Friday, December 31, 2010

Resolutions and Shit

Here's my list:

1. Workout at least 5 days a week (Cardio and Strength)
2. Watch less TV, read more (see below)
3. Make more time for Em and Elliot
4. Submit all my manuscripts to contests/press (FULL COURT PRESS, YA'LL!)

OK. So, there it is. Four things. I think I can do all of those. I'm already dong these, but the resolution is to keep those going...

I still plan on watching Criminal Minds...I can't get enough of that show for some reason, but that's on at night, when we're winding down, getting ready for bed, so...

In terms of TV on DVD, well...The Wire has one more episode till we're done (Oh, Omar!), and Dexter awaits (Season 4), other than that, I think we're gonna take a series break for a bit. Just watch flicks, catch up on new releases.

Books:

The Prestige (Currently Reading) - Christopher Priest (so far, the film was better...maybe I'll blog about it when I'm done)
Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis
The Corpse Flower - Bruce Beasley
Angle of Yaw - Ben Lerner
The Frequencies - Noah Eli Gordon
American Owned Love - Robert Boswell
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro (if my dad ever finds his copy)


Plus, I might hit a used book store and pick up something else (next paycheck? Maybe?)

Maybe re-read some Vonnegut?

*

Chas Hoppe and I are gonna start working on a collaborative poetry book. I have no idea where it's gonna go, but I'm excited to start.

*

Alright, dinnertime.

later dudes and duderinos

J.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How many days has it been?

17 days. That's how many days. It's been busy, and for those of you who read my other blog, then you know what I'm talking about. See, I was told I had to blog over there before I blog here. So, it's the holidays, and I have barely any days off (I'm working Xmas Eve, Xmas, New years day), but it's OK. I'm not mad. I asked to work them (more money). I've been trying to squeeze in writing and submitted in-between dad-duty and work. I'm getting a lot more done than I thought. I think is because I figure out where I'm gonna submit before I do it. I gather all the things I need (make lists) and then when I get a few minutes at home, or mostly at ITT-TECH (before classes) I submit a wave of stuff. I've got so much out there it's hard keeping track even with things like submishmash and duotrope and new pages and many of my note books. but I'm managing OK. IN fact, duotrope is a lifesaver, though I'd rather have my own system, I just never have the gumption to set it up. Anyway.

I've been writing a lot. Work gets slow sometimes, and when it does, I'll jot down some lines, write parts of a story, or a poem, or I'll organize a manuscript, and figure out where some holes are, where I need to write more. I just made a list the other day of all my projects, and it's a little crazy. Being someone who had given up on poetry till my final year of undergrad, and even at WWU in the MA program, I wasn't taking poetry seriously till Oliver's prose poem class, I was surprised to see how many completed or mostly-completed poetry projects I have. There's Wolves, Chapel, Rule (my trilogy of performances-in-verse), and there's We're All Just Failures In Successful Skin (my first book of poems, most of which I wrote as an undergrad. It's about my parent's divorce and my grandfather's bullshit when I was in my teens and twenties), and there's Las Cruces vs Bellingham, which is about Bellingham and Las Cruces, but mostly it's about the last couple years of my life: all the changes, the moves, the challenges, the friendships, and the failed relationships, before some of the best things that ever happened to me), and there's my recent project that seems to be about a city and adolescence and crime(?) (I'm trying to figure out whether this would be a good project to collaborate with a certain someone whose work I really love. I think I may be sending him an email soon, but I'm trying to figure out what exactly I want the project to be. Maybe I need fresh eyes).

Then there's my fiction projects (The Story Thief, Bumping, Real Vampires. And then there's The Mission Tapes.

I've been writing a lot of short stories that are really absurd or magical real. I've got a bunch done, and a handful of halfies. We'll see what comes of these, but I know I've got a fiction chapbook out of what I have.

I have this goal right now. Before I finish graduate school, I want to have publish two full-lengths of poems (or have them accepted for publication), and at least one fictional book published. I know, grand dreams! But I think this is realistic. I've been getting published more and more frequently. I think, for one, I'm learning how to submit, how to send the right kind of stuff, and how to know which journals are right. I can't read every journal religiously and learn exactly what they publish, but I can learn what kind of stuff they publish from know what kind poets (or writers) they do publish. A lot of that listing I talked about earlier in this post, is figuring out what piece is right for what journal.

I revisiting Dexter. Emily hasn't seen it. We're on Season 3. I can't wait to revisiting the Trinity Killer in Season 4. We're also wrapping up the Wire. Season 5, disc 3!

I've been playing guitar a lot because my little bro brought me his Fender acoustic. I've been playing for Elliot. He seems to like it. And it gives me a chance to write for Mission Tapes. I've got a lot of songs. I have no freaking idea when this thing will get off the ground, but I need a 4-track. Anyone got one they want to donate or let me borrow for an extended amount of time? Which reminds me, I need to get my microphones back.

Emily just got the OK from the doctor to workout again, so both of us are working out again. Hopefully, I can keep going. I'm tired of being fat. I just want to wear my jeans and tees without feeling uncomfortable. Plus I'm trying to eat right. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, there's more to write about, but I'll save that for another blog. Hopefully that will come sooner than later.

Love ya,
Jooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Sunday, December 5, 2010

A Couple Things:

1)

I love being a father. It's the most rewarding, yet most tiring thing I've ever done. I know I should be blogging on the other blog but I just had to say this. Em is a trooper. While I'm at work all day she's with Elliot. And he can be fussy for hours. The other night, Em slept maybe 2 hours and didn't sleep again till the next night. It seems to be getting better, but I'm out pretty cold at night, and I don't know if Em's just not waking me as much, or if Elliot is sleeping through the night. Anyway, Em is a great mother and the best wife.


2)

I miss grad. school. I miss it. I mean, at least I get to teach and write, but still, I miss it. I miss sitting in a classroom talking about poetry, fiction, film, whatever as though it actually matters in the grand scheme of things. Because, let's be honest, it only mattes to those who care about it. Right? Well, anyway, I can't wait to dig back in. September. I'm curious to see how it all works out with Elliot, with Em going back to school, with coordinating all the public transportation and schedules. I guess we'll see. But I'm just stoked that in 9 months (?) I'll be in grad. school. Now, that I've left NMSU and I'm not in school, cool things are happening down there. I get nostalgic and wonder if leaving was the best idea. But it only takes me a second to realize we left, not just because I wanted to go to a more intense school (we'll see if that actually happens), but because we wanted to be in a city (and because we wanted to take a year off to be around family and friends), and also because there were things I just couldn't reconcile at NMSU. The jist of it? I was extremely let down as a first -year. Would it have gotten better? Yes, I'm sure it would've. I'm sure I would've ended up enjoying my time there as much as possible. Why am I asking all these questions that I'm going to answer? (I yell at my students about these kinds of questions). I understand why they do it. I just think it's lazy. Anyway, I miss grad. school. It's that simple.

3)

I'm still finding time to write. Most of it in jotting notes down in front of the TV when we're watching. The rest is on breaks at work, slow points at work, or at school inbetween classes, or while my students do their in class writing.

I finally finished compling This is the Way to Rule. It's huge! 189 pages. Though, I think that It'll probably be 120-130 when I'm done. I've got some cutting to do (not to mention new poems I have to write to really nail down the beginning, the middle, the end). I'm also gonna do this thing that friend from work suggested. I have some poems that go "listen: can you hear the gates creaking?" or "listen: those aren't fires cracking out there." or whatever (I made those up). So, most of the poems are prose poems covering the narrative of the people traveling around, chasing the wreckage, putting out fires, blah, blah, blah. I also have this is the way to rule and this is not the way to rule poems. So, what my friend suggested was taking those one liners and putting them on their side, on the edge of the page. So, you have the main poems, then you have the side poems. The trick will be to get the one-liners to tell a story, follow an arc, as well as the main poems. In fact, the goal is to have them address a subtext, subplot. So that the reader can read the book two ways.

4)

I still haven't seen Harry Potter. I need to!

Also on the list: Never Let Me Go.
but I should probably read the book first. If I can find it....nowhere, maybe I'll have to buck-up and go to a non-used book store.

5)

No more all Wednesday class at ITT-Tech. I teach Wednesday night and Friday night. GE 217 (Composistion). I can't wait for the day when I can teach Lit and Creative Writing class. i hope I can convince Colubmia College to allow that. I mean, shit, four years of experience should give me a leg up.

6)

The Mission Tapes is on the brain.

Alright, that's all for now. I just wanted to keep blogging as much as I could. So, here you go. Comment on this. Tell me what you think. Tell me your ideas. Let's talk.

Friday, November 26, 2010

A Brief History of My Bands

I don't know if any of you care, but I wanted to write about this. I mean, I'm starting to work on a project about a band, so I think I'm just trying to jog my memory about playing in bands, writing songs, and all that.

So here you go.

My first band, of course, was Autumn Poetry. I started playing guitar (I didn't own one, so I borrowed my friends' guitars...all of our equipment was borrowed, and we ran into some bumpiness in our friendships because of it). I didn't sing at first. First, we got our friend Aaron, who turned out to suck at singing, and who turned out to not be as serious as we wanted him to be (At our first show, he showed up hours late, right before the show started, and it wasn't long after that show in the front room of our house, that we kicked him out (or he quit, or something)). I have pictures of him in the band, but I'll have to find them.

We wrote songs vigorously. Our older friend, the reason we wanted to start bands and the reason we realized we could, told us we wrote songs too fast, told us to not be so serious about our music. But we couldn't help it. We loved it!

Originally, we were called just Autumn, but there are so many bands with that name, so we put Poetis (I think) on the end of it, 'cause it was foreign, and there's a Sunny Day Real Estate song, where Enigk sings in Greek...I think it's Greek. Maybe not. Whatever, this is like 13 years ago. Anyway, that was stupid, so we changed our name to Autumn Poetry. (And as a joke, on one flyer, our friends wrote Autumn Burritos, which pissed us off so much. We were furious and ended up not talking to them for a while). We didn't realize how BAD Autumn Poetry was. Though, years went by and we never changed it. Why? I don't know. We were afraid that people wouldn't remember us. That was stupid, because we were so tiny. Our biggest fan base with in Fresno, or So. Cal. and we were trying to make it in Seattle. But whatever, we never changed our name, not till we broke up, and changed it to We are the Parade. But it was a lost cause. Two big indies and one major wasn't interested in our song. I think our songs were good, but a lot of the lyrics were so bad that we just couldn't sink it. I'll admit, I wrote the lyrics, and even when I wanted to change them, no one else thought it was a good idea. We wanted to ride out what we had going. I'm still proud of those songs, I just wish we would've bitten the bullet and revises most of our lyrics. Of course, there are those classics that we wouldn't've changed, but nonetheless, a majority of the lyrics would've been completely different.

I started playing drums after our original drummer, Bennett Park (great drummer, great man), moved to Berkeley to go to school (still going), and every replacement we got, sucked. So, I let Caleb sing, put the guitar down, and started playing. I remember the first show I played drums. We were going to play a show in Tacoma and our drummer quit, right before the show (we had one drummer who quit on the way to the show, but still played it. It was pretty awful). So, I took the drums, set it up, and played. I basically, just kept time, and let Caleb make most of the noise. Considering, it turned out OK. I started practicing all the time, and eventually, we wrote our Autumn songs to be fairly simple, but with cool patterns, so that I could beat the shit out of the drums, and we could rock when we played.

First line up: Aaron (vocals), Travis (bass/guitar), Bennett (drums), Caleb (guitar, yells, feedback), Joshua (vocals/guitar/bass)
Second line up: Travis, Bennett Caleb, Joshua (same)
Second.five line up: Numerous drummers.
Third line up: Travis, Jeremy (Drums), Caleb, Joshua
Fourth line up: Joshua and Caleb (Jeremy played drums on half our record/Greg, from Kilmer, played bass)
Fifth line up: Joshua (drums), Caleb, Kevin (bass) (who we were playing with in a band called the Hopeful) Carrie (Rhodes Piano)
Sixth line up: Joshua, Caleb, Kevin, Lacey (Rhodes keyboard...she joined us on a Winter tour, after Carrie quit mid-tour...we were all fighting a lot. Carrie called Lacey a bitch, Kevin, who was pissed at Carrie, told Lacey and Caleb. Caleb choked me in front of the Castle in Disneyland. That night the band broke up. The next day, Carrie flew home. Then the band finished the tour, thanks to Lacey learning all the parts, while Kevin and I were in Santa Rosa drinking with the Polar Bears at a New Years Eve party)
Seventh line up: Joshua, Caleb, Kevin, Lacey, Chad (guitar) (I had started booking for Chad's band Never Again. He started playing on a couple songs, and eventually, he became permanant, much to Kevin's un-happiness).
Eighth line up: Joshua, Caleb, Chad (bass) , Lacey. (Kevin had quit as were were finishing up our full-length. Chad slid right into playing bass).
We broke up in the Horseshoe cafe, discussing our options. Tooth & Nail seemed interested, but then decided not to pursue us. Militia Group really liked our record, but thought that we weren't pop-punk enough to sign at the moment. He said, "We just signed the Appleseed Cast. They don't sell like pop-punk. So, sorry. We signed the only non-pop-punk band we can sign right now." OK. He didn't say this verbatim. But our contact relayed this to us. And finally, a friend tried to get this to his manager and major label, but it turned out to go nowhere. So that was it. Our last show was a house show in our friends' house, with our friends' bands, and we played three songs, before the cops shut us down. That, and we played someone's wedding as a favor. It was weird watching a bride and groom sing along to our tunes.
*
THE HOPEFUL - Was a band for Caleb's songs. Brian from Kilmer played lead guitar, Kevin played bass, I played drums (this is around the time, I started playing in Autumn. I think these practices helped me become a better drummer for AP). We practiced in Brian's garage once a week and played only one show, at the Woodinville YMCA Youth Center, which is actually two blocks from where I live now. I jogged by in and though t about that show. I wore a red scarf as I played. Caleb just recorded a handful of song, many of them from the Hopeful days. The record is almost done. It's really good. Sometimes, the songs get stuck in my head. Sometimes, I hate that.
*
Oh, Paper Airplanes. A girl broke my heart and I wrote songs about it. Truth is, a lot of the songs were already written, so I just pretended they were about a girl. I thought it was a poetic thing to do. Now, I guess it just makes me look like an idiot. In the background, is Matt. He played keyboards and programmed my beats. I tried to keep him in the band, but his rhythm and timing were awful. His beats were cool, though, and on our first record, we used his as the skeletons for the ones we finalized. He came and sang on the record with me (background yells), but he had left/I had asked him not to play anymore. I was a little mean to him. That picture is of me looking back at him and saying, "Stop playing," because he was way off and it was messing me up. I still apologize to him about that moment. Next time I see him, I'll apologize. He was a great band mate and a good friend, regardless of his political views. Haha. I have two records I recorded with this band. I released neither. Once again, lyrics kinda suck (but some are better than AP), but the songs are pretty good. I might go back to the well, when I make another record. Re-vitalize them, change them, rewrite many of the words. This is the band where I decided you didn't need a bridge to make a decent song. Just a verse and a chorus and a louder chorus at the end. I played my last show opening for Mount Eerie and the 1am Radio at the VU at Western. I sang a song about that girl who broke my heart, and I'm told, when she heard the song, she started crying and ran out. Awesome. But not really.
*
This picture is in Seattle, outside the new Paradox in Ballard. We hadn't even recorded anything yet. We were still just an idea, just pieces of sections (oh yeah, we called songs, sections, because we would only write small pieces/sections of songs, and most of our sets were ad-lib/improv).

I remember the first time we jammed. It was before an Never Again practice. We just started playing shit. It was cool. I said, "We should do this." Chad said, "Yeah, this is cool." Or something like that.
*


I was gonna start an Explosions in the Sky type band with this guy, and we jammed in his room a couple times, but nothing ever came of it. Too bad. It would've been a blast, especially if he kept that mustache. Sexy and so hip.


*


Wendelin joined The Braille Tapes, 'cause we love his drumming. He was in In Praise of Folly and Members Of. We recruited him to play on a couple tracks on F-Bomb, but those couple tracks, became more. On our first tour with him, he played only half the set, and he was supposed to do that for the entirety of his tenure in the band, but when we started writing Robot Meat is Murder, it just made more sense for him to play drums and Chad to play bass, because I was showing everyone the songs I wrote.
*
Then Drew joined, played a few shows with us and Wendelin (also of In Praise of Folly and Members Of). We thought, he would become a staple, but that sort of fizzled out when his new band with Wendelin, Rooftops, started getting attention. Wendelin stuck it out with us. And we were glad, 'cause he's probably the best drummer I ever played with. He makes me look bad.

*
Then, while writing Robot Meat, my brother joined the band. He's always had a knack for writing coolest secondary/lead parts that don't sound like a guitarist wanking away, but accompany the music. It was pretty cool having him in the band. Though, he couldn't understand my distaste for touring, my distaste for long recording session. I guess, looking back, I was just burnt out. I miss playing. I miss writing songs and showing them to bands. I miss playing shows. I miss those drives to Seattle for shows. I miss standing in the back of a club after a set, steaming, talking about the set, making jokes, looking at my band-mates, and thinking, "These guys are amazing." It's weird thinking about ever playing music with anyone else. I learned how to play music with these guys, I learned how to write a good song, how to sing, how to make a melody, how to record a record.
*
There are bands I didn't write about. All of them short-lived: Ian (me caleb and some ass-hole. We played two awful shows.) Oden (I played drums, Travis and some other dude. Butt-rock, but not cool. They started doing drugs, a lot. Plus the music sucked) Magician's Newphew (Me, Matt, and Travis. We wrote one song. It sucked. We just stuck with Autumn) Southern Gospel Revival (I wasn't in this band, but I wanted to be. Caleb, Jeremy Vincent-our pastors song, and Travis on drum. They sounded like a bad version of 764-Hero and Blenderhead. Though, they had their moments. I really wanted to be in this band. And was crushed when they wouldn't let me. Jeremy was the lead singer of Wink and Silas, both local bands who almost signed with Tooth & Nail) I think I was in a band with Kevin that didn't go anywhere.
*
Right now, I'm writing songs for that big project I wrote about the other post. THE MISSION TAPES. It's weird. I'm going to write the songs, then tear them apart and place them in a decade. I'll have to research (listen to bands of the time and learn HOW they played drums, guitars, keyboards, bass, etc. How they made melodies). I have to learn about how they recorded, and tell our producer. But it's fun writing for someone again. Truth is, I'll probably just recruit The Braille Tapes for the band. But we'll see.


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Still submitting

I just finished another draft of The Story Thief and sent it to an agent.

I've sent out a ton (I told Ian close to 100) query letters: Presses, agents, etc. I've gotten a ton of rejections and a ton of no responses. On a random search on a website I will not mention due to the fact that I just went through a fucked up editorial experience with them, I found a link to this agent. So, I made another query letter and sent it out...I didn't expect anything, but one day later she responded. "Yes, I would love to review your manuscript." Thank you, Kate Trueblood, for teaching me how to write a decent query letter. So, yeah, it's not an acceptance or anything, but it's still a response. I'm stoked.
*
Anyway, I'm gonna blog on our other blog sometime today.
Later,
Joshua

Friday, November 19, 2010

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER NOVEMEBER


I love this photo! This was The Braille Tapes last bar show. This line up is pretty close the the final line up in Autumn Poetry. Minus Wendelin and plus Lacey. Only I drummed and Lacey played keyboards. I'm not sure if Autumn Poetry ever played in this bar. In fact, we barely played in Bellingham. We played very few bar shows, a handful of WWU shows, and a ton of house shows. While BT played anywhere and everywhere, but mostly bars. That guitar I'm strumming isn't mine. It's Chad's (his first guitar, got it when he played git-tar in the jazz band at Snohomish HS), and he would never part with it. If I buy another guitar (currently, all I have is Emily's) it will be that guitar. I mean not that exact guitar, but the same model and everything. OH, I miss it. You know what else I miss? Playing drums. It's been 17 months since I've played drums. I wonder if I still got it...

I've been itch to get behind the kit, and also, to plug in. I've been writing songs for this fiction band called Mission. The songs kind of sound Braille Tape-ish, but my plan is to Baroque them up a bit. Throw some Piano and Harpsichord in there, everything in a back-beat, but sloppy. I want these songs to sound "ahead of their time" but from the late 70s. I've been enlisting people in this project. So far, I have filmmakers, photographers, musicians, me (doing a big chuck), some possible poets, and I may be asking some of my friends (hint, hint) to contribute. Sorry, it's vague right now, but it's still in the germination stage, and it won't be years till I really start buckling down on making this happen. All I know is that there will be fiction, faux-reviews, a faux-documentary, poems, photos, album artwork, fiction (maybe different accounts), and a record or two). Of my friends, I've already figured out who I'm gonna ask to do what...

I just had a crushing rejection from a press (crushing because of the circumstances, and the fact that I had just bled over a revision, and it turns out they didn't want to publish my book, but something else, completely different...that and that apparently, they never understood my intentions. AT ALL. I'm actually really crushed. I've read their reason ten times now, and just a hour ago, I read it again and wrote responses. It feels like they just gave up, because they realized this wasn't the book they envisioned. Yeah, duh. It is my book. Not yours.) Anyway. I'm still bummed out and trying to recover by looking for press accepting submissions. It's not the same. I was so close, and the former head-editor of my project (before she left) had high hopes for this, but it seems once she left, the new editors gave and (they were over a month overdue from pitching to the executive board) when they contacted me with the rejection...oh, yeah, they never even pitched it to the board. How shitty does this make me feel? Uh...

Anyway, it's hard to be to bummed when your wife is Emily Fix and your son is wearing a Batman onesie, asleep in the swing.

Later guys,
Joooooooooooooooooooooooooooooossssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I'm trying to keep up...

but it's hard with Elliot and work and stuff (to read a bunch about him and us, please go here). Elliot is amazing! I'm sure you've seen pictures by now...cute! Anyway, I've just lost a bought some of his fussing and Em has rescued him from my arms. He's quite fussy today, and I think he's gassy or something, or he's tired. It's still adorable. Anyway,that's other blog...
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I'm in the revising and submitting phase of how I work. Basically if we were to chart my work it starts out with the idea process (which can be just random ideas and fragments, or the skeleton of a poem or story), then to first drafting (hand-written in notebooks...could be as little as one draft, as many as ten), second drafting (re-writing in another notebook), the third drafting (actually typing it out), fourth revision (final revision--before the "book revision"), then I start submitting. Usually, that's in the fall, but it can span the whole year. Actually, if I think about it, I am always in different states of different projects, so while I'm submitting the Story Thief, I'm organizing This is the Way to Rule, revising B'ham vs. Las Cruces, and drafting a short story. Anyway, I've been doodling mostly with new poems, and revising (in many stages) of my projects/poems.

This reminds me. Ian (And whoever might be interested, I'll try to put together a list of journals that have online subs, that are cool, that you might want to submit to...it may take while, but I'll finish it).

Speaking of ideas: I keep figuring out things for the second book of The Story Thief, which maybe should have another name. Book One will be The Story Thief. Book Two will be The Resistance or The Story Tellers (or something that isn't lame). Book Three would be ... But it's getting pretty HUGE in scope, and I'm looking forward to working on it...which will probably be this summer...if I'm being realistic.

Teaching has been going OK. I still don't have a key to my office, so I have to stand outside the door and knock till someone lets me in. They just won't give me a key. It's ridiculous. But other than that, I'm enjoying my job. Some days are easier than others, some days are great! Yesterday we were supposed to debate. But debates are stupid, and sometimes, bullies in the class use this as a chance to be assholes and yell (they think they're winning, but they're just acting like Fox News anchors), and other kids shit their pants at the idea. So, instead of doing a typical debate, I tried something progressive (or at least I think it is). We "walked through each team's debate. So, we'd start with the introduction, and move through points one by one, then I'd ask how they would close. Each point, we would rebut, discuss, and occasionally, take a sidebar to discuss what we were doing, and why something wasn't working. I tried to get them to look at the process of argument and rhetoric, to not think in terms of win or lose, but in terms of how it works, how it should go, and how it could go. It's tough. People get heated, and ignorance is a problem, but in the end, even the side who I vehemently opposed (for the Arizona Law) were making logical claims, I suggested they avoid the topic of "human rights/american rights" like they'd avoid an ex in a grocery store. But the other side, I suggested really going straight towards that slant of the issue. Both my classes had successful results, and almost everyone participated, probably better than they could've with a formal debate. What's great is that I tricked them to think that they had to debate, so they were prepared to, and were relieved when we would just walk through it instead. Anyway. Now, I have to read their rough drafts about the same issues. Fingers crossed.

We're getting through THE WIRE season 4. It's good. Enough said.

My reading is lax lately, but I've been reading Carmen Gimenez Smith's Bring Down the Little Birds. Seriously. Read it! I'm writing a review for the Bellingham Review, and really I don't know what to say. The book is about motherhood and family and being an artist. I started reading it in the hospital, and it was just clicking. I put it down for a couple days just to gain some objective distance from it, but I know it'll pull me right back. Her voice and honesty is brutal and warm at the same time. She is open, and she knows that people judge (especially other parents), but it doesn't matter. She's going to write it. Anyway, enough of that. I got a review to write.

OK. I was gonna go longer, but fatherhood calls.

Later.

I'll be blogging again soon.

Joshua

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Another Blog Post

OK. During my last post I did not mention. Stone Temple Pilots, who seemed to be roaming around in that Grunge-era. At the very least, they're overplayed on the End. And unlike many other bands that I might approve of hearing, I can't stand to hear STP. They're not bad, they're just OK. How they got so huge? I don't know. They're lyrics aren't bad, just OK. Song writer, OK. Sound of recordings, OK. Maybe it's Scott's craziness. I don't know. Fellas if you disagree, I understand. I mean, I do. I can see how people would like this band, and actually, for a while I did too. But as of late, I've really been dreading hearing the End play them, oh, and Sublime. Yuck...though, I like one song (and I don't care what you say): "What I Got."

But enough about music for the time being.

I've been on a submitting rampage. I've sent one through the mail, at least fifteen through the CLMP online submission manager, close to twenty through the Submishmash mananger (Submishmash is awesome! Unlike the Clmp thing, there's a base of "my submissions" that you view. So, it's kind of like Duotrope, but only for Submishmash), a couple though email, and like one through a submission form. I hate email subs, post subs, and sub-forms. You can't see what's going on. CLMP, even though you only know if they got it or rejected it, at least you know they have it. Anyway, now's the waiting game.

I just watched Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Jim Halpert, I don't know what kind of film you were trying to make, but it wasn't very good. For one, as Emily put it, "It sounds like monologues," and "No one talks like this." For two, the way he shot and cut it, really disrupted what could've been fluid. I know that's probably his aim, but it got to be pretty convoluted, and the things that were good (a handful of the interviews, some awkward scenes between people, Christopher Meloni, and the way in which he would have scenes where people where explaining a scene, happen as they are explaining it, in the scene...does that make sense. Think Reservoir Dogs bathroom scene with Tim Roth and two cops.) But mostly it was a let down. And the way they talked to each other...just not good.

Did I tell you I'm re-reading American Gods. I'm still at it. I only read it in bed. Mad Sweeney just came and told Shadow he needs the coin back. But Shadow didn't have it.

I'm supposed to be writing a review for the B'ham review. I get the book next week. I'm stoked to read the book, and I expect to like it.

I've had trouble writing anything new lately. I got a poem out, after like four-hundred drafts that went no where. But I can't write new stuff. Everything is stuff within stuff that's already going. Like certain books of poems, or certain sequels to certain books I've just finished. It's hard, 'cause I have idea for stuff, but my brain just won't let me go for it. I think it knows how much I've already started. Like my little band book/script. I can maybe write a page before my brain shuts off. So, I've just been doodling when I can think of something. Eventually, I'll have to go through those "notes" and see what I have brewing.

I did, however, find the perfect first chapter for The Story Thief: Book Two.

It's a piece I wrote in New Mexico that started as a play/film in Bellingham. That just never seemed to pick up the steam I wanted it to. No one could believe that a guy who wanted to protect people would tie them up to protect them. And the stuff that led up to it, people didn't believe. So, I gutted that (though, mark my words something I write will have these scenes it it!!!! Cause they're awesome, I think) and made the scene turn into an extraction. Two guys come to a house to murder people for accidentally killing their wives, but when they get there they hear a baby crying, and one of them can't do it. They argue one storms off. And this is where the story will fork into Story Thief land. I just typed it out, the synopsis and realized the spoiler I just produced. I'm stoked about it, I'll say that.

Well, I got my blogging in today, and I don't expect to be able to blog for the next couple days, but keep checking back, you never know.

Later,
J

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Grunge Rock/The End

So, being back in Seattle has many benefits, and though being in Chicago would be rad, home has been great to us. We have a cool apartment (I'll have pictures up soon, I promise), we are close to friends and family (those of you who will be visiting home this summer and winter, well...we'll be here), we have good food, grocercy, etc, etc--the list goes on and on. But what is really great is the music. I have KEXP when I want it, and I have the End. Growing up here, the End got old. I mean, how many fucking times can we hear a Red Hot Chili peppers song, or Sublime song, before we start loading our revolvers? They have a bad habit of shitty DJs (minus Harms, who is pretty legit) and playing shitty-ass songs over and over, or overplaying fantastic songs so that they become old. Let's face it, I'm fucking sick of Kings of Leon, I'm fucking sick of MGMT, I'm fucking sick of whoever else is overplayed. And in our young-days I would be sick of all the Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. But before you say, "Hey Josh, they still overplay those bands," I will say, "They play those old songs, and there are so many of them that they are sick amongst the modern shit going on, or the overplayed stuff." Nothing's better than hearing Linkin Park end, and then "I fell on Black Days," by Soundgarden start. And don't fucking get me started on Mumford and Sons!!! WHO THE FUCK LIKES THIS BAND?! WHOOO! AND WHY IS THE END JOCKING THEM SO HARD. It's like the Djs have started dry-humping this band's leg. Why? They suck! They're horrible, they're not even good, and their bridges sound like the stuff Death Cab for Cutie throws away for sounding bland or easy (and considering their recent work, that's hard to do). So, what the F guys? Lyrics: "It was not your fault but mine, it was your heart on the line, I really fucked it up this time, didn't I my dear, didn't I my dear." Seriously? The rhymes are even lame and easy. The lyrics are weak and cliche, oh and just because you say "fuck" in a song doesn't make it cool or better. In fact, in this case, it sounds like they forced it in there jsut so their weak-ass song could have a bleep in it. These guys derserve to be in the realm of who-gives-a-fuck, but The End seems to love them. Please someone explain how anyone could love this band? Please. I don't understand.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, grunge.

Soundgarden is a band I barely enjoyed, but as of late, I've been stoked to hear them on the radio, and I even got myself Superunknown (is that the name of the record?)...the one with "Blackhole Sun" and all the other hits. I've also been getting really in Pearl Jam again. Like really in, like I want to go back, start at the beginning, and work my way through their stuff. I've seen them live three times, but never owned a record. I'm kind of regrettting that now. Nirvana. enough said. You can't overplay this band (at least you couldn't now, so many years after the fact). This band is brilliant. The list goes on, but those are the bands that have stuck with me as I started writing this blog here.

But this final band gets its own paragraph. TEMPLE OF THE DOG. You rememeber this supergroup. A tribue to Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone. The song most of you Seattlites may know is "Hunger Strike."

I don't mind stealing bread

from the mouths of decadence

but I can't feed on the powerless

with my cup already overfilled

But it's on the table

The fire's cooking

And they're farming babies

While the slaves are working

The blood is on the table

And they mouths are choking

But I'm growing Hungry...



BOOM!

Em's been known to wake me up by playing this song in the morning. It's a great tune to wake up to. If you haven't tried it. Try it.


Oh, and I think Alice in Chains still suck. I don't care what you say. Here comes the rooster? Here comes another singer ending every phrase with "Er"

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OK. That's it for today. I feel good about what I said about the End and some of the bands.

Later,

Joshua


PS no baby yet. Keep your fingers crossed and your eyes peeled for news.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

It's Halloween

Yeah, and I'm dressed up like a Seattle cliche (grunge rocker). I'm working till 8:30 tonight, and I'm blogging because there's nothing to do. Well, there's stuff to do, but it doesn't need to be done right now.
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A couple days ago I started re-reading American Gods. It's even better the second time. I read it in bed. So I'm taking my time. I'm also flipping through a few poetry books (Carolina Ghosts Woods/The World Doesn't End/Lug Your Careless Body Out of the Careful Dusk), but mostly I've been revising and submitting and revising and submitting and revising and submitting and revising and submitting and so on...
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It's true that I've thought about getting a PhD. In fact, when I first started looking for schools to attend after Western, I looked at exclusively Creative Writing PhDs, and with the exception of Denver (which seems like the coolest fucking program EVER), nothing really seemed to pull me its way. The one school I still had on my lists till the last minute was SUNY Albany, but I dropped it off the list as I was sending out letters. But if I was to go (and this is hugely hypothetical), I think I would study film or some form of lit (poetics? narrative?), because I don't think I would want to stick with creative writing studies. One, I've been writing in school forever, and I would like to study something that might help me get a job (something that diversifies my CV) rather than another creative writer. I mean, Jesus, I'm already that guy with my MFA. But if I did go study film for a PhD my thesis would have to be about Paulie Shore. Either than or authorship in film. But probably Paulie Shore. Emily sent me a link to Lamebook, where a guy is bitching about the paper they had to write about a film. He couldn't understand why a professor would assign the film. Well, the film was supposed to be Apocalypse Now, and he renting something else...guess what...give up? In the Army Now, and he had already written two pages. I WANT THAT PAPER!!!! Here's the link!
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Speaking of MFAs, one thing people might not tell you is that you NEED to publish to find a tenure track job. NEEEEEDDDD!! I've been sending stuff out for years, but the last couple, I've buckled down. I think my work is good enough now, and my earlier stuff was still trying to find itself...and even the earlier stuff that was good, it was presented in the right way. There are tricks and little trades you need when submitting. I also didn't realize how much research it takes to submit. You have to read journals to know where you'll be accepted. And since last year, I've been reading and submitting based on what I've read. I've even (for the first time), simultaneousnessly submitting not only poems and prose, but books. My books are out there being considered, and yeah, probably all of it won't pan out, but I will continue to send out.
People tell me to submit to contests...I wish I had the money for that, 'cause it looks good on CVs if you've won awards and prizes. Well, when I can I will submit. I just hate my odds. So, I've been researching contests too. Maybe if I can make some extra money, I can submit to contests.
I have a story and a handful of poems coming out, not to mention a book that is still in the final stages of consideration (I haven't heard yet, but they are pitching to the executive board soon!!!)
I also have a lead on a possible press that would actually be a PERFECT FIT for To the Chapel of Light. We'll see though, we'll see.

I'll keep you guys and gals posted on any publications like this one...

I have a story coming out (thanks Ian) soon...

Later,
Joshua

Oh, and are you keeping up on our baby blog. I'll be blogging on both, but that will be reserved for family/baby/life stuff, while this will be about the arts/films/writing/teaching and shit like that.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Holy Shit

Yeah, I'm blogging again. We'll see how much time I will actually have once our little baby comes, but we'll see. There's a lot going on.
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For baby stuff visit our blog here
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Right now, I'm teaching Composition for Itt-Tech. It's really different. I'm not allowed to wear jeans or tees or anything. I have to wear slacks and ties. It's quite constricting for me, but I'm starting to get used to it. I just hate having to tie a tie when I teach. My classes are on Wednesday morning from 9-12:30 and night 6-9:30, with a huge break in between. The students get bored by hour 2 and it's a struggle to keep them focuses. We spend a lot of time discussing things or getting off track. It's good though, the classes have become really comfortable, where debates and discussions don't feel forces...at least for the most part. We'll see if I get another teaching job as well at ITT. I hope so.

My other job is working at the Residence Inn in Redmond. I work at the front desk and I have loads of a shinagans to share, though not today. Maybe I'll post a whole blog about all the shit I've experiences, all the people I work with, all the incidents with guests, and all the drama. I actually like the job, considering. One, I get lots of material. Two, many of the people are cool. Three, I get to meet a lot of cool people from all over the world. Four, I get to hear tons of awesome stories--I met a guy who has been in the movie theater business since before there was sound. He was there for the converting of theaters in Chicago. Yeah, and he was from Chicago and talked like it. Way cool. Anyway, it's going good. I just got a raise and I think I know what I'm doing. Plus they're cool about taking time off for the baby and teaching.

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I've been waiting to hear back about my revisions to When the Wolves Quit. It's been a while, but I'm really stoked about the work I did. I threw out close to 15 poems and rewrote 16 more, plus completely gutted and revised 80% of the book, including reorganizing, removing characters, scenes, etc. I'm really proud of it, and hope that the executive board agrees. Fingers crossed.

There's a small press looking at my novel, Bumping. I haven't heard from them in months, but they like the first 30 pages or so. So, we'll see.

I've published a short story in Barnstorm (coming soon) and a poem in Rougarou out of Louisiana(coming soon), and many other poems and stories still in queue. In the next couple days, I have to submit a shit-ton of poems out to journals, and do it before the baby comes, so I can just wait for responses. It's a lot of work, but I think I did most of the grunt work. Now, all I have to do is email, post, or mail. I'll post links everywhere when they're out.

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I've been writing like crazy over the summer and fall, and I've got a new chapbook titled Bellingham vs. Las Cruces vs. Chicago. Guess what it's about. And I've finished the producing most of the material I will use to put together the first draft of This is the Way to Rule. Which is a post-apocalyptic book of poems. I've also started mapping out The Story Thief: Book Two, as I've been revising (once again, but mostly the first chapter) of The Story Thief: Book One. Ian, you will be psyched for the stuff that happens. Also, there will be many cameos. I also started fiddling around with a script idea about a bunch of 40 year olds who are obsessed with a band who's recordings disappeared from their studio in the late 70s (and the record was supposed to be their Pet Sounds or St. Peppers), and these 40 year olds, who are in a cover band of this band (The band's name is Mission), decided to try and find the tapes. Anyway, lots of writing. I'm guessing I won't have much time coming up.

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I'm behind on Mad Men, so don't ruin the ending of this season for me. Emily and I were in the process of moving and just got behind.

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The Wire season 4 is in the mail. Can't wait!

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Always Sunny in Philadelphia... watch it. Danny Devito--enough said.

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Books I've read recently/reading:
Cave of the Yellow Volkswagen - Maureen Seaton
Black Maria - Kevin Young
Heyday of Insensitive Bastards - Robert Boswell
One Girl Babylon - Ruth Ellen Kocher

And I've read a ton TON TOOONNN of literary magazines that I picked up at AWP last year:

Top Ten (no order) -
Puerto del Sol (Yeah, I read for them, but they're rad)
Sonora Review
Black Warrior Review
Ninth Letter
Hotel Amerika (yeah, Columbia College)
Columbia Poetry Review (yeah, Columbia College...wondering why I want to go there?)
Denver Quarterly
Water Stone Review
Pleaidas
Mid American Review

OK. That's all for now. More stuff soon. Maybe pictures of the new place. Pictures of our summer. And hopefully soon, pictures of our baby boy.

Peace out.
Love.
Bye.
Joshua



Thursday, August 19, 2010

I won't be blogging for a bit



I will be editing and revising WHEN THE WOLVES QUIT.

I got a lot to do this month...a lot.

Soon I will emerge from this non-posting phase.

Love, J.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

It's my day off.

And we're probably headed out to Richmond Beach. This is Indie's favorite spot! She's even waded in the shallow water a bit...without knowing it...

We were planning on possibly going to see THE EXPENDABLES with Dave, but probably not till next week. That movie looks reeeee-diculous!

I just paid my deferment fee at Columbia College. All told, I paid a decent amount of fees--one to accept my spot, the second to defer--so when I start next year I'll have a big chuck of my first semester's bill out of the way. Not bad. I'm really excited to go, but I'm also really excited to be here. The baby's coming soon and we're gonna have almost a year to be around our friends and family in the NW. I think that this choice is really been good for us, and it'll be good for our little boy. It WILL suck having to move when fall comes, but hey, I gotta finish grad school. I don't want to be teaching comp and working at a front desk for the rest of my life. I got bills to pay!

I've been writing a lot of new stuff and revising the shit out of WOLVES. Right now I'm mapping out the letters. There are about 15 or so, but I'm gonna turn that 15 into twenty (though I'm cutting about four, so I got a lot of production to do). The time I have to finish this draft seemed like a lot in theory, but when it comes down to it, it's not a lot of time. Though, I know what I have to do on that end. In terms of the main narrative--the preacher vanishing and all the murders surfacing--well, I need to make that arc present, and I need to make to it the anchor arc that is filled in by the CUE BACKDROPS and the letters. I think the book's organization is going to change a lot based on how the letters end up...and how much I bring the sheriff's search into the foreground (which is something the editors really want).

I'm thinking about ways to promote this book when it comes out (if it comes out). I'm probably gonna do a series on this blog about certain characters, murders, things...I'll probably get a twitter account (I know, but it's a way to promote...maybe I won't), and I'm gonna try to set up a blog tour. Any ideas? Throw 'em my way!

I'm kinda hungry so I think it's time for lunch.

Oh, the New Season of Mad Men is chugging along...if you're not up on the show, get there.

Bye bye boys and girls
J to the oshua

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Yep

I got the adjunct job at ITT-TECH, unless my background check brings up something bad. It won't. I'm clean as a whistle (whatever that even means? how clean in a whistle anyway...all the whistles I know are gross and caked in dried saliva). So, once I fill out the paper work and turn it in, they make an offer and I will sign, and I will have a teaching job. I rocked my demo-teach. It was fun talking about composition (yeah, I know). I talked about Dave and my little bro, Jordan. It was cool. I got ten thumbs up (five people in the room--not counting my boss, who did not count her own thumbs which would've made 12). Anyway. Rad.
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I'm revising and rewriting and writing for When the Wolves Quit. It's hard work, but it's great going back into a project that's been done for a year and opening that shit up: "there's a slick rumbling lathering through my chest. the party broke hours ago, and all my friends left debris in all my rooms...all that's left is a girl in the shaded corner of the room. i hear a piano ringing out from behind her, notes lifting, as though her breaths have let them into the room....the room seizes and buckles when she looks at me and says, 'can you hear that cadence?'"
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Later,
Joshua

Thursday, August 12, 2010

New Book Excerpt

ANOTHER GHOST-KILLING

in the pines and cedars we give chase. there is only one soldier left after the ghost-killings, and he’s sobbing—his gun jams when he tried to fire on us, so he drops it and runs. ahead—we hear him crunching and crying through the forest, and in a clearing, he spins around and shouts, “what do you want?” we want to know why he’s setting fires. “orders,” he says, then asks us why we killed his platoon, and why we want to kill him. we tell him it wasn’t us. “who was it?” we tell him ghosts don’t like fires. he faces goes still and wind pushes against him. the tops of the weeds slap his thighs and he collapses. the wind retreats and ghost hair floats between us and the body. there’s no need to check his body. we know what this means.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Hello!

So, I've started to realize that it's a real struggle to blog everyday (now that I'm a working man--not in Grad School), but I need to blog because it forces me to write on days that I don't. Yeah Ian, there are days I don't write. So, I've decided that on days I don't write, I'll post something I've written recently, either from Wolves, or my new poetry project, or The Story Thief Book 2. So, hopefully, I'll get a rhythm going, so that I log in and post something.
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I was listening to The Hold Steady as I ran today. I just can't get enough of that band. But what really draws me to them is that when I listen to records (I only have two and need the rest), I get to revisit characters I've come to know listening to both records. For example, on their third record Boys and Girls in America there's a song about a girl who is clairvoyant (or is she?) and the speaker and her bet on a horse named Chips Ahoy (this was their first single for that release), with their winnings they spend the weekend getting high, but the speaker feels the distance increase and realizes that this girl is fucked up, or at least, not someone he can love...or something (you listen to it and tell me what you think). Now, in their latest release, the speaker reminiscences about "the whole weird thing with the horses" and continues "they [the listener/audience/reader] know exactly what happened, i don't think it needs any explaining..." the song writer is acknowledge that he trusts his audience to make the connection, to continue with the story of these two people. That's just one example, but there are tons of those kinds of connections...and the reach goes back record by record. So when I finally get the funds to listen to all of them, I'll have more to say.
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In publishing news, I just received my editorial notes from Ooligan Press. They're really great notes and I'm looking forward to my revision. I also have notes from Richard Greenfield, and think that the Ooligan notes directly relate to Richard's in great ways. Once I revise I resubmit and the editors at Oolgian (if they like the changes) will take it the executive board. I'm really stoked my editors are really great and the press is totally NW and have some wonderful titles. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
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In hiking news, I'm going hiking with Ian tomorrow. We're taking Indie. So, I may have pictures. Ian deserves props for reading and re-reading and making notes for The Story Thief from DAY ONE and through this summer (That's over three years of reading and notes!!!). I owe him big! But also, he deserves props for dealing with how many times we were supposed to hang out that I either forgot about or just got too busy.

Ian: You are the man. I'll miss you when you go back to Hampshire with all those richies.
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I haven't been reading enough. Right now I'm reading Ishmael. It's slow going, but not because of the writing or the book, but because my mind is thinking about revisions and new projects.
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I have no pictures to post this time.
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Later duders,
Joshua

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Music?!

Don't be fooled by this douche-baggery! This is a great band. Their lives shows are rad...why?...because they don't EVER play the songs the same. There's always something different. Sometimes, they mesh songs together. Sometimes, he sings a melody that sounds more like Colorblind, than Mr Jones. Sometimes, they're loud as shit Sometimes, they're playing quiet.

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Personally, I'll never pay to see them again. But I'm glad I got to see them once (They were wedged between Maroon 5 (yeah, I had to sit through that shit!) and John Mayer (We left when he started playing)) I'd rather listen to their records anyway, because they're loose, but perfectly made, perfectly created.

Everyone knows my love of the Counting Crows is unconditional...no matter how hard they sold out from day one, or how many soundtrack songs they write are fucking cheesy (yeah, the one from Shrek), how many commercials they're on. They are a great band, and Adam Duritz (though kind of a big douche) can write a song. A write good songs. But there's something literary about his song writing and the band's sound (yes, I hate when people call bands literary because they sing about literature (though the Hold Steady does this and it's brilliant, there's more to them as well) and think that a band being literary is their use of narrative thread and lyric arms reaching between songs, albums, and decades...sometimes). Durtiz's lyrical and song writing doesn't make nods to Mark Twain or Faulkner or anything like that, but he talks about his life, his women, his friends, his problems, and he's brutally honest and sometimes really fucking sentimental (sometimes it's toooooo much for even me), but Goddamn when pick up August and Everything After, then later listen to This Desert Life, and here about the same things, but those things are seen through different lenses (either more mature or more immature or more inconsiderate than the last song about Maria or Elizabeth or California or what have you). There's change and struggle and wavering doubt and wavering hope, and it changes from song to song, album to album, year to year, listen to listen.

Order of Favorite CC records:





Recovering the Satellites (THIS ALBUM IS BRILLIANT! FUCKING BRILLIANT!)









The Desert Life (A very close second, just centimeters behind Satellites)






August and Everything After (Step Out the Front Door like a Ghost into the Fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white. In between the moon and you angels get a better view of the crumbling differences between wrong and right... BEST opening to an song, album, band, EVER. Top it and I'll buy you a Popsicle. There might be some ties, but I doubt there are lines that beat this...)








Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings (could be one if the second half was as gutsy and ripe as the first half)










Hard Candy (has great songs (like "Holiday in Spain," but is uneven and clearly the work of a band struggling to write songs together after years of touring and playing the same songs)





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I was gonna keep writing about other bands...writing about The Hold Steady's narrative threads, and then the band the New Year, but maybe next time. I'm tired.

Later dudes and girl-dudes,
Joshua

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Hey.

So, my grandpa is dying. Actually, he's been dying for a while, and every time we think we say goodbye, he hangs on. He keeps pushing through.

I wrote an part of an essay about this, and continue to write about it to this day. My relationship with my grandpa is complication to say the least. I love him, but I really don't feel like I know him. Hell, I don't even know much about where he came from and what he did with his life.

I feel bad 'cause I was just talking to Chelsea and didn't mention this to her. I don't know why, but I'm thinking that maybe I've gotten used to the whole "Grandpa is dying...oh, wait, he's not really dying yet." And now, I'm in the state of not making a big deal about it. I mean, it IS a big deal, but that man can fight, and he's hanging in there. I asked my dad how much time he had, and he said, "With my Dad, you never know." So, we're hanging in there with him, thinking about him, and hoping that he stays comfortable and taken care of.

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So, that's been going on. And I've been working the front desk at a hotel in Redmond. Not a bad job. Writer's. If you ever feel like you need some inspiration, go work at a hotel. I'm not kidding, I've already got ideas, AND found some ways around problems I had in a screenplay that was going nowhere and a novel that I had put behind me. Anyway. It's been good. The people are different. I don't know how to explain it, but it's people who take their job and themselves way too serious, and don't realize that there's a way of doing things. In fact, I was told I "had" to break a labor law the other night. It wasn't a big deal, so I did it. But I went home and double-checked it. And yeah, I was told to break a labor law...awesome. When I told someone about it, she was like, "No, you didn't have to--I don't know why they told you that, but it's just easier to do it this way, and no one gets in trouble." Uh, OK.

Whatever. It's what's expected of the pay. I'm not complaining. I just want to laugh and some of the shit. And the uniforms. Ugh. Maybe I'll take a picture and post it.

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Em and I are going to hang out, maybe in Seattle today. We're just gonna go do something. It'll be fun.

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Whatelse. Whatelse. Whatesle.

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Lots of stuff. But I haven't been reading a lot. Just not enough time. I've been sleeping in. But I want to get on it, so I'll be getting up an hour earlier, just to read. I think. Maybe write. We'll see.

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Hitchhikers and Coke-heads

I just finished Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Pretty cool stuff. There's no real plot. It just moves from one scene to the next. I like that. Very easy to read and enjoy. I want to keep reading the series and probably will. What I really dug about it was something that people are gonna think I'm making up. It felt like a laid-back, sci-fi, and positive version of less than zero.

For one, the font was the same
For two, the chapters were short
For three, the details were very surfacy (but still good) no lingering or over description
For four, the scenes were quick and to the point
For five, the plot was not there--just a story floating through "space" (haha)

OK. These are minor and there are a million things that say, "Josh you're crazy, there are so many thing NOT like Less than Zero." But I say, "F. U." I kept thinking about Less than Zero (minus the drugs, rape, and murder, and overall nihilism of that book).

But enough of that. I really enjoyed reading it and thinking about where the books could go. So, I look forward to the next book.

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I'm in between books right now. I started Blind Assassin but quickly switched to Ishmael. Right now, I'm just in the mood for light reading. I think I'm burnt out on stuff I got to dig into and really think about. I just want things to read that I can enjoy and plow through. You know? I'm saving my Atwoods, Frazen's, Hurston's, Rushdie's and most my poetry for winter time, when there's more dark-time. I think.

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Mad Men Season 4 just started. If you're not into Mad Men, go rent all three seasons watch them, then check out the new episode on On Demand and start watching. The show is brilliant and Don Draper is the man. My Dad made Old Fashions for the premiere. It was cool.

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I want to see Tron (The second one).

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Bye,
Joshua

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Inception, Work, and Stuff

First of all, I just want to say, "I had a blast!" Cumi, Chelsea, Matt, Ian, me, and Ben went to see Inception. That film is amazing. I'm still thinking about it, though, it's pretty brilliant. Even it's exposition is fit so well into where it comes that you don't notice that the director is saying, "OK, audience, here's how the world works." Basically, it's the equivalent of reading a textbook, except the text book is so good you can't stop reading it, you can't even look away. Yeah, killer script. And "Mol" is fucking scary! Chelsea leaned over to me after this really tense scene and said, "I thought Ian said this wasn't scary." I said, "Apparently, Ian is a fucking liar." Ian, I do not think you are a liar, but fuck man, that scene was scary. Creepy, tense, and scary. Everything about this film was perfectly tuned. In fact, when it ended I didn't feel like I had been in there for 2.5 hours. Like when I saw Avatar and I kept thinking, "Fuck when is this over." Not with inception, not with anything Nolan has ever made (except Insomnia...no thank you).
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I got a job. I work the front desk at a hotel in Redmond. It's weird. It was my third day today...so...I also have interviews at itt-tech and U of phoenix coming up--supplementary jobs...YAY!
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I've been writing. Mostly The Story Thief Book Two and We're Not Murderers (the present sections, when the daughter of the murdered family discovers that she is the missing child in articles from 21 years ago, and that her father's are actually the murderers, who kept her for 21 years and raised her as her own. Don't worry. You know this on page one.).

I also get back my editorial comments from Ooligan Press this Monday. I make revision and resubmit the manuscript. Hopefully they like my revisions and they can convince the executive board that my book is worth publishing.
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I'm gonna go for a run now. Or maybe in like 15 minutes. I'm reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I've tried to start four other books and put them down by page two--not cause they're bad, but because I don't feel like working--including, The Satanic Verses and Their Eyes Are Watching God. But I'll pick those up again. My dad is reading Robert Boswells The Heyday of Insensitive Bastards (the first collection of short stories to be picked by Oprah's book club--he also taught at NMSU till halfway through that year). Anyway, my Dad loves it. Check it out. From what I've heard it's his best book, though it's hard to believe he can top his book on writing.
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OK. I'm gonna hang with Em before my run.
Love
Joshua

Sunday, July 18, 2010

One Year in the bag!

So, today is our anniversary. Em and I are just hanging around the house today with Indie. We're gonna go to dinner tonight at a Vegetarian Restaurant called Carmelita. I looks really good. Em always gives me crap about my writing 'cause I write about drugs, and murders, and small towns, and magic (all of which I have no experience with...not really), and I can't seem to right anything decent about her--not even a song (except I have written songs about her...but not till we moved to Cruces and I really, really worked on them). It's hard to write about things I'm close to. The non-fiction book I'm writing about is mostly looking back...it's easier that way. I can look back on myself then and the situation and attack them with objectivity--to some extent. But with writing about Em...it's just hard to write without sounding fucking stupid or lame or done-to-death. But for the last year I've been working on a poem. I finished it this week, though, who knows, I'll probably revise it again. I made a mini-chapbook out of it and gave it to Em.
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Here it is:

THE RED ELVISES AND A WEDDING ON THE HILL

our narrative snakes and spans—

there are scenes like landmarks along the way.

*

there’s the read elvises already half-way through their set

at the wild buffalo, and you’re already drunk. when you

escape the table to dance, i ask my friend your name, and

all he says is, “she’s taken, dude.” they introduce us, and two

weeks later you meet us at ihop for coffee and pancakes.

*

there’s the black-hole-of-an-apartment always reeking

of stale sweat and old cigarettes, where i get pretty good

at insulting you, and you get pretty good at dishing it back.

you’d come downstairs and join us on that black couch and

we’d pretend we didn’t want to shuck each other’s clothes off.

*

there’s the phone call, you angry, hurt, saying, “why are you so

mean to me?” and me apologizing, telling you i like you, that

i thought it funny—just a joke, that i didn’t mean anything.

*

there’s the horseshoe cafĂ© two days later and my sweating palms,

and the three pall mall 100s i kill on the walk there. i know it

is friendly—just a cup of coffee and a truce—but i keep picturing

you naked, our bodies meshing, my lips and fingers learning you.

*

there’s the coffee shop where i tell you to leave him

and marry me, but you keep telling me to shut up.

and your face goes soft, then hard—

you are upset. i don’t think you believe me.

*

there’s the walks funneling through the brick of downtown, up

commercial, down cornwall, along holly and railroad, always

with good coffee, and me always answering your claims with,

“it really is.” this becomes a daily thing. i rise and clear my day for it.

*

there’s the corner of chestnut and cornwall. me in my second-hand army

jacket, you in your grey coat, hood down, when i tell you i want to be with you,

and will wait till its over. you just shake your head and say, “ok, josh.”

*

there’s the park bench at boulevard, the sun in our faces,

the waves making beats on the shore, the wind blowing

our hair around, where you tell me it’s over with him. i want

to smile, but you’re hurt, and i say, “i’m sorry, you ok?”

and you say, “it was headed that way for a while, anyway.”

we stand and keep circling the park, talking about other things.

*

there’s the late pickup from campus, where you

drive us in silence to bum-park, blocks from my

apartment, and you’re acting strange, not really

looking at me, just ahead, your body straightened

and focused. you cut straight across the park to

where the creek is and sit us on the bench. “i was

feeling really weird when i went home,” you say

and part of me thinks this is where you kick me

to the curb, but instead you say, “i think you should

kiss me.” and so i do. months later, when i move

into your place, i stand on the balcony and look

down at the bench by the creek.

*

there’s the night after my show, when we drank

till we wanted to be naked and you came home

with me and in the morning i woke and you had left

*

there’s the secret we kept till beers at the beaver

where it split wide open—transparently in love—

and our other friendships turned on us, became

the dark space between hate and decency.

*

there’s the down-sized wedding ending in a backyard

overlooking big lake with our close friends and family,

and our friends band playing songs about being young

and ignorant of responsibility. we were worried about rain,

but the sun reddened our skin and that night in our hotel we

drank champagne colored by skittles we dropped to the bottom.

*

and here’s one year in our belt, where we gathered

a dog, an oncoming baby, and a need for seattle.

so, now we’re back home in the northwest,

waiting for the tail of october to whip around,

and catching what we can of this pacific summer.

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OK. In other news/things to look at. Check out Uncanny Valley. My friends Mike and Tracy from NMSU have started this journal. They're cool people and have a really interesting taste with writing. Check it out. Read about it. Submit.

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OK. I'm gonna eat some oatmeal.

laters.

Joshua