Something to Think About

Possessing potential for Greatness,
yet wrought with inner fear.
I teeter on the edge of action,
but fall complacently back to here.
It is the change of life that scares me,
the thought of failing too great to bear.
It makes me wonder if my mentors
were as easily prone to scare.

This seemed appropriate after reading Steinbeck's journals. Apparently the greats "were as easily prone to scare." Something to think about.

Steinbeck's Journals

A couple of days ago I read the journals of John Steinbeck that he kept while he was writing The Grapes of Wrath, and it was great. I couldn't believe some of the entries. It is no secret that I am a huge Steinbeck fan and I was looking forward to reading his daily journals as he was writing one of the best American novels of all time. The interesting part about his entries was how little self-confidence he had. He constantly said things like, "This isn't any good", "I'm not a writer", "Nobody is going to read this", it was unbelievable. Apparently nobody told him he was John-Freakin-Steinbeck. Some would argue that this was as he was starting out, but in actuality this was during one of the busiest times of his life.

As he was writing The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men was in the middle of its run as a play, and was being met with critical acclaim. Hollywood was making the movie, he had offers to turn another one of his books In Dubious Battle into a play as wel. He was also buying a ranch and building a house. So the entire time he was writing one of his greatest works he was overloaded with other things going on in his life. He had given himself five months to finish the book, and surprisingly he was able to meet his goal. He had told himself that he would write 2,000 words everyday, and he was able to do it. Some days he would get ahead and then be able to go into town and get drunk with Charlie Chaplin, and other days he would fall behind, but in the end he was able to finish in the time frame that he had given himself.

It was great to be able to read his daily personal accounts of his working strategy, and talk about writing some of the best scenes in American Literary history. He would explain what his plan for the day was and say things like, "Today the Joads must make it across the desert", and I would say to myself "I READ THAT!!!"

It made me feel like in some way I was helping. He would write about how it wouldn't be any good, and I would reassure him that it would be great. It was a team effort. So if you have ever read The Grapes of Wrath...You're welcome.

Tarzan of the Apes

At the urging of someone at work I read Tarzan of the Apes the other day. You know the book that all of those movies were based on with the man in the loin clothe yelling some kind of throaty battle cry (which in the book seemed to be much more bad ass). Well I have never watched a Tarzan movie in its entirety but I have to say from what little of them I have seen they looked a tad cheesy. In the book Tarzan was this hardcore borderline demi-god that kicked some monkey ass and caught lions with a rope.He was hardcore. I am thinking that there needs to be a reboot with a little CGI action. I mean imagine what we could do with the new Planet of the Apes special effects.

I know I would enjoy watching a ripped jungle man in a loin clothe wrestling a giant ape in defense of a southern bells honor (in a completely heterosexual way of course).The story itself is cool and if you can get over the somewhat cheesy dialogue it is a good read. Of course the actual book is a little different from the Hollywood version. Some of the characters are the same and his love interest is the well known Jane, but there is no conversation where he says in broken English "Me Tarzan, you Jane" which I found to be a little disappointing, but he did learn to speak French. Who would have thought that Tarzan spoke French...whatever.

I would like to say that I was soooooooo disappointed with the ending, but will not divulge why in case anyone actually wants to read the book, but I will say that Tarzan gets dumped on.

All in all it was a good book, and a quick read. I enjoyed it and it is one of those books that everyone should read simply because it made such a lasting impression on our culture. Hell even Disney made a Tarzan movie. I don't think I saw that one either, although I vaguely remember Rosie O'Donnell being a monkey, which seems appropriate (maybe she could be recast in a live action role as his ape mother).

So pick up Tarzan of the Apes and get in touch with your inner primate.

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...

This is one of the best philosophy books I have ever read. Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... explains philosophical concepts with clear definitions and through the evaluation of jokes. These guys are freaking hilarious. They provide just about every concept with a joke that corresponds with what they are teaching, such as explaining British Empiricist Philosophy with this:

Morty comes home to find his wife and best friend, Lou,  naked in bed. Just as Morty is about to open his mouth, Lou jumps out of the bed and says, "Before you say anything, old pal, what are you going to believe, me or your eyes?

Of course they explain the correlation between the joke and Empiricism, which is basically the belief that senses are the primary path to knowledge, and questions what sort of information we can rely on. It's amazing that they take this philosophical argument, rationalism vs. empiricism, and give an example that is humorous and easily understandable. It is much easier to grasp the different sides of the argument in this example as opposed to trying to explain the idea of First Creation to someone with no previous background in philosophy. For a slow learner such as myself this is perfect.

My personal favorite example from the book is how they explain Illogical Reasoning.

     An Irishman walks into a Dublin bar, orders three pints of Guinness, and drinks them down, taking a sip from one, then a sip from the next, until they're gone. He then orders three more. The bartender says, "You know, they'd be less likely to go flat if you bought them one at a time." The man says, "Yeah, I know, but I have two brothers, one in the States, one in Australia. When we all went our separate ways, we promised each other that we'd all drink this way in memory of the days when we drank together. Each of these is for one of my brothers and the third is for me."
     The bartender is touched, and says, "What a great custom!"
     The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar and always orders the same way.
     One day he comes in and orders two pints. The other regulars notice, and silence falls over the bar.      
     When he comes to the bar for his second round, the bartender says, "Please aceppt my condolences, pal."
     The Irishman says, "Oh, no, everyone's fine. I just joined the Mormon Church , and I had to quit drinking."

HAHA...Mormon Church...get it?

Yeah so the entire book is filled with great stuff like that. If you are even remotely interested in Western philosophy (they don't really get into much Eastern stuff) then you should definitely check this book out. Even if you aren't that interested in philosophy the book is filled with great jokes.

You can buy the book here. Trust me it is worth it, and as an added bonus I guarantee that you will retain some of the information you read. So the next time you are sitting around discussing Existentialist theories with someone at work, you can through in your two cents worth.

I leave you with this, an example of a Paradox:

Pinocchio says: "My nose will now grow..."

Works in Progress

OK so I took on the task of reading War and Peace, and like a pretentious jerk I said to myself "I'm going to read this with a guide so I can understand all of the social references..." Well it has been about a month and I am only 500 pages in. The problem with my original theory was the fact that there was soooooo much going on, and I have little to no knowledge regarding Russia at the turn of the 19th century. That's OK though. I will continue to muscle through this until it is done, maybe next time I will pick up the Bible.

Even though I am taking forever getting through this I have to say that it is a great book so far. I suppose Virginia Woolf was right when she regarded War and Peace as the greatest novel ever written (I will allow that comment considering she died before a lot of things had been written...Atlas Shrugged). But even so, this is a heavy read and I've found that I have read about 5 trash books since I started reading this. You know...Trash Books.

Like Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. They are quick interesting reads, but there is not too much thinking required when having to read one. Perfect for when I am trying to give my overwhelmed brain a break from Tolstoy (it doesn't take much to overwhelm me). There are five books in this series and they are entertaining. The stories are cool, and guess what...involve Frankenstein!!! Holy Crap! Didn't see that coming, but they are worth checking out. I have read the first three in the past few weeks and really like them.

One thing that I also just finished reading was Into the Wild. This was an incredibly interesting story that involved the college grad that gave away everything and hobo-ed around the country before dying in the Alaska wilderness. Crazy story, and I did not see the movie but I heard it was pretty good. My only problem with the book was the way Jack Krakauer wrote the damn thing. It just was not enough to turn into a stand alone book. What Krakauer lacked in evidence and facts he had to make up for with filler stories that seemed to take away form the actual story. He just didn't have enough information to make a full length book, and it made reading the thing repetitive and boring. I imagine that if the makers of the movie had used a little bit of creative license the movie would have been great. I would recommend that you save yourselves some time though and either rent the movie or read his original 9,000 word article.

So in conclusion skip Krakauer, read Koontz. (that may sound shallow, but it is the truth)

The Beat Generation

I have always enjoyed reading about different literary and lifestyle movements and have recently found myself immersed in Beat literature by authors like Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg. These guys were the best thing that happened to American literature since Walt Whitman. They just decided that they didn't really fit into anything so they would just make something up that fit them.

Recently I posted about Hunter S. Thompson and explained how I really liked his whole outlook on life, and the way he was up-front about everything. Well, the founders of the Beat generation lived this lifestyle 20 years before this was happening. The thing that gets me about On the Road, Howl, and Naked Lunch, is the fact that they were written in the 1940's. They really pushed the boundaries as far as censorship and the authors never worried about being accepted by the mass market. These guys were happy sitting around in a Greenwich Village apartment with some booze and "tea" reading and writing. They were like this cool hybrid of James Dean and Jerry Garcia. They lived like hippie hedonists, yet in a way that wasn't flamboyant and over the top. They were just laid back and made sure that they were open to all of the coolness in life.

These artists not only changed American Literature, but also changed our society. Living and writing about this counterculture that was taking shape was giving the rest of the world a glimpse of a society that was unapologetic for the way they were living their lives. They felt no need to hide the fact that they were experimenting with drugs, sexuality, and social order from the masses, and were proud of the fact that they were looking for a good time. Just about anybody can relate to experiencing an inner desire to have a good time. Hell, that's the reason most of us have jobs, so we can fund our inner desires to live a fulfilling life. The difference is that these guys were very minimalistic when it came down to what they needed to in order to feel fulfilled.


It is really cool to be able to get lost in their stories, that are semi-autobiographical, and escape the world as I know it. I like to think that I would lead a life like this given the chance, but realistically it is probably much safer for me to live vicariously through the fiction of others.

Its been a while.

So I have not had a chance to post anything new, and frankly have not had time to write anyevaluations about any new books. So here are some papers I have recently written in some of my classes that are somewhat entertaining. Enjoy.

Fatherly Fears

            Growing up is a difficult process for most people, and for myself it has been a process that has been fought tooth and nail. It feels like I was hanging out with my friends in high school just yesterday, but sadly this was years ago. After graduating the real world came at me at an extremely fast pace, and I feel as though I am a couple of laps behind. When you are young you never think about a mortgage, insurance, gas, electricity, or even water, but when you experience the “freedom” of the real world these are the things that you must learn to take care of for yourself. It has been almost ten years since I graduated high school, and there are many things that I find myself still trying to master, and last year I was met with the most difficult challenge of my adult life, my wife was pregnant. The excitement I felt when learning that I was going to be a dad was quickly overcome with a feeling of sheer terror at the realization that I was going to be responsible for a human life. I am barely surviving as an adult, how will I take care of a child? My wife and parents found my debilitating fear amusing, and kept telling me that I would “figure it out”. Figure what out? Babies scare me. There was no hope; I just knew that I was going to fail.

            The first six weeks were not bad, simply because when they are that age they don’t do much except eat and sleep, and it helped that my wife, Megan, would be on maternity leave so she would be home at all times. I had a little bit of supervised practice feeding and changing, and was never out of earshot of calling for backup. This helped, and I was able to gain some confidence. I started getting comfortable with the little one, Sophie, around the end of week five, and was feeling pretty good about my abilities to warm a bottle and change a diaper while only using two wipes (apparently half of a box was not necessary, as I had originally assumed). Then my world was shattered, I had my first night alone when my wife went back to work. I felt that I exuded a certain confidence that helped to put my wife at ease, but on the inside I was a terrified child. I was praying that I did not end up burning down the house or losing the baby on a city bus (I am not sure why I was worried about a bus, but I had seen a Friends episode so I knew it was a possibility).

            The night started off smoothly with just a couple of average sized diapers and some uneventful feedings, but then around three in the morning all hell broke loose. It started when she woke up and quickly realized that I was not mommy, and that mommy apparently was not coming. She did not like this, and for this I cannot blame her since I would much rather wake up to seeing my wife than my unshaved face in the middle of the night. She flipped out and was screaming as though she was being set on fire, which I swear was not the case. This seemed to set the next couple of hours in motion. After finally getting the bottle warm enough for her to eat and into her mouth I got her to calm down. I figured that upon her eating things would settle down, but then I ran into another problem. As we were sitting in the chair enjoying our quiet time, a giant spider ran across the floor into her little “bouncy-mobile-floor-play-thing”, I promptly took control of the situation and let out a little yelp. This of course scared her at which point she spit up about half of the bottle. After wiping her little adorable chin off, and dry heaving the entire time, I laid her on the changing table to get her out of her little night gown so I could change her. This was an event in itself; I never knew that an infant’s onesie had so many complicated buttons. I finally got a clean night gown equipped with penguin feet on her and laid her down in her crib to go back to sleep.

            She went to sleep nice and easy, and then I headed back to her room to find and destroy the intruder.  It took me a few minutes, and I had to move just about everything in the room to find him, but I finally ran the spider out to the middle of the room where an epic battle ensued, myself coming out as the victor. We had waged a brutal war and there were casualties on both sides, the aforementioned “bouncy-mobile-floor-play-thing” did not fare too well, but the room was safe once again. As I was wiping the sweat from my brow and relishing in my victory I heard cries coming from the other room, and I knew we had a problem.

            It seemed as though my little angel was awakened from her heavenly slumber by more projectile vomiting that had this time covered not only a penguin night gown but also the majority of the crib. I spent another twenty minutes or so changing her into a new night gown, this time with teddy bears, and a few more cleaning out the crib, which probably would have taken less time had I not been struck with sudden incapacitating retching. After everything, and everyone, was all cleaned up we took a little bit longer to get back to bed this time, and needed some Shel Silverstein mixed with a little smooth jazz to get her to finally give into falling asleep. She probably did not trust closing her eyes for fear of what might happen, and I really can’t blame her, but once she did everything went just fine. After she drifted off, I passed out in a heap of exhaustion on the bed; it had been a long night.

            I was awakened by the refreshing glow of the morning sun, and my wife standing over me poking me. I was a little disoriented, and it took me a few minutes to get my bearings, but she was wondering why the baby room was a complete wreck, and why Sophie was wearing a night gown that was on backwards. I recounted the events of the night, and explained how the mess made in her room was the result of a life and death struggle between the forces of god and evil, and how I think my infant daughter had eaten some bad Thai food because she obviously had a stomach problem. Luckily my wife understood the situation and just sighed and told me to go back to sleep, that I deserved it. I felt that I had earned that right. She picked up Sophie and took her into her room to change her and feed her again, while I laid back and reflected upon a job well done. I knew that I was on my way to becoming an adult.

Here is another one.

Achieving Zen in the Rain

The United States have been associated with freedom throughout their relatively short history, and because of this people have been drawn to America and its land of opportunities ever since its discovery. While people that are from different countries are enamored by the promises of America, many Americans often times take our freedoms for granted. The culture in our country is often overlooked, and there are many Americans that go their entire lives without experiencing the majestic qualities of this country for themselves. I am able to recognize this and felt that I was one of these people, and decided to do something about it. My grand idea for experiencing what America had to offer and how to go about searching for the freedom and allure that is associated with our country was to take a road trip down the coast on my motorcycle, the ultimate representation of freedom and a way to truly observe what America had to offer.

            My plan was simple; I would start from my house on a Friday afternoon and head for the coast, and eventually make my way back home on Sunday. I had no plans or predetermined restrictions that I was going to hold myself to. I just knew that the way to experience the true sense of escaping the world and achieving that elusive freedom that was so often referred to was to not limit myself to plans or restrictions. I would follow the coast and achieve a life changing clarity that I knew could only come from a motorcycle road trip. I’m no fool, I have seen Easy Rider and have read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and I knew that all I needed was the open road and the wind in my face to achieve that clarity that is so often sought in our lives. I was positive that I would have an experience that would prove the validity of Existentialism and would make Kierkegaard proud; after all I have seen it happen in the movies.

            With this mentality I set out. The first day was very uneventful from a perspective of someone that is searching to achieve philosophical clarity, and by nightfall I found myself in a cheap motel a few blocks off of the beach just south of Virginia Beach. I had not made the groundbreaking advancements that I had originally anticipated in the beginning, but I was not deterred as I knew the trip was just beginning. The next day I continued my quest south along the coastal highway, and kept a sharp eye open so I would not miss my Siddhartha like moment of clarity. I even made sure that I was readily available to receive my gift of enlightenment by stopping by the ocean every few hours to just look at the water. Wasn’t this where many found their explanation for existence? So far in the trip I had found nothing and had not felt the epic sense of freedom that I knew was out there. Dejectedly I pointed my bike back north and prepared for my journey home.

            After spending all day Saturday riding, and spending the night at another roadside motel some blocks off of the main strip, I woke up on Sunday morning and prepared for the journey home. I swear I could smell the odor of the sheets even as I travelled seventy miles an hour down the road. I was just glad that I was done battling the freezing temperatures of the stone-age plumbing. At this point in my trip I was really beginning to feel as though my Zen like experience had been dropped off at the wrong mile marker, and I had simply passed it out there on one of the back roads, or maybe it was left on the main interstate. Whatever the case was I knew I had failed in the great American Road Trip. It seemed as though the weather was in synch with my melancholy mood, because a few hours from home the thunder clouds began to gather, and I knew I was about to get wet. This was perfect; I was on a back road that I knew would not be lined with gas stations to provide me with the sanctuary of shelter.

            As I continued down the highway looking for anything I could possibly use to seek refuge under I saw through the rain two blinking lights. I was hoping that it was a sign pointing out a gas station or roadside diner where I could wait out the storm. As I approached the lights though I noticed that they were the hazard lights of a vehicle that was stopped in the muddy bar ditch. I had not seen anyone on this road for at least seventy miles, and was surprised that such a nice car would be out this way. Getting closer I noticed that there was someone squatting in the mud beside the vehicle attempting to fix some problem that seemed to have left the vehicle and its driver in the current predicament. I figured that out of compassion for my fellow man I was obliged to stop and see if I could offer any assistance. I pulled up behind the vehicle, cutting the engine and turning on my own hazard lights, and proceeded to approach the stranded motorist. As I came upon the driver I noticed that it was a little old lady, and she was fervently attempting to change a flat tire.

             I introduced myself and proceeded to offer my assistance in hopes of getting off of the side of the road, and hopefully out of the still pouring rain. Upon inspecting the situation I realized that not only did the woman have a flat but she had also damaged here brake assembly when she hit the bar ditch, in other words we were not going to be able to fix the problem without some extensive mechanical knowledge, and access to a garage full of equipment. I pointed this out to the nervous woman and offered to call a tow truck. I tried for at least half an hour to find a signal for either one of our cell phones and walked up and down the road in search of reception. I finally gave up. At this point the woman was overwhelmed with worry, and had no idea what she was going to do. Luckily the woman was from this area and knew that there was a house about ten miles up the road that would have a land line. I heard this and wasted no time in starting up the bike and getting on the road to complete the task at hand. I told the poor woman to get in her car so she could stay out of the rain; I figured there was no sense in both of us catching pneumonia. It took me about fifteen minutes to arrive at the house and no time at all to find a tow truck company that was relatively close, and a driver that knew the area. After relaying the message I told the driver that I would head back and flash him down when I saw him.

            I arrived back to find the stranded motorist waiting patiently in her car. I explained to her that the tow truck was on its way, and that I would wait with her until it had arrived to make sure that she got on her way. She offered to let me wait in her car with her, but by this time I was covered in road grime that I was sure would forever have a direct effect on my outward appearance, leading people to the conclusion that I did not believe in bathing. It took about thirty minutes for the tow truck driver to finally arrive, and I was taken aback when as the guy got out of his truck the rain completely stopped, some guys have all the luck. I stayed around to make sure that her car got loaded up on the back of the truck and then prepared to get my trip back on schedule. After this whole ordeal I had given up on my elusive moment of enlightenment, and only wanted to get into some dry clothes. As I was leaving the lady tried to pay me for my help, which I kindly refused, and then she said something to me that completely caught me off guard. She looked at me as she climbed in the truck and said: “It is people like you that make this country the great place that it is.” I stood in awe for a moment and watched the tow truck drive off down the road. That was my moment of clarity.

            The entire trip I was looking for a moment that would affect me, and trying to find my clarity. I came to realize that the freedom in America, and the emotional enlightenment came not from solitary reflection, but through the interactions that we have with one another. Clarity and enlightenment comes from our interactions with our fellow man, and the respect that we have for one another. The feeling that I gained from helping someone in need was far greater than anything I could have found on my own. I had achieved what I set out for, and had found the true sense of the American spirit on the back roads, in the pouring rain.

Hunter S. Thompson

I have recently dabbled in a little non-fiction, which for the most part I do not do, and found that I have a great appreciation for Hunter S. Thompson. For those of you that are not familiar with Thompson he is probably best known for writing the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which spawned the movie with Johnny Depp.

I have previously read his book The Rum Diaries, and it had a particular feel that was reminiscent of Hemingway. The story itself was not as good as Hemingway, but it definitely had the same rhythmic feel and social undertones of The Sun Also Rises. So ultimately he is a great writer, but his fiction leaves something to be desired. His non-fiction on the other hand is PHENOMENAL.

He rose to popularity with writing articles about outlaw motorcycle clubs that eventually landed him his first book deal, and Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs was born. This was the in the 60's so the Hells Angels were a different group than they are today. Thompson hung out with them for a year and recounts all of the parties and craziness that went on back then. The book is incredibly well written, and is a crazy ride.

The way Thompson lived his life was absolutely crazy and was a truly writer/rock star lifestyle. This guy was nuts. His biography makes all other writers look like choir boys, even the most notorious like Fitzgerald and all of the other members of the expatriate movement. The amazing thing about Thompson's story was the fact that it took place on American soil, and was not something that was exactly a secret. There were drugs and parties galore, and somewhere along the way some amazing stories were written. For those of you that are fans of politics apparently Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 has been hailed as one of the best accounts of American politics that was ever written. I myself have no idea how our political system works and have a basic understanding that America uses something along the lines of democracy, but that is about the extent of my knowledge. So needless to say this book would probably be over my head, but I would recommend Hunter S. Thompson to any reader. If you are more of a fiction person Rum Diaries good but his non-fiction was the bees knees. So check him out.

Twenty-five Books That Shaped America

I recently read Thomas C. Foster's book How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was not the most in-depth thing that I have ever read, but he did provide some interesting insights into reading literature, and how to do so in a critical manner. He writes in a way that does not come off as a pretentious literature lover, but writes in a witty manner that is both entertaining and informative. I love a little sarcasm and wit sprinkled on top of my literary analysis.

So I saw that he had another book, 25 Books That Shaped America, and it immediately caught my attention. I have not had a chance to read through the whole thing yet, but I have started it and found that once again I am entertained and enlightened at the same time. Too bad I've never had a professor like this guy in real life.

So just to give a brief rundown on what made his list (which he points out are not the definitive best books in American history, but more of a list that had a great impact on our literary culture) these are the ones that he has picked:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Last of the Mohicans
The Scarlet Letter
Walden
Moby Dick
Leaves of Grass
Little Women
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
A Boy's Will and North of Boston
My Antonia
The Great Gatsby
The Sun Also Rises
The Weary Blues
The Maltese Falcon
U.S.A
The Grapes of Wrath
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Go Down, Moses
The Adventures of Augie March
On the Road
The Cat in the Hat
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Crying of Lot 49
Song of Solomon
Love Medicine

While I may not like some of these titles I think that the list is entirely appropriate simply because each one of these books are truly American and are great representations for our society, especially The Cat in the Hat. I am really looking forward to finishing this book and seeing Foster's commentaries for his selections.

Of course my personal favorite of this list is The Grapes of Wrath.

Steinbeck > Faulkner

You can buy his books HERE

Buried Prey

I am not one of those readers that will only read certain types of books, and while I like that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with saying "Yeah I read Les Miserables. So what?", I am not above admitting how I have a spot deep in my soul that loves a good thriller or action packed novel, filled with sex and pop culture references.

One of my favorite author indulgences has become John Sanford's Prey series, and feel like a little kid when I read about the escapades of his character Lucas Davenport. He is an interesting character that never lets me down, but he has had quite a run, with around 20 books out there revolving around his character. Luckily Sanford has not given up on his character, and has not strung him along with works that are progressively getting weaker (I'm talkin' to you Patterson!). And his latest book was a worthwhile read.

The story breathed new life into a character that was running the risk of following in the footsteps of most Alex Cross novels. Sanford obviously still gives a crap about his most famous character, Davenport, and luckily this caring, coupled with the ability to write above a 5th grade reading, level makes this book a pleasure to read.

The story actually follows this whole flashback time line to the beginning of Davenport's career and it is fun to see a character that has become so popular be revamped in a way that would ultimately shape him to be the character that the readers recognize today.

I always find it difficult to watch my favorite characters as they get older and start having meaningful relationships, and ugggghhhhhhh children. I hate it when children are added to the mix of my favorite recurring character, but without fail it will happen.

Happened to Pitt, Scarpetta, Cross, and Davenport. I think authors just feel the need to muddy up the story with crap that the readers don't really care about. If it is a love story, fine, but a character that everyone knows and loves? Not Fine. We don't need that crap.

Back on topic Buried Prey was a great read and I personally think that if you have not yet tried out any of John Sanford's books you have been missing out. It was a different perspective that gave spark to a franchise that I was really starting to get worried about.

I mean what is the magic number for characters having kids and then not giving a crap about the stories anymore? Cross has like 4...so we will go with 2.

Great Writing Resource Site

Anyone that is interested in writing should check this site out. They have contest lists, markets, grants, and all kinds of other information. I will let you know of any contests I sign up for so nobody gets upset when I win...

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/

Just kidding about not signing up...it's good to have hope...so good luck with that.

Reading in Context

Having spent the last few months in literature classes I have come to realize how much I miss in classic literature, simply because I have no clue as to what was going on at the time. I realized that just having read the books was not enough, because what does it matter if you have read something and missed the points that the author was trying to make?

I realized that literature of the past, and all of those really good books that I neglected to read in high school were filled with direct reflections on society at the time. I used to be one of those people that had "read" a lot of the classics, but when it came down to it I missed most of the content simply because I was rusty on my history. I am trying to change this.

I recently started reading War and Peace and have to say that I had absolutely no knowledge of Russian history and all of that drama that Napoleon was stirring up. So I decided that instead of dedicating so much time to read what many consider to be the greatest novel of all time and missing out on all of the subtle intricacies in the book, I would try and educate myself a little bit. I have printed out guides on the history of the book, and looked into the politics of the time and came to the realization that I still, for the most part, have no idea what the hell is happening.  But at least I'm trying, right?

Well it may take me 6 months to finish Tolstoy's masterpiece, but by God I'm going to try like hell to understand some of it. Bring it on Russia, bring it on.

Luckily John Sanford just came out with a new Prey novel, so I will be able to give my brain a little breather.

Kate Beaton is the MAN

If you have never read this you definitely should. She is pretty fantastic.

http://harkavagrant.com/

I wonder what it is like to be talented...

Random Musings and Creative Outlets

So I have been recently toying around with some creative writing ideas and think some of them might be a little funny. I am currently still working on my novel/graphic novel (depending on if it could be a stand alone work), and I have had to slow my work down on that with all of the work currently taking place in my literature classes. But I thought it would be pretty cool to just leave this as a way for me to kind of get some stuff out there (surely somebody is reading this). One of my current projects that I am working on is a compilation of kid poems that will be combined with some great illustrations, and I have a couple of them that I think are funny and appropriate. For those of you that are not interested in the child play I have some other stuff that I will be circulating throughout the blog.

So here are a couple poems that we were thinking about putting in our illustrated poetry collection:

Hippos in High Heels                                        

Hippos in high heels
click click click
clicking along-
like they're walking on sticks
poking holes as they go
poke poke down the street
You'll laugh out loud,
When these Hippos you meet


Patience

Mom told me to be patient   
I asked "How am I supposed to do that?”
She said: "give it some thought"
So I did, then I sat

I sat there and thought,
thought there and sat.
I sat there and waited,
waited and sat

Time came and went,
went and came
I waited for patience,
but I noticed no change

Time kept on moving,
And the world never stopped
I kept waiting for patience,
Never leaving my spot.

Finally one day,
After what seemed like forever
Mom came to me to make me feel better
I said: "I've waited and waited,
I've sat here so long
I've waited for patience,
but it just hasn't come."

She looked at me smiled,
And said "I think you'll pull through"
She said "come on inside,
Dinner will be ready in a few"

I felt completely defeated,
What had I done wrong?
I looked up and smiled
And said "I'm in no hurry mom,
What's the big rush?
I've waited this long."



So these are just a couple of poems that we have and are kind of wanting to get some public opinion on them. let me know.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

So I figured that while I am having to dedicate my literary life to American Literature pre1865, and am also taking on the daunting task of re-reading Atlas Shrugged I would have to go into the vault for a while. A month or so ago I picked up a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and have to say that it is one of the best American novels ever written. Now it probably comes as no surprise that I enjoy books that mix up philosophy and fiction (Love Ayn Rand), and this book definitely delivers in both departments. It is a story of a philosopher that more or less lost his mind and then embarks on a cross country motorcycle journey with his son. Just the story that could be told from a cross country trip would make a great read, but in this particular book that was not enough.
      I will say that Pirsig did as well of a job as Ayn Rand when it comes to defining a particular philosophy, but he did give a bit of a lesson in philosophy and Rand never was much for giving any history lessons. In the story he actually proposes a different way of looking at the world, and at times flirts with absolute brilliance. The guys knows his stuff and is not afraid to take the reader to a place that is beyond basic concepts of metaphysics. The end of the copy that I bought had a little bit of information about the author and a few notes that went with the story, and it is clear that the man truly believed in what he was writing. This is one of those books that demands to be read for a second time, and begs to be studied, simply because the major point that it is trying to make is a completely valid one. If you are even remotely interested in philosophy or just about reading a great story that has some substance to it, you need to read this book.
   

My opinion is the one that matters most.

AtlasShrugged

I am really beginning to see so much that I missed out on when I first read Atlas shrugged. It is a great book and is something that needs to be evaluated from multiple perspectives simply because Ayn Rand was a master of character psychology. The characters throughout this book are so rich with personality that they just seem to jump off of the pages and demand further scrutiny and reflection. I honestly believe that Rand's eloquence when regarding her belief in capitalism is matched by no writer in history. She has a way of writing that seems to require the readers to agree with what she is saying, and seems that her philosophy is complete truth. If someone were to give a synopsis of this book it would be a seriously flawed because there are so many levels to which she forces the reader to visit that just being familiar with the story does not do her writing justice. This book is simply amazing. Bravo Miss Rand Bravo!

Atlas Shrugged

Well it looks like it's time to start reading Atlas Shrugged again. Everyone should read this book. I do not care what you read or what you like this is a must read for every single person in the world. Period. There is an essay contest coming up for the book, and it pays real money for top spots. Money is a great motivator. The book is one of the best books of all time but it is a heavy read. This is definitely not a book that can be knocked out in a weekend. It will be interesting re-reading it with an essay prompt in mind. Check out the Contest:

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Battle Royale

So I just finished reading Battle Royale and thought it was great. I'm not gonna lie I hated The Lord of the Flies and actually did not finish the book. The problem was I came close to finishing the book and realized that I really did not give a crap about the characters. Battle Royale is almost the same idea except it is amped up to 11. Imagine if Piggy was given a machine gun to even up the odds, and the kids had explosives around their necks that would blow up if they didn't follow the rules. The whole idea is freaking insane. It is definitely a quick read that will keep your attention throughout the book. I'm not going to lie though it is a little graphic, and by a little I mean it has a scene with a teenage girl shoving a sickle through a fellow classmate's throat. This book is that hardcore. If you don't mind graphic violence and extreme situations involving teenagers then you should check this book out. It is very well written and is a cool story. 10 times better than Lord of the Flies.

Buy it here. You won't be sorry.

Frankenstein

So the book Frankenstein is the wonderful philosophical subject tonight. I really find myself identifying with this subject the more I think about it. Dr. Frankenstein is a guy that devoted his life to creating a being out of nothing and once he did he realized that what he created was in hsi eyes a monster. The beast that he creates is left in the world with absolutely nothing. He seems to be an intelligent being but because of his lack of social skills he is doomed to roam the world alone with his own thoughts. All the monster wants is to be happy. He wants a friend to talk to, and wants to have a relationship with people. I think this is representative of the way many people feel, and even live their lives. He wants a chance. The problem is that nobody will give him this chance and he is forced to go at it alone.
     Would it have been so bad for Dr. F. to sit done and buy his creation a beer and hear him out? Granted if this were to have taken place then the story would have been a lot shorter and would have had a happy ending. But alas this could never happen simply because Dr. F. was a complete douche and was too chickenshit to listen to someone. Even when people get down about their lives some times all they want is to have someone that will listen. Drink a beer and have a conversation. Sometimes this can be the best therapy available to someone that is in need of a pick me up. So all I'm really saying is: Let's take the monster out one night and let the man drown his sorrows, and just hear the guy out. He seems like a stand-up fellow. The strides we have been taking in plastic surgery would surely be able to help out with the whole made out of body parts thing. Poor Guy. Let's have a moment of silence for Frankenstein's monster, he deserves it.