Renzntzman

Gilliam on Gilliam

2012-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a Terry Gilliam biography/interview. I'm only on page 69 but I'm enjoying it very much. I've admired him since watching his animations on Monty Python and am a big fan of some of his films. (Time Bandits, The Fisher King, Brazil) Here are a few quotes I've gleaned from the book so far. I'm sure I'll share more as I get into the book. I've really resonated with a lot of what he's said so far.

On becoming successful as an artist:
"I think most artists are driven by a feeling of frustration, and so for the first part of your career you're railing against the establishment because you don't belong. Then, if you become successful, you're in a tricky situation: do you continue railing even though you're living in a nice house with a nice family and everything? I mean, what have I got to complain about? Not a thing, so what am I railing about? Yet I'm still angry and still frustrated. So what am I looking for? Trying to clear the shit away to find out what the truth is and what reality is."

On being part of the church when he was younger:
"But in the end I couldn't stand the fact that nobody felt able to laugh at God. Hold on a minute, I said, what kind of God is this that can't take my feeble jokes? It was the sanctimoniousness and, ultimately, the narrowmindedness of the people who were protecting this deity that I never thought needed any protection. Their God was a much smaller God than I was thinking of - less powerful - and he needed them to protect him."

On being normal:
"When I was a kid, I always thought everyone else was so interesting, but I was just incredibly normal. It used to drive me crazy. I felt I had to suffer if I was ever going to be an artist. Maybe it was the religious side again, feeling you had to go through a lot of pain and strip away the outside to lay bare the soul. Anyway, other people seemed to have it, but I was just nice, good company."

On collage:

"Cutting out images was such a freeing experience. Before, I'd had to draw everything and I'd get so precious about my own work. Now I could cut out other people's things and chop and change them. Why should I spend time learning to draw like Albrecht Durer when I could just cut out his best stuff and make it do what I wanted?"

Booklist

2011-08-27T15:37:00.002-07:00

I am terrible about posting my books of late. Here's what I've been reading.

Essential Tomb of Dracula Vol. 1 by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan - I found volumes 2 and 3 while on vacation so I ordered volume 1 from Amazon. Loved these as a kid and they hold up pretty well. The run was best when Wolfman and Colan were on the book.

Go Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler - Very quirky yet straightforward apocalypse tale. A fun and quick read. I'm going to check out more of his work. \

The Five by Robert R. McCammon - Anyone who really knows me knows I love McCammon but this book didn't do it for me. Sorry Robert.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - I really liked this story. In tv pitch language it's X-Men crossed with Alice in Wonderland....sorta. The old photos used thru the book really enhance the story.

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia - I wanted to like this more than I did. It had everything I like...elite forces fighting monsters. What's not to like, right? It was too long and, while the characters are likable, they are only about an inch deep.

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson - Liked it but didn't love it. I have a feeling the Spielberg movie will iron out the parts I didn't like and make it more accessible.

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live By Tom Shales - A behind-the-scenes tell all from the cast and crew of SNL. An interesting read.

Booklist

2011-06-16T16:49:00.001-07:00

I've been lax keeping up with books I've read. That ends now.

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert R. McCammon - I like McCammon. 2 of his books (Boy's Life, Swan Song) are in my top 25 for sure. A couple are real stinkers (They Thirst, Stinger) and quite a few I haven't read yet. I finally got around to this one and I liked it...but...I felt like it was too long. I feel like it could have been edited down a bit more. That being said, I liked it and I'll eventually pick up the further adventures of Matthew Corbett. I'm really looking forward to his new book The Five and since our library doesn't seem to be getting it I may have to buy it.

Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Vol. 1 - Kubert is a great artist. Visually, this book is great. He shouldn't write. Many artists make the mistake of thinking they can write as well as they draw. That is not the case.

Everyone Loves You When You're Dead by Neil Strauss - I only made it halfway thru this. I had heard it was interviews with celebs and music personalities like you'd never read before. I disagree.

The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by D. C. Pierson - This book started strong, got a bit muddy and then finished okay but it grabbed me from the first paragraph which is this:
"A thousand cartoons and TV shows and teen movies would lead you to believe that when you're drawing something at your desk in school, a pretty girls is going to say "What are you drawing?" and you'll tell her and she'll go "That's neat" and your artistry will reveal to her the secret sensitivity in your soul and she'll leave her football-player boyfriend for you. These cartoons and TV shows and teen movies are wrong."

Fasting Facebook

2011-05-09T21:14:00.002-07:00

So, I took a week off from Facebook. I did it for an upcoming show called "The Unplugged Challenge" that will be at ArtsWest starting in late June. All the artists involved were to take a week off the internet, tv, social media, etc. for a full week and use that time to make art related to the experience. I don't watch tv except for DVDs and I don't have a cell phone so I'm pretty unplugged compared to most. Since the rules stipulated that we could use the internet for work purposes (my art is my work) I chose to specifically stay off Facebook and to keep surfing to a minimum. I won't say it wasn't difficult. It had it's moments. I rely on Facebook for a lot of things. It keeps up with my events and birthdays. I use it to promote my art. But I also use it to waste time. Did I make art? Sure. I put the finishing touches on 4 pieces today and I had finished one piece already...so...I have 5 pieces for the show. I may have a couple more in me but I'm not sure. The experience is over so the art may be as well.
Did I learn anything? Sure. I think I won't spend as much time on FB as I used to. To be honest, I've had a pretty healthy attitude towards unpluggedness (a word?) for a few years now. In 1997 I got off cable tv and have stayed off. 400 channels and nothing on. Such a time waster. In 1999 I experienced a fire that destroyed my apartment and most of my stuff. I spent weeks staying with friends. When I finally moved back in to another apartment I had gotten out of the habit of watching tv. Before that, I would spend the entire time once I got off work until I went to bed in front of the tv. Not healthy. So, that habit stayed for a while. Then a few years ago my wife and I decided not to watch network tv anymore. We wait for shows we like to come out on DVD. We control our viewing and no commercials. I am way more productive now than I was 12 years ago. I look back and lament over all the time I wasted. I wish I could go back and change things but I can't. Bummer.
So...anywho...good experience which resulted in some new art. Can't wait to see what people think of the new pieces. I'll include one here so you can see what I mean.

The Artist Ego

2011-04-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

I had a very unfortunate encounter yesterday. I went to a gallery to pick up art and as I was leaving a very nice person complimented me on my art. Another artist was nearby and they quickly jumped into the conversation when I mentioned that my website is WhatWouldJesusGlue.com. She barely glanced at my work and then launched into a lecture/explanation of her work that I didn't really want to hear. I was brushed aside so that she could explain that she sometimes does religious art and blah, blah, blah. Once she got to a stopping point, I quickly excused myself and got out of there. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I had been thinking about answering another call at that gallery but now I am leaning towards not.
I know what the artist ego is like. I am one. I believe in myself and my work but I don't want to come across as an arrogant a-hole. I certainly don't want to be guilty of brushing another artist aside so I can toot my own horn. I am actually not very good at marketing myself. I really need to be better at it. But I think I can stop way short of acting like this person. You have my permission to talk to me if I act like that.
And besides, I really didn't think much of her work. Is that bad to say?
Hee hee.

Skip the Small Talk

2011-04-17T10:47:00.002-07:00

Very few people (at least by my observation) take the time to have conversations anymore. We live in a small talk world; a chit-chatty, shallow pool of meaningless jabber. I hate small talk. I am terrible at it and I refuse to engage in it. In meeting new people, I'll shake a hand and offer a fair, "How do you do?" but beyond that, I usually just clam up. Part of that is because, like I said before, I am not good at the small talk. The other reason is I am a pretty shy guy. I tip the scales pretty heavily on the side of extrovert. So, in new situations with new people I am hardly the life of the party. In fact, I usually come across as aloof, distant and seemingly above everyone else. This is hardly the case. I am, in truth, scared to death, unsure of myself and ready to retreat swiftly back into the comfort of my hidey hole. I have tried to overcome this in the past but I've never truly conquered it. It usually takes a long time for me to feel safe enough with someone to begin being myself in their presence. (which is difficult because I don't really know who I am anymore) Some people barrel thru my walls and plant a flag stating, "I'm here whether you like it or not!" Others tip-toe around the edges looking for a crack. I can't really say what the best approach is. I only have one suggestion.
Skip the small talk.
Yep. If you really want me to step out of my shell and interact you must put aside the chit-chat and engage me in conversation. Real talk. Swim beyond the shallows and go deep. I'm game. Really. Oh, and another thing you can do is not take yourself (or me) too seriously. I love to kid around and have fun. I find that most people I've met in recent years don't know how to have fun. Frankly I don't know how they survive life. I used to be known as a very funny person but my jokes and sarcasm fall on mostly deaf and humorless ears these days. I suppose that's why my art is so full of humor. It's the only way I have to get it out.
I wish these thoughts were more organized but, alas, this is what you get. I swore to myself that I would blog more. That requires a freedom to write without organizing and editing. So, that's what I'm doing.

Nana

2011-04-11T16:10:00.002-07:00

I was talking to my mom a little bit ago and she reminded me that 32 years ago today we buried my Nana. (The picture is of Nana and my mom) Naturally this got me thinking about my Nana and what a wonderful person she was. She was the greatest grandmother anyone could ever want to have. I have no doubt that I am an artist today because of her influence. She was pretty creative herself. She used sit in her chair and do Tri-Chem (tracing patterns with colored paint in tubes) on pillowcases and other stuff. She made Christmas wreaths out of the plastic rings that hold beer cans together. (My Papa drank a lot of beer so these were plentiful) And she always had stuff around for me to be creative with. Sketch pads, pens, pencils, blocks, army men, toy dinosaurs, etc.
She also nurtured my creativity in other ways. She let me watch monster movies on TV. Every day during the week they had The Big Show at 3pm on one of the local stations and every once in a while they would show old monster movies. I loved 'em! She also let me watch all the crazy comedy shows I liked like Gilligan's Island, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc. Her biggest sacrifice was to take me to movies to see stuff I know she had no interest in at all. She once took me to see Battle for the Planet of the Apes because she knew I wanted to see it. That's an awesome Nana!
She did tons of other stuff, too. Way too much to mention here. I just wanted to say that Nana's on my mind today. She was the best.

Art Update

2011-04-09T15:42:00.002-07:00

Since last night was Greenwood's Artwalk I figure this is as good a time as any to do an art update. Here goes.

- Shows continue to line up. I am booked pretty much thru July. I am also working on some images for some mail art projects.

- Last night, I talked to my new friend Matt Harrison about his documentary Citizen Heroes: The Rise of the Rain City Superhero Movement. Matt and his crew showed up at Tasty for the March superhero-themed show to film Phoenix Jones. I was wearing my Super Jesus costume so they ended up filming me in front of the stained glass window on the Lutheran church across the street. Matt showed me some of the footage last night and said he was very pleased with how it came out. He said he's pretty certain I'll make it in the film. How cool would that be? Whether I make it in or not, I'm still looking forward to seeing the film when it's finished.

- Speaking of Super Jesus, I'm probably going to wear the costume again for a possible opening in May. It will be a Jesus-centric show featuring my Christ collages. More details to come.

- My work is going to be included in a book that will be published in 2012. It's called Modern Vintage Illustration. That's really all I know at this point. I'm also trying to nail down a photo shoot of our studio for a future book about artists and their studios and I've sent images and info to an artist friend for a magazine article he's working on. More great publicity when all these things hit the streets.

Not much else to tell. My art making has slowed a bit of late but it's been more about shifting gears than not having time. I feel like my art might want to move in a different direction but I'm still feeling that situation out. Also in the works is a future revamp of the studio to make more space. Sarah and I are also going to revamp the apartment a bit w/ some new furniture. All of this will probably happen around the same time. So, as you can see, things are still busy and happening. Sales aren't what I'd like them to be but that's the nature of the business and the economy. More later as there's more to share.

Backtracking

2011-04-09T15:15:00.003-07:00

I just spent a few minutes backtracking on my blog, reading what I was up to in April in past years. Very interesting to go back and see where you were at that point in life. Unfortunately my blogging has fallen off in the past year or so. I really should get back to it for the sheer "journal" or "diary" aspect of it. I stay so busy with art and such that I don't ever think about writing anymore. I'll endeavor to write more in the future especially recording important events because I know I'll really enjoy looking back on them in the future.

Booklist

2011-03-21T16:27:00.003-07:00

Ghost of a Chance by Simon R. Green - I love Green's Nightside series but this new series starts badly for me. Slow pace + uninteresting characters = bad. I may give it one more book since I didn't like the first Nightside book but love the rest of the series.

The Gates by John Connolly - This book was fun and even though the story was only an inch deep, it was well-written.

Essential Marvel Team-Up: Volume 3 - Enjoyed re-reading some of my faves from childhood especially the stories drawn by John Byrne.

Essential Werewolf by Night: Volumes 1 & 2 - Again, re-reading stuff I loved as a kid. This one doesn't hold up as well.

Essential Fantastic Four: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 - I bought these at Comicon because they were dirt cheap and collect the classic stories by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Fun stuff.

Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language by David Crystal - I only made it halfway thru this. It was interesting but very, very dry. I was hoping it would inspire some new collages but...it didn't.

Emerald City Comicon 2011

2011-03-07T13:00:00.003-08:00

Sarah and I attended the Seattle Comicon on Friday and Sunday. I had to work on Saturday. Unfortunately, the best costumes are on Saturday so we missed some of the fun. We had a good time nonetheless. Here are the highlights.

- I met one of my art heroes, Sergio Aragones, of Mad Magazine fame. I've been a fan of his work since I was a kid. I bought a book from him which he signed. He also signed some of my Mad paperbacks that I've had since the 70's.

- I had my picture taken with Phoenix Jones, the Guardian of Seattle. He and his buddies, the Rain City Superhero Squad, patrol the streets of Seattle and try to help out.

- We attended 3 panels. Bruce Boxleitner (Tron, Babylon 5) was quite funny. John Noble (Fringe, Lord of the Rings) was very polite, courteous and had many wonderful stories to tell. Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek: TNG) was hilarious! His Patrick Stewart impression is amazing. At one point, folks in the audience prodded him to call Big Bang Theory and ask to be on the show. He said he wouldn't because you should be asked not called and beg to be on. I yelled out for him to call and pretend he's Patrick. That sparked a hilarious bit where he pretended to call the show as Patrick Stewart. Very funny.

- I got comics signed by Sergio Aragones, Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), Humberto Ramos (Crimson, Impulse), and Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon). Most were nice. Some were very dismissive. I've got to say, if you can't have a good attitude with the fans then don't attend.

- Ran into our friend Ivy as she was about to be fitted for vampire fangs. We saw her later with her new fangs. They look fantastic. I may get a pair next year.

- A very talented young man named Seth was dressed as Tennant's Doctor Who. He made his own costume which impressed Sarah greatly.

- I took advantage of the great sales and bought a bunch of trade paperbacks. I'll have to take more money next year. I could have spent double what I took.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. It was great fun and I can't wait 'til next year. I hope I can go on Saturday in 2012. It'll be the 10th Anniversary for the con. Should be spectacular. In the meantime, go here enjoy my photos on Facebook.

The Man I Used To Be

2011-02-26T13:04:00.003-08:00

I don't know why I was thinking about this today. Crazy how the brain works. This article was written about me probably in 2003. Not sure what to say about it other than I am so not this person anymore. I feel like a completely different person. Perhaps this is the alternate world's (via Fringe) version of me. I may have to write more about this later. For now it's just...strange.

Marty Gordon...A Creative Ministries Journey
Marty Gordon’s creative ministries journey began in 1990. Having grown up at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, and accepting Christ at the age of 17 at youth camp, Marty was no stranger to ministry. His formal education to become a visual artist began in 1980 as he entered college but his frustration soon grew as he found few ways to use his talents in the church. There was the occasional poster that needed to be drawn and the Christmas and Easter Pageants were there for some musical and dramatic opportunities, but Marty wanted more.
In 1990, Olive’s college minister, Rew Randolph, sensed Marty’s frustration and provided him with an opportunity that would change his life. With Rew as his guide, Marty attended the 1990 National Drama Festival held at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention. At the festival, a whole new world of ministry possibilities opened up. At the festival, Marty attended several of the many classes offered in puppetry, clowning, interpretive movement and drama. He also witnessed many wonderful performances by Christian artists. A standout for Marty was The Company, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s drama team. On the way home from the festival, Marty and Rew were so inspired that they planned a creative Christmas service for college students and performed it in December of that year.
Having been jolted into the reality that artists can use their gifts for God, Marty soon accepted a call to ministry and started at Southwestern in 1992. In 1993, he joined The Company, the group he was so inspired by at the festival in 1990. During his stint in The Company, Marty honed his skills as a dramatic artist. He returned to the National Drama Festival in 1994, only this time as a faculty member. After leaving The Company and the seminary behind in 1995, Marty joined Face to Face Ministries. This group was comprised of former Company members pursuing their vision to communicate the love of God through artistic mediums. After a year with Face to Face, Marty left to take a youth ministry position in Columbia, SC.
When Marty arrived in Columbia, two new creative ministries opportunities opened up to him. He was contacted by Angela Dowless of the Youth Ministries Group of the SC Baptist Convention about helping write scripts for Evangelympics. Marty is now in his sixth year of serving on the scriptwriting team for youth events such as Hardball and Summersalt.
Around the same time, Marty attended the SC Creative Ministries Festival where he ran into Rose Crane Grayson. They had met the year before when Face to Face served on faculty at Curtain Call, the North Carolina Festival. Rose asked Marty to not only serve on faculty but to be a part of the planning team for the festival. Marty just recently served at his sixth festival in SC.
Marty presently serves as Minister of Arts and Worship at Lakewood Church in Irmo, SC, where he attempts to communicate the gospel creatively through all of the arts.

Booklist

2011-02-07T21:34:00.003-08:00

I lost track of what I was reading for a while there. Here's what I can remember.

Monster by A. Lee Hernandez - Worth a read but only okay.

Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Hernandez - Same as above.

Percy Jackson Book 5 by Rick Riordan - Best book in the series. Too bad the others weren't as good.

A Short Life of Trouble: Forty Years in the New York Art World by Marcia Tucker - Interesting biography of museum curator Marcia Tucker. A bit disjointed at time but still a worthwhile read.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - I'm still enjoying this series. I'll be very interested to see if they can successfully turn it into a movie.

Overcoming Your Artistic Block

2011-01-10T16:53:00.002-08:00

What do you do when you have artist’s block? What do you do when you just can’t seem to get yourself going? I’m sure each of you experiences this from time to time. Or am I alone here?

Let me suggest a few ideas to help you overcome your artistic block.

Just Create

Pick up a brush (or whatever your medium is) and go for it. You don’t need to have anything specific in mind. Just mix up some pretty colors (or ugly if you want) and smear them around. Don’t think about it. Just do it. Before long, you will be getting into it.

This is one of the best ways I know of to overcome artist’s block. Creativity begets creativity. Yes, the act of doing usually leads somewhere…wherever that may be.

But, it isn’t the only way to get those juices flowing.

Study Other Artists’ Work

Looking at great art often gets me excited to paint. I have a decent collection of art books and stacks of art magazines. I study pieces of art in my own collection. When possible, I go to an art gallery or museum. I study the work of artists I admire. The juices begin flowing.

Sometimes I study the work of artists I’m not so sure about. I try to see if you can gain some appreciation for it. How would I have approached the work differently? I start getting ideas.

Study Your Own Art

Sometimes thumbing through my stacks of plein air studies or through my rejected studio pieces gets the gears in my mind cranking. I start to see possibilities in the unfinished pieces. I begin to find solutions to problems that stumped me in the past. Sometimes my original inspiration comes flooding back.

Visit Your Muse Where She Most Likely Hangs Out

I am a landscape artist. So, naturally for me, my muse is most likely wandering through the forest somewhere. Perhaps climbing a mountain peak or resting on the banks of a river. When I am at a loss for something to paint, I hop in my truck and head up into the nearby mountains or down some country roads among the farmland. With no specific destination, I go out into nature and just observe. I let the light, the patterns, colors, etc. speak to me.

Driving often does it, but getting out on foot in nature does it even quicker. I enjoy hiking in the mountains or taking a walk along the nature trails through town. Within a few minutes I almost always find something that inspires me. The closer I am to nature, the more in tune I become.

Whatever your subject, go find your muse at her usual hangout. She’s likely there.

Look Where Your Muse Seldom Hangs Out

Huh? Sometimes you need to step out of your box. Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone. Notice the possibilities you’ve been overlooking – there’s a bazillion out there.

One of my favorite paintings is a close up of the landing gear on an old WW2 bomber I painted at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson. Beneath the HUGE plane, I poked my head up into the compartment that holds the landing gear and was fascinated. Not only was the old relic really cool, but the design possibilities were intriguing. I set up my easel right there and had a blast painting the gears and wires and rods, etc. My oldest son hangs that painting in his room.

Try a New Medium

Although I am an oil painter, I have sculptor’s clay in my studio. Sometimes I just start rolling the clay through my fingers and – voila! I am creating something – and excited about it. Yes, creativity begets creativity. But don’t neglect trying a new medium. I love sculpting. One day I may feel competent enough to consider casting a piece. For now, though, it is a diversion which frees me and opens up new ideas. I also find it interesting how something as opposite as sculpting can actually help me with painting.

These are only a few suggestions. There are many more ideas out there. What are your favorites? Add to the discussion by sharing.

Source

Blogging and Resolutions

2011-01-09T23:57:00.003-08:00

Well, I hardly ever write on here anymore. Seems like all I do is keep up with the books I've been reading. I used to be so disciplined about blogging. Facebook takes a bit of the blame. I can share videos, links and such on there for a much bigger audience. As for things that are happening in my life...well...let's just say my life isn't all that exciting. So, here I sit dealing with a bout of insomnia with nothing to say. I used to be able to come up with stuff to write about. I don't know what's happened to my creativity when it comes to writing. I guess I'm channeling it all toward my art and there's none left for anything else. Who knows?
I thought about sharing resolutions but I don't really make them. There are some things I want to do this year but I don't really call them resolutions. Just stuff I want to or should do. Here's a few.

- Make some new friends.
- Take some hand percussion classes.
- Rent a studio and take my art to the next level...whatever that is.
- Lose some weight, exercise and eat better.
- Try to have as much fun as possible.
- Travel as often as possible.
- Get my passport so the above is easier.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. That's a decent list for anybody. Guess I'll surf the net some more and hope the meds I took to help me sleep kick in soon.
G'nite.

Booklist

2010-12-31T12:30:00.001-08:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Enjoyed this book. Too bad it'll be forever until I can read the next one. The hold at the library is long.

The Astounding Wolf-Man Vol. 3 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard - Still enjoyable but nothing "astounding" to report.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan - Taproot Theatre is doing the Odyssey in Feb. so I thought I'd keep going with these books. They are fine. Easy to read...fun...but nothing special.

Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey - This is the sequel to The Monstrumologist and I believe it's better. The scary/creepy factor is multiplied by 10 in this one. I can't believe this is a YA book. It's pretty intense. This would make a fantastic (if done right) movie or tv series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan - Almost done with this one. Still fun but nothing too deep. Definitely a kid's book.

Booklist

2010-11-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

Preacher: Alamo by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - I finally finished. This series had potential but it didn't pay off. The story meandered too far from it's beginnings and became a bit of a mess. Glad I read it but glad I'm done.

The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney - I'm enjoying this series about a Spook (one who protects against supernatural threats) and his apprentice.

The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer by Joseph Delaney - Book 3 and I'm still enjoying it. Good series so far.

Batman: Cacophony by Kevin Smith and Walter Flanagan - I've never read any of Kevin Smith's comic stories so when I came across this one at the library I figured I'd give it a go. Flanagan is a decent artist but Smith's dialogue is typically adolescent. I did like the villain, Onomatopoeia. Pretty creative. I wish Smith could grow up a little. He has talent but it needs to mature.

Batman: Gotham after Midnight by Kelley Jones and Steve Niles - The story was okay. I grabbed it up because Kelley Jones is a fantastic artist. He is one of the best Batman artists of all time.

Batman: Joker's Asylum by a cast of many - This graphic novel is a compilation of short stories based around some of Batman's greatest foes. Eash story had a different artist/writer so the quality jumped around a bit. Enjoyable.

Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr - I read several of her books years ago (Blind Descent, Liberty Falling, Blood Lure) but didn't read them in order. I finally decided to go back and start at the beginning. This book is okay. Having read the other 3 I can't say this is very strong but a series has to start somewhere. Her books are a good, quick read for mystery lovers and an appreciation for the great outdoors.

Booklist

2010-10-11T10:12:00.003-07:00

The Ark by Boyd Morrison - Pretty good thriller-type novel. Better than most I've read in recent years. It revolves around a search for Noah's Ark but what they find is...well, I can't tell you that.

The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney - This is the first of a series of novels about a young man who becomes the apprentice of a Spook which is someone who safeguards the world against supernatural forces. The story is set in a fantasy world not unlike the Middle Ages perhaps. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series. It's an easy read.

Strange Tales - Weird Marvel comic. Very weird.

Invincible: Eight is Enough, Perfect Strangers, Head of the Class, The Facts of Life & A Different World by Robert Kirkman - I'm up to volume 6 on this series. It's fine. Fun superhero stuff.

Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness - Just plain strange.

Runaways: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan - Everyone seems so enamored of Mr. Vaughan's stuff. I find it meh.

Preacher: All Hell's A-Coming by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - One more book after this and I'll be done with this weird series. The biggest complaint I have about it is they stray so far away from the original story arc that you forget what it's all about. I'm curious to see how they wrap it all up.

Marty Featured in Delirio E-Zine

2010-09-24T09:13:00.001-07:00

Marty is featured in the latest issue of Delirio, a cultural e-zine from Spain. The article appears on pages 134 - 140. Check it out here.

Booklist

2010-09-21T12:45:00.003-07:00

Red by John Logan - Mark Rothko is in his New York studio in 1958-9, painting a group of murals for the expensive and exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. He gives orders to his assistant, Ken, as he mixes the paints, makes the frames, and paints the canvases. Ken, however, brashly questions Rothko's theories of art and his acceeding to work on such a commercial project.*
I borrowed this from a friend to read. I had heard about it on a podcast and wished I could see the show. Reading it is as close as I'll get for now. I enjoyed it. I feel like I need to read it again...slower. I read thru it pretty fast and I think I need to really absorb it and visualize it in my mind as I go. I really want to see this show live now.

*Link

Booklist

2010-09-17T15:30:00.001-07:00

Preacher: Salvation by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - This series is weird. I had hoped it would go in one direction but it's veered off into some strangeness that doesn't seem to relate to the story arc that was started back at the beginning. Only 2 more volumes to go. I have to see it thru.

The Circumference of Home by Kurt Hoelting - An interesting read from a fellow who gives up his car for a year and limits his travel to within 100 miles of his Whidbey Island home (Whidbey is just north of Seattle) in an attempt to lessen his carbon footprint on the planet. Although the book got a bit "new-agey" at times I still enjoyed reading about his adventures hiking, biking and kayaking around Puget Sound. It made me want to get out and explore more.

Living by Water: True Stories of Nature and Spirit by Brenda Peterson - Again, a bit too "new-agey" for me but I did enjoy reading her stories of exploring the NW. I love it out here and it bugs me when people don't appreciate it. I don't take it for granted. I want to explore as much of it as possible. Reading books like these give me ideas for exploration.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay - I'm a fan of the Dexter tv show and thought I'd read the novels. After reading one I'm definitely more a fan of the show than the book but it was interesting to see the differences. Oddly enough, the show is more layered and textured than the book which was fairly straightforward.

Fractured Fables from Image Comics - Picked this up at the library. Weird takes on fairy tales. Some good, some not.

Costume Queen

2010-09-11T23:12:00.002-07:00

We found out tonight (via Jeff Berryman who just happens to be Quixote in the picture) that Sarah has been nominated for a Gregory Award in the category of Outstanding Costume Design. The Gregory Awards are Seattle's theatre awards...like the Tony's I suppose. (I don't know...I'm a visual art person) Anywho, so Jeff tells us and we're a bit perplexed as to why Sarah wasn't notified. When we got home she checked and the email had been sent to her spam folder at work.
So, that's very cool. She's excited and so am I. It's about time her outstanding work here in Seattle gets some notice. I may be just a bit biased but I also know how good she is at her job. And...it's not the first (or last) time she's been nominated for an award. In grad school she was nominated for a Barrymore which is Philly's theatre award. She was the only one nominated in the category that had not designed for Broadway. (she was still in grad school!)
Very proud husband here. Guess I'll have to buy a ticket so I can go to the awards ceremony with her. (no "plus one?") Cliche as it might sound, it IS an honor to be nominated.
Way to go, baby!

Discovered Artist

2010-09-07T11:15:00.002-07:00

I got an email just now saying, "You've been discovered! A video called Discovered Artists just got released and you're one of the artists." Here's a link to the video since the ability to imbed the video doesn't seem to be working.
I'm flattered to be discovered. There's no such thing as bad publicity. If I had my druthers, I'd have had them use different images and it's not good that the images are blurry.
Oh, well. Like I said, can't complain about free publicity. Oh, wait. I guess I just did.

Booklist

2010-09-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - I almost didn't read this because, let's face it, it just seems a little bit ridiculous. I thought, "Why waste your time on something you know is going to be silly." I was wrong. This book is quite good and the reason it works is because it handles the subject matter very seriously. What could have gone way over the top stays subtle and you find yourself almost wondering if it really didn't happen that way. I recommend it.

Ghostopolis by Doug Tennapel - Found this one at the library. A quick but fun read about a boy who accidentally gets pulled into the land of the dead.

3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man by Matt Kindt - Interesting tale of a (gasp) giant man. Heard it was being turned into a movie. Could be interesting.

Dead High Yearbook by various artists and writers - Weird anthology-style graphic novel I picked up at the library. Strange, macabre, gross...these are a few of my favorite things.

Lucy by Laurence Gonzales - I really enjoyed this story of a half-human, half bonobo chimp female. Typical in that you know the world will find out her secret and the religious right will go ape. All this does happen. What I liked about the book was the characters. You cared about Lucy, her friends and family. And it's a little bit odd to think that humans have tried to cross breed chimps and humans unsuccessfully...so far.

The Passage by Justin Cronin - This apocalyptic pseudo-vampire virus tale is one of this summer's hot reads...and I don't get it. I found it to be too long and boring. I didn't care about any of the characters and the story didn't make a bit of sense. If you want to read a fantastic apocalyptic tale, pick up Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon. You won't regret it.

The Way We Play

2010-08-05T11:12:00.002-07:00

I've been listening to a podcast this morning from Radiowest called "The Way We Play." Click on the title to go there and listen yourself. Here's the synopsis of what's being discussed.

"Tucked into a neighborhood in west Salt Lake City is a bit of movie history. In the summer of 1992 a small, vacant field was the set of "The Sandlot." It's about a brand of baseball that's just not played anymore and about a kind of childhood that might not exist anymore. Almost 20 years later the lot's still there, but there aren't any kids in it. Monday on RadioWest, guest host Matthew LaPlante looks at how child's play has changed and what it means for growing up."

This has got me thinking about the difference between play when I was growing up and what I see now. When I was a kid, we were kicked out of the house and the neighborhood became a wonderland limited only by our imaginations. In fact, I did a collage about this very subject called "The Imagine Nation." (I'll insert it into this entry so you can see it) I haven't been blogging very much lately but I think I want to write about how my friends and I played when I was growing up. Stay tuned. I hope to begin very soon.

Booklist

2010-07-05T13:44:00.005-07:00

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis - Making my way thru the Narnia books I haven't read. Since Dawn Treader is the next movie, I figured I'd better get it read. More a series of vignettes than a continuing storyline. I'll be interested to see how they adapt it into a movie.

Red by Warren Ellis & Cully Hamner - Pretty great graphic novel about a former CIA operative who becomes active again and goes on a revenge driven killing spree. This is going to be a movie but based on the trailer they have expanded the story quite a bit.

JLA/Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez - I love George Perez as an artist but this story was so dense it was impossible to penetrate. Too many characters doing too many things. Still, Perez's art is incredible.

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer - This is a pretty good urban fantasy book that I ran across on the shelf in the library. I liked the concept and the characters enough that I hope there's a sequel. Basically the story revolves around a group of guardians keeping demons under lock and key in an old amusement park. Kinda fun.

Preacher: War in the Sun by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon -This series keeps my interest. It's very strange but interesting enough to continue. Really curious about how it will end.

The Astounding Wolf-Man Vol. 2 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard - Pretty cool comic about a werewolf superhero. Kirkman is a hot commodity right now w/ Frank Darabont turning his The Walking Dead comic into a TV series. I wouldn't be surprised to see this book turned into a movie or something like that.

Area 51 by Robert Doherty - So boring and confusing I finally put it down.

Booklist

2010-06-22T16:45:00.002-07:00

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey - This first book in a new YA series (although it was very intense for a YA book) centers around a scientist who concentrates on the study of monsters and his young ward. The story is set in 1888 when an infestation of anthopophagi (cannibalistic, headless monsters) hit American soil. The book started slow but I enjoyed it. The tone is dark and suspenseful. The book is very graphic and it shocked me to learn that it was a YA novel.

X-Men: First Class - Knights of Hykon - These X-books, set in the timeline when Claremont, Cockrum, and Byrne were working their magic with Marvel's mutants, are very enjoyable. The stories are very reminiscent of that time period. If only we could get Claremont, Byrne and Austin to return to the book. That would be incredible.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden - Australia is invaded by a foreign power and a group of teenagers wage guerilla warfare to survive. Sounds like an Aussie version of Red Dawn, doesn't it? It's a YA series and I didn't enjoy the first book enough to continue.

Facebook: Blessing and Curse

2010-06-15T13:36:00.003-07:00

Wow. I don't blog much anymore. I guess you can blame that on Facebook. Since there are 500-some-odd people following me on there, I don't feel the need to share too much on a blog that gets only a few hits a day. Facebook has been great for connecting to long-lost friends and keeping people up-to-date on my art career. What isn't so great about it is that I have to censor myself quite a bit. There are people I'm friends with that probably wouldn't appreciate some of my thoughts and feelings. I guess that's my fault. I should have been more choosy about who I friend on FB. But it's also good in a way. When I find myself wanting to be nitpicky and mean about something someone said on FB, I hold my tongue. There's no sense alienating every person I know on the planet just because I don't agree with their theology, politics or the fact that they can't spell.
So, I will continue to bite my tongue and keep the peace as I'm sure they are doing with me. I'll just keep ranting in my art where only a few can understand.

Booklist

2010-06-07T12:26:00.004-07:00

I like doing these mini reviews better than the long, boring ones I was doing. So, I'm going to keep it up. In case you're wondering why I'm reading so many graphic novels, it's because a) I like them for the most part and b) I can't find any regular books to read that I like. Got any suggestions?

Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. - The movie is better than the comic. I've never been a big fan of JRJR's artwork.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan - These books are entertaining but very shallow when it comes to story and character. It's going to be awhile before we see another YA series that's as good as Harry Potter.

Welcome to Tranquility: Vol. 1 & 2 by Gail Simone and Neil Googe - It's about the fictional town of Tranquility, CA which is home to retired superheroes. Interesting premise (I understand there is a book by Stephen King that's similar) and good artwork. I liked it.

The Avengers: Nights of Wundagore by David Michelinie and John Byrne - This originally saw print in 1979 so I read it when I was in high school. I'm a huge fan of Byrne but didn't remember that they let Klaus Jansen ink his pencils. Jansen's inks are too dark for Byrne's work. The story is interesting though because it's the beginning of finding out that the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are Magneto's kids. Lots of crossover with X-Men back then...you know...when you could keep up with all the storylines because there weren't 1000 books per character being published per month.

Preacher: Ancient History by Garth Ennis, Steve Pugh, Carlos Ezquerra. - This book presented back stories of existing characters. Interesting to see the origin of the Saint of Killers and Arseface but the other story was crap. I didn't like Pugh's art at all but Ezquerra was all right. I'm ready to get back to the regular storyline.

Preacher: Dixie Fried by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - More weirdness but back to the regular storyline. I'm going to keep going.

Uncanny X-Men: First Class/Hated and Feared by various writers and artists - I liked this. It hearkens back to the days when Claremont, Cockrum and Byrne were working their magic with Marvel's mutants. It's too bad we can't have Claremont, Byrne and Austin back to do some new stories. That would be something.

Sample Page from Masters: Collage Book

2010-06-01T16:21:00.002-07:00

The book is officially published as of today. Here's the first of eight pages about me. At the suggestion of a friend, I think I will buy an extra book, pull the pages out and lay them flat for a high quality scan.
Anywho, still pretty exciting in an odd way. While it's way cool to be featured in a book, I'll be curious to see if this does anything to boost me into bigger and better things. Meanwhile, buy a book or better yet, buy one of my originals. Or both.

Booklist

2010-05-28T15:45:00.002-07:00

Again, no time for long reviews. Here's a short look at what I've been reading lately.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman - Pretty cool novel in the superhero genre. Can't help but say it would have been nice to see it in comic form but it was great to use my imagination visualizing everything.

Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Read these in prep for the new movie coming out. I hope Edgar Wright does something creative with this material. I'm sure he will.

The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott - Pretty standard action story in the vein of Clive Cussler, Preston/Child, James Rollins or Matthew Reilly. I may continue w/ the series. May not. Depends on how thin my reading list gets.

Hack/Slash Omnibus by various writers and artists - Picked this up on a whim at the library. Kinda fun in a bent sort of way.

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1 & 2 by Ed Brubaker, etc. - I loved Iron Fist when I was a kid especially the run John Byrne did on the series. This story was okay. Enjoyed the second more than the first.

THE BOOK!

2010-05-07T18:10:00.003-07:00

I just got my comp copies of Masters: Collage via UPS! It looks amazing! I'm kinda stunned.
I was doing my back stretches when our buzzer went off. The phone thingy is broken so I can't communicate with whoever's down there so I don't usually buzz people in unless I'm expecting someone. I guess someone else buzzed him in because I looked out the window and saw the UPS guy leaving. We weren't expecting any packages so I went downstairs to see what was up and I discovered the box from Sterling Books with my name on it. It was then that my body and brain kinda went numb. I came back upstairs, opened the box, and pulled the book out. I then, slowly, found the pages featuring my art. Wow! I don't know what to say. It's really cool! Then I looked thru the rest of the book and saw all the other amazing artists and there work and I immediately thought, "What is my stuff doing in here?" I'm honored to be counted among all the talented artists that are also in the book.
Ha! Then reality snapped in after I found a typo on one of my pages and in my bio. It says I show extensively in Washington and California. I've never had a show in California. I guess we'll have to remedy that.
So, anyway, I'm a little excited. I don't know what this will mean for me and my art career down the road but for right now, it's pretty dang cool!
If you want to pre-order the book, there's a link here on my blog and at www.whatwouldjesusglue.com. It will be available to everyone else in June.
Okay, I'll stop now before I hyperventilate.

Booklist

2010-05-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Been busy. No time to write about what I've been reading. Here's a list w/ short comments.

Rising Stars: Volume 1 by J. Michael Straczynski - Meh. I'll pick up Volume 2 and see if it goes anywhere.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Reading these in prep for the Edgar Wright's film that's coming out this summer.

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman - Short story collection. I liked some, didn't like others. Favorites were the one about the months of the year and the American Gods related story.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher - Thought I had given up on Butcher but I read that his next book really shakes things up so I thought I'd catch up and see if that's true. This one was better than the previous 2 or 3. He's been in a rut. I hope he gets out.

Preacher: Book 1 & 2 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - Interesting comic about a preacher possessed by a half-demon/half-angel who's searching for the Lord so he can tell him off. There's more to it than that but...you get the gist. It's weird, quirky, violent...so...right up my alley.

Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming - I read this before but forgot it. I re-read it so I can read the whole series.

Booklist

2010-04-09T14:56:00.002-07:00

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. In her journal, Miranda records the events of each desperate day, while she and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource--hope.
Yet another post-apocalyptic novel for me. This one was better than I thought it would be. It's told thru the journal entries of a 16-year-old girl so I wasn't sure if it would be too "teenybopper" for me. It turned out to be a pretty interesting story about survival.

Scott Pilgrim 's Precious Little Lies by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle?
I never would have read this if there wasn't a movie based on it coming soon. I was curious. It's interesting but I have to say the movie looks very cool. I don't like Michael Cera (one-note actor) but I trust director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) to do something cool with the material. At least I hope he will. If not, there's always Ant-Man, the movie he's going to work on next.

The Stranger

2010-04-03T21:55:00.002-07:00

It was very cool to have my art grace the cover of the Stranger, Seattle's alternative newspaper. I had no idea what the cover text would say but I figured it would be "edgy." Can't wait to hear my parent's reaction to that.
Not sure if this will lead to anything good or not. It hasn't spiked visits to my website or anything. But it was very cool.

Weird Dreams

2010-04-01T12:11:00.003-07:00

Night before last I had some funky dreams. I was still in ministry and the world was dominated by 2 religions or denominations; a conservative Republican type and a more touchy-feely, more liberal type. The leader of Republicans was someone from my past and he was scary as hell. At one point in the dream I was put on trial. The "courtroom" was full of people from my past telling lies about me. I can't remember much more than that but I can tell you that I woke up feeling really crappy and unnerved as hell. No more dreams like that, thank you very much.

Booklist

2010-04-01T11:53:00.002-07:00

The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green
Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, never-to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.
This is the tenth book in the Nightside series. I have really enjoyed the whole series. Green fills his world with interesting characters. I like to imagine what they and the world look like. They're not the most brilliant books ever written but they are fun.

French Milk by Lucy Knisley
This is a drawn journal about the author/artist's time living in Paris with her mother. I found Knisley online and really admire her artistic talent. I've only been reading her stuff online but I found this at the library and thought I would give it a go. Her style has changed a bit since this book but I really enjoyed it. I love the idea of a drawn journal, something I've toyed with in the past but never fully jumped in and done. Knisley does it quite nicely.

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs and others
Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to transform into a coyote. She lives on the fine line dividing the everyday world from a darker dimension, observing the supernatural community while standing apart. When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren't bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course. The thrilling adventures of Mercy Thompson-Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed-have topped the New York Times bestseller list. Now Mercy makes her comics debut in an exclusive new story created by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is sure to please longtime fans and capture new ones with its mix of unforgettable characters and thrilling supernatural intrigue.
This is a graphic novel based on the characters from the Mercy Thompson novels. I've read a couple of those and liked them so I thought I'd give this a go. It was okay for a quick read. It sets up some of the relationships from the novels and gives you a glimpse into Mercy's move to the Tri-Cities. Beyond that, it's nothing special. A brief distraction, nothing more.

Booklist

2010-03-25T14:21:00.002-07:00

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the days, then the hours, then the hours, then the seconds until his release tick away, he can feel a storm building. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in apparently adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But they are being pursued by someone with whom Shadow must make his peace... Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Neil Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to finding the soul of America.

Well, I finally read a book by Neil Gaiman that I actually liked. I had just assumed that he was an over-rated writer or that I had something wrong with me but I really enjoyed this book. Granted, The Graveyard Book was okay but I had hated Neverwhere. The problem seemed to be little to no real story and being weird for weird's sake (Tim Burton does this sometimes, too). But I did enjoy this story. The main character of Shadow gives us an everyman to pull for amongst all the old god vs. new god madness taking place around him. The mystery plot interwoven throughout the story was also a nice touch. What am I saying? Am I going to read another Gaiman book? Maybe. I've been thinking I'd like to try Stardust. I liked the movie.

Etsy!

2010-03-22T15:01:00.002-07:00

I am now selling my art online via Esty. There will be a link on the right side of my blog and gallery pages. Or you can get there by using this link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatWouldJesusGlue

If you have time, do me a favor. Go to my page on Etsy and favorite my shop. It means you'll have to log in but it would really help me out. The more favorites I get, the better the shop will do.

Thanks for your support. Visit the shop often and buy lots!

Booklist

2010-03-15T21:22:00.002-07:00

Fangland by John Marks
Evangeline Harker is a producer for a television news show who takes an assignment to go into Romania and investigate a criminal legend, Ion Torgu, to get him on camera. Soon, Torgu accosts her, impersonating Dracula. Like Stoker's tale, Harker finds herself held for months, before she pops up in a Transylvanian monastery as this Torgu Dracula gets introduced to New York City.
A contemporary re-imagining of Stoker's Dracula? Sign me up. Unfortunately, this book was all over the place. If it could have stayed with Evangeline, I think I would have enjoyed it but it jumped around from her point of view to emails from other characters and I just got lost and bored. I hear they are making a movie of this starring Hillary Swank. Perhaps the basics of the story can shine thru and make a decent movie.

Seattle Comicon: The Rest of the Story

2010-03-15T21:10:00.002-07:00

There's not much to tell really. Clark and I spent most of the time wandering amongst the tables, perusing the TPB sales and watching for interesting costumes. We stayed far away from the celeb area but did catch a glimpse of Lou Ferrigno and Stan Lee. I talked to Hal Sutherland, an animation pioneer responsible for most of the non-Hanna/Barbera cartoons I watched as a kid. I bought a TPB with a Michael Golden story in it so I could have him sign it. I bought a couple other TPBs on sale (The Compleat John Byrne's Next Men Vol. 1 and Marvel Romance-I'm using this one for my art) Beyond all this, I spent the day snapping photos of interesting and frightening costumes. I didn't realize that they had panels so I missed those. All in all, a fun experience. I hope I can go back next year. If I do, I may spring for the 2-day pass. Why be all geeky just one day when you can make it last the whole weekend?

Seattle Comicon: The Beat Goes On

2010-03-13T21:40:00.003-08:00

Today I went to the Emerald City Comicon for the first time. I've been invited by friends for the past couple years but couldn't go due to work. This year, the Con was earlier so it worked out for me to go. I'm glad I did. It was a blast.
I may write more later but I wanted to tell this story before I forget details. Clark and I had walked around a bit and decided it was time to sit and have a bite to eat. We grabbed our food and tried to find a seat. Finally two spots opened up and we squeezed in. As I was getting settled at the table I noticed the gentleman sitting on my right bore more than a striking resemblance to Sonny Bono. I was afraid to ask him if this was purposeful but I heard him talking about Bono so I figured, "What the heck? You only live once and you don't usually end up next to Sonny Bono at Comicon...so ask already." So I did.
Turns out he was a very nice Bono impersonator named Gary. We chatted for a while about his act and other things. I gave him my card and he inquired about possible religious affiliations. (my card has What Would Jesus Glue on it) I told him that I had been a minister but not anymore. He told me that he had spent 20 years as a minister in the Assemblies of God church but he was no longer a minister either. I asked if he looked like Sonny at that time but he said no. I just thought it would be great to have a pastor that looked like Sonny Bono. Maybe a song director that looked like Cher?
So anyway, we finished our lunch, Clark snapped a quick picture (I'm not eating next to Sonny Bono and not having proof) and bid our farewells. He shook my hand and said, "Remember, the beat goes on." I think I said, "It certainly does."
And that was just lunch.

Made My Day...

2010-03-12T10:57:00.002-08:00

On Craigslist, I found a church in Seattle looking to show art in their lobby. I knew my stuff was probably too edgy for them but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. Here's the response I got:

"Thank you for your interest in displaying your work at our church. The staff absolutely loves your work; the only issue is that our more elderly congregants may not appreciate the irony and social critique your work provides. We wish that we’d be able to display your art but will have to refrain at this time."

Wow! She replied with politeness and honesty. You don't know how much I appreciate that. I'd rather have someone tell me my "stuff isn't appropriate but thank you" than have them blow smoke up my butt with lies. I can't tell you how many times I've been told, "Yeah, we want to show your work. I'll get back with you soon." and then never hear back. And before you ask, yes, I do follow up. I just wish people could be honest. I am extremely confident in my work and can take a bit of honest rejection. I'd rather have that than someone stringing me along with false hope.

Booklist

2010-03-06T11:17:00.002-08:00

The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula by Eric Nuzum

The Dead Travel Fast is about vampires, death, chickens, fear, things that smell bad, the love of a good woman, and germs... but mostly it's about vampires.The undead are everywhere. They're not just in movies and books, but in commercials, fetish clubs, and even in your breakfast cereal. If you look, you'll discover that bloodsuckers have gone from guest spots in rural folk tales to becoming some of the most recognizable bad guys in the modern world. Eric Nuzum wanted to find out why and how this happened. And he found the answer in Goth clubs, darkened parks, haunted houses, and... chain restaurants.Nuzum was willing to do whatever it took to better understand the vampire phenomenon. He traveled across Transylvania on a tour hosted by Butch Patrick (a.k.a. Eddie Munster), sat through Las Vegas' only topless vampire revue, hung out with assorted shady characters, and spent hours in a coffin. He even drank his own blood --just one more step in his quest to understand the weird, offbeat world of vampires and the people who love them. The Dead Travel Fast is the hilarious result of this bloody, gory, and often foolhardy journey. With his unmatched firsthand experience, Eric Nuzum delivers a far-reaching look at vampires in pop culture, from Bram to Bela to Buffy, and at what vampires and vampirism have come to mean to us today.And the blood? Let's just say it doesn't go with eggs.

I heard about this book on NPR. Everyone who knows me well knows that I have always had a thing for monsters. From an early age I was begging my parents to let me stay up late to watch horror movies and voraciously reading Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. No big surprise that I would want to read this book.
That being said, I enjoyed the read. Nuzum has a "smart-ass" approach to the subject that I appreciate. He didn't take the subject matter too seriously which is a good thing. He did, however, showcase some quite humorless devotees to vampires that were at times funny but, more often than not, pretty scary. All in all, a pretty good overview of the history of vampires and why we are so hung up on them.

Booklist

2010-02-23T21:33:00.001-08:00

Summer of the Apocalypse by James Van Pelt
When a plague wipes out most of humanity, fifteen-year-old Eric sets out to find his father. Sixty years later, Eric starts another long journey in an America that has long since quit resembling our own, but there are shadows everywhere. Shadows of what the world once was, and shadows from Eric's past. Blood bandits, wolves, fire, feral children, and an insane militia are only a few of the problems Eric faces. Set in Denver, Colorado and the western foothills, Van Pelt's first novel is both a coming-of-age tale, and a story of an old man's search for hope in the midst of disaster. Eric's two adventures lead him through a slice of modern America and into the depths of one man's heart.
I liked this book. The switching back and forth from 15-year-old Eric (at the beginning of the apocalypse) to 75-year-old Eric worked very well. I should say more but I waited too long after reading the book to post a review. It's not fresh on my mind. Sorry.

The Taking by Dean Koontz
The new thriller from Dean Koontz is a novel of surpassing suspense and visceral terror as doomsday dawns. On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Niel Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain. It has haunted their dreams through the night, and now they find an eerily luminous and golden downpour that drenches their small Californian mountain town. As hours pass they hear news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. An obscuring fog turns once familiar streets into a ghostly labyrinth. By evening, the town has lost all communication with the outside world. First TV and radio go dead, then the Internet and phone lines. The young couple gathers together with some neighbours, sensing a threat they cannot identify or even imagine. The night brings strange noises, and mysterious lights drift among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn but a moody grey-purple twilight prevails. Within the misty gloom the small band will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to the world -- something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency. Epic in scope, searingly intimate and immediate in its perspective, The Taking is a story of a strangely changed and changing world as apocalypse comes to Main Street.
So, as you can see, I like post-apocalyptic fiction. I just happened upon this book at the library because I had nothing else to read. For me, Koontz has always been a win/lose situation. I either like his books or I don't. This one started out great. Very mysterious, suspenseful and scary. By the middle of the book it was starting to fall apart for me and by the end I was just skimming to get thru it. This book does make me wonder what Koontz's religious views are. I won't say why in case you want to read it.

Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener
I picked this graphic novel up on a whim at the library. I like the art very much and the stories are fun. Atomic Robo is a robot-adventurer. To me, he's a cross between Indiana Jones and Hellboy in personality. Fun book.

Life in General

2010-02-15T14:23:00.003-08:00

Since I don't blog as often, I thought I'd catch you up on all things Marty.

- On the art front, things are going well. I had a great show at Corridor Gallery on my birthday. Many people came and went. I exposed my art to a bunch of new folks and sold a few works. I have also lined up another show because of it. Masters: Collage, the book that will feature selections of my work, will be out in June. I'm sure this will be a boost and it's especially cool because one of my images is on the cover. The only other thing I'm trying to accomplish is getting an Etsy shop open so I can sell my work online. I hope to have it up and running in a couple weeks. We'll see.

- We've moved back into the theatre after the fire damage. There's still a lot to do but I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. At least I'm back doing my regular job again. Having no routine for 3 months threw off my groove something fierce.

- Socially, things were pretty great over the holidays. We spent a lot of time with friends and it was great. Unfortunately, after the holidays were over, people returned to their busy lives and the social fun ceased. I'm beginning to think I should just give up the pursuit of close friendships and either learn to survive on shallow relationships or become a hermit. The hermit thing looks the most attractive to me right now.

- The bad news is...I'm tired of bad news. Folks with cancer, relatives dying, blah, blah, blah. Again, the whole hermit thing is looking mighty good right about now.

Well, I guess that's all the news that's fit to print. I'll chime in if anything significant happens. Otherwise, I'll probably working on art and laying low as much as possible.

Booklist

2010-02-15T14:16:00.002-08:00

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
My reading has slowed down quite a bit of late. I think it's a combo of not having anything interesting to read and being too tired to read at bedtime (which is the only time I read). That being said, I did polish off the first book of LOTR along with a couple of Pearls Before Swine treasuries since my last book update. LOTR remains a tough read for me. It's a good story but I get bogged down in all of Tolkein's descriptions of things. I am much more interested in character development and dialogue. I am now beginning to understand why Peter Jackson made some of the choices he did in the movie. I may move on and finish up the trilogy but I'm going to take a break and read some other stuff first.

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired!

2010-01-17T21:55:00.002-08:00

This cold (or whatever it is) is hanging on. I feel pretty crappy. Normally a cold wouldn't knock the wind out of my sails like this but I've been dealing with health stuff for weeks now. First it was my feet. Doc says it was probably tendonitis. I've bought new shoes hoping that will help. Next up was the weird virus that had my stomach messed up for over 2 weeks. I'll spare you the grisly details. And, now that that is finally subsiding, I get hit with a cold.
Work is going to be getting very busy in the next couple of weeks as we start moving back into the theatre and start the next show. I need to be well to be able to deal with the physical challenges of that time. This crud needs to pass on by.

Finally...A Good Burger!

2010-01-17T09:26:00.003-08:00

I've long complained that there is something wrong with the taste buds of Seattlites. They recommend mediocre food and call it fantastic. They also think that charging a big chunk of change for something makes it good. To be frank, Seattlites are a bit snobby about food...but they have no basis for it. In most cities I've lived in I've had quite a few favorite restaurants that I like to frequent. Not so in Seattle. When Sarah and I decide we want to eat out, we have a hard time deciding where to eat. We usually don't venture out into new territory because we've been so disappointed in the past. So, we stick with the few "tried and trues" we've found. But, we still hope that we'll discover new places. Last night we did.
A Five Guys Burgers opened across from Northgate Mall so we decided to try it. We're glad we did. It was a good, falling apart, juicy burger. And the fries were good and plentiful. The best part...not having to take out a loan to pay for a mediocre burger. We got a good burger for for a reasonable price...a rarity for Seattle. Needless to say, we'll be repeating this experience.

Booklist

2010-01-11T14:14:00.003-08:00

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
I'm not going to post a synopsis because if you don't know what The Hobbit is about by now, you've been living on Mars. After attending the LOTR marathon w/ friends the day after Christmas, I decided it was time for me to re-read the trilogy. Luckily, my wife still has her set from the 70's (same set I had but I have no idea where mine got off to). The set includes The Hobbit so I figured that's the best place to start. I haven't read The Hobbit in a long time and it surprised me how wonderful it still is. It's such a great story, so charming and enchanting. I enjoyed entering Middle Earth again. It really makes me anticipate the Del Toro movie all the more although I don't really understand why it has to be 2 movies. I think one movie would suffice. After all, we all know the movie's going to be 3 hours or more.

Pearls Sells Out: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis
I got my wife 3 of these treasuries for Christmas so I decided to read one of them. Pastis is not right in the head...in a good way. Funny stuff!

Lapse in Blogging

2010-01-11T14:08:00.002-08:00

Well, 2009 finally saw me fall off the blogging wagon. I don't know why but I just got tired of writing about myself. I still post the books I've read and every once in a while I might put up something of interest but I just got tired of bitching and complaining. Of course, I need someplace to vent and I may still do that on my blog from time to time but I'd like to not do it as much. I wouldn't mind blogging more but I just don't seem to have that much to write about anymore. My life is pretty routine (or will be once the theatre is remodeled). I usually don't have too many exciting things to report. So...what to do?
Well, I have no answers. I'll just say that it's on my radar to try and blog more. I'm not saying I will but it will be on my mind. Meanwhile, catch me on Facebook if you'd like. I enjoy interacting on there. Perhaps FB is to blame partially for my lapse in blogging?
Gotta blame something.

Booklist

2009-12-28T20:34:00.003-08:00

Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child
Alaska's Federal Wilderness Zone.two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle.one of the most remote places on Earth. But for a group of scientists sponsored by a major media conglomerate, an expedition to the Zone represents the opportunity of a lifetime to study the effects of global warming. The expedition changes suddenly on a routine foray into a glacial ice cave, where the group makes an astonishing find: an ancient animal encased in solid ice. It appears to be some kind of giant cat, possibly a saber-toothed tiger. When their discovery is reported back, their parent company quickly plans the ultimate spectacle - the animal will be cut from the ice, thawed, and revealed on live television. Ignoring the dire warnings of a local Eskimo group (and a native legend forecasting doom for anyone who disturbs this mythic creature), the scientists make one more horrifying discovery: the beast is no cat.it's an ancient killing machine. And it may not be dead.
I used to enjoy Lincoln Child's books. I also used to enjoy the ones he co-wrote with Douglas Preston. Somewhere along the way I stopped enjoying them. Did they change? Did I? All I know is this book was boring and predictable from page 1. The only reason I finished it was because it was a swift read. I gave up on Preston/Child a few years ago. I think I'm officially done with Child now.

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis takes us on a profound journey through both heaven and hell in this engaging allegorical tale. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis introduces us to supernatural beings who will change the way we think about good and evil.
I decided to re-read this because Taproot is doing the play based on the book starting in January. Since I had read the book before, I knew doing a stage production based on it would be difficult. I remain skeptical. I'm sure they will pull it off nicely. They always do. I wanted to be a bit more familiar with the story for viewing the play.
I didn't enjoy reading the book as much this time. I think it's because my belief system is different this time around. My faith is in flux so I don't have a solid foundation to rest upon like I did the first time around. Things in the book didn't resonate with me like they did that first time.

Rogue Carolers

2009-12-21T16:21:00.002-08:00

Last night, Sarah and I were watching Gremlins (technically, it's a Christmas movie) and we were at the scene where the Gremlins are caroling in Mrs. Deagle's yard. I started hearing another noise and asked Sarah to pause the movie. Sure enough, there were carolers on the corner near our apartment. We listened for a bit and then Sarah, being the Christmas spirited person that she is, ran downstairs to give them all a Christmas cupcake.
Once she came back upstairs she confirmed my suspicion that some alcohol had been consumed. Despite sounding pretty bad, they were having fun and spreading the spirit, if not spirits, thru the neighborhood.
Seattle is an interesting place.

Booklist

2009-12-16T15:48:00.002-08:00

MAD's Greatest Artists: The Completely MAD Don Martin
A couple of weeks ago I was at the Pioneer Square art walk with my friend Marshall. We were browsing at Elliot Bay Books (a great bookstore) and Marshall drew my attention to this collection. The cover price is $149.99. They had it for $29.99. So, I just had to get it. I actually bought two. One is a gift for someone close to us who also adores Don Martin.
What can I say about Don Martin and MAD Magazine? Well, one thing I can say is, I doubt I would be an artist today if it weren't for that crazy magazine. I loved it as a kid and read them until the covers fell off. My favorite artists were Sergio Aragones (I still have several of his paperbacks that I bought in the 70's) and Don Martin. I learned how to draw cartoons mostly from these guys. Of course, I had many, many influences, but these guys were in the top ten for sure. I can't tell you how many times I heard (when I was a kid), "Your cartoons look like MAD Magazine." Well, of course they did. Duh.
So, I bought it and read both volumes cover to cover. Some of it's dated but most of it's still pretty funny. The main thing that I bought them for is the art. Martin was an incredible artist and I don't have to invest in the gags to actually appreciate the work. Great stuff. I am so glad Marshall pointed this bargain out to me...even though the book weighs a bloody ton and I nearly killed myself lugging 2 of those bad boys back to the truck. Ugh.

Booklist

2009-12-16T15:42:00.002-08:00

Monster Island by David Wellington
It's one month after a global disaster. The most "developed" nations of the world have fallen to the shambling zombie masses. Only a few pockets of humanity survive — in places rife with high-powered weaponry, such as Somalia. In New York City, the dead walk the streets, driven by an insatiable hunger for all things living. One amongst them is different; though he shares their appetites he has retained his human intelligence. Alone among the mindless zombies, Gary Fleck is an eyewitness to the end of the world — and perhaps the evil genius behind it all. From the other side of the planet, a small but heavily-armed group of schoolgirls-turned-soldiers has come in search of desperately needed medicine. Dekalb, a former United Nations weapons inspector, leads them as their local guide. Ayaan, a crack shot at the age of sixteen, will stop at nothing to complete her mission. They think they are prepared for anything. On Monster Island they will find that there is something worse even than being undead, as Gary learns the true price of survival.

I'm not usually one to read a zombie novel but I decided to give this one a try. I almost put it down a couple of times within the first couple chapters but after that it got better. The character of Gary is quite interesting - a zombie with intellect. It was just different enough to grab my attention. Beyond that, I'm not sure if I liked it well enough to continue with the series. We'll see how desperate my reading situation gets over the next few months.

Sprained!

2009-12-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor on Tuesday to find out why my left foot was swollen and hurt so much. Turns out it's sprained. I have no explanation for this. I've done no twisting, no falling. Doc thinks it might be a combo of overwalking, the orthotics in my shoes, or the stretches I do for my back. (and before you ask, the stretches involve alot of leg and foot stretching)
So, I took 2 days off work but I returned today. I'll just have to take it easy. I'm wearing a brace that helps a bit. When I'm home I'll just have to keep it up and ice it. (fun in the winter)
Last month I had shingles. Now this. I'd ask, "What's next?" but I don't want to know.

Booklist

2009-12-07T11:30:00.002-08:00

Christmas on Mill Street by Joseph Walker
Take A Christmas Story and mix in The Sandlot and you’ll get Joseph Walker’s new holiday novel — Christmas on Mill Street. It’s 1962, and young Sam Andrews just moved to Utah from Arizona. A tall, overweight, semi-clumsy outsider, he’s still trying to fit in with the neighborhood boys. When discussion about sledding down the infamous Mill Street begins, Sam pipes in and says he’ll do it. The problem is, Sam has seen snow only in pictures and has never actually ridden a sled. And to top it off, Mill Street is practically a vertical drop with two deadly curves. A rider going too fast can get shot right off Mill Street and into the Tuttles’ thorn-filled pyracantha bushes. But there’s no turning back now. Readers will laugh out loud at the adventures and many poignant lessons leading up to Christmas Day and Sam’s eventual duel with Mill Street. Christmas on Mill Street is a delightful and inspirational family gift for this holiday season.
I grabbed this one on a whim from the library's new releases shelf. It's promise of being a cross between A Christmas Story and Sandlot is greatly exaggerated. The story is so predictable and full to the brim with hokey sentiment. The humor is pretty basic...nothing nearly as creative as the adventures of Ralphie in ACS. So, if you want to read a hokie period piece about Christmas in Utah...this is your book.

Booklist

2009-11-28T15:50:00.003-08:00

Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
When physicist Michael Shelborne mysteriously vanishes, his son Shel discovers that he had constructed a time travel device. Fearing his father may be stranded in time - or worse - Shel enlists the aid of Dave MacElroy, a linguist, to accompany him on the rescue mission. Their journey through history takes them from the enlightenment of Renaissance Italy through the American Wild West to the civil-rights upheavals of the 20th century. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of historical greats, sometimes in unexpected situations. Yet the elder Shelborne remains elusive. And then Shel violates his agreement with Dave not to visit the future. There he makes a devastating discovery that sends him fleeing back through the ages, and changes his life forever.

I really enjoyed this book. While I almost didn't pick it up because of the title (dumb if you ask me) I'm glad I took a chance. It's a very smart, realistic portrayal of time travel. The story is more about the people than the technical stuff. The plot is reminiscent of Timeline by Michael Crichton but far more satisfying. I think I've read 2 books by McDevitt now. The first, Eternity Road, was only so-so for me. It made me hesitate to read more by this author. Now I'm ready to find more. Has anyone out there read any other books by him? Can you recommend something?

Booklist

2009-11-22T11:14:00.002-08:00

The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A. J. Jacobs
For his first book, The Know-It-All, A. J. Jacobs read the entire Encyclopædia Britannica from cover to cover in a quest to learn everything in the world. In The Year of Living Biblically, he followed every single rule of the Bible -- from the Ten Commandments right on down to stoning adulterers.
Now comes a collection of his most hilarious and thought-provoking experiments yet. In his role as human guinea pig, Jacobs fearlessly takes on a series of life-altering challenges that provides readers with equal parts insight and humor. (And which drives A.J.'s patient wife, Julie, to the brink of insanity.)

I really, really, really like Jacob's books. This guy is really going out of his way to make sense of life. He thinks way outside the box and he doesn't really care (well, I'm sure he cares a little) what people think of his weird experiments. He's like a mad scientist of humanity. I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm not an in-depth book reviewer. I merely put these entries out there so I can keep track of what I've read and so I can recommend these books to those few of you who read my scribblings. I highly recommend you grab anything Jacobs has written and devour it. You won't regret a single moment.

A Break in the Routine

2009-11-13T16:37:00.002-08:00

My routine has been shot to Hades ever since the fire that damaged the theatre. The truth of that hit me this morning as I walked to work. First of all, I used to walk to and from work almost every day but recently have been having to drive due to needing to use the jeep for work-related errands. Second, the route I usually walk is different. It just feels odd. I know change can be good and I know the outcome of all this will be positive but, right now, it just feels odd.
I used to get up at 6:45 am to be in by 8 am. I accomplished a lot while no one was around the first couple hours. In the afternoons, I would head home around 2 pm and have time to work on art before Sarah came home. The last couple weeks I've been going in at 9 am and working longer days. I haven't done any significant art making for quite a while. I had also been walking 3 times a week after work but with it getting dark at 4:30 and the rain, that's not been possible. Everything is just "off." Pile on top of that the added worry of the Greenwood arsons and you've got several pretty stressful weeks.
I hope things will even out soon. I really hope we can be back in the theatre for the first show of 2010. I know routine sounds like a dull thing but it kinda keeps me on track. Right now, I feel like I'm derailed.

Booklist

2009-11-13T16:29:00.002-08:00

WWW: Wake by Robert J. Sawyer
During his decades-spanning career, award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer has "undoubtedly cemented his reputation as one of the foremost science fiction writers of our generation" (SF Site). Now he adds to his impressive body of work with an imaginative and mind-blowing new trilogy of the web — and its awakening ... Caitlin Decter is young, pretty, feisty, a genius at math — and blind. Still, she can surf the net with the best of them, following its complex paths clearly in her mind. When a Japanese researcher develops a new signal-processing implant that might give her sight, she jumps at the chance, flying to Tokyo for the operation.
But Caitlin's brain long ago co-opted her primary visual cortex to help her navigate online. Once the implant is activated, instead of seeing reality, the landscape of the world wide web explodes into her consciousness, spreading out all around her in a riot of colors and shapes. While exploring this amazing realm, she discovers something — some other — lurking in the background. And it's getting smarter ...

Sawyer is one of my favorite writers of sci-fi. I normally don't like to read hard sci-fi but Sawyer makes it palatable by not forgetting character development. His stories are populated by realistically rendered people.
That said, this book is (in my humble opinion) not one of his best. Perhaps it's the storyline itself that doesn't interest me. An awakening worldwide web sounds intriguing but it barely emerges in this first book of a trilogy. The story of Caitlin is interesting and a side story about a chimp is also very interesting but I found the tech-speak and sentient web stuff pretty unreadable. I'll probably continue when parts 2 and 3 come out just to see how it all plays out. Perhaps as a whole, it will make a better story.

Fire/Fear

2009-11-07T14:59:00.002-08:00

Our neighborhood has been experiencing a rash of arsons in the past few months. A couple of weeks ago, arson destroyed 4 businesses and severely damaged the theatre where we work. I'd like to say that's the last one but there have been a couple since. It's scary because you don't know when/where they will strike next. There seems to be no method to the madness.
I lost an apartment to fire in 1999. It affected me deeply at the time. In hindsight, I know that I was suffering from post traumatic stress for at least 6 months following the event. Once I was in my new apt. I woke up nearly every night thinking there was another fire. I would have to get up and check everything before being able to go back to bed. For a while after that fire, everytime I heard a siren I tensed up.
This new situation is different. I am handling it better but I am finding that the sound of sirens is bothering me again. I am also fearful about the random nature of the arsons. I find myself dwelling on the fear that our apt. may get torched. I know the fear is irrational but it's there all the same. I hope they catch this firebug. The whole neighborhood, including me, needs some peace.

Booklist

2009-11-07T14:07:00.003-08:00

Rapture Ready: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture by Daniel Radosh
What does it mean when a band is judged by how hard they pray rather than how hard they rock? Would Jesus buy “Jesus junk” or wear “witness wear”? What do Christian skate parks, raves, and romance novels say about evangelicalism — and America? Daniel Radosh went searching for the answers and reached some surprising conclusions. Written with the perfect blend of amusement and respect, Rapture Ready! is an insightful, entertaining, and deeply weird journey through the often hidden world of Christian pop culture. This vast and influential subculture — a $7 billion industry and growing — can no longer be ignored by anyone who wants to understand the social, spiritual and political aspirations of evangelical Christians. Through 18 cities and towns in 13 states — from the Bible Belt to the outskirts of Hollywood — Radosh encounters a fascinating cast of characters, including Bibleman, the Caped Christian; Rob Adonis, the founder and star of Ultimate Christian Wrestling; Ken Ham, the nation’s leading prophet of creationism; and Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye and pastor of his own liberal, punk rock church. From Christian music festivals and theme parks to Passion plays and comedy nights, Radosh combines gonzo reporting with a keen eye for detail and just the right touch of wit. Rapture Ready! is an eye-opening survey of a parallel universe and a unique perspective on one of America’s most important social movements.
I heard about this book on a podcast so I thought I'd give it a go. As one who used to be immersed in this culture, I wanted to hear an outsiders perpective. Radosh was respectful but also critical when needed. I found much of what he had to say to be very insightful and downright funny. Here's a passage that cracked me up.
"Cameron Williams is one of Left Behind's main heroes. His friends call him Buck, 'because they said he was always bucking tradition and authority.' The other hero is Rayford Steele, an airline pilot. That's right, Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. There's also Steve Plank, Bruce Barnes, and Dick Burton. Apparently, having a porn star name is enough to keep you from getting rapture."
If you find this hilarious, this book is probably for you. If you are offended by this, stay away. I found it hilarious. I have always felt like a lot of Christian pop culture needed to be made fun of. In fact, I have done that and still do. Many times my art is a jab at the ridiculousness of Christian culture. So, needless to say, I found this book to be very entertaining.

Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files: Storm Front, Vol. 1 by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers, Adrian Syaif.
This is a comic adaptation of Jim Butcher's first Dresden book. I did not like it. The art was fine...nothing special though. The thing that bothered me was the number of typos. I read 3 pages in a row where there were typos. That's some pretty crummy editing. I had to put it down.

How Am I?

2009-10-27T13:51:00.002-07:00

Even though I can't get on Facebook, I still get the email notifications if I get a message from someone. A couple people asked how I am? Here's the short of it.
The shingles are healing nicely. The sores are fading and the pain has diminished although I still feel some discomfort. I still have a couple days meds to get thru. Here's hoping it's cleared up. I am taking B vitamins to try and manage stress just in case that's a factor.
The fire situation at work is challenging but everyone is working very hard. We are all moving ahead as best we can. Restoration crews are hard at work at the theatre. If you want to stay up-to-date on what's happening at the theatre, go to our website or you can follow us on Facebook (if you can get on) or Twitter. Just search for Taproot Theatre.
Not much else to report.Trying to stay busy, dodging the flu and resting when I have the opportunity. My routine is gone. I am well out of my comfort zone and may have to be there for a while. That will be difficult for me since I am a creature of routine. But, as a friend pointed out on Sunday, I am being stretched....even if I didn't want to be.

#@%&*! Facebook!

2009-10-24T14:07:00.002-07:00

I haven't been able to get on Facebook with any regularity for about 3 weeks now. I don't know what they are doing but they need to get it straightened out so I can actually use it. (if you're reading this on Facebook, it's feeding there from my blog)
This is a really crappy time for me to be without Facebook. I really want to communicate with everyone about what's going on with Taproot Theatre since the fire. I can't and it's frustrating.
So, if you need to get in touch with me...shoot me an email or contact me thru a comment on my blog. Facebook is unreliable right now.

Fire!

2009-10-23T20:54:00.002-07:00

Today was not a good day. As I was getting ready for work this morning I checked my email. A friend had asked if I knew more about the fire at the restaurants next to Taproot Theatre where Sarah and I work. I had no idea so I started searching online. Sure enough, the restaurants were on fire and the condition of the theatre was unknown. Sarah and I got ready and headed up there as quick as we could. We found several co-workers standing at Bartell, waiting for word. Eventually we all headed to the admin offices (located down the street). It was then that plans began to emerge. Since the state of the theatre was unknown, plans began to take shape to continue the show in a new venue. Seattle's theatre community rallied and a venue was found. As I am writing this, my wife, the actors and crew of Enchanted April are rehearsing in the space at Seattle Children's Theatre. There will be 2 shows tomorrow, 2 and 8pm.
Eventually we were able to enter the theatre. There is a lot of water damage. We salvaged costumes, props, anything needed for the show and a truck was dispatched downtown to begin preparations. I stayed behind to play watchdog. I ended up talking to a couple of news people, some folks who came by to give well wishes, our insurance broker, firemen, and the guys from the restoration crew. I left around 5. The firemen are on 24 hour vigil since there are hot spots and trouble areas that could go up again. They will remain until they are sure it's out. The restoration crew are hopefully extracting water and doing what they do best. The Red Cross were there passing out food and beverages to any and all who needed them.
There'll be a lot of work ahead but the theatre will, I'm certain, be all fixed up in no time. It's hard to see the good in a situation like this but I, as well as many others, sense that a lot of good is going to come out of this. All we have to do is wait and see.
My friend Jeff also wrote about today. You can read his blog here.

Interview & Update

2009-10-22T08:20:00.003-07:00

You can read an interview with me at the Art is Moving blog.
I love doing interviews, not only because it's good publicity (and I'll take all of that I can get), but because it challenges me to find brief, bold and brilliant ways to answer questions about myself and my art. I hate people who drone on and on, repeating themselves. I never want to be that person. I wish I had more opportunities to talk about my art. It's good practice.
To update you on what's happening in the world of my art, the fall has been slow. I have no shows lined up (although I am still trying) and I haven't made any art since before vacation. My seemingly endless string of minor health problems don't help matters much. But these are excuses. I need to sit my butt down and make some art.
I am also a bit closer to starting to sell my work online. We'll see how that goes.
As you can see, I'm busy and yet I'm not. Just gotta keep plugging away.

Booklist

2009-10-21T14:32:00.002-07:00

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event. They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come. In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months - the world. A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold. In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . . So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city - a city that includes his wife and son - before it is too late.
Since this has Del Toro's name on it, I had to give it a try. In the end, I found this to be too similar to the story in Blade 2 (another Del Toro creation). It's an enjoyable read but it just seems like Del Toro is rehashing too much. The book starts out as a modern retelling of the classic Dracula story. Eventually it turns into a (spoiler alert) vampirism as virus pandemic apocalypse story that seems all too familiar. There are a couple of CDC folks, a Van Helsing-type character and, for the heck of it, a kick-ass ratcatcher. The books doesn't have an ending because it's part one of a planned trilogy. I'll probably read them all but I won't be in a hurry about it. I'm sure Del Toro could turn this into a visually stunning film but, so far, he says that's not in the plan. The story was originally planned as a television series (hmmm) but was rejected so he decided to put it in print. All in all, I know how creative Del Toro is and I expect a lot from him. It's true that his films are more satisfying in the visual dept. rather than in story but I had hoped Hogan would flesh it out a little more. So, if you like your vampires brutal and bloody rather than shimmery and romantic, give this a try.

Shingles!

2009-10-19T15:57:00.002-07:00

Yes, I went to the doc this morning and found out I have shingles. Lovely. I'm on anti-viral meds for 10 days. I am hoping for a speedy recovery but everything I've read says that they can hang on for a while. Guess I'll have to get used to the burning skin thing for a bit. SIGH.
It's always something.

What Was Lost Has Been Found!

2009-10-13T16:27:00.002-07:00

Last October I mentioned a haunted house that me and my friends created at church when I was a senior in high school. I bemoaned the fact that the photo album with all the pictures from that was lost years ago. While I was home in Florida a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the album to my mom and sister and my sister said she thought she had it in her hope chest. Sure enough, she brought it to me on Saturday before we left. What a great find! It has so many great pics in it from when I was in high school/early college. I especially appreciate it's return because there were so many pictures of my friend Kevin (who passed away a few years ago) in it. I'm so happy to have it back.
So, here's a pic from the haunted house and a link to the entry I wrote about it last year. I read thru it and my memory was pretty good. Enjoy!

Leaving Church?

2009-10-12T10:32:00.002-07:00

This is a tough subject to breach and I had a hard time trying to decide whether to hash it out on the blog or not. I've decided to do it because I need an outlet. I need to get this off my chest.
For the past few months, perhaps even close to a year, Sarah and I have been feeling pretty dissatisfied with church. It's been a struggle to get up on Sunday and go. We actually took a couple of months off in the hopes that it would renew us. It did not. The only thing we missed about it was the people, our friends.
I'm not going to speak for Sarah. She has her problems and I have mine. I can only speak to mine. First and foremost, the biggest problem I have with church is me. Spiritually, I am dead inside. If there's any faith left, it's a small spark. Sarah says it's still alive in me but I don't sense it. God hasn't been real to me for a number of years now. I struggle. I have doubts. I swing back and forth. The bottom line is, I don't believe like I once did. I went thru a time when I was begging and pleading with God to return to me but I've gotten zilch. I am mourning the loss of my faith. I miss it. But I can't fake a belief that's not there anymore. So, going to church is hard for me in that respect. I can't participate in worship because, for me, there's nothing to worship. I'm sure I could continue in the vein but I think I've covered it. If you want details, you'll just have to call me so we can have a conversation.
Moving on. Another reason I don't enjoy church is because I've found no way to contribute, to be involved, that rings true. The loss of my faith makes it difficult to contribute but I have tried. I went back to leading worship for a time but I felt like a hypocrite so I stopped. Authenticity is important to me. I don't want to fake my thru it. I've seen too many people doing that and it makes me sick.
The other reason I find it hard to contribute is due to issues of quality and creativity. I've always had, compared to most people, radical ideas in regards to "doing church." For a while I actually felt like that was my call...to go against the flow, to challenge the status quo, to inject some life and creativity into church. Unfortunately, I've not had the benefit of being with a like-minded group of people. I've tried to lead but felt instead like I was dragging people behind me. That just weighs me down and wears me out. I can't do that anymore. So, trying to change things hasn't worked but being in a church where the quality and creativity I crave isn't valued is hard. Again, I could talk about this for ages but I'm going to move on.
I have enjoyed expressing my frustrations, doubts and spiritual questions thru my art. Unfortunately most people don't get what I do and don't know how to ask questions about it. In the past I've had people in my life who I could talk to about these things or groups of people who felt the same way I did about church. I felt like I had a "team" that I was moving forward with. I used to feel valued as a creative, spiritual being. I haven't had that in a long time. Frankly, I'm lonely. I feel like I'm creating in a void.
I know this is a disjointed mess of ideas that I've thrown out here. I'm sorry about that. I just felt like I had to get some of it out of my system so it wouldn't eat me up from the inside out. Honestly, we don't know what we're going to do. We don't enjoy going to church. And before you say, "But what have you put into it?" let me just say that we have tried to find our niches, our places of service, to no avail. We're at our wits end. But leaving is still a difficult choice because we have so many people that we care so much about. Seattle is a hard place to make friends. The thought of losing the few we have is terrifying. Some of you will say, "Well, why not try another church?" We have been to a ton of churches in the area and none fit the bill.
So, there are no easy answers. Do we stop going to church altogether? Do we stop going to services but continue attending lifegroup (which we do enjoy?). We're still trying to figure things out. Your patience, prayers, thoughtful conversations and positive thoughts would be greatly appreciated. And for those of you who find yourselves offended by this entry. Don't be. I am sharing my heart. If you want to talk with me about it, I'll be happy to do so. Don't take this personally. I am directing this at no one but myself. I am the one with the problem and I am trying my hardest to get over it but I'm running out of options.
Thanks for listening.

Florida Trip: Days 7 & 8

2009-10-09T15:01:00.002-07:00

We didn't do much on Saturday. We spent most of the day with family but we did take a quick trip over to Cantonment to see my friend Rusty and his family. My sister found an old photo album of mine that I thought was lost forever so I took it along (since Rusty was in some of the pics). We had some good laughs.
After that, we drove back to Milton for a big fish feast (not fried) with the family. We ate too much (again) and then sat around talking. We headed to bed early since our flight was at the butt crack of dawn the next day.
The flight home was uneventful but I have to comment on the DirectTV. I've never flown where you could pay to watch movies and tv at your leisure. Sarah and I both did it. It was money well spent as it helped pass the time. I caught up on some movies I missed: Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian (cute) and Terminator: Salvation (okay...may watch it again...I feel like I may have missed something due to edits).
We finally arrived home mid afternoon and were thankful for Monday off to recover. It was a good trip but, as always, it went by way too fast.

Booklist

2009-10-09T14:50:00.002-07:00

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes — like Theseus, Jason and Hercules. What if you were one of those children? Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus' master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.
I read this book primarily because I heard it was good and the movie version will be coming out soon. The book is enjoyable but it's comparisons to Harry Potter are exaggerated. It was fine...a fun, light read. Not much more to say than that.

Florida Trip: Day 6

2009-10-07T14:10:00.003-07:00

Friday was the day of the Great Gator Adventure.
We slept in and spent a lazy morning around the house. My dad got their Gator (John Deere mini-jeep) ready so Sarah and I could ride it down by the river. He filled the gas tank, checked the oil and rode it around a while to see if it was working properly. It checked out so we hopped on and took off. We rode down to one spot on the river then took off down the road to another spot. About 1.5 miles in the engine sputtered and died. It would not restart. Luckily I had told Sarah to bring the cell phone. We called daddy and he and mama came to get us. He tied the jeep up to the back of his truck. We thought he'd just pull us back to the house but he decided to finish the tour by pulling us to where we had been headed. So, here we are in a mini-jeep being pulled by a pickup truck. People are looking at us like we're nuts but we just smiled and waved like it was the thing to do. I called it Redneck Skiing. At one point I nearly slammed into the back of the truck because daddy decided he had to stop and pick up 3 aluminum cans on the side of the road. "They're worth a penny a piece," he said. Can't argue with that. He pulled the jeep to a neighbor's house for repairs and declared that he thoroughly enjoyed pulling us around. Sarah said it was more fun than just riding the Gator.
Later we headed into Pensacola to meet some friends. We stopped by to see G. C. then headed to Sbux to meet David. We spent the evening with the Randolphs. The kids were thrilled to see us. Charlie had to bring every toy in his room out to show us one at a time. Sadie went on her first "date." (she's in 1st grade) Bridgett came over as well. We told them about the Gator Adventure and they laughed so hard they were crying. It was a fun day.

I Don't Agree

2009-10-07T07:19:00.002-07:00

"To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind of food that it is very good but that most people can't eat it."

I got this quote off the status of someone on Facebook. Without thinking about it too much, I would have to disagree with it. Now, I'm not about to get into a lengthy discussion about the definition of art or what make a piece of art good but I would like to address this quickly. To say a work of art isn't good because a majority of people do not comprehend it is absurd. To relate this to my own art, there are some people who enjoy my art and there are some who do not. If that group who does not is the majority, do we write my art off as no good? Not in my book. So many things contribute to the opinion of whether a piece of art is deemed good or not; environment, education, execution, culture, experience, etc. One man's trash is another man's treasure.
I'm sure there's much more to say about this but I have to get ready for work. If anyone else out there has an opinion, chime in. Let's have a discussion. And does anyone know who said this? I'd like to know so I can punch his/her lights out. (just kidding)

Improv Lessons

2009-10-05T21:16:00.002-07:00

I'm taking an improv class at the theatre where I work. I've been feeling of late like I need another creative outlet besides my art. Art is my passion but I sometimes feel like it's getting stale. I need something to kick start some other areas of my brain...or something.
Tonight I picked up on something. I've always known that, in improv, I'm a better responder than starter. If someone else starts things up, I can go with it. But if I'm left to start it up, it's tough. I feel like I'm freezing up or that my ideas are lame. Tonight I made the connection to real life situations in that I am a good responder but not starter. Put me in a room full of strangers and I will clam up and not say a word. I will not start a conversation. But if someone comes up to me and starts things up, I will respond. Most times, if I'm in that corner not saying a work, I know that I should be approaching people, starting conversations...but I just don't know how. My brain freezes up and I don't know what to say.
Okay, so I've had the revelation. Now, how do I overcome this?

Florida Trip: Day 4 & 5

2009-10-05T11:18:00.002-07:00

Wednesday found us being lazy. My parents loaded up and headed back to Milton, Cindy and Brian went fishing and Sarah and I lounged around the pool for a little while. We both utilized the $2 float she bought at Alvin's Island. After lunch, we loaded up and headed back to Milton as well.
After hanging around with my parents for a while, we went into Pensacola to meet some old friends for dinner and catching up. We had a great time telling stories from the past and seeing what everybody's up to these days. We were up way too late.
On Thursday, we slept in a bit, then drove from Milton along the water to Pensacola Beach. We met up with Chris and Todd for lunch. It was a great time with more old friends. After lunch, Sarah and I drove down to Ft. Pickens to explore the old forts and hang out on the beach.
After a quick stop to see my cousin Chris, we met my parents and uncle and aunt at David's Catfish House in Milton. By this time we were sick of eating, especially fried food, so we opted to have a garden salad although I did taste my mom's hamburger steak which was good. Uncle Jerry's truck was having clutch problems so we took them back to the house for a bit. Daddy and Uncle Jerry went off in search of a solution (brake fluid fixed the problem) while the rest of us stayed at the house to visit. Once company left, I believe we called it a night.
I'm only posting a few pics here. If you want to see the whole set, I'll be posting them asap on Facebook. If you're not on FB...well, why aren't you?

Florida Trip: Day 3

2009-09-29T20:30:00.003-07:00

We started our day at 7am. That was yucky. But we the reason we got up was not. We went on a Waverunner Dolphin Excursion with Boogie Watersports and we had a great time. We saw many dolphins and would have seen more if the guide hadn't wasted some of our time just riding around. Despite that, we still had a great time. Unfortunately, the waterproof camera we bought was a piece of junk. The pictures turned out terrible. Oh, well. We have our memories. We really have a good time on the water looking for marine life. I think we may have missed our calling as marine biologists.
After that, we did a little shopping, picked up my mom and sister, did some more shopping and then everybody went out for seafood. We went to the same place we always go (Fisherman's Wharf) and we had a great time. After that, Sarah and I took a short walk. We've overdone it on the greasy food so far and had to do something physical. Then we returned to the condo and played Chickenfoot with my parents.
Tomorrow we'll probably just hang out by the pool until it's time to head back to Milton. Tomorrow night we are having dinner with a bunch of old friends of mine. Well, their not as old as me but they're getting there.
Having a great time. Wish you were here...but I'm not sure where we'd put you.

Florida Trip: Day 1 & 2

2009-09-28T19:25:00.003-07:00

We're here and having a blast! Day 1 (Sunday) found us on an airplane at 6:10 am. All the flights went well but I have to say that I am not impressed with Houston's airport. It's laid out like it was designed by a blind rat with a piece of chalk strapped to his belly. But we finally arrived in Pcola where my parents picked us up. We headed to Milton to pick up their luggage and, after a quick stop off in Crestview to eat chicken (the Gospel bird) at Cracker Barrel and see Uncle Terry at Publix, headed to Destin. We stopped along the way to buy groceries. We eventually made it out here (Bay Club in Sandestin Resort), unpacked, visited, and hit the sack.
Today was laid back. We spent most of the day at the pool, then went to Golden Corral for some southern buffet food. (you can't get that stuff in Seattle) After supper, Sarah and I went down to the gulf to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous!
Tomorrow morning we rise early (7am) to get ready for our Waverunner Dolphin Excursion. Should be fun! More updates and pics as I'm able to post them.

Florida Bound

2009-09-26T14:27:00.003-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, we're flying to Florida tomorrow for a week. (I've run it in the ground on Facebook) We're spending the first half of the week at my sis and bro-in-law's condo in Destin. Second half we'll just be lazing around my parent's house in Milton, seeing friends, maybe some fishing w/ daddy, etc. It's going to be great. It's a well needed break for both of us, mentally and physically. Sarah's been working her tail off on Enchanted April so expect she'll be sitting on the beach with a book every chance she gets. We hope to do a dolphin waverunner excursion while we're there but other than that we don't have any real plans (except dinner plans with family and friends).
This time tomorrow we'll be in Florida. Can't wait.

Booklist

2009-09-24T14:20:00.002-07:00

Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton
The art market has been booming. Museum attendance is surging. More people than ever call themselves artists. Contemporary art has become a mass entertainment, a luxury good, a job description, and, for some, a kind of alternative religion. In a series of beautifully paced narratives, Sarah Thornton investigates the drama of a Christie's auction, the workings in Takashi Murakami's studios, the elite at the Basel Art Fair, the eccentricities of Artforum magazine, the competition behind an important art prize, life in a notorious art-school seminar, and the wonderland of the Venice Biennale. She reveals the new dynamics of creativity, taste, status, money, and the search for meaning in life. A judicious and juicy account of the institutions that have the power to shape art history, based on hundreds of interviews with high-profile players, Thornton's entertaining ethnography will change the way you look at contemporary culture.

Okay, I don't have time to really go into this book at length. I wish I did. Suffice it to say that if this is what the art world is like (and I'm not at all shocked by it), I want no part of it. Based on this book, it's a world of money, snobbery, and sucking up. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I read the book. It's insightful in that it shows the art world how I always imagined it. I've always had illusions of fame in the art world but I don't want to be a part of this world. The only chapter that I took anything of worth away from was the one titled "The Crit" where she visits a critique class at CalArts. It reminded me of art school...all the good, bad and ugly of it. The beauty of art school is that most students are still struggling to make art. They haven't "arrived." (although as an artist we should never reach this point or we'll stop growing) But you can sense the hunger, the passion in them. I've sat thru many a crit but never like this one. It started in the morning and lasted until late at night. Crazy! But I enjoyed the chapter because it was the only one where I sensed people still enjoying art.
The chapter titled "The Studio Visit" is infuriating to me because we visit the studio of Takashi Murakami. He is a moody perfectionist who is more factory foreman than artist. He employs countless assistants who do the work for him. I am just not for this at all. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems wrong to me. It would be like if I planned a collage but I gave the instructions to my assistant and he/she did all the cutting, pasting, etc. Is it really my work? I don't think so. Maybe I feel this way because I believe an artist should be in there with his hands, manipulating the medium, getting dirty, leaving fingerprints all over the work. Murakami's way (and countless others I imagine) assumes that the end (product) justifies the means. For me, art is just as much about the process as it is the finished piece. Ugh. I could go on and on about this. Perhaps I should throw this question out to the arts group next time I go...let them bat it around a little.

Booklist

2009-09-18T19:54:00.002-07:00

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez
Welcome to Gil’s All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer. . . .Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood county in their pick-up truck when they stop at the diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren’t planning to stick around--until Loretta, the eatery’s owner, offers them one hundred dollars to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl’s a vampire, this looks right up their alley.But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone’s out to drive Loretta from the diner, and more than willing to raise a little hell on earth if that’s what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the diner’s troubles, they’ll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jailbait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig Latin.And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too. Gory, sexy, and flat-out hilarious, Gil’s All Fright Diner will tickle your funny bone--before ripping it out of its socket!
This is a re-read for me. I've liked just about every book by Martinez that I've read so I thought I'd go back and retry the first one. It's still pretty good although the ending is kinda cliche and lame. I got bored with it toward the end. Still, a pretty funny twist on the urban fantasy genre.

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
After seeing Wicked the other night, I was without something to read so my wife pulled out her childhood copy of Wizard for me to try. Since I've never read any of these books, my curiosity was high. It's not exactly like the MGM movie but I can see why they embellished. It moves along at a pretty fair clip. They travel, a problem arises, they solve it and move on. Pretty basic but interesting to read in context with everything that Oz has become to us in the here and now.

Booklist

2009-09-14T14:06:00.002-07:00

Lord, Save Us from Your Followers: Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America? by Dan Merchant
Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America? Fed up with the angry, strident language filling the airwaves that has come to represent the Christian faith, author, director, and follower Dan Merchant set out to explore the collision of faith and culture in America. What is all this fighting really about? The book and upcoming documentary represent a two-year effort to "join the battlefield in hopes of getting a conversation started." The result is a book full of offbeat observations, fun anecdotes, comedic bits and in-depth interviews. From Dan's hilarious bumper-sticker interviews with folks on the street to his unique "Confession Booth" event inspired by his meeting with Tony, the Beat Poet, from Blue Like Jazz, he delves into all the hot button issues with candor, humor and balance.
I watched the movie before I read the book but I had checked out the book before I knew there was a movie. Turns out our friend Jeff had had coffee with Merchant a couple of weeks before and got a couple of advance copies on DVD. So, we borrowed one and watched it. Since some of it was repetitive I skipped some parts. Basically the book delves a bit deeper into the interviews.
I like what the book has to say but I have to say that I'm a bit tired of reading books about how Christianity is screwed up. I already know that. So, where is the book about how to fix it? What's that you say? It's already been written? The Bible, you say? Please. Christians have been reading that book for centuries...or have they?
Anywho...a good read for those who are sick of the religious status quo. Find the movie and watch it too...or better yet get a group together, watch the movie and then have a discussion afterward. I guarantee it'll be a good conversation.

Booklist

2009-09-03T14:33:00.004-07:00

The American Painter Emma Dial by Samantha Peale
Emma Dial is a virtuoso painter who executes the works of Michael Freiburg, a preeminent figure in the New York art world. She has a sensuous and exacting hand, hips like a matador, and long neglected ambitions of her own. She spends her days completing a series of pictures for Freiburg's spring exhibition and her nights drinking and dining with friends and luminaries. Into this landscape walks Philip Cleary, Emma's longtime painting hero and a colleague and rival of her boss. Philip Cleary represents the ideal artistic existence, a respected painter, fearless and undeterred by fashion. He is unmatched by anyone from Emma's generation. Except, just possibly, Emma herself. Emma Dial must choose between the security of being a studio assistant to a renowned painter and the unknown future as an artist in her own right.
This is an interesting read for an artist. Although fiction, I can't help but think that Peale has inserted some truth from her experiences as an assistant for artist Jeff Koons. The whole idea of a painter having an assistant do all the painting is crazy to me. If you're a painter, you should love to paint. It should be as much about the process as it is the finished work...perhaps even moreso. (depends on your point of view I suppose) I have nothing against assistants. I believe an artist can make good use of an assistant to accomplish tasks which keep them from the real work of artmaking. But to have the assistant do all the work...no way. I could rant for days about this but I'll cut it off here.
As for the story, I enjoyed all the art world stuff. The relationship stuff made me sad because it all seemed so shallow and "what can you do for me" oriented. I know that's how the world operates in most cases but it makes me sad nonetheless. Even though Emma put herself in the positon she was in, I found myself pulling for her to get away and do her own thing. Does she? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out.

The Book of Lists: Horror compiled by Amy Wallace, Del Howison & Scott Bradley
I picked this up on a whim. Since Halloween is coming up I thought I could find some new books, movies, etc. to watch for the season. I found a few. The book ended up being too skewed toward hard horror...the really gory "torture porn" stuff that I don't like. But, like I said, I found a few ideas amongst the gore.

The Devil's Storybook by Natalie Babbitt
I found this book on a list of greatest children's books and I thought it sounded intriguing. It's basically a book of short stories, quite fable or fairy tale-esque, about the Devil. In these stories, he's an annoying trickster, visiting pranks on unsuspecting humans but having the tables turned on him every once in a while. It was an interesting distraction and a quick read.

The Mice Templar: The Prophecy by Bryan J. L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming
This popular graphic novel has wonderful, Mignola-esque artwork but I found the story very wordy and boring. Very Arthurian except for it being set in a world of talking mice.

Booklist

2009-08-26T14:51:00.002-07:00

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein--is a brilliant re-imagining of the classic story that only world-renowned and New York Times bestselling author could conceive, bringing the two hundred-year-old "monster," a literate, mysterious loner, to modern day New Orleans on the trail of his creator.
I love it when writers update old monster stories. Well, I love it when they do it well. The juries still out on this one since it's a trilogy and I have only read the first book. I have to be honest, I didn't enjoy it all that much. I thought it was pretty shallow. No depth in the story, no character development to speak of, chapters that were, on average, 5 pages long. It almost seemed stitched together...kind of like a certain monster we all know and love. And that was the other thing, the monster wasn't in it very much and when he was, he chose to swoop in Aslan-like and help only when the mood suited him.
So, not much else to say. I'll give the final verdict once I've read all three.

Booklist

2009-08-24T19:16:00.002-07:00

Deep Fathom by James Rollins
Ex-Navy SEAL Jack Kirkland surfaces from an aborted underwater salvage mission to find the Earth burning. Solar flares have triggered a series of gargantuan natural disasters. Earthquakes and hellfire rock the globe. Air Force One has vanished from the skies with America's president on board. Now, with the U.S. on the narrow brink of a nuclear apocalypse, Kirkland must pilot his oceangoing exploration ship, Deep Fathom, on a desperate mission miles below the ocean's surface. There devastating secrets await him—and a power an ancient civilization could not contain has been cast out into modern day. And it will forever alter a world that's already racing toward its own destruction.
This is a re-read. I first read it years ago when it first came out...when I was first introduced to Rollins' books. I liked his stories back then. I don't like the books he's written lately. It seems too much like he jumped on the Da Vinci Code bandwagon. I remember really liking this book when I first read it...enough so that I thought a series with the Kirkland character would have been good. I didn't enjoy it much on the second read. I found myself skipping alot. Oh well. I ran out of library books and had to grab something around the house. I'll try not to let that happen again.

Annie Velma (Granny) Gordon (1914 - 2009)

2009-08-22T09:50:00.001-07:00

Velma Gordon, age 95 of Milligan, Fla., went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009, at Shoal Creek Rehab.

Velma was born on March 21, 1914, in Pollard, Ala., to Daniel and Martha Garrett. She was a longtime resident of the Milligan area. Velma worked as supervisor in the lunchroom at Milligan School until it closed, then she moved to the Baker School lunchroom where she worked as manager for 23 years. Velma was a member of Milligan Baptist Church.

Velma was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Thomas N. Gordon; a daughter, Sarah Elaine Gordon, and a granddaughter, Sherry Elaine Gordon Everett.

Survivors include her five sons, Thomas L. Gordon and his wife Virginia of Gainesville, Fla., Bobby Gordon and his wife Joyce of Milton, Fla., Jerry Gordon and his wife Emily of Lewisburg, Tenn., Terry Gordon and his wife Jody of Holt, Fla., and David Gordon of Milligan. She is also survived by her precious 24 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.

A time of visitation will be held on Friday at Whitehurst-Powell Funeral Home from 5 to 8 p.m.

The celebration of Velma's life will take place on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m. at Milligan Baptist Church with the Rev. Ted Jernigan and Don Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Milligan Baptist Church Cemetery.

Whitehurst-Powell Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.

Endoscopy

2009-08-10T20:58:00.002-07:00

This morning I had my first endoscopy. The doc is trying to determine what is causing my excess gas and sometimes gas related pain. We arrived at 7:30 am and things got underway very quickly. As the nurse was prepping me she noticed my Beatles watch and she told me about seeing them in Chicago when she was 15. I asked her if she could hear them over the screaming and she, of course, said no. I also asked her if she was screaming like the other girls and she said yes.
They took me in and prepped me. I did not like the bit they put in my mouth and made them take it out until I was sufficiently doped to handle it. The next few hours are a blur.
I remember very little from the time I woke up at the hospital to the time I woke up at home. I know they put me in a wheelchair to take me to the jeep but I don't remember getting in the jeep. I don't remember the drive home. I do remember getting into bed when I got home but that's pretty much it until I woke up between 1 and 2. Apparently I was quite chatty and hilarious in my doped up state. You would have to talk to my wife to get a full account and even then she won't tell you everything. Apparently I talked about some slightly inappropriate things in the jeep on the way home. The things I can mention are that I told the nurse that it would be great to watch Pink Floyd's The Wall in my present state. I also told my wife, once we were home, that it felt like I was floating and proceeded to put my hands out and flap them like wings. That's all I can remember she told me right now. Apparently it was quite funny.
As for the endoscopy results, they saw no tumors or blocks or physical red flags of any kind. They took some samples to test for H. Pylori and a couple of other things. I'll find out about all that later. I have to go back for a lactose intolerance test and a blood test for further info on my liver. Apparently I have fatty liver disease which runs in the family. I'm not too worried about that since my Granny has it and she's 95 and my dad has it and he's 72.
So, all in all, it was a more exciting and entertaining day for my wife and the hospital staff than it was for me. I slept through it all.

Booklist

2009-08-08T16:03:00.003-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
On the heels of rereading and seeing the movie version of Half-Blood Prince, I decided to reread this one as well. I still think it's pretty slow at times and fairly unsatisfying in some respects as an ending to the series. I was not happy with the movie version of HBP and haven't been happy with the work Yates has been doing as director. Too many things changed from book to movie that didn't make sense to me. And now, after rereading Deathly Hallows, I am very unhappy. There are things they changed in HBP that directly relate to important events in DH which means more senseless changes are coming. Why base it on the book at all? Why not just take the character of Harry Potter and do whatever you want with him? That seems like exactly what they are doing. I have a hard time believing Rowling is okay with it all but I guess money talks. That's too bad.
I'll give the last movies a chance but I don't hold up any high hopes. After that, who knows. Harry Potter vs. Predator anyone?

Booklist

2009-07-22T19:27:00.002-07:00

The Long Walk by Stephen King
In the near future, where America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The game is simple - maintain a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings, and you're out - permanently.
I heard that Frank Darabont is considering making this book into a film so I thought I'd re-read it. I think it would make an interesting film. It's an intriguing story. Darabont seems to do well with King adaptations. He's done 3 really good ones so far. I just wonder why he doesn't branch out and tackle some other authors. I heard that he was interested in Robert R. McCammon's Mine at one time. I wish he'd film McCammon's Boy's Life. I think he could do it justice.

Low Tide with the Queasy Marine Biologist

2009-07-20T15:19:00.002-07:00

I went to low tide at Golden Gardens this morning. Our friend Heather, who has a degree in marine biology, met me out there. She's never been and I figured if you have a degree in marine biology you have to go at least once. I got there before her and wandered a bit. I found the lion mane jelly in the pic above before she got there. She finally arrived but it took some doing to meet up. First of all she ended up passing a woman singing opera and a very opinionated man who didn't like the opera. (Remember this guy. He appears later in our story) It seems she has a problem with what she called "the slime." That would be seaweed. She didn't want to walk thru it. I told her she had to man up and brave the slime so she could see the good stuff. She did great.
I took her back to the jellyfish and then we wandered taking in the splendor of sea stars, sun stars, sea cucumbers, anemones and the like. I picked up a sea star today because she told me it wouldn't hurt them. They never feel like you expect. They look all slimy but they are really hard. Not as fragile as I had thought. It was a gorgeous day to be on the beach. We picked up a few shells and headed back to the vehicles.
As we were shooting the breeze and about to part ways, the opinionated guy wanders up and strikes up a one-sided conversation. (all him) He regaled us with his adventures as a transcendental Buddhist, telling us about his walk of 10,000 miles, how his back used to hurt because he had a hole in his energy field, and how he remained healthy because he kept his body and his eyes in a juztapozition of fluidity. He was quite a character. He even cussed out some old people who passed by on bicycles just because they said, "Woo-hoo," to him. He finally winded down and left. There are lots of interesting folks around here who just need to talk a bit and then they wander off. That's Seattle.
I love the beaches here in the Pacific NW. I could spend hours exploring...and do when I can. I wonder if I should have been a marine biologist. If I had been, I definitely wouldn't be queasy about it.

Who Is That?

2009-07-18T15:37:00.002-07:00

In recent months Woodham High's Class of 1980 has been reconnecting on Facebook. It's been a pretty strange experience for me. So far, I have no idea who most of the people who have joined the class page on FB are. I see a few familiar faces and a couple of people I was friendly with but, all in all, I don't recognize the majority of them. It makes me wonder if they really did graduate with me or if I've just lost my mind.
In truth, it's probably neither. I have always been one to have a small, close knit group of friends. It was that way in high school. To be honest, most of my friends in school were also friends from church. Only one of my closest friends has appeared on FB. Another close friend will never get on there. One of my closest friends from high school, Kevin, passed away a few years ago. I officiated at his funeral. I think this last fact is the reason for the biggest disconnect of all. Alot of my memories from high school tie in with him. We lived on the same street. We rode to school together, either on the bus or in his car. I don't have him around anymore to reminisce with. It's a huge void. I miss him.
I'm not sure whether I'll attend my 30th reunion or not. Probably not. There is another reunion next year of the drama team I was with at seminary that I hope to get to. I can't do them all especially since I'm way over here in Pacific NW. A month ago, some folks from Olive (the church I grew up at) got together for a little reunion. Seems like reunions are popping up all over the place. That's a sure sign that I'm getting old...that we're all getting old. I'm glad to be reconnecting even if it is just on FB. It's fun to see what everyone is up to.

Booklist

2009-07-14T07:23:00.002-07:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
There's no need for a synopsis on this one. If you don't know the story from the book or movies by now, well...what are you waiting for? I re-read this in anticipation of the upcoming movie. It's too bad I'm not a night owl or I'd be tempted to see the movie at midnight tonight. As it is, I'm not sure when we'll be able to go. I'm ready to see it.
I've probably read this book 3 times now. It's not my favorite HP book (not sure which one is) but it's still a hugely enjoyable read. Funny though, after multiple readings I'm starting to pick up on flaws (at least to me) in the story and/or writing. After this reading I was puzzled by why all the characters decided to stand around and recount the events surrounding Dumbledore's murder by Snape (C'mon, if you didn't know by now...where have you been...the moon?) rather than be caught up in the vast grief of the event. Too much exposition, too little grieving. But, I nitpick. The Harry Potter books have been some of the most enjoyable reading I've done over the last few years. I'm sorry that it's over. I think I might move directly into Deathly Hallows since I've only read it once. And then, I'm sure I'll read it again before the movie(s).

Fireworks

2009-07-04T15:24:00.002-07:00

Seattle is not a good place to view fireworks. There are just way too many people trying to cram themselves in a tiny space to watch them. This year it's worse because the fireworks on Eliot Bay are cancelled. (Thanks Ivars) That means twice as many people are not going to be trying to squeeze into Gasworks Park or surrounding areas to see the fireworks. And I haven't even mentioned that it doesn't get dark until 10 pm out here so they don't start until late. Needless to say, we don't go. Too many people, too much hassle. We're going to spend the 4th at a cookout with friends.
All this fireworks hoopla made me think about what's the best fireworks display I've ever seen. I can think of a couple.
- When I was with the Company (seminary drama team) we did a youth camp called Brookhaven just outside of Tyler, TX. One year, were there the week of the 4th and the camp staff put on a fireworks show for the campers. We all sat by the lake and watched. It wasn't professional pyrotechnics but it was very intimate.
- The fireworks on Pensacola Beach could be just as frustrating as Seattle's. Everyone trying to herd themselves out onto the beach and then back home after made for a traffic nightmare. I was stuck in traffic for over an hour one year trying to get home. But, one year, some friends of mine knew a secret place to watch from. I couldn't tell you where we were but we had to park in a neighborhood, cross train tracks and walk out onto a sandbar. We sat on the beach and the fireworks were directly overhead. It was wonderful.
- When Sarah and I lived in Asheville, we drove downtown to see the fireworks. We sat on an embankment and watched. It was special because it was with her.
- In SC a bunch of us drove out to my friend Todd's condo on Lake Murray and had a great view of the fireworks.
- I seem to recall the fireworks at EPCOT being pretty spectacular but I can't remember details.
Those are the ones that stand out. I'm sure there have been more but I can't remember. Happy 4th everybody! If you're in Seattle, watch the fireworks on TV. It's safer.

The Danger of Constant Doing

2009-07-03T11:36:00.002-07:00

"Physical activity does dissolve (or cover up) anxiety, but one of the things I've come here to learn, or remember, is how to feel comfortable without losing myself in constant doing. Actually I believe our whole culture needs to consider this if we want to survive and enjoy living."
Robert Kull from Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes

Booklist

2009-07-03T11:25:00.002-07:00

Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes by Robert Kull
Years after losing his lower right leg in a motorcycle crash, Robert Kull traveled to a remote island in Patagonia’s coastal wilderness with equipment and supplies to live alone for a year. He sought to explore the effects of deep solitude on the body and mind and to find the spiritual answers he’d been seeking all his life. With only a cat and his thoughts as companions, he wrestled with inner storms while the wild forces of nature raged around him. The physical challenges were immense, but the struggles of mind and spirit pushed him even further. Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes is the diary of Kull’s tumultuous year. Chronicling a life distilled to its essence, Solitude is also a philosophical meditation on the tensions between nature and technology, isolation and society. With humor and brutal honesty, Kull explores the pain and longing we typically avoid in our frantically busy lives as well as the peace and wonder that arise once we strip away our distractions. He describes the enormous Patagonia wilderness with poetic attention, transporting the reader directly into both his inner and outer experiences.
I don't know what it is in me that likes to read books like this. I guess there's some part of me that wishes I had it in me to chuck it all and hit the road, live in my jeep or just walk out into the wilderness and disappear. I wouldn't ever do that because I would survive about half a day. And yet something in me yearns for it. Perhaps it's the dormant hunter/gatherer instincts crying out for release from civilization. I just don't know.
I do know this...I have deep respect for folks who pull it off whether successfully or not. I absolutely love the story of Chris McCandless from Into the Wild. He didn't survive but I applaud his effort and his reason for doing it. Same goes for Kull who did survive. I hate admitting that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. His philosophizing got a bit tedious for me and I really didn't enjoy his admittances of abusing his cat companion. He could have glossed it all over though so I appreciate his honesty. Warts and all, this is his story and I'm glad to have read it.

First Thursday Art Walk

2009-07-02T22:09:00.003-07:00

I spent the evening in Pioneer Square with Ernie and Marshall. We strolled, looking at art and people watching. It was fun. Here's a recap.
I hooked up with Ernie and we hit 619 Western, a building full of artists studios open for the art walk. We met Dave Bloomfield (starheadboy) whom I've admired for a while now. He was sharing a studio with Narboo, another artist I like alot. We looked at some other art and then left to hook up with Marshall. Ernie later remarked about the gallery where we saw all the "boob art." Funny.
We found Marshall, hit Occidental Park and a few galleries in the vicinity. I saw some t-shirts I like by Brendan Wenberg. I hope to hook up with him at the Fremont Market sometime to buy one. Ernie bought a woodblock print from a fellow in the park. After that we headed to the Toshiro-Kaplan building.
Wow. Right off the bat we saw some spectacular photos by Stephen Hillyard at Platform Gallery. Stunning stuff. Then we scooted next door to Garde-Rail and I was blown away by the paintings by Mr. Hooper. We entered the main building and stopped by Rock-Dement to see Stephen and Nichole. I love Stephen's new paintings. I also touched base with Nichole about the Corridor Gallery. She told me to duck in and talk to Lynn Shirmer so I did. She's great. It looks like I have a tentative show there for October. I always feel like a schmuck when I have to network. I feel all fake and schmoozy even though I know I'm probably not. It's just something that takes some effort. But Lynn had a great sense of humor (my favorite kind of people) so it was good. I didn't get to look at her work very closely (next time, I promise) but what I saw was amazing.
We were pretty much done after that so we grabbed a bite at The New Orleans Creole Restaurant. We had some pretty good gumbo/jambalaya and listened to very loud Dixieland provided by a live band. After dinner, we headed home.
I love art walks. I wish I could go to all of them. I always leave inspired.

Paintings in pic by Dave Bloomfield.

DC Trip (part three)

2009-06-30T21:26:00.003-07:00

Man, I haven't been blogging very well lately. Don't know what's up. I do know that I just haven't felt like talking about anything. I think I've been avoiding dumping negative crap on here. I seem to do that alot and I don't like it. So, perhaps that's why I've been avoiding it. Well, anyway...here's what happened the rest of our trip. Better late than never...right?
On Sunday, we slept late...obviously since we'd been up until 2am. We spent a pretty lazy day as I recall. I'm not sure we actually went anywhere...just hung around the house I think.
On Monday, Butch and Cindy had to go back to work so Sarah and I headed into DC again. We saw the White House, a couple of museums and got pooped pretty quickly. We headed back fairly early and had dinner with Butch, Karen, Mark and Adam. We said our goodbyes to the Schebler's and headed to the house. We spent the last night just chilling with the Talley's.
The next morning we rose early and Butch took us to the airport. All flights were fine and we were home by mid afternoon. It was a great trip filled with much art and quality time with good friends. I felt rejuvenated. Now, here it is a few weeks later and I'm ready for another vacation. I hope that Sarah and I can finagle a few nights away in July...otherwise it will be September before we get more time off.

Booklist

2009-06-24T10:51:00.001-07:00

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
I must admit that I haven't been a big fan of Gaiman's work. I read Neverwhere quite a few years ago and thought it was bizarre. I tried to pick up another Gaiman book (can't remember which) and couldn't get thru it. Many times I feel he's being weird just to be weird. This book was different in that I felt it had a story to tell albeit not a particularly original one. By the end I was enjoying the story but I felt it lagged in the middle. I also felt it was very, very dark and question how it won a Newberry award. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it for what it was but I didn't find it to be a brilliant piece of literature by any stretch.

Booklist

2009-06-18T16:33:00.004-07:00

One Second After by William Forstchen
In a small North Carolina town, one man struggles to save his family after America loses a war that will send it back to the Dark Ages. Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based upon a real weapon—the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP)—which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States, literally within one second.In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe, and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future and our end.
This is the scariest, most depressing, hopeless book I've ever read in my entire life. I know the author is trying to convey the realities of the possibility of an EMP but this book was tough. The major problem I had with it is it offers no hope. Basically it says if this scenario happens, we're all screwed. There doesn't seem to be much anyone can do about it. The community in the book (Black Mountain, NC...one of my favorite places in the world) is small and you think, "Hey, they can band together and survive," but Forstchen paints a bleak picture. I can honestly say I wish I had never read this book. The best I can do is try to forget about it and just live day to day. Worrying about this kind of stuff might kill me before an actual event like it would.