(Source: sgc2c)
(via What If Your Favorite Album Was a Book? | Mother Jones)
PURPLE RAIN
I’ll take Blood on the Tracks, thanks.
The book was printed on handmade paper, bound in vellum, and lettered in gold. But its cost was mainly due to new illustrations: 24 full-page drawings by young Irish illustrator Harry Clarke, whose ink illustrations brought Poe’s characters to life with mesmerizing detail. Each copy was signed by Clarke, and according to rare book sellers, the edition topped Christmas lists in 1919.
The Beautiful Illustrations That Made Poe’s Stories Terrifying In 1919
NPR had a story yesterday, about something I talked about back in April. Granted it covers a lot of ground on the idea of Zombie Culture Permeation (ZCP) compared to my slightly self-absorbed assesment, but they really talk about the same thing: Zombies have become a large obsession in our culture.
Is it because they’re so easy to destroy, the us that isn’t us (as I paraphrase Max Brooks)? The article is good, but it doesn’t ask the most important question: why are zombies so important now? Why not ten years ago? Could the popularity of Zombie media be akin to cycles of malaise and depression in the culture? Or are we just getting somewhat lazy in our satire (considering how we talked about making “My One Zombie Film” at the alma mater, as if it was a requirement to graduate)? I would like to think that it was linked to cultural cycles, but I’m more inclined to agree with the latter point. Especially considering how adaptable of a metaphor Zombies can be; something that adaptable is bound to evolve with its environment.
HOW was loads of fun. I met some amazing folks, attended some great events, lost some posters, saw John Vanderslice and his new band (got to sing “Keep The Dream Alive”, just like these folks did in Orlando a couple years ago, but we had a flute, and more of the FLA folks seemed to know the song), went to Emo’s, . Of course, I picked up a few books: Zombie Haiku, Away We Go, and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.
I wasn’t into the conference at first, but it grew on me. There were a number of talks about creativity, organization, and passion for what you do, and how you interact with the customers, projects, and people in your daily sphere. What there wasn’t a lot of was talk about understanding people, or even being understood, but that’s not something this conference was about. That’s what I was there for, as a writer and a filmmaker first, and a graphic designer second, I felt a little out of place, or at least pushed myself away, and made it like that, comfortable not fitting in to the crowd.
As soon as I dropped the stigma of not being a wholly passionate graphic designer, I loosened up enough to realize I was surrounded by loads of creative people, who just wanted to be around other creative people. That’s all I wanted too. When I understood that, the conference opened up to me like the nearly cloudless sky above Texas.
It has been raining on and off all day. I have a scene in a short story that explores part of the experience of not doing what you’d like to be doing and not knowing why you’re not accomplishing what you know you should be. The difference is, I know why I haven’t gotten to edit this short yet: I’ve got a live event to shoot tomorrow, and since I’m heading to Austin on Tuesday. Maybe on the plane I’ll be able to review and refresh. I hope I can get to it before then.
Tomorrow is going to be fun, and worth all the stress. In the long term, will it be worth interrupting my writing? Perhaps. I’m worried about not being able to jump right back into my writing, into my editing, to be where I was when I was writing every day. I need that. I found out some lovely info about myself again. Writing not only calms me down, but evens me out, clears my head, and makes me happier. I want to do more of it, and to write every day, regardless of the films or music I’m recording.
Maybe I should take a cue from Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. I do carry a notebook around, but I use it for notes, not for writing and drawing, simply because it isn’t big enough, and my handwriting isn’t that great. Maybe I need to rethink this, and maybe I need to refresh myself over at 43 Folders and review my GTD book. Maybe I’ll even develop better handwriting. Maybe.
I’ve been feeling like a zombie lately.
The stuff over at Nickel City Chef has been keeping me really busy, so I haven’t even been able to consider how great a read World War Z was; I finished it almost two weeks ago. I certainly haven’t been able to concentrate on any of my own projects. I did finish mixing the tracks from the semi-secret IMF4 a few weeks ago, and they sound better, but far from great. Which means that they’re successful. After I put this first taping behind me, and get back from Austin, I’ll make the time get that out. The priorities now are working on GOTZ, QS, and to finish reading Existentialism is a Humanism.
Thems the breaks, and it is fun, and it is rare to get an opportunity to not only help a friend, but to write, direct, and shoot a live event, with your close friends and associates. At least its been rare since 2003. NCC is an event I believe in too. That really makes it worth all the effort. That is also why I’m being unfair at calling my energy level a form of the walking dead: I’m not staggering through my day, this is what I believe my life should be. That’s the most exciting part.
Bruce has it right.
This has got to be one of the signs that an outbreak has begun. Is it already here? Are there Zombies amongst us that we’re just not capable of seeing yet? I caught sight of this today, sitting on the rack next to me as I took a seat with my coffee, trying to decide if I wanted to purchase the oral history or the survival guide. I probably should have gone with the guide.
Or just home, there’s a lot of work to do. Gotta get that fire started.
So here it is, as promised last month: the underseen and now available to the world in all of its mistake-y glory. All for your displeasure. Enjoy Gift of the Zombi!
On a whim, late this past Easter Sunday, I picked up Kurt Vonnegut’s posthumous collection Armageddon in Retrospect. Despite The A.V. Club’s luke-warm review, I’m very much enjoying the read. Of course, I’d probably enjoy pretty much anything new from him, even if its old, unpublished work. So would most of his fans, as you may be able to judge from the comments.
There are times I can’t see my way through a lot of my own writing and mistakes, but a little KVJr. makes it better.
I am considering pushing through the “Gift of the Zombi” project for the members exhibition at the WNY Book Arts Collaborative, I’ll consider this, and maybe put the writing together this weekend. There will be plenty of time to handwrite and list, and draw while I’m on the plane.
