tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55554155344313261142024-03-14T01:27:50.958-07:00Charlie Griggs the WriterCharlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-77836123123087627272015-03-18T09:00:00.004-07:002015-12-09T13:26:32.058-08:00PublicationsI've been meaning to post a post which details exactly which story got published where and then provide a link to it and so here it is. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<i>Floodwall Magazine</i> - <a href="http://und.edu/orgs/floodwall/_files/docs/griggs-fictionspring2014.cfm">"Limitations"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Blue Lake Review</i> - <a href="http://bluelakereview.weebly.com/what-i-want.html">"What I Want"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Blue Lake Review </i>- <a href="http://bluelakereview.weebly.com/buff-was-in.html">"Buff Was In"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Foundling Review </i>- <a href="http://www.foundlingreview.com/July2014Issue2Griggs.html">"Wakulla Manatee"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Black Scat Review</i> - <a href="http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/798507?__r=265342">"Setting Sun Inn"</a> (available to order only)<br />
<br />
<i>Hobart</i> - <a href="http://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/nubbins">"Nubbins"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Prime Number Magazine</i> - <a href="http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Issue59_PrimeDecimals3.html#anchor_740">"Bubblegum and Heroin"</a><br />
<br />
<i>Litro</i> - <a href="http://www.litrony.com/2015/04/cecilia/">"Cecilia"</a><br />
<br />Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-47158218896787703782014-06-12T17:46:00.001-07:002015-03-18T08:52:37.810-07:00Evolution of an Opening Sentence<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many of you know
I've been working on a long writing project for some time now. It's
been written in chunks, oftentimes out of order, usually formatted to
resemble more closely a series of short stories than a cohesive
whole. This summer, however, as I prepare for my final year of grad
school, during which time I intend to complete the long project, I've
been piecing the text together, making cuts, writing and re-writing
scenes, and I've finally reached a place where the text is beginning
to resemble that cohesive whole I've so strongly been wanting.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, in honor of
reaching my fiftieth chronological page of edited, decent prose
today, I've decided to post a couple of my old opening sentences with
a little description of why they were cut. I had wanted to post an
entire scene from the cutting room floor, but, alas, those scenes
which I cut were all cut for a reason and my pride would allow no
such concession. In any case, here are three excised opening lines
presented in the order of which I conceived and, subsequently, cut
them:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>First there was
heartbreak, then there was nothing; Max Astor was cuckolded at a
young age.
</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
At first the opening
sentence was only the second independent clause, but I take issue
with beginning a piece of writing with a character's name; it seems
chintzy and cheap, the kind of shitty first line bad pulp novels tend
to use. Then I thought I'd adjust it by adding the beginning, and,
haha, look how clever I was by making the first word of the text the
word "First." In any case, this entire scene, three-four
pages of backstory about a character who has since undergone several
name changes and been relegated from protagonist to secondary
character, was cut for obvious reasons. Namely, it was neither
important nor exciting enough to begin such a long text. Snip snip.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>“Truth is this:
used to be people needed to justify their melancholy.”</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oh, no, the quote
didn't end there. For some reason I, at one point or another,
thought that beginning my text with a page and a half long monologue
was a good idea. It wasn't. There were no tags to inform the reader
who was speaking, nor were there any setting details to inform the
reader where the speech was taking place. There was, however, a
whole lot stuffing down the reader's throat exactly what I thought
they needed to get out of the scene: lots of telegraphed intentions,
over-explained motives, the like. This scene underwent several
revisions because I didn't feel the setting was strong enough or
exciting enough to entice any reader. So, finally, I axed the whole
thing. Better to trust one's readers to fill in the blanks than to
overwhelm them with information which you think they might not glean
on their own; always err in favor the readers' intelligence.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Julius, can't you
sympathize?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Something else I
take issue with, similar to beginning with character names, is
beginning with a question. I swore to myself that this would never
be my opening sentence, but I grew complacent and, unable to think of
anything better, almost convinced myself it was okay. Thankfully, I
came to my senses. This sentence - a variation of it, at least - is
still present in my opening paragraph, but has since been replaced
with a much better, more fitting opening sentence. Of course, I say
that now, but maybe in a month as I continue editing, it'll end up
appended to this post. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-45341154123806356072013-11-07T09:38:00.001-08:002013-11-07T09:40:22.444-08:00Excised Exposition Here's a chunk of not-awful writing from my novel-length project which has been temporarily excised in order to make a certain passage less like a chunk from a novel-length project and more like a self-contained short story.<br />
<br />
Context: After being betrayed by his significant other, Julius is driving down I-95 on the way to visit his aunt and, eventually, his father. He's not in a good place mentally, so there's that. The story is called "Ninety-Five," but we'll just refer to this particular chunk as:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Dense Prose Which Screwed Up the Pacing" </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: %; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
He imagines, on either side of the concrete ribbon down which he
travels, the expanses of green stretching out forever into mountains,
lush and fertile, and forests beyond that. Exit signs of the same hue
hanging over stuttering lanes of traffic, blending in, announcing
cities and towns unreachable from off-ramps which don’t end; they
bend away from the interstate and plunge into that vertiginous
verdigris which swallows drivers and destinations alike. As the sun’s
parabolic descent swings into view through the passenger window, he
traces the fractured effulgence down mountain valleys and up steep
ridges, sunlight breaking across exposed acres of rock standing apart
from the mountains’ otherwise dappled green skin, like geo-skeletal
scabs on the bends of great skinned knees.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: %; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Walled
in on either side, tracing the single path bisecting this inimitable
vastness, down down down he drives praying that darkness settles
before humanity confronts him, before his world is once again
industrial parks and commercial districts. At night, by the shadows,
he can lie and pretend the imposing park-and-rides, the empty lots
with their dejected streetlamps are merely the specters of another
sad reverie, but in the yellow shine of wakefulness reality would
loom too near.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: %; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In
the right lane, he depresses the brake pedal, settles back in his
seat, and, by the fading light of the sun-rimmed mountains, he drafts
the inarguable map of his world, one in which the Earth is fecund
land interrupted by his trajectory alone, miles of road disappearing
in his wake and reappearing in his immediate stead; this solipsistic
world where the other vehicles are overgrowth, and Julius alone, with
buzzing head and desperate heart, traverses the uncharted. </div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: %; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
However, temporal canvas forever shifting from light to dark, the
global chiaroscuro repeats on a twenty-four hour loop, and Julius
crashes into the artist’s all-encompassing shade of black somewhere
north of Fayetteville. He flicks through directions on his smart
phone plugged into the car charger, eyes darting between screen and
road: forty-five minutes until Aunt Payton’s.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: %; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 18.4375px;"><b> </b></span></span>To
defend against the dense night outside his midsize, Julius yawns and
lets his energy drain accepting that with exhaustion comes reprieve.
Not yet, though. He has to make it to the small house off the
interstate before succumbing, so he trails cars in the right and
middle lanes, tailgating and flashing his high beams until,
aggrieved, they move, allowing him passage. The game is enough to
keep him alert, or at least entertained, until the exit sign appears,
and, engaging his turn signal, he looks back in his rearview one last
time ingesting the loathsome vehicles and fading billboards
unaffected by his will, standing impervious against his all-consuming
disgust.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-39834568722837549262013-03-20T12:26:00.000-07:002013-03-20T12:27:50.222-07:00Redneck Zombie Work in Progress<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here's a piece I began working on about a three months ago which got placed on the back-burner due to since I wrote myself into a corner and subsequently returned to work on my novel. It's the beginning of a redneck zombie story which, if I can write myself out of said corner, will also serve as a not-so-subtle metaphor for capitalism. The bullet points are actually supposed to by hyphens (a la Gaddis) which unfortunately I was unable to convert from Microsoft Word into the blogging format and I just don't have the time to fiddle with right now. Anyway, here's the beginning and no, there aren't any zombies in it yet. But yes, there are rednecks. Working title is . . .
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Affluenza </span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Somethin's
come over the boy.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ask
me an' I'd say somethin's </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>been
</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">over
him.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Pa, now, you know damn well
what I mean. </span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I do. Forgive me, Ma. Yup, I
do. An affliction, I'd say. Somethin' awful serious.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Ma an' Pa is dangling horny feet
in the creekbed, letting them toes get all sorts o' tangled up in the
algae an' the muckety-muck. I almost didn' pull up beside 'em, but Pa
said that it weren't no matter, see, an' what else we got the spigot
back home for? Well, argument 'nough for me, an' so I sat on down
right there, ass in the mud an' ev'rythin' an' the topic what they
been discussin' ain't no other 'n Simon, my older brother all growed
up who Ma an' Pa named after Simon o' Cyrene, the man what carried
Jesus' cross up Calvary. </span>
</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Fixin' to tell us something,
Laney?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Get on with it, girl, no need
to be shy all suddenly. </span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> That's Ma an' Pa t'me an' they
can see right away something vicious rippin' my insides but good. Me
with my habits, what Pa calls my “tells,” some term or other he
done adopted off a card game with Uncle Chewy an' Rupert Lasso not
more 'n two, three months 'fore. Well, my biggest “tell” what
Pa'd told me about is my fingers get all fidgety-like. See, right now
I been busy tying all manner o' knots with the onion grass, just
pluckin' blades an' wrappin' the ends all 'round into figure-eights
an' sheepshanks. 'Nother habit o' mine is I like to smell my fingers
after I've been messing with the onion grass. That one, though, it
don't matter if I'm hidin' nothin' or not, I just like the way it
smells all sharp an' rude.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Don't rightly know that I'm
comfortable talking on Simon like this, Pa.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Family don't keep secrets,
girl. You hear me good now.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Ma pulls her legs up out o' the
creek. She brings her feet, bunions, algae, an' all, back up on the
bank, then tucks 'em underneath her, Indian-style. Usually Ma's a
graceful woman, but seein' her now all dirty an' swattin' mosquitoes
from behind her neck, it's a sight what'd make anyone smirk real
crooked.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Nothin' funny here, girl. You
better be out with it, else I'm liable to yank it outta you.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Now, Pa. Give her a moment.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Only one what'd test my
patience this much, Ma, the Good Lord Hisself. </span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> When Pa starts bringin' in the
Good Lord or our Savior Jesus Christ or 'specially the Lamb o' God,
these are the times you can tell he's gettin' awful serious.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Simon'd do my arm a rope-burn
worse 'n I ever seen if I say anythin' to you. Made him a promise,
I did.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Your
brother ain't hardly more grown up than you yourself, Laney. No
authority figure in </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>my</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
house aside from me here in front o' you an' our Savior Jesus
Christ. Now out with it.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Well, with two o' the three
Holiest o' Holies already brung, I know Pa's fixin' to get righteous
angry any second now an' Simon can go ahead, rope-burn my arm all he
wants, but ain't nothing worse 'n when Pa loses his temper. Old
Testament kind o' wrath. Kind you don't wanna be 'round.</span></div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-87095473850547815322013-01-14T16:50:00.000-08:002013-01-14T16:50:20.837-08:00Untitled Dialogue Exercise<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The first three lines of this piece are from John Berger's novel <i>King: A Street Story </i>(p. 102). As an exercise in my fiction workshop last semester we were told to begin a dialogue exchange using these lines and then to proceed with it however we saw fit (paying no mind to the characters, story, etc. from Berger's piece). </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Untitled Dialogue Exercise</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Where is she?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> She's walking between the trees.
Her name is in the air.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I can't see her, he says. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> No, you wouldn't. Not yet.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You take jabs at my eyesight
now?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> It's something different. This
isn't about seeing or not seeing.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Tell me she'll be here soon. We
miss her so much sometimes, don't we?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Do we?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Don't we?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You do. I do. Yes, we miss her.
How could we not?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> No, but it wasn't always like
this. I say sometimes because there were other times before now when
it wasn't so easy to miss her. She would go and we wouldn't wait. Our
expectations, they were lower then. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> But now they are higher?</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> They have to be. We depend on
her now. My eyesight, your compassion, she doesn't have such
weaknesses. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Maybe that is her weakness,
though. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> We don't need to talk. We can
just wait until she's here and then things will be fine, they'll be
back to normal and we don't need to fill the air with this – this
shit we say to keep ourselves company.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> It's you, always you, who starts
in with this “shit.” Free me from the blame and I won't speak
anymore. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> First the blame and then what?
What will you ask to be freed from next? I can only do so much. We
count on her, but sometimes I have to count on you too. Don't get any
ideas. You're pardoned this time only. That's it. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You can speak, he says. I know
what I said, but go ahead. She still isn't here and we could use the
company, couldn't we? Go ahead now. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Sometimes I don't know if I
should apologize to you or just drop it altogether.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You don't need to do that.
Either one.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I wouldn't mean it if I did. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> That's good. That's why I like
you. It takes someone special to be honest about their disingenuity.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I couldn't lie about that, no.
You'd know right away.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Exactly. You aren't a very good
liar, he says. That's an admirable trait, lying poorly. Some people
spend their whole lives trying to and still everyone believes them.
Some people, some people. Some people like me. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You're selling yourself short.
You do this again and again and you wonder why we have to rely on
her, why you have to rely on me. Don't sell yourself short. You're a
terrible liar and she loves you for it. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Flattery, flattery. I wonder how
much longer. How much longer she'll keep us waiting. You say she
loves me and then she keeps me waiting, keeps us both waiting.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> We keep ourselves waiting. We've
made her too important to us and now we haven't got any other choice.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I suppose we could leave if we
wanted to. Just us two and maybe she'd catch up to us or maybe she
wouldn't, but we would prove that we can do it. Make it just the two
of us, like we did before her. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> As you said, though, your
eyesight, my compassion. Before we didn't know how weak we were.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Again with my eyesight. You
don't relent. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> She's stopped. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Somewhere in the forest? Where
is she? </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> No, somewhere else. I can't pick
her up. I wonder – </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> She's still coming. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I can't say. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You have to, though. After what
I've just said about counting on you and now you'll deny me this? </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> She's stopped. I can't say
anymore. I can't taste her. The air grows thick.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> This is unlike you. Usually so
alert, so adept. And now this.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> There's nothing I can do. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> You can lie. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0.1in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Okay. She's still coming. Okay? </span>
</div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-65682578205955899652013-01-04T13:14:00.001-08:002013-01-04T14:15:10.477-08:00Top 5 Mainstream Hip-Hop Albums of 2012Back in 2012 it seemed like every other week there was a new hip-hop album dropping and, more often than not, the album was a blast to listen to. Of course, there were a handful of disappointments (most notably Nicki Minaj's <i>Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded</i> and Wiz Khalifa's <i>O.N.I.F.C.</i>), but for the most part I was overwhelmingly satisfied. Enough to craft this handy-dandy top five list.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">5) Meek Mill - Dreams and Nightmares</span></div>
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Meek Mill did the right thing when it came to building hype for his debut album. Despite being Rick Ross's protege (in a manner of speaking), the Philly rapper opted to drop the track "Amen" featuring Drake as his first single rather than any of the three songs featuring Ricky "Humdrum" Rosay. The song is catchy, funny, and it has Drake, so you pretty much can't go wrong. It was enough to get me interested at least. </div>
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So, intrigued, I gave the whole album a listen and I wasn't disappointed. Meek Mill kicks it off with the title track on which he starts slow before going off which sets the pace for the rest of the album. Despite the obligatory Maybach Music collaborations with other label artists (the aforementioned and interminable Rick Ross, Louie V, Sam Sneaker), Meek shines here and doesn't let his album get bogged down with too many featured artists. For the most part, those who are featured are done so in good taste (Kirko Bangz, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Big Sean, etc.) and the solo tracks remain impressive. </div>
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A solid debut from a talented rapper. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">4) Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. I </span></div>
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Having loved <i>The Cool</i>, I was severely disappointed when Lupe dropped <i>Lasers</i> in '11. Gearing up for another album in '12, I assumed the worst: a rushed effort that would try to mirror <i>Lasers</i> and ultimately fail. </div>
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I was wrong.</div>
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This album is the return to form that fans of the old Lupe were craving. You won't find a ton of radio-friendly tracks, but you will get an earful of socially aware rap songs by a discerning artist who makes no concessions with production value. From "Bitch Bad" to "Unforgivable Youth" and everything before, in between, and after, Lupe delivers a quality album that, while not up to snuff with <i>The Cool </i>IMHO, is still a formidable addition to his oeuvre and proof that the rapper is far from falling off. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">3) G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer</span></div>
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If you're like me, you've become so inundated by Yeezy's prolific career as a rapper that you totally forgot he started out on the scene as a producer. Well, if that's the case and you <i>are</i> like me, then shame on us both. But at least <i>Cruel Summer</i> is here to remind us that 'Ye can still kill it on either side of the track. </div>
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This album includes the G.O.O.D. Music label artists you'd expect like Big Sean, John Legend, the criminally underused Cyhi, Pusha T, and more, but doesn't stop there. Mr. West has gone all out on this collaboration including the opening track ("To the World") which features none other than R. Kelly himself and obliterates any doubts you and I may have had right off the bat (R. Kelly, seriously?!? Yes, seriously). We're also given appearances by West's mentor Jay-Z, fellow Chi-town rapper Common, and the obligatory 2 Chainz appearances (as well as so many more). </div>
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This album may be a vehicle for G.O.O.D. Music artists to further their names, but more than that it's Kanye continuing to operate at the top of his game ("Mercy" can attest to that) both verbally and behind the scenes by putting out a killer album that can stand up with the best of what 2012 has to offer. Polished, professional, and a blast to listen to. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">2) Slaughterhouse - Welcome to: Our House </span></div>
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Since their 2009 self-titled debut album I've been championing Slaughterhouse and for whatever reason they still don't seem to get the credit they deserve.Gone are the '80s and '90s when groups like N.W.A and Public Enemy gave way to Wu-Tang and Bone Thugs. There are so many individual rappers popping up, it seems like there's no place for the rap group any longer which makes it especially refreshing to see one composed of such high talent. With Royce da 5'9", Crooked I, Joe Budden, and Joell Ortiz on hand, this group is strong and they let you know it on every track.</div>
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Granted <i>Welcome to: Our House</i> is clearly influenced by Eminem (you may recall Em's friendship with Royce in the 90's which gave way to beef and has since been reconciled) which, depending on your tastes, is either a good thing or a bad thing. But it still doesn't detract from the group's skill-set with their so-good-you-have-to-listen-to-them-twice lyrics and layered deliveries.</div>
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On the whole, the album is strong throughout with a couple appearances by more popular names (Cee-Lo Green, Swizz Beatz) to generate interest, but it's Slaughterhouse's show and they run it. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">1) Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City </span></div>
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Outrageous. Compton has provided the world with another unbelievable voice to stir up hip-hop and get the rap scene away from the dance floor and back to where it started.</div>
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Kendrick Lamar has come out with a concept album that blows everything else 2012 had to offer away. We're not only treated to the old-school, rap-savvy spitting of this new talent, but the story this album tells as well which, as a means of cohesion from track to track, just serves to prove how much of a success this effort is. The title <i>Good Kid, </i> <i>MAAD City</i> perfectly sums up the album's contents, but can in no way prepare you for the talent and brilliance contained therein. </div>
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For example, while "Swimming Pools (Drank)" has been tearing up the radio, by contextualizing that song with the rest of the album it takes on a whole new meaning allowing you to develop an even deeper appreciation for Lamar, an artist who's clearly capable of putting out songs that not only smash the airwaves but also fit perfectly into his concept. </div>
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It's obvious that this isn't just another rapper who's stumbled on to the scene to try and put out club bangers and make an easy buck (thank goodness). He's also a student of rap as evidenced by his sparse but expertly utilized featured artists. This album is no collaboration effort, you're not going to see random names springing up to drop the hook of every other song. We're given a couple mainstream talents (Drake, Dr. Dre, and Mary J.), but also some sleepers like Jay Rock and MC Eiht who carries enough West Coast cred alone to demonstrate that Lamar isn't messing around.</div>
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This album owned the world of hip-hop in 2012. If you take nothing else away from this blog post, at least listen to "Backseat Freestyle" below and then pray that Kendrick Lamar has a long, long career ahead of him. Enjoy!</div>
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Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-52128382673101852772012-12-12T16:43:00.003-08:002012-12-12T16:43:44.716-08:00Hip-Hop Stars and Their NFL Doppelgangers Pt. 2<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Hip-Hop Stars and Their NFL Doppelgangers Pt. 2</span></div>
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Finals are done which means I can get
back on my blogging grind, so enjoy!</div>
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Here's my next batch of hip-hop stars and
their NFL doppelgangers:</div>
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LMFAO = Rob Gronkowski</div>
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LMFAO just recently broke up which is
heartbreaking, but their legacy of party-rocking lives on. Similarly,
Rob Gronkowski just broke his forearm, but his legacy of being the
best damn tight end in the NFL and also one of the league's hardest
partiers remains.
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These guys are all good at what they
do, but more importantly they're even better at having fun. LMFAO's
song “Get Crazy” is the theme to Jersey Shore, they made a series
of sick music videos all spoofing horror movies which I totally dig,
and their songs “I'm Sexy and I Know It” and “Shots” will be
heard in bars and nightclubs for decades to come.
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What about Rob Gronkowski? Dude
absolutely kills it week after week. He had a record-setting season
last year, got into all kinds of controversy by lending his
jersey to a porn star for a quick photo op, and supposedly got tangled up with some jailbait while out raging.
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No one parties harder than the Gronk,
though I'd put some money down that LMFAO could give him a run for
his money.
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Rick Ross = Albert Haynesworth</div>
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They're both big, make (or in
Haynesworth's case, made) more money than they deserve(d), and only
occasionally do something noteworthy while primarily sticking to
being enormous embarrassments.
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Rick Ross raps slow, rhymes the same
word with itself over and over again, and somehow still has fans.
Also I think he had a heart attack already and the dude's in his
mid-30's.
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Haynesworth was so overweight when he
played for the Redskins that he didn't pass the fitness test, yet for
some reason people were still advocating his presence. He's played on
four teams since joining the league, however everyone's had enough
sense to stay away from him after 2011.
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Both are hacks.
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50 Cent = Drew Brees</div>
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Sound crazy? Bear with me . . .</div>
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</div>
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First of all, both of these guys are
struggling to make a comeback right now (see Fiddy's new track with
Eminem and Adam Levine and the Saints' record for proof). Both have
been highly publicized because of some tragedy that happened years
ago which has helped boost their media image (Fiddy got shot nine
times and Brees plays for the Saints of New Orleans which was ravaged
by Hurricane Katrina once upon a time).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Contextually, Brees is obviously a
superior football player than 50 Cent is a rapper right now, but
considering Fiddy's other ventures (Vitamin Water, for one), the dude
is still outrageously successful bringing him almost back up to par
with Brees.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So there you have it, two successful
guys who despite their media-hyped hardships have stayed true to their
respective games and are both angling for a comeback AT THIS EXACT
MOMENT.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What do you all think about these three
pairs of doppelgangers? Killing it or way off? </div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-42446466548141010002012-11-19T20:57:00.001-08:002012-11-19T20:57:17.683-08:00Page of Giving<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Another prompt from my fiction workshop. This time we were given the subject "Page of Giving" and told to run with it. Alas, I was not inspired by the holidays, but still managed to pull something off. Ch-ch-check it out. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Page of Giving</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">Fifteen
percent used to be kosher but you can never tell anymore and Frankie
says he's a regular so maybe I should probably leave a little bit
more like twenty percent would probably do it, but the bill isn't
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;"><i>huge</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">.
What we used to do is we used to tip by the drink. At the bar at
least. Bartender hands you a drink, beer, cocktail, whatever, it's a
dollar tip. No question. Okay. And this is just drinks, but twenty
percent doesn't even amount to a dollar tip per drink which means I'm
either being stingy or ignorant or just what? I don't know. How much
is Frankie leaving? Look at him, look at </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;"><i>him</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">.
Schmoozing it up with the waitress like they're such good friends
like they're gonna make plans and get together some time and she's
only doing her job. She's talking you up for the cash, bro. Look at
him go. He's oblivious. Well, not me. No way, buckeroo. I won't be
caught off-guard. How'm I doing? Huh? How were</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;"><i>
my</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">
drinks? Don't you worry about me, hon, I'm busy right now. I got a
lot on my mind, see? While you're busy doing your job, here I am
trying to have a nice day, a couple drinks with my man, and it should
be relaxing, but no. No, it isn't. 'Cause you got me doing </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;"><i>math</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">
on my nice, relaxing day. Twenty percent? Hah! After all this brain
power, after all this energy, aren't I due some small commission?
Aren't I due a fraction of that back? Yeah, you'll be lucky to see
fifteen. I'll leave fifteen all right, but not a cent more. How much
is that? How much is he giving her? This is embarrassing. No, no,
this is </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;"><i>embarrassing</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 200%;">.
Does she have change for a twenty, Frankie? It's her job to have
change for a freaking twenty! Come on, come on, give me a break.
Seventeen point five. That's all she's getting. Yeah, yeah, honey,
the drinks were fine. Nuh uh. They weren't twenty percent good,
that's for sure. I can do seventeen point five. And that's being
generous. Look at this dent where my wallet used to stick out. Look
how generous I am. Frankie, stop talking now. Stop talking, it's time
for us to go. Is she looking? She's looking and I can't pay while
she's looking. Why do they always do this? Twenty percent, huh? You
want the big two-oh? Yeah, uh huh. Keep staring. Keep gloating. The
drinks were fine. They were fine. And next time, yeah, you better
believe that next time I'm not leaving a freaking cent over fifteen. </span></div>
Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-58964223702015385252012-11-08T10:29:00.003-08:002012-11-08T10:30:57.478-08:00E-mail to/from Zadie Smith<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 0.19in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Author
Zadie Smith, whose new novel <i>NW</i> came out about two
months ago, became a big deal back when her first novel <i>White
Teeth</i> was released to critical acclaim in 2000. She was 25
at the time. In the literary community, the elite are termed "major
writers" and Smith earned this status almost immediately with
the publication of <i>White Teeth</i>.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I'd
wanted to read the aforementioned book for some time now and finally
got the chance to do so, however after reading one question remained.
I e-mailed Smith and she responded (which is AWESOME). Our brief
exchange can be found below. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">My
e-mail: </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Hi
Professor Smith, </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">My
name's Charlie Griggs (in case the e-mail address didn't tip you off)
and I'm currently in my first year studying to receive my MFA in
Fiction from San Diego State University. That being said, as part of
the curriculum for a British literature course I'm taking
(1950-present), I read your novel <i>White Teeth</i>. My
professor advised that I e-mail you and attempt to pursue the
following question after inquiring in class with little success: </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">As
the novel progresses, the Chalfens grow ever more irritable. However,
I was plagued by the phonetics of their name from the very first
mention of Joshua. The name "Chalfen" in and of itself, I
find to be especially grating from the soft "A"-sound to
the "-lf-" which strikes me as the type of guttural someone
who's choking on food might make. Is the surname "Chalfen"
meant to reflect the repugnance of the family in question or am I
waaaaay off? </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Anyhow,
for the sake of diplomacy I should note that I hold nothing against
the Chalfens and, despite my distaste for them as people, they remain
successful as characters. Additionally, if you find the last name
"Chalfen" appealing and my comments w/r/t guttural choking
noises have caused you any offense, I sincerely apologize. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Hope
to hear back from you! </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">-
Charlie Griggs</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Her
response: </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Hi
Charlie,</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
guess I never thought of the name as terrible. it was just the last
name of someone i knew at the time and i stole it - most of my names
come that way. either people, or books on my desk. literally when i
need to name a character i look up from my lap top and choose two
names often at random from whatever books or leaflets or posters are
within my sight range.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">i
remember liking chalfen especially though because it lends it self to
adjectival forms 'chalfenesque' 'chalfenish', and so on. not all
names do that so well.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">best</span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-53810342097652668982012-10-30T15:53:00.000-07:002012-10-30T15:56:08.110-07:00The Stereotypical Horror Movie Victims' Halloween 2012 Hit-ListI spent a while thinking about how I wanted to structure this blog post. Originally it was going to be called "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" and I was going to spotlight a classic horror movie, a recent one, a remake, and whatever the hell "Something Blue" would entail. I still don't know what I would've done with that last criteria, so it's a relief that I didn't use the above idea.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijASTfHMXNoQgTMIgsBITHHZetNwIRo2FHMrqGGAWn8gDG_PDORHCk4eBoIbnwoS0ZVit0O95H8TU43AR4iCyQjrZbbz39QVUVEvOUJ11UMZUtEgW2xDeq-QNdj2H-tilA1MSEmlkXvFg/s1600/jack+o+lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijASTfHMXNoQgTMIgsBITHHZetNwIRo2FHMrqGGAWn8gDG_PDORHCk4eBoIbnwoS0ZVit0O95H8TU43AR4iCyQjrZbbz39QVUVEvOUJ11UMZUtEgW2xDeq-QNdj2H-tilA1MSEmlkXvFg/s320/jack+o+lantern.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<br />
Next I thought about taking the names of the seven dwarves from Snow White and selecting a horror movie to correspond with each one of them. For instance, Doc = a movie about an evil doctor/dentist, Dopey = a crappy movie, Sleepy = ???. As you can see, this was an awful idea and one whose origin I'm still unable to trace, but troubled by nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here we are and I think I've found the perfect structural device to give this blog post the panache it needs to really stand out. So, without further ado, I present to you:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">The</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span style="color: orange;">Stereotypical </span><span style="color: orange;">Horror Movie Victims' Halloween 2012 Hit-List</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span>
Odds are that you're familiar with the usual cast of characters in a horror movie: the virginal heroine and her foil the whore, the noble male protagonist and his foil the party animal, and then whatever other two-bit character(s) the film's creators decide to throw in the mix to up the body count. Well, I'm going to shamelessly structure my list of Halloween horror movie recommendations off of those aforementioned stereotypes, so bear with me. (I've avoided plot details for the most part, so as to keep spoilers to a minimum.)<br />
<br />
The Virginal Heroine<br />
This is the character who usually survives (until the sequel). She's chaste and honorable and, despite the idiotic decisions her friends make, she manages to outsmart her competition. Reminds me of a little film called <i>Don't Look Now</i> (1973) in which a grieving couple visits Italy where a series of murders are occurring at the time. This movie may not be flashy, but it remains true to its story and its characters and, in doing so, manages to outsmart most of the modern horror films out there today.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwYk3DWQt5yjvO3Pg_JYpBqfrzwKqLvLVvT6LU3jJtYz8S9vwHTNKl8fvvNTV6OuwWHOS6YvCynXNLI3Iz1e2devdnQAYG_CRovTKZYNgM5Iqi-6cmaviWX0DyYJ29mFt3eJPghGKLQg/s1600/dont+look+now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwYk3DWQt5yjvO3Pg_JYpBqfrzwKqLvLVvT6LU3jJtYz8S9vwHTNKl8fvvNTV6OuwWHOS6YvCynXNLI3Iz1e2devdnQAYG_CRovTKZYNgM5Iqi-6cmaviWX0DyYJ29mFt3eJPghGKLQg/s320/dont+look+now.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
This movie is slower than what most viewers are probably used to. It's not cheap and it will earn your fear rather than exploit it. It isn't going to try and make you jump every ten minutes by having a cat run across the screen or a dismembered limb fall out of a closet. What it will do, however, is make you care about the characters involved and their loss and then wallop you in the gut at the very end and leave you wondering what the hell just happened.<br />
<br />
If you're patient, it's worth your time. If you're not, try this next flick out:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">The Whore</span><br />
This character needs no introduction. She/he is the one out there banging the night away while her/his friends are getting methodically slaughtered one-by-one. She/he lives by the motto get in, get off, get out. The Whore's time in the movie is short and sloppy, but odds are you enjoyed watching their antics just the same because, well, people are twisted like that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPQJfiY-DUqstNaESm3w2QwD8KFrl2sgDsQxNtLjbZc3C4PdYcBz84DIVzqMvmGfDDwenbAStlu_-SDIblNpbnzk-GD6ifW_EFO-hGoDVd8xqy5Qx8qXtcN_saaOZp7Dy98SgzWMNbIs/s1600/Night_of_the_Demons_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPQJfiY-DUqstNaESm3w2QwD8KFrl2sgDsQxNtLjbZc3C4PdYcBz84DIVzqMvmGfDDwenbAStlu_-SDIblNpbnzk-GD6ifW_EFO-hGoDVd8xqy5Qx8qXtcN_saaOZp7Dy98SgzWMNbIs/s320/Night_of_the_Demons_poster.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
If we're talking movies which fall under those same criteria, then we're talking <i>Night of the Demons</i> (1988) about a group of teen sneaking into a funeral home overnight and unleashing a bunch of (what else?) demons. I haven't seen the remake of this movie and I don't intend to because the original is just too much fun. Do you want over-the-top gore, excessive nudity, and a plethora of strange and/or stupid characters getting axed in outrageous ways which you're invited to revel in? Look no further. This flick is all about getting in your face, blowing your mind, and then laughing on its way out.<br />
<br />
Nothing says short and sloppy like an hour and a half movie which glorifies everything society is ashamed of. Take pride in this recommendation, readers. This movie is shameless.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">The Noble Male Protagonist</span><br />
This character comes in many different forms. Sometimes he's a jock, sometimes he's an introvert with a mysterious past close to the macabre shenanigans at hand, sometimes he's a frat-star (see: Jerry O'Connell, <i>Scream 2</i>). But no matter what, this character, despite his superior physique and heightened social status, will always stick out his neck to help the woman he loves, the bullied nerd, or just about any other victim whom he deems worthy of his attention. Of course, by doing this he pretty much guarantees his own death, but ya can't win 'em all, huh?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ED-Um4kT_1ZMpcP0sVqsOh1n5B-EpAmvXQSu4eTNE3GuhQyHTOyFdYoScXNc0wglkOV2yGCD1gTxNSAepRFj-qGMI5avoAHlKha7cwaJ-0xff3kjcz_qN0qeEQk9l4UxFQ3QlsvH6cg/s1600/house-of-the-devil-Movie-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ED-Um4kT_1ZMpcP0sVqsOh1n5B-EpAmvXQSu4eTNE3GuhQyHTOyFdYoScXNc0wglkOV2yGCD1gTxNSAepRFj-qGMI5avoAHlKha7cwaJ-0xff3kjcz_qN0qeEQk9l4UxFQ3QlsvH6cg/s320/house-of-the-devil-Movie-review.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The House of the Devil</i> (2009) fits this description perfectly. It knows we've been suffering at the hands of those who keep producing crappy remakes rather than genuinely good, original horror movies and it's here to lend a hand. Telling the story of a babysitter who gets more than she signed up for, this flick is slow, precise, and heralds back to a time when horror movies were pure and the market wasn't flooded with sequels of sequels and the abuse of gimmicks (i.e. found footage flicks) to try and engage the viewer.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, this film isn't perfect. Much like The Noble Male Protagonist who comes back to help the others, this film stutters along the way: the pacing lags at parts and the ending isn't 100% clear if you haven't been paying attention. All in all, though, this movie is a savior of sorts and deserves to be watched for that reason alone.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">The Party Animal</span><br />
Here's another character who's all about having a good time. This character is busy planning a party the same night the killer scheduled his massacre and nothing -- I mean nothing -- is going to stop that party from happening. While The Whore is all about screwing you, The Party Animal is all about screwing you up.<br />
<br />
And if that's what you want, search no further than <i>Blue Velvet</i> (1986), a cinematic inversion of suburbia that will leave you wanting a shower.<br />
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<br />
I almost left this movie off because while writing, I realized this would have fit perfectly into my "Something Blue" category from the original structuring concept, but oh well.<br />
<br />
This movie is well-shot, well-acted, and it doesn't seem that threatening at first. Good scenery, good company, no reason to be scared of this party, right? And then things take a dark, dark, dark, dark, dark turn. This movie blends sex and violence and it WILL make you cringe.<br />
<br />
If you're here to get messed up, then <i>Blue Velvet </i>is for you.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">The Other Two-Bit Characters Thrown In to Up the Body Count </span><br />
Here are a handful of other suggestions in case none of the above tickle your fancy.<br />
<br />
<i>Audition </i>(1999) - Japanese horror movie about a single father looking for love again. First half is light and fluffy, the second half is creepy as all hell. Don't like subtitles? Trust me, it's worth it.<br />
<br />
<i>Re-Animator </i>(1985) - Outrageous zombie movie about a med student and a hospital morgue. Half of it will make you laugh, the other half will repulse you.<br />
<br />
<i>Terror Train </i>(1980) - Jamie Lee Curtis is on a train for a frat's costume party which is either to celebrate New Year's Eve or graduation even though it seems like Halloween and it doesn't have to make much sense because this is not a good movie, but it is a guilty pleasure movie, so if you're looking for a cheesy 1980's slasher flick, make it this one.<br />
<br />
<i>Them/Ils </i>(2006) - Imagine a French version of <i>The Strangers </i>except creepier. This one's a winner.<br />
<br />
<i>Sinister </i>(2012) - I know, I know, you can't rent or stream this one because it's still out in theaters. Bummer. But do yourself a favor and see this flick ASAP because it's probably going to be a long time before we get another horror flick of this caliber out in theaters.<br />
<br />
That's all for this year, folks. Enjoy the suggestions and have a happy Halloween!Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555415534431326114.post-57028110264799433862012-10-24T18:33:00.001-07:002012-10-24T18:50:46.187-07:00Hip-Hop Stars and Their NFL Doppelgangers Pt. I <span style="color: red;">Hip-Hop Stars and Their NFL Doppelgangers Pt. I</span><br />
<br />
"Damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous,<br />
'cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us."<br />
- Drake, "Thank Me Now," <i>Thank Me Later </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
No one says it quite like Drake. But no one says it quite like me either, so here's a brief preamble before we get into the meat and potatoes of this post:<br />
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While actors spend most of their time pretending to be someone else and writers spend most of their time holed up by themselves typing, athletes and musicians fall into that same category of celebrity which forces them into the limelight without giving them any roles or desks to hide behind. Whether it occurs at a nationally televised game or a sold-out concert, whether they're wearing team colors or representing their record label, athletes and musicians are forced into the forefront of public consciousness with only their skillset and the faith they have in that skillset to engage their spectators. It's the most raw form of exposure and it's likely because of this that so many involved with either profession are accused of possessing an "ego." If you perform well, you'll be idolized and if you screw up, the punishment is just as damning. Few other occupations face such overwhelming public scrutiny.<br />
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It's no wonder that Drake draws this comparison between those in his own field and those who take the field. For those of you familiar with the song, you may be aware that the preceding line of "Thank Me Now" references Jordan and Iverson. However, I'm inclined to believe that football parallels music, especially hip-hop more closely than basketball and for that reason I've created the following list of hip-hop stars and their NFL doppelgangers. Enjoy.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">Drake = Arian Foster </span><br />
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Both young, both at the top of their respective games, I've been haunted by this comparison since Foster first blew up in 2010. Imagine a virtually unknown player breaking onto the scene with 1,600+ rushing yards, 16 touchdowns, and no multi-million dollar deal to speak of. Compare that with Drake's sudden emergence: <i>So Far Gone</i> dropped in 2009 without a label backing him and all of a sudden his music began receiving radio play and led to a deal with Young Money.<br />
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Now that both athlete and artist have become sensations, they continue to dominate with a certain swagger their peers struggle to match. However, it isn't without an air of sincerity and depth that they do so. Foster is known to often engage interviewers in conversations relating to eastern philosophy thus upending the stupid football player stereotype whereas Drake has no qualms about bearing his emotions in his music and relating to his listeners on a personal level thus displaying layers of character otherwise unheard of in the modern hip-hop scene.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">T.I. = Michael Vick </span><br />
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As opposed to the musician and athlete in my first comparison, neither one of these two are on top of their respective games right now regardless of what they may want you to believe. T.I.'s best and most consistent album, <i>Trap Muzik</i>, came out when he was relatively new to the rap scene. Trust me if you haven't heard it, it's GOOD. His next few albums aren't bad per se, but there's a noticeable drop-off in quality. Finally, T.I. hit an all-time low both with his prison sentence and his album <i>Paper Trail</i>. After being locked up, he came back with <i>No Mercy</i> which had some great tracks. Lately, though, T.I. has become more of a pop star than a hip-hop icon. His album due out this winter will probably have some catchy songs for the radio, but it's all been downhill since <i>Trap Muzik</i> for this self-proclaimed "King."<br />
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Sound familiar, Mr. Vick? This Virginia Tech QB made the Falcons relevant in the early 2000's. Everything was going smooth until he was put away in prison and then his public image and football career both seemed irreversibly damaged. Not the case. Similar to T.I.'s post-prison effort <i>No Mercy</i>, Vick returned to the league on the Phildelphia Eagles and had an amazing season. Lately, though, things have been rough. Vick's been battling injuries and turnovers for too long and may have to soon admit that, like T.I., the best of his career is behind him.<br />
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Luckily, they've both got someone to pick up their slack when the game gets to be too much them (think B.o.B. and LeSean McCoy).<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Snoop Dogg = Jerry Rice</span><br />
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Here we go. Two guys who will forever be linked to their crafts. You can't talk 90's West Coast rap without mentioning Snoop and you can't talk late 80's-90's football stars without bringing up Rice. At one point or another, both of these guys were "the guys" you talked about when you were talking rap or football.<br />
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Rice may have stayed in uniform a little too long, having ended his career in '05 with the Broncos (after a questionable stint with the Raiders) and everyone knows Snoop is well past his prime as evidenced by his collaboration with Katy Perry on "California Gurls"), but there's no denying the influence of either one. Despite how things may have ended with Rice and how things still are ending with Snoop, they will always be remembered as some of the greatest of all times. You can't take away Rice's days with the Niners just like you can't deny Snoop his hits with Death Row.<br />
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That's it for today's post, stay tuned for part two of this list coming soon!<br />
<br />Charlie Griggs the Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399787126290240663noreply@blogger.com0