Wednesday, March 30, 2011

'Tis a humble update, in the form of a poem, apparently...

Lack of motivation, dammit
you seem to always
haunt, disturb me
giving me reasons
no, false ideas
as to why I should throw
all my talent aside and say
"eff this noise, I'm gonna nap".
Alive, I don't feel like it
having dreams of crying
something is up
but the thing has no name
it is there, a spectre
and thy name is not
Writer's Block!
but who or what are you
spectre?
You have the shape of me
the voice of me
but not the words of me.
Arrows of fire will
hit your forehead
anyway.
Eff this noise, I'm gonna nap.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Yeeeeessssss...

Here is the U.S. cover for 1Q84:
Picture from here (go there for more info about the cover, including an interview with the designer).

Man, it looks great. Loving the eyes peeking through the title. Very haunting.

Apparently, it was made by the same dude who did the cover for Donna Tartt's The Secret History.

/Murakami nerd

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

How to Recognize Different Types of Diarists From Quite A Long Way Away

Number 1: Michael Palin

Link with vital information for your everyday life.

Michael Palin.

~

Okay, end of that. Do take a look at it. It's tons of fun and has some good advice. Makes me really want to get back to my paper journals. Hope it may inspire you to do the same.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Writing Update (Or: Seriously, This Is the Last Post for the Day)

Okay, here's the situation: I got interested in writing flash fiction again (thanks to a local alternative newspaper's online blog), so I've been doing a few stories. What I really like about flash fiction is that it really teaches you what little details would help make the story shine. Or how to capture a moment with two sentences about ten words long a piece. Very challenging, but I love a good one.

Atop that, I'm writing a short story in second person. Another fun challenge, me who often uses third person and sometimes first.

As for Invisible, I ran across an unfortunate snag. It is something that I believe can be amended by a great amount of research and possible peer feedback (when that time arrives, of course). But, without going into much detail, it was disheartening to discover it, but at least I'm glad I found at this stage. I will continue on it tomorrow. I keep stopping and doing other things instead.

Bad writer, bad! No new music for you!

~

One minor note: I subscribed to a few magazines. Haven't done that in a loooong time. I'll be getting Bitch (feminism/pop culture), Under the Radar (indie/alternative music), Mother Jones (progressive journalism), and Poets & Writers (take a guess...). Very excited! All fine magazines, please go check them out!

For the last 9 reviews of my "24 Reviews" project...

I will follow up with these fine media specimens:

Books:
Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson (promised earlier, but listing it for prosperity)
Before the Fallout by Diana Preston
The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood

Revisited Albums:
Casual Gods by Jerry Harrison
Law and Order by Lindsey Buckingham

Albums:
Lindsey Buckingham's new album- will be done upon release
New Worlds by Charlotte Hatherly

Video Game:
Silent Hill: Downpour - will be done upon release
 


~

As for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge:
1Q84
Underground
South of the Border, West of the Sun
Dance, Dance, Dance (maybe?)

~

My plan is 1-2 reviews a month. I foresee 1Q84 being early November, the same for the new Silent Hill. That is the plan, and so it goes.

Holy mackerel...

this dude apparently had the same thought as me:
In many ways, Jerry Harrison is sort of the Lindsey Buckingham of Talking Heads - the factor that pushed them over the top that no one seems to remember or talk about (heck, Harrison and Buckingham even look somewhat alike!).
Dude. Seriously. Get outta my head! Joking aside, it's nice to feel not alone in that thought. As the cliché goes, great minds think alike. And I see that you are from Christchurch. Hope you and your loved ones are well.

~

Inspired by that post, I have decided to do a (revisit) review on Harrison's 1988 album Casual Gods (though actually, that's the name of his band) as part of my review series that never seems to end. Details on that later...

Either way, it's always nice to find people with similar ideas.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Okay seriously, self, post something...

Alright, I posted something. This is it. Or not. Maybe like that Magritte painting with the pipe?

Anyway, sorry for the lack of posts. No excuses, just an apology. So, things have gotten hard for me to keep track of, so I'm back now to annouce a few things:

First off, I'm gonna review something: Richard Matheson's latest novel Other Kingdoms! Whee.

I'm also going back to working on Invisible because I'm silly and stopped on it for some reason. And I will begin an important chronicle: start sending my stuff to various magazines. If I succeed, y'all will know. Because I won't shut the f*** up about it.

Bye for now! And here's to actual posts and stuff.