If you need two assistants for your Austin date let me know. We would love to help. Also, hope that penguin I sewed for you ages ago still exist and has survived the years.
My new friend just read Trades, and really liked the bit about the screw loose in the threshold, it being stepped on over and over, et cetera. This is thanks to you.
I’d love a kangaroo outfit for Boston, dude. I don’t think my subscription is up for a while, is it? Enjoy it. I stole a hard copy of Choke from Barnes and Noble in 2001. I owe you.
Also forgot to add I’m reading, “The Three body problem,” right now. Not too old but old but Sci-Fi is my favorite genre. Hope you’ve read it or will be soon.
I tried to reread Jaws last month. No go. The opening includes a one-sentence sex scene that includes "passionate enthrall". What even is an enthrall? That's followed by a many-paged description of a young woman being taken apart in agonized small pieces.
Never read it. But the film. Oy. The only thing I remember about Jaws is the "Take that you son of a bitch" line before the shark's mouth explodes. And the music. And the fact that the girl who blew all the jocks in high school was known by that moniker.
Read the book way back and just rewatched the movie before seeing “The Shark Is Broken” on Broadway with Ian Shaw playing his father. I’m not planning any wanking.
Zoe, want to meet at Tattered Cover when they open that day? I plan on offering myself to Chuck as a sacrifice that day -- I can run any errand or whatever he needs. Hell, I’ll even buy him lunch! I would go pick him up at DIA if the Tattered Cover wanted me to, but I’m sure that’s not going to happen 😜
Hey there just saw this! I am doing a little homework right now ... you saw the event got moved? McGregor Square... Not sure what time I can make it since my a.m. meeting schedule for work literally exploded... but I am hoping for noonish!
I did see that -- thanks for the reminder! 😊 No worries about when you show up -- I’m planning on being there all day so just look for me when you get there. I’m coming up from the Springs 😊 You can email me: kippras (at) gmail.com and we can share cell numbers or what not if you’d like as well! 😊
It may not be relevant as it isn't what you were writing about but have you ever read The Things? I very much enjoyed reading the story from the viewpoint of "The Thing."
It's "a science fiction short story by Peter Watts, revisiting the universe of John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing (derived itself from John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?") from the viewpoint of the alien. It was first published on Clarkesworld, in January 2010."
Dude, spectacular work! I'm really struggling with plot. I am bad, bad, bad at it. No seriously, I can't cleverly find a way to surprise and audience. I know it's in your nature to try and convince me of otherwise. Having said that, I read Denis Johnson's short work, THE STARLIGHT OVER IDAHO. Have you perused it? Holy Lud. After I read that, I wrote a letter to my dad and had some spiritual relief. He did himself in in 2020, April, right when COVID started ramping up.
And a part of me is losing interest in language arts. (Is that what we call it today? We used to call it that in grade school.)
I will never not love reading except when I read something exceptional and *garsh!* why didn't I think of that?! Still, there is a certain frisson (or is it jouissance?) in nourishing the spirit of covetous.
Anyway, I will keep sculpting out my little notes and . . . I don't know. Whatever the point is at the end of the day.
We might petition to bring back the word gay to before when it meant lame, not-awesome, a huge bummer. Like in Blink 182 concerts and American Pie movies. As in, finding a victim of a hardcore lynching and exclaiming, "Dude that is so gay!"
I want to be offended but your comment was pretty funny...The Tao of Swayze. Alas, they are just words. I don't know what Im going to do without my homework and stuff! *Throwing pathetic tantrum*
Wonderful essay. WWII has been on my mind a lot and your comments about popular fiction and science fiction of the 50's and 60's are spot on. I was reminded of how Lafcadio Hearn's essay on Ants (written around 1910) really surprised me. He was writing science fiction before science fiction was invented! I'll try to post his essay on my Substack.
Using genre as a proxy for dangerous writing always puts me in mind of Ira Levin and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ because of the thalidomide subtext. And speaking of Levin, I think his dystopian sci-fi novel, ‘This Perfect Day’, is his most underrated.
Hey Chuck, it's not like you ask your publisher not to give you an advance because you can't write for a couple of months, right? My subscription stays. Consider it a recurring, trustworthy advance from someone who's got total faith and trust in you.
Side note: I'm still looking forward to fly to Portland at some point. Maybe for a workshop, a reading, anything. Time is a bitch and all those days off accumulated at work won't use themselves up.
Let those kangaroos jump around. Happy tour. It'll be memorable. I wish Europe was on the list. But like my nan used to say, "Things aren't the way we want them, but just the way they come." Whatever that means.
You may be pretty brutal but it’s all for a good cause. One day, I hope to have something that I’d be happy to show you. Currently, nope, not so much. I need practice and to study more when it comes to writing. I kinda want my style to be a combination of what you are teaching and the way I feel about it. Eventually, I’ll get there.
Thank you for hammering in your concepts. They're fantastic. It almost seemed like censorship back then made people like Rod Serling think more creatively, to take problems of that day and weave them into something entertaining, which ultimately made his work timeless.
Also, you know what might be a new form of anthology television? Love, Death & Robots. The series takes sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories and animates them. I talked about it before and I'd like you to give it a peek.
And don't worry. I'm gonna keep my sub going if I can help it. If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to pull my computer from my cold dead hands. I mean, my robotic hands.
If you need two assistants for your Austin date let me know. We would love to help. Also, hope that penguin I sewed for you ages ago still exist and has survived the years.
THAT penguin is still in my office. You're the medical examiner who used the classic baseball cadaver stitches, right? How could I forget!?
10 years as a mortician/ funeral director / forensic restoration/ cremation operator. Funny enough recently laid off so now full time artists.
Definitely let me / us know if you need any assistants for your Austin get together. Would love to contribute to the fun and chaos
It’s also so much more fun figuring out how to convey emotion through objects than characters.
Enjoy the Substack break, and see you on tour!
My new friend just read Trades, and really liked the bit about the screw loose in the threshold, it being stepped on over and over, et cetera. This is thanks to you.
Awesome! I must pass this thanks up the ladder to Chuck and Amy
I’d love a kangaroo outfit for Boston, dude. I don’t think my subscription is up for a while, is it? Enjoy it. I stole a hard copy of Choke from Barnes and Noble in 2001. I owe you.
Dude, how afraid was Beau? Amirite?
Also forgot to add I’m reading, “The Three body problem,” right now. Not too old but old but Sci-Fi is my favorite genre. Hope you’ve read it or will be soon.
You SO owe me. 2001? What are you a child? See you in Boston.
I mean I was 20 so yeah a child.
Thanks for the shout out about the workshop! Also, this is a great summer for pulp immersion.
Yay! Happy to have you there, Brandon.
I have you as a "yes"- shoot me an email (suzy @ wordsinahurry dot com ) and I'll pass it along to Randy tomorrow. We'll get you all the info asap.
Sign me up (please)!
Hi Jason,
Awesome! Shoot me an email at suzy @ wordsinahurry dot com and I'll get you all the info and sign you up.
Suzy, you are making bank. Go girl.
Really looking forward to working with these passionate, hungry writers. Thanks, Chuck!
I tried to reread Jaws last month. No go. The opening includes a one-sentence sex scene that includes "passionate enthrall". What even is an enthrall? That's followed by a many-paged description of a young woman being taken apart in agonized small pieces.
How can I wank to that?!
Never read it. But the film. Oy. The only thing I remember about Jaws is the "Take that you son of a bitch" line before the shark's mouth explodes. And the music. And the fact that the girl who blew all the jocks in high school was known by that moniker.
Read the book way back and just rewatched the movie before seeing “The Shark Is Broken” on Broadway with Ian Shaw playing his father. I’m not planning any wanking.
1. I'm thrilled to find out we're allowed to record at the events, and it's encouraged!
2. If you have an XL kangaroo suit for Portland (or Seattle just for fun) count me in!
3. Will you announce when we should resubscribe? (I'd rather you just keep the extra revenue and not miss anything.)
4. I love to make lists!
Every event will include at least one XL.
I will give an all-clear, but no pressure.
I will see you in Denver and I guarantee you I’m too short for a kangaroo costume at 4’11.5” 😜
I want an assignment. Give me something to do, will ya?
I too have a ticket for Denver... wasn’t sure what time I was planning to go... let’s make a plan... that’s MY assignment
Zoe, want to meet at Tattered Cover when they open that day? I plan on offering myself to Chuck as a sacrifice that day -- I can run any errand or whatever he needs. Hell, I’ll even buy him lunch! I would go pick him up at DIA if the Tattered Cover wanted me to, but I’m sure that’s not going to happen 😜
Hey there just saw this! I am doing a little homework right now ... you saw the event got moved? McGregor Square... Not sure what time I can make it since my a.m. meeting schedule for work literally exploded... but I am hoping for noonish!
I did see that -- thanks for the reminder! 😊 No worries about when you show up -- I’m planning on being there all day so just look for me when you get there. I’m coming up from the Springs 😊 You can email me: kippras (at) gmail.com and we can share cell numbers or what not if you’d like as well! 😊
It may not be relevant as it isn't what you were writing about but have you ever read The Things? I very much enjoyed reading the story from the viewpoint of "The Thing."
It's "a science fiction short story by Peter Watts, revisiting the universe of John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing (derived itself from John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?") from the viewpoint of the alien. It was first published on Clarkesworld, in January 2010."
Dude, spectacular work! I'm really struggling with plot. I am bad, bad, bad at it. No seriously, I can't cleverly find a way to surprise and audience. I know it's in your nature to try and convince me of otherwise. Having said that, I read Denis Johnson's short work, THE STARLIGHT OVER IDAHO. Have you perused it? Holy Lud. After I read that, I wrote a letter to my dad and had some spiritual relief. He did himself in in 2020, April, right when COVID started ramping up.
And a part of me is losing interest in language arts. (Is that what we call it today? We used to call it that in grade school.)
I will never not love reading except when I read something exceptional and *garsh!* why didn't I think of that?! Still, there is a certain frisson (or is it jouissance?) in nourishing the spirit of covetous.
Anyway, I will keep sculpting out my little notes and . . . I don't know. Whatever the point is at the end of the day.
https://theharvardadvocate.com/content/the-starlight-on-idaho (I forgot in case you hadn't read the Johnson short, there it is).
No Canadian tour dates 😔
Sigh. Canada hates me. Chapters? Chapters, please call...
You're too white and too male for this place. Being gay isn't nearly enough nowadays.
Oh no. No more Substack and homework from Mr. Palahniuk?
We might petition to bring back the word gay to before when it meant lame, not-awesome, a huge bummer. Like in Blink 182 concerts and American Pie movies. As in, finding a victim of a hardcore lynching and exclaiming, "Dude that is so gay!"
I want to be offended but your comment was pretty funny...The Tao of Swayze. Alas, they are just words. I don't know what Im going to do without my homework and stuff! *Throwing pathetic tantrum*
Hey, I wrote it and even I'm offended. Jeez, can we get someone to delete this guy?
Poor poor Deep! Golly! You're going to get us both banned! I'm gonna renew my subscription anyway. Nothing he can do about it. He's so great.:)
He eggs us on. (Egg shout out). What can we do, he's our teacher? Our we to be responsible for the lessons he imparts?
We are. We have to be extremely responsible with those teachings...and his hawt pictures.
Someday.
I just found a very scary teddy bear that plays a song. It's antique and cost $8 so it must be cursed. Consider it the next "prize."
Oh goody!
Wonderful essay. WWII has been on my mind a lot and your comments about popular fiction and science fiction of the 50's and 60's are spot on. I was reminded of how Lafcadio Hearn's essay on Ants (written around 1910) really surprised me. He was writing science fiction before science fiction was invented! I'll try to post his essay on my Substack.
Did you read Charlie Kaufman's ANTKIND?
It might be one of the worst books ever written, but it's still worth reading.
Happy to be a lanky kangaroo in Portland if you need it. But I suspect you have plenty of volunteers on home turf.
Your thought processes are enthralling and compelling. Do share your reading list.
Using genre as a proxy for dangerous writing always puts me in mind of Ira Levin and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ because of the thalidomide subtext. And speaking of Levin, I think his dystopian sci-fi novel, ‘This Perfect Day’, is his most underrated.
Yes. Very. And as always he was decades ahead of us.
Hey Chuck, it's not like you ask your publisher not to give you an advance because you can't write for a couple of months, right? My subscription stays. Consider it a recurring, trustworthy advance from someone who's got total faith and trust in you.
Side note: I'm still looking forward to fly to Portland at some point. Maybe for a workshop, a reading, anything. Time is a bitch and all those days off accumulated at work won't use themselves up.
Let those kangaroos jump around. Happy tour. It'll be memorable. I wish Europe was on the list. But like my nan used to say, "Things aren't the way we want them, but just the way they come." Whatever that means.
Thank you. I'll keep you posted about workshops, but I'm pretty brutal to people. Colton can attest. You nan speaks the truth.
You may be pretty brutal but it’s all for a good cause. One day, I hope to have something that I’d be happy to show you. Currently, nope, not so much. I need practice and to study more when it comes to writing. I kinda want my style to be a combination of what you are teaching and the way I feel about it. Eventually, I’ll get there.
Thank you for hammering in your concepts. They're fantastic. It almost seemed like censorship back then made people like Rod Serling think more creatively, to take problems of that day and weave them into something entertaining, which ultimately made his work timeless.
Also, you know what might be a new form of anthology television? Love, Death & Robots. The series takes sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories and animates them. I talked about it before and I'd like you to give it a peek.
And don't worry. I'm gonna keep my sub going if I can help it. If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to pull my computer from my cold dead hands. I mean, my robotic hands.
Thank you. Get a new dog in your life yet? David Fincher is the creator/producer on Robots, right? Everyone loves that show.
Yeah, David is involved with the show. My favorite episode from season one is Beyond the Aquila Rift. Also have you seen The Whale yet?