We interrupt this program, 8.19.17

Howdy folks. Writer here, stepping away from behind the curtain.

I’ve had a lot of fun with you guys over the last couple weeks, and I appreciate all the support. Thanks for reading; thanks for criticizing; thanks for liking, commenting, and following. You’re making my little boy dreams come true. (You didn’t even have to clap your hands.)

On the tech front, my site’s still as ugly as a ball bag. I apologize; I’m getting around to fixing it.

Anywho–here’s a little look at me. The real me. Not the neurotic me I play on TV.

Books I’ve Been Reading

Here’s a list of current titles, in case you want to follow along:

• The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Hunting Accident; David Carlson and Landis Blair
• Hey Whipple, Squeeze This; Luke Sullivan and Edward Boches
• The Idea Writers; Teressa Iezzi
• Othello; William Shakespeare
• Billy Budd, Bartleby, and Other Stories; Herman Melville

 LotR. Yep. The monolithic English major cliche. A handful of you probably fucked right off when you saw it.

But I actually haven’t read it. And since I now have an overabundance of free time in the evenings, I’ve bumped Tolkien to the top of my to-do list. To be frank, I’ve been having as much fun reading about language and world building as I have the story itself. I’ve actually been reading a lot about John’s (and later Christopher’s) revision process throughout the latter half of the 20th century. It’s incredible how many contemporary editors misunderstood The Lord of the Rings and corrected it with good intentions. The 50th-anniversary edition contains a short synopsis of the revision process. It’s worth a read.

I came across The Hunting Accident by chance. A friend of mine recommended it during lunch and let me borrow his copy. The conversation went something like this:

“You’re a lit guy, right?” he said.

“Yep,” I said.

“Here’s a book,” he said.

“Yep,” I said.

And now I’m reading it. Prison, blindness, and the Divine Comedy; I’ll say no more. Fans of comics and beat literature might get a kick out of it. The writing’s a little on-the-nose, but I’m digging it.

Hey Whipple and The Idea Writers are copy books. The first is a copy bible of sorts. It’s received a spattering of editions and printings; the latest covers social media, among other things. Sullivan mentions Iezzi’s The Idea Writers numerous times throughout Hey Whipple. Though a little dated, it gives a pretty solid overview of modern copy writing. I’ve been reading them so I can properly fake knowing what I’m doing at work.

I’m cutting Othello for an upcoming production. More on that in a few months.

And I’m adapting “Bartleby” for the stage. More on that in a few months, too.

Bloggers I’ve Been Reading

I don’t normally do “shout outs,” but I’ve been reading some kick-ass blogs lately, and if you like my stuff, you’re bound to like theirs more. So here are some links. Check them out.

Flash 365

Chris Brown

Frank Solanki

Abirami, The Obsessive Writer

The Deconstruct

Each is doing their own thing, and I really dig what they’re doing. I hope you do, too.

Cheers,

Jake