Back to the conversation. After about 40-minutes or so, I confirmed that this gentleman did not, in fact, own a Vuvuzela, but he’s a professional fiction writer. He spilled his frustration with colleagues who seem to be writing for the benefit of other writers- to see who can “out-word“ whom. If you’re unaware, it’s not uncommon for some writers to “camp out” under the covers of a Thesaurus as they write. My new friend’s point being that: a Thesaurus is a tool…not a crutch. I have a Thesaurus…somewhere.
I enjoy reading a book without the necessity of a master‘s degree in English Lit.
Gossamer: extremely light, delicate, or tenuous
Abactor: One who steals and drives away cattle or beasts by herds or droves
Quiddity: The essence of being
Jardinière: A large decorative stand or pot for plants or flowers
Sarcoline: Flesh colored
Malgrénous: In spite of one’s self
Fart: The act of expelling gas; juvenile slang
Each of these words were used in literary excerpts of which I skimmed over the past few weeks, including one of mine. With the exception of gossamer, none of the above are common words. I shall attempt to incorporate these words in the remaining passages of this story. You will notice them by way of a helpful
I enjoy reading stories which are written as such that I might better visualize the scene in my mind. However, descriptivism also gets out of hand.
“Her voluptuous breasts glowed with a
I‘m a fan of getting to the point sooner:
Jessica leaned over and kissed Max and reminded him of a daydream they shared long ago, hidden behind a cloud shelf which revealed a beautiful fall moon. She got down on her knees, like a hungry Aardvark, with his office desk shielding her from view. She unzipped his pants, as though she were a sex-starved penitentiary inmate, when a
Those writers at Penthouse Forum are nothing short of brilliant story masters! Who else needs a cigarette?
You might not be aware, but Steinbeck’s novella, “Of Mice And Men,” is banned in many schools- yet the soft drink and snack machines remain soundly in tact. It’s troubling to me that censors and editors deny that contextual (not gratuitous) vulgarities are necessary to tell some stories. (Note to my editor: F*ck off Mike!) I never miss an opportunity to say hello to Mike…to see if he’s actually reading this.
I’ll betcha you’ll find a copy of Sports Illustrated on the school library periodical rack because, as we all know, news from the professional athletic world is always “G” rated.
How dare John Steinbeck expose boys and girls to a particularly racist era in our country so that they might have a better understanding that past is prologue. We wouldn’t want them to read a story which contains violence either, because children are NEVER exposed to violence. Of course, it would be bad to share a story with them about a mentally challenged man with only one friend who understood and cared for him in the only way that he knew how. That would send the wrong message of tolerance and understanding- against a backdrop of societal ignorance- which Steinbeck’s characters endured while pressed against a wall of intractable circumstances.
Perhaps they might,
Of Mice and Men is probably not appropriate for 4th graders, nor am I. It IS a story that everyone should read before exiting high school.
I subscribe to a way of life that, among many things, includes not judging a book by its cover. Of course I also subscribe to Playboy (for the articles) and to a life which includes Mexican food, gratuitous nudity, a happy hour which runs from 4p-close and a deep-seated love for breasts. Don’t judge me. I’m exactly like the holy rollers…only I live my life on the public side of the closed door rather than sneak around.
Reading Steinbeck at an early age didn’t detour my life, as though I were part of a herd being steered down the dusty road of ill repute by a literary
Who needs another cigarette?
Books and covers: An interesting study in a world where things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes white is black, black is white and the seemingly nice old man that you see at the street corner every day with his little dog is actually an asshole who beats his wife. If you ever need proof about covers not being fully representative of the contents therein- Two words:
Jeffrey Dhamer
But, there are positive examples. On the way to work early one morning, I laid a motorcycle down on a slick city street in order to avoid hitting an obstacle in my path. I slid for about 25 feet before coming to an abrupt stop against the curb. With bloody, torn, jeans I looked back to a path of my belongings which were scattered along the roadway.
A young, slender, black woman frantically ran toward me in high heels. She collected my items from the street along the way and asked if I was okay before helping me from the sidewalk. I assured her that I was fine- just scraped up a bit- as she carefully handed my belongings over.
She was a very kind woman…only she wasn’t a woman at all. She was a transsexual. I’m sure that she likely endures levels of ridicule and judgment in her day to day life that would make the rest of us jaded and bitter. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a decent and caring individual and I’m most appreciative for her actions that morning. I peered directly through that book cover.
I saw a menu cover yesterday with, what looked to be, an entrée sent from heaven. My mouth watered as I anticipated the succulence of a dinner which would soon be transformed from menu cover to my plate; presented in all of its aromatic, culinary glory. Turns out that the book cover, in this instance, would have tasted better.
I’ve encountered those who I thought to be good who turned out to be bad, seemingly bad people who turned out to be misunderstood and good people who have simply made bad decisions.
Last weekend I joined a friend for a lazy afternoon on her patio and she shared a not so proud vignette from her past that shocked me more than when the city of New Orleans re-elected Mayor Ray Nagin.
In her younger days, she struggled to finance her education and dreams. She discovered that young college boys would be willing to purchase casual foreplay. Some might question the
I felt honored after hearing my friend’s confession- that she trusted me enough to share that which others might find appalling steeled the bond between us- and I admire her honesty. And then I asked her what I could get for 20-bucks.
I once sat next to a gentleman in a diner who I found to be a delightful character. I truly enjoyed talking with him and hope to do so again someday. Noticing a barcode badge dangling from the collar of his shirt, I asked about it. He explained to me that he was on work release and had 8 months to go in the city correctional system. After he left, I thought about how much I enjoyed chatting with this guy and wondered how he could possibly be a convicted criminal.
The diner clerk explained that this gentleman was one of the most powerful drug and prostitution suppliers on the block and that he was also one of the nicest people I would ever meet.
While I don’t condone his occupation, I suppose he’s simply supplying a demand. It occurs to me that, perhaps, our leaders and citizenry should focus more on ending the demand part of the equation if they really want to “fix” things. I’ve conducted zero qualitative research, but I feel certain that banning books in school won’t do the trick.
Obscure word update: TWO more to go
Meter maids are a complex book. They’re fiercely hated in New Orleans- not for freely spewing out parking tickets- our meter maids tend to be unnecessarily rude about it. I know all of them aren’t bad so, in the future, I will do my best to look past the book cover and notice more of their positive qualities.
I saw my first meter MAN not long ago and he was a real nice guy. He always wore a friendly smile and exercised every opportunity to assist a lost tourist. I haven’t seen him in about three months. I suspect that the meter MAIDS killed him and ate his soul. It seems that I’ve already fallen off the meter maid empathy wagon.
In life, sometimes you find a good read, sometimes you discover why it's in the bargain bin, but I’ve learned valuable lessons by looking past the cover of books and people alike.
As a fun way to amuse yourself this weekend, if you want to have your cover judged pretty fast, go to Walmart and ask where the
As I take a useless bow for a much needed vacation, Mr. Steinbeck shall close. And I shall punctuate this pastoral environment of understanding and care that we've erected, in tandem, over the previous few moments...with a
In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them.
There is writing- promoting social change, writing- punishing injustice, writing- in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.
-John Steinbeck
copyright Pontchartrain Press 2010
