Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Soon Back to Writing and Chris Hedges Saves the Day

Ah, kids, classes are almost done, and for this I am very glad. I enjoy teaching very much, but the prep and the grading keeps me away from writing. I've been sneaking in writing here and there, but there hasn't been the usual sustained effort, as I enjoyed in the spring semester, when
I had Saturday classes. Just this week and next left, along with the insanity of final papers and exams, and then I can tuck back into my strange little world of words and images, where I am most at home.

I'm extremely happy to report that I've got several stories that will appear soon. In addition to the story at JMWW, about whose genesis I previously wrote here, I also have a story, "A Skunk Named Darnell" that will appear in the August issue of the excellent journal decomP, and two other flash pieces based in part on my life, "Zurch, 1989" and "The Only Thing That You Will Ever Give Birth To" at LitSnack and Foundling Review, respectively. I'm excited to have my work in all these wonderful journals, which feature some truly amazing writing.

Also, I was carping about the folks at my favorite site Truthdig, about how some of their articles fail to support understanding or use objective language, a fault I find in many mainstream media sources. Chris Hedges, one of my favorite columnists (and favorite critical minds) there (and author of an excellent book, Empire of Illusion, which analyzes the bread-and-circuses nature of the contemporary American culture), has, as usual, restored my faith in alternative news sources like Truthdig. His article on global warming uses scientific fact, logical analysis, and intellectual rigor to make his point.....I spoke, and he somehow heard (now, believe me, I operate under no illusions that Chris Hedges even knows who I am, let alone listens to a thing I say, but I read and found exactly what the previous article was missing. A beautiful thing. Lots to think about, at that.
Over and out, kids....tomorrow, like our lovely Louise Brooks above, I will be gunning for some writing time--cocking my ideas like pistoles fully loaded with words.

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