Archive for June, 2010

The question is, not does love exist but when she leaves, where she goes.

Posted By micah on June 27th, 2010

Such a long post title. For those of you who remember DLR sprechstimme-ing his way through Secrets, well…there you go.

The hotel room is quiet. I left my shoes outside the door last night and this morning they are polished. Summer school officially ended Friday. I had an anxiety dream about my final exam—I’m sitting at the desk, pen in hand, unable to read the questions—which ended with an in-dream realization that I’m 36, and shouldn’t waste my time worrying, and then I pushed the test away and walked out.

Received a marketing packet from my editor. Among the nifty ideas contained therein was a caution against revealing the book cover too soon. 3-4 months before pub. date was their recommendation. I’m way too early. Just cover that portion of your screen.

Some mail:

Good Afternoon,

I know you talk about Lovecraft sometimes and Chabon, but who else do you like to read? For an author site, there is remarkably little information about recommended books. I like to get recommendations from writers because there are so many books out there. Any good tips you can provide are appreciated.

Thank you,

Edmund

Edmund? From Drama class? Is that you? If so, why the formality? Ah, well…

I like to read who I like to read. Yes, I’m being openly tautological, but I really don’t like recommending books because 1. taste is personal 2. I always forget other excellent books and end up slapping my forehead hours later. Also, just because I’m a writer doesn’t mean that I’m a good judge of fiction (on the contrary; I often loathe novels considered part of the canon). So I suggest you try the old-fashioned method: browse your bookstore, pick up random titles, read page 1 and page 99, and decide for yourself.

Mr. Nathan:

Will you be in the St. Louis area at the end of August? We are a small—but loyal!—book discussion group that meets at the Coffee Cartel. Our recent selection was your first novel, and we would love to have you join us. We can promise free coffee and treats.

Regards,

Jane Thomas

Hi, Jane. Thank you for the invite. I respectfully decline, only because I will most definitely not be in the St. Louis area. And I don’t drink coffee (though last night in the North End I drank my first espresso and it was bitter, but I liked it because it was bitter, and because it was my heart). That said, we were considering St. Louis for the LG tour, and you have just sealed the deal. Perhaps I shouldn’t say “sealed.” Almost sealed. I’ll hold you to those treats.

Groan…

Posted By micah on June 24th, 2010

So the NYT has another good article about another good Asian film festival, and they use the phrase “genre-bending” which raises my hackles. As always. Asian cinema–itself a sloppy distinction, as if all of Asia can be lumped together–is frequently referred to as “genre-bending” meaning they aren’t afraid to combine different “genre” elements into one narrative.

Really? This approach to storytelling is worth a label? Sadly, yes. Marketers too often treat audiences like sheep. Notice I didn’t use “children” because children have an innate sense of what makes a story good and don’t give a damn about what genre it falls under. A stew of horror, fantasy, romance, and mystery suits them just fine, provided it all works well together. Ideally all art is genre-bending; why confine one’s self to any particular genre, especially since we didn’t invent the labels (mystery, sci-fi, etc.) nor did we agree on their parameters.

Allow me to lump. Asian cinema is, on the whole, more creative and interesting than American cinema precisely because the writers/directors are not restricted by some arbitrary strict adherence to genre rules. Over there it’s called good film making. Here? Genre-bending.

Rant over. Here’s an excellent start for the curious:

An Arrogant Stance

Posted By micah on June 19th, 2010

Some select pics from the Nemeth photo shoot, including this self-satisfied shot.

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Twenty-seven minutes later Tibor asked how work was going on the next book. The resulting stance is obvious.

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Anyway. Next week I’m posting an essay on an old David Mamet play, concurrent with publication in a UK theater mag. Everything old is…well, still old again. Speaking of, later this summer I’m recycling the Jetcomx articles–Throwback Thursdays, for those keeping track–and inserting all new video clips, pithy commentary, and updated pop culture references. The same, but different.

Rain, Scudder, Rotting Mouse

Posted By micah on June 12th, 2010

Tibor Nemeth said photo shoots are weird. He’s right.

Yesterday I sat for my author photo, courtesy of the aforementioned Tibor. It wasn’t a terrible time—thanks to Tibor, he of the Lance Armstrong/Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods photo shoots—but still. I kept reminding myself to relax and breathe and think about something other than the camera. A Buddhist monk said to try not thinking about an elephant, and see where that gets you; I should’ve thought about an elephant.

So it continues to rain, good for the thirsty veggies in our garden but bad for tomatoes. We found a rotting mouse in the basement, jaw agape, fur scattered—Gothic undertones are in abundance these days. Holliston is soaked, the skies are a pewter wash, and Scout lies in his bed, gazing at the backyard.

“How’s summer school?” goes a few of your emails, and I’m happy to report summer school is nearly finished. I have two books in the pipeline: JTB, in need of edits and restructuring, and book #4, in need of another 200 pages. The Matt Scudder graphic novel project—there, I’ve spilled the beans; yes, that Matt Scudder, from Lawrence Block’s long-running series—is in the hands of a publisher. Larry and I await word.

Thirty-six is turning out to be a strange year. I feel ageless in some sense, and told Rachel that my loyalties are slipping away. By that I mean anything hinting of favoritism—to country, religion, ideology—seems wrong, and repulsive, and deserves to be shed like an old skin. I suspect this is the result of my existential un-mooring a few months back. A quest to slice away bias, perhaps, as much as one can do without getting ridiculous. Of course I’d take a bullet for family and not some stranger—let Kant judge—but that’s favoritism I can accept (especially since the odds of having to take said bullet are extremely low).

But as I stare out the window of my shed, rain pattering on the roof, I realize perhaps the only place I feel truly comfortable is in my own head. This isn’t any revelation—how many other writers say the same thing?—nor is it a requirement for the writing life. It is, however, a requirement for a life of mostly solitude. And writers face that life. Most days it’s welcome, and easy, and better than pretending the most recent invitation will be fun. But when it rains, and the shed is too quiet, and I’ve abandoned Rachel to the creak and crack of our home…those days the writing reveals itself to be one thing: a push against loneliness.

Of course this always helps.

Make That Tonight

Posted By micah on June 6th, 2010

No, you didn’t miss the game last night, and yes, I got it wrong. Yuri Foreman was terrific, btw. Not as skilled as Cotto, but any fighter who wills their way through a bum leg–even in a losing effort–gets HBO on their side. We’ll see him again.

On a darker note, I’m not sure how 50+ head shots affects one’s rabbinical studies.

Viewer Mail

Posted By micah on June 5th, 2010

Tonight I’ll be flipping between Jewish boxer/Rabbi-in-training Yuri Foreman and Game 2 of Celts vs. L.A. I can’t imagine a better Saturday night. Go ahead and insert your mid-30’s joke here, except I’ve always been this way. In college I loved doing laundry on Friday nights. Wash, dry, fold…ah, bliss.

Micah,

Congratulations on winning the PEN/Saul Bellow Award. I am duly, duly impressed. Please give me your predictions on Lakers vs. Celtics. You live in Boston, right?

Kindly,

Dan Wiktor

I’ll take the congrats but not for that award. The PEN/Saul Bellow is not the Saul Bellow Prize for Fiction. The Saul Bellow Prize for Fiction is given by Mr. Bellow’s long-time editor Al Silverman, who’s been involved with the BU MFA program for years. The PEN is awarded by those folks at PEN, whoever they are (I imagine a clutch of serious white men, eyes squinted, forever sighing with disappointment).

But thank you anyway, Mr. Wiktor. We take it wherever we can get it, yes? Perhaps I should have announced I’ve won the Noble Piece Prize for Literature. Rim shot? Eh.

As for L.A. vs. Boston, I have no idea. Boston can look unbeatable when it seems to interest them. Game 1 they looked disinterested, which I don’t understand. But this group thrives on the backs-against-the-wall thing, so maybe it’s all a strange plan to lull the Lakers into complacency…or maybe the Lakers just outplayed them.

Oh, we do still live in Boston. Sort of. Outside of Boston, to be precise. The lovely town of Holliston. Only fifteen minutes from a good restaurant.