we can't just do nothing, can we? So I'm in, and I suggest that anyone who reads this should take a look at the cause as well. Donate money. Donate time. Every thing you can do helps. The website is: www.invisiblechildren.com
I would urge you to check it out, and get your hands on the movie if at all possible.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Guster
So yesterday I had the opportunity to go see the band Guster, whom many of my friends enjoy. It was on Loyola's campus, and tickets only costed $5. (Guster tickets generally go from around $35-70) Quite a deal, especially since it wasn't too crowded and we were like 5 feet away from the stage. Apart from feeling like I was 10 years older than everyone else around me (besides my roommate Nick and my friends Cheryl and Brooke), it was an awesome show.

Before the concert, the only Guster song I knew was 'Demons'. (although in all fairness, I liked that song quite a great deal) Yet I was really impressed by the way the band performed, their musical skill and versatility, how they seemed to enjoy being on stage with each other and getting the crowd to sing along. After the blitzkreig of arrogant and talentless pop/rockstars that dominate the media, it was refreshing to see a successful band just wanting to play their music and have fun.

Plus, they are socially conscious, and are running a very cool sustainable/environmental non-profit, which I can always get behind. Anyway, just my thoughts. I'm glad that I got to see their show (if only so I could see what my friend Cheryl was so obsessed about). I know they have a website, so check them out when you can.

Monday, April 10, 2006
Reading List (updated)
Well, I'm about three quarters of the way through wading through the ocean of books that I've checked out from the Chicago Public Library, and I thought I would update this blog with my thoughts on each work that I've finished. Of course, I decided to add more books to the list about half-way through. Ah well, what can you do? Here's where I'm at:

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. Excellent book. Really, it was almost two different books, one about a kid trying to find Truth in its many Faces, (a philosophy I can definitely get behind) and another about a heroic struggle to survive. Basically, the book rocked my world. Especially the ending. It begs the question of how much truth is too much, and whether myths can in essence have more 'truth' than mere facts. [spoiler ahead] I was a little dissapointed to learn that Pi was, in fact, a totally fictional character. I had hoped that his story in part might be based on an actual living person's harrowing account of rescue at sea. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Yann Martel's story was true, from a certain point of view. (as Obi-Wan Kenobi would say) "All writers use lies to tell the truth," was a line in the recent film adaptation of V for Vendetta. Never was the case more true for this book. An excellent read that I would recommend to everyone.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving. A fun, quick read. Washington Irving uses vivid imagery and flowing prose to bring to life a post-Colonial Dutch community. I felt I could see the golden-red leaves, taste the wind, here the raucous laughter of rough and read Dutch Farmers...and feel the gaze of the Headless Hessian as he traced my steps on a moonlit night. Very quick read, that I would recommend to anyone around Halloween!

The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury. Fun. Not awe-inspiring or terribly thought-provoking, but fun. These 18 short stories deal with many Bradbury themes, such as the importance of fiction, Mars, the USA's colonial experience, racism (in a Sci-fi sort of way), the evils of book-burning, and Poe.

The Lord of the Flies, William Golding. Holy shit. This book was what caused me to take a break from Screwtape Letters. It was awesome, but whew! I can still hear the boys chanting "Kill the pig, drink its blood!" The Lord of the Flies lurks in all of us, buzzing, wheedling, whispering in the dark corners of our mind. That doesn't mean that we listen to him. Golding did an excellent job here. This story is...true. It never happened, but its true none the less. While I normally love books that point out that every person has the capability for heroism and holiness, it is also necessary to read books that demonstrate the darkness inherent in every man. This book is like a vivid painting, beautiful, terrible, and lasting.

The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. Not bad. The stories are all different, but all formulaic. I liked them, but was a much bigger fan of Something Wicked This Way Comes and Dandelion Wine. (and of course Farenheidt 451)

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Of all the books I've read recently, this one suprised me the most by how much I enjoyed it. F. Scott Fitzgeral can write, and write well, but that is merely the vehicle in which this story is delivered. The haunting nostalgia, the fading lights and faint laughter, the gray hours in the late night after a party has sputtered and died...these images and ideas spoke to me, haunted me. Gatsby is told by the protagonist that he cannot reclaim the past. To which he indignantly replies

"Of course you can!"

This refusal to give in, to try to subvert the world into one's vision, to never give up the heaven we wish to make on Earth, is tragic and doomed. I see in Gatsby's struggle something noble, if misguided. It is an attempt to reclaim the past, by living in fairy tale world of ethereal lights, fake beauty, and glamourous, shallow illusion. I think our generation, with its priviledge, pomp, and knowledge, must often struggle with the fake "MTV-ness" that allures and bombards us constantly through the media. We experience Gatsby's great dilemna, and hopefully will not submit to its sirenic call.

The Learning Tree, by Gordon Parks. Awesome. This book should be required reading in every high school in the USA. Its characters tell a beautiful story, a story of struggle, nobility, and the harshness of life. [spoilers ahead] It should be noted that, for me, this book mirrors (in tone and story) To Kill a Mockingbird. In the Learning Tree, a white man is on trial for a crime that a black man committed, and the reverse is true for TKM. (and in both trials, the right or left-handedness of the man is used as evidence for his innocence-how I first noticed the parallel) By mirroring, I mean that this book almost seems to be To Kill a Mockingbird told through a black man's eyes. We feel what its like to see the world through Newt Winger instead of Scout Finch. We experience racism firsthand, rather than as reported by a little white girl. And honestly, much as I liked TKM as a film and book, I like Newt's view better.

Thursday, March 23, 2006
Reading List
Well, I got sick of re-reading all my favorite old books and waiting for my favorite authors to write new ones, so I decided to go to the library and pick up some novels that I've been meaning to get around and read. I walked around and the list grew and grew. At work, (the Great Books Foundation), it is a common question to ask what each other is reading. I always forget what I've read, so that is in part the purpose of this list/blog.

Here's what I left the library with, and what I think of each book so far:

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. Wow, I can tell this book is going to be great. 2 days, and I'm already halfway through. I've often entertained the idea of being a member of all religions (not just Irish Catholic), and it was refreshing to find a kindred spirit in Pi.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving. I saw the cartoon when I was a little kid, and the cool-looking but awful-written Tim Burton movie. So finally, I decided to see where they all came from. Pretty neat so far, Washington Irving is like America's first folklorist.

The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury. Already halfway through this anthology of short stories, with a cool premise (each tatto on a stranger tells a different story). Actually, one of them, The Veldt appears in our own Junior Great Books collection, a gruesome, interesting, insightful tale. Very cool.

The Lord of the Flies, William Golding. I read this in high school, but wanted to read it again with fresh eyes, not the eyes of a whiny, tired out kid who is pulling all honors classes, three sports, and a early morning weightlifing class who hated this book. The older me is definitely enjoying it so far, but it is a CHILLING read.

The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. Pretty cool beginning, but not that far into it. I do enjoy Bradbury though, ever since I read the unforgetable Something Wicked This Way Comes.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Once again, read it in high school, didn't like it. Hopefully will have a new experience with more patient, mature eyes. Haven't started yet though.

The Learning Tree, by Gordon Parks. I've had numerous people recommend this book to me. So I finally caved. I will start it soon!

First Post

2008-07-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this to see if its possible to import other blogs and online journals I've created so they can all be linked into this site.

So this might as well be a "this is a test post" type entry. It may be deleted.