Swallow The Moon

As the candlelight flickers their shadows on the wall
She lets her naked body fall
Across her lover’s hard, trembling chest
Their love and desire unrepressed

She smiles at him as she looks into his eyes
As his hands gently caresses her silky thighs
The soft lilt of music engulfing the room
Each song keeping the magic abloom

She parts her lips as she begins to sing
Almost in a whisper to her lover, her king
With love and adoration the lyrics she implores
Reinforcing that it is he she adores

The night carries her voice and carries her song
To his ears and to his heart with a beat that stands strong
His gentle hands move slowly up her naked flesh
Their love and desire renewed and refreshed

His hands now tussling in her long hair
As her song to him makes him aware
Of exactly how much she means to him
And that life without her would be grim

In her mind she begins to ponder
The words of the song that is making her wonder
They hit her heart like she never thought they would
They hit her heart like she never thought they should

As his lips finds hers and they begin to kiss
Both of them beginning to realize what they had missed
That truly and honestly, “What’s Simple is True”
Was right before their eyes, as they say, ” I Love You”

Misty Jewell 1/1/07

© 2011, gypsy_heart. All rights reserved.

The Witching Hour

When all else fails in the “witching” hour of night,

Full of grace and sex in the pale moonlight,

She rides in on her electric broom

To fulfill the fantasies that crowd the room.

Slithering up next to him, she hears his plea

Whispering his recognizance in her grim majesty

He thrills her, drills her, quells her desire

She fuels and quenches his passion and fire

As the clock ticks away it minutes and hours

The moonlight brings in rays of the sun’s morning showers

Misty Jewell 9/21/06

© 2011, gypsy_heart. All rights reserved.

In 1960, Phillip K. Dick published a novel, Vulcan’s Hammer, which is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago, and probably will be 500 years from now. But, this is the way it is with most of Dick’s writings; timeless classics.

The Vulcan series of computers have been hailed as the grand protectors of human values and are allowed to create policy to guide mankind to a peaceful existence. Constructed as a replacement to Vulcan 2, Vulcan 3 is a self sustaining machine (to a point)that has gained the confidence of the entire human race in the matters of governing.

Of course, not all of mankind is so trusting of the machine; enter the Healers. The Healers are a rebellious group of religious zealots who believe that Vulcan 3 has “unseated God” and they aim to destroy the vileness it represents.

Thrust unwittingly in the middle of the struggle between the near police state of Unity and the cult is Unity Director of the North America Region, William Barris. The Director finds himself torn between the two factions and eventually must make a choice that will determine the fate of mankind.

That’s just the surface of the tale.

If you take your finger nail and barely scratch that suspenseful surface, you will uncover the real grit of the story; the meat that Dick wants us to eat. This is how Phillip K. Dick operated. He only used science-fiction as a vehicle to other, more complex destinations and Vulcan’s Hammer is one the finest vehicles he ever loaded us all into.

Paranoia driven motives and assumptions that carve out our individual perceptions of reality is one of the subjects covered as nearly every character in the book is touched by the fear of being watched, or how the government perceived them as employees. These fears lead to assumptions about the world around them; consequently, those assumptions and fears make up a large portion of the individual’s perception of reality.

Throw in a healthy debate about what constitutes a sentient being and you have a classic Phillip K. Dick vehicle; a story that unfolds with many deep thought provoking layers.

I highly recommend Vulcan’s Hammer, as I would any of Phillip K. Dick’s writings. This one had me riveted to my Nook for two days, until I finished it. Besides, you are guaranteed more than what you paid for, even if only what you get is a look in the mirror.

© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.

Yes, some would call us strange and those of us involved in the world of collecting Pulp Fiction would agree that we do have some mighty fun adventures.  So, Strange Adventures does describe a little about the world that we traverse in on a regular basis. Trolling around websites, hitting garage sales, flea markets, and antique shops is what many of us can be found doing in our spare time.

The Players:

First, I’ll let you in on the players involved in this Strange World. The population consists of Finders and Keepers for the most part. The roles can interchange from time to time with no penalties accumulated. Some stick to strictly finding these wonderful old pulp publications to sell to the Keepers. However, Keepers can be finders and finders can be keepers in this quirky world of old paper.  I’ve heard tell a time or two that some died in the wool Finders get converted after seeing the light and quietly become Keepers of the best stuff. I call them Secret Keepers. They don’t want the other Keepers to know about their private stash…someone might try to persuade them to part with a treasure.  Secretly, I can see some of these Secret Keepers standing in the dark with a flashlight drooling words like “Oh my PRECIOUS!” It could be the Secret Keepers are just a myth, we may never know for certain.

The World:

Finders and Keepers, otherwise known as collectors, live in an interesting world. They visit digital lands where they can find pieces to add to their collection. They sometimes travel to garage sales to sort through stacks of old magazines looking for a hidden treasure. It isn’t unusual to find them driving several hundred miles, on the premise of a vacation with the family, to a destination where there is a flea market or antique shop that is known to have some coveted old pulp rags to look through.  Finders and Keepers will enter sizzling hot attics and damp basements when told that there are several old boxes of magazines they can look through.  The world will sometimes take on a musty smell from the old paper having gotten damp. Finders and Keepers both know that they will have to be quite cautious in handling these old magazines, as sometimes the paper has gotten so brittle it will crumble as the pages are turned.

The Treasures:

Finders and Keepers, collectors, are looking for treasures in their Strange World. The treasures will be the wonderful old cheap magazines that can go back as far as 1896.  Some will look for spectacular artwork from the covers.  Many have particular artists that they search for. Margaret Brundage, a female artist, is quite popular. She did covers often of scantily clad damsels in distress for pulp fiction magazines like Weird Tales. The January 1936 issue of WT just sold in an auction for $37,343.  (Boy, howdy, I would have loved to have been the Finder of that one!)

Another popular artist of pulp covers is Norman Saunders. His covers can be found on Eerie Mysteries, Wild West Weekly, and Saucy Movie Tales to name a few.  At one time he was receiving $25 to $75 a pop for doing the cover for a pulp. A copy of his May 1951 Marvel Science recently sold for $50,787.  L. Ron Hubbard was one of the authors in that issue.

Frank Kelly Freas is one of my favorites. He started out doing inside illustrations for some of the less popular pulps and eventually worked his way up to Astounding Science Fiction which was a goal for many of the Sci Fi artists as this pulp was printed with a little better paper.  He later became the cover artist for Mad Magazine from 1955 to 1962. He was also an official NASA artist with his posters now hanging in the Smithsonian.

Hugh J Ward illustrated many covers of pulps. His August 1936 issue of Spicy Mystery with a brunette in a pink two piece outfit being held captive to a bullseye with an arrow in her hair just sold in auction for…are you ready? $143,400!

Granted, not all Finders and Keepers come across pulps with this kind of value. We love the art though and there is always the chance that we just might stumble across something really special. Most of us feel that “the fun is in the hunt” anyway.

Many of the Keepers are not just interested in the cover art. Some find treasure in the authors included inside and collect solely for those purposes. They may collect Paul S. Powers stories. Powers is the grandfather of Laurie Powers who will be our guest this week on EWNN. Authors of a variety of genres are collected. L. Ron Hubbard, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and many others are coveted for their short stories, novelettes, and serials contained between the covers of these old Pulp Fiction magazines.

My Role:

Some of you may know, many of you might not, and still others will care less; but my role is mostly of a Finder in this Strange World of Pulp Collectors. My day job is that of an Ephemera Specialist in the Antiques World. Ephemera is a fancy word for old paper and Pulp magazines fall into that section of antiques and collectibles. Ephemera is something that was meant to have a short use and then tossed away. I’m mostly a Finder but do cross over to Keeper from time to time when something really awesome crosses my path.

Please tune in Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 6:30 PM (Eastern) to hear Laurie Powers interviewed about Pulp Fiction and her role in this wonderful world of collecting at EWNN.

© 2010, Bev Owens. All rights reserved.

Backed by enthusiasts such as Laurie Powers and Thomas McNulty, the interest in pulp fiction history and collecting pulp fiction memorabilia is surging. Proof can be found in the fact that at the recent Pulp Fest in Columbus, Ohio, over 50 unique vendor booths were offering to sell, buy, or trade pulp fiction publications and/or artwork.

The publications known as pulp magazines officially began appearing in 1896 and were aggressively published through the 1950’s. Most were 7 inches wide, 10 inches long, and a half inch thick featuring 128 pages of edgy, fantastic fiction. The pages were from cheap paper that was ragged and untrimmed and made from very inexpensive wood pulp.

Newspaper and magazine publisher Frank Munsey restructured his ‘slick’ magazine, Golden Argosy, from a magazine that offered both articles and fiction catering to young men into the first pulp fiction publication. Using the fastest printing presses available, the cheapest production methods, including the cheap paper, no illustrations, and cheap authors, Munsey was able to sell the all fiction publications at a dime a pop. This was a campaign totally targeted at the middle class who either could not afford the twenty-five cents for the ‘slick’ magazines, or just weren’t interested in them.

Right about here, a light bulb should be flickering on for you. Dime Store Cowboy.

Yes, Western short stories probably filled most of the pages of the early pulp fiction publications. With likes of Zane Grey and Paul S. Powers (Laurie’s grandfather) churning out exciting tales of the still untamed Wild West, what boy wouldn’t spend a dime on cheap entertainment?

Genrés were added; mystery, horror, crime, science-fiction, and even romance to name a few. Characters became famous and appeared in series of publishings; some even had their own magazine, including The Shadow and Doc Savage. Illustrations started appearing as the competition grew along with the popularity.

The cover art that began to appear was something to behold. Some were beautiful depictions of the featured characters in scenes of the old west and others were a bit racy; showing women in peril. Often times, the covers were created before the stories were written to fill the magazine, and authors were asked to submit stories based on the cover art.

Pulp Fiction Authors

The list  of the authors who wrote for pulp magazines is amazing. Names like L. Ron Hubbard, Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, and many more graced those uncut, ragged pages.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Upton Sinclair wrote for the pulps at one time. Sinclair wrote 8000 words a day, seven days a week at that time. Just to think that many of us struggle to write a 300 word blog post every day in these modern times.

Because the pulps paid far less than other markets, untried authors would start there, establishing a name for themselves. Even famous pens that were in a slump would turn to submitting to the short story anthologies for a boost in their cash flow. The publishers paid for the story on acceptance, even if the pieces weren’t to be published until months later, thus making submission to pulp fiction digests a very good way for a writer to make some quick cash.

Pulp Fiction Today

The pulps survived through the Golden Era of radio and the infancy of cinema; probably because both mediums (film and radio) borrowed heavily from the popular pulp magazines. Hollywood produced many serials that were shown every week while radio was famous for the dramatic weekly programs such as the Shadow.

By the time the 1950’s rolled around a number of factors were in play that contributed to the severe decline. Increasing production costs, the evolution of comic books, and television are the largest factors.

Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (born in 1941), Asimov’s Science Fiction, and the German pulp fiction Perry Rhodan are all publications that seem to be thriving even after the decline of the pulp market.

Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine has survived in large part due to the high standards set by the editorial staff. The same can be said about the Asimov production, although it should be noted that the Asimov magazine was first produced well after the decline of the market and just recently celebrated thirty years in print.

Perry Rhodan started in 1961 and lays claim to having published over 2500 installments with dozens of story arcs. To date, the publication has sold over one billion copies, making it the clear leader in pulp fiction sales.

Myself

I was never much for comic books, well not until I was well into my adult years and discovered graphic comics. Even younger, I felt the need for something more substantial. That is one reason I liked the pulp digests much better when my peers were gobbling down those super hero publications.

In my early teen years I had a subscription to the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery pulp magazine. I remember eagerly waiting by the mailbox on those days I could expect my latest issue to arrive. It was like Ralphie waiting for the Annie Oakley decoder ring from Ovaltine; only I got to do it 12 times a year instead of once.

I always liked the darker side of fiction and began a life long infatuation with dark short pieces after reading William Faulkner’s A Rose for Miss Emily. This is why I chose the Hitchcock publication. The stories were dark mysteries that had a very real air about them.

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, I was getting the Asimov publication through the mail, and I have thought about picking the subscription back up because of the quality instilled in each issue. There was always at least one story submitted by a heavy hitter in the sci-fi/fantasy genre along with stories from first time in print authors. There were two story arcs in the Asimov digest that really appealed to me; one was eventually made into the film starring Kevin Costner, The Postman.

Long live the short story, and long live the pulps; even if they are gasping.

Laurie Powers has graciously accepted an invitation to fill the guest slot for this week’s  EWNN Blog Talk Radio episode. Tune in, call in, or join the chatroom Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 6:30 EST (-5 GMT).

EWNN: Thirty minutes that goes so quick you won’t have time to feel guilty about the pleasure.

© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.

Donald Westlake, author of the book reviewed here, The Hook, passed away December 31, 2008. His published books and screenplays totaled well over 100 in a career spanned 45 plus years. The world lost one of the greatest American authors ever to live, even if not many knew of him...

I am way behind on my reading. I am not talking in terms of books here; we’re talking years. I just finished two books in the last week that were originally published ten years ago, which is better than I was last summer when I read one that was twenty-five years old.

The real shame? The book I finished in the last hour was by my favorite author, Donald Westlake, and was published in 2000. And like all other Westlake books I have read, bar none, I feel like loading up a suitcase full of books titled The Hook, and beginning a whistle stop tour touting the sheer genius of the man.

The Hook is classic Westlake because the story is tight, wrought with many truths, and believable (even if seemingly over the top).

The Hook is basically about collaboration between two writers; one who has struggled for years and the other who knows nothing but success, and the effects of the union forged by the two old acquaintances. Of course, since it is Westlake at the pen, the story has some deviously delicious twists and turns.

The 175 pages of the book seem slim, almost laughable as far as book reading goes, but believe me, the depths are incredible. Westlake could do with one word that many authors can’t do with ten.  There is no fluff, no filler to hammer home details over and over again. Yet, the tale, as Westlake’s entire writings do, felt three dimensional.

I could smell the streets and countryside. I could feel the ‘Brillo Pad’ hair of one character. Why? Not because I was told to smell or feel it, because I was allowed to. The hair felt natural to the character because of other traits; traits not all revealed in one paragraph, or on one page.

Westlake leaves no stone unturned as he explores probable psychological impacts on these writers, as well as the peripheral relationships with other characters in the book, because of this collaboration.

Most importantly, I was not just emotionally attached to the characters, but I felt invested in them.

But there is more; so much more.

We are shown how the publishing industry works in these modern digital times and what happens to authors whose names a remembered by computers. There are also relationships with editors, readers, and publishing companies that are explored.

And tucked away nice and neat, in the fantastic tale, are lessons on writing:

Characters aren’t born in stories; they come with their own body bags

When we first encounter characters, it is like we have run to catch up with them. We begin walking in their shoes and discover who they are as the tale unfolds. Generally, they are too involved to stop what they are doing and give us a chronological biography. Yet, we live and learn about the characters right up to the resolution, or when they are put away in their body bags.

Anyone who has read Westlake hasn’t just read one of his books. Generally there is a feeding frenzy started because the books are so damned readable and real. Maybe this is because the real story between the covers transcends the genres of graphic crime or comic crime capers. The real story is in how we, the readers, can relate to the protagonists and how the characters feel and think as they move towards resolution.

This where honest to God classic authors succeed. Not by just writing Horror, Fantasy,  Drama, or any genre, but by using the genres as vehicles that tell truths  relating to the real life experiences of the readers.

Once again, I’m packing that suitcase.

The opening statement of Donal Westlake’s Bio:

I THINK I’D BEST treat this as an interrogation, in which I am not certain of the intent or attitude of the interrogator

© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.

Victoria Twead, author of the book Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools, stopped in at EWN today for chat. What great fun we had, as we talked about the book (just a bit), the World Cup, El Hoyo, and Joe.

The chat really was more like a chat than a proper interview. Carrie stopped by and the girls chatted about home (England) for a bit. The mood was playful and relaxed. Just how it should be.

Actually, home for Vicky and Joe is now the mountains of Andalucia, an autonomous state of southern Spain. ‘Chickens’ is the telling of how Vicky and Joe  came to give Spain a go as a permanent residence.

The book is a pure joy to read as we are taken to the village and shown the wonders of  humanity and community. To find out more about the book, read the EWN review at Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools | Book Review.

As a bonus, there is a trivia question following the interview. The first comment that has the correct answer will get a free copy of ‘Chickens’, courtesy of Extreme Writing Now.

EWN: Is El Hoyo in one peice after the post World Cup celebrations?

Vicky: No. Definitely not! Foot high grafitti in the square, ‘CHAMPIONS!’, bullet holes in peculiar places, awash with paper Spanish flags, firework debris, etc.

Courtesy of @HamsteratFrys

EWN: In other words…pride runneth over, no?

Vicky: Si! Spain are so passionate about football anyway, and winning the World Cup was just mind-boggling for them!

EWN: Were you hoping for an English win of the tourney, or rooting for Spain from the beginning?

Vicky: Haha! Joe and I kept our options open. The English team were just embarrassingly poor, so it was good to have another team to support. And they won!

EWN: Always good when plan B works. Was there a lot of good natured cajoling from your neighbors?

Vicky: Actually, surprisingly, no. The Spanish have a huge respect for English football, and a few of the Spanish team players (eg. Fabregas, Alonso) play for English teams in the Premier League.

EWN: I bet Geronimo is going to earn his beer after yesterday’s win.

Vicky: Geronimo is not to be seen this morning. The last time I saw him was when he was climbing the church tower to ring the bells last night. He may still be in the tower…

EWN: Waiting for the fog to clear so he can climb back down?

Vicky: Probably! He’s such a nice man, though. The dreaded drink is his only downfall.

EWN: All your neighbors and friends seem like such nice folks. Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools really made me feel like I was there. Like I knew everyone.

Vicky: Well, it’s nice to hear that. The village is packed with eccentric characters and we’re proud to be one of them. I think they’ll always call us The English, but we have been made so welcome. Yesterday, an old man came round with a bowl of freshly picked cherries that he thought we’d like. That sort of thing happens every day.

At this point, Carrie logs in to join the fun

EWN: I’m pretty sure that you just didn’t decide in that instant you were staring out the rain streaked window into the dismal English weather that you wanted to move to Spain . How long was the ‘itch’ growing, and did it really take some nerve to tell Joe what you wanted to do?

Vicky: No, you’re right. Moving to sunnier climes was always a dream, and had been eating away at me for some time. Telling Joe wasn’t easy, but I usually get my own way in the end. The secret is to turn things round so he almost believes that it was his idea in the first place. Ooops, he just read that over my shoulder.

EWN: I’ll let you in on a little secret that will get me booted from the Men’s Club.Turning things round so we almost believe that it was our idea in the first place is a universal weakness.

Vicky: I know!!!!!

EWN: Taking notes, Carrie?

Carrie: Dont need ‘em

EWN: How long did it take Joe to live down his close and personal run in with Indalo?

Vicky: Haha! Poor Joe. There’s still a slight reddish imprint on his backside, but I prefer not to examine too closely.

EWN: LOL…want no part of the ills that may follow?

Vicky: Absolutely!

EWN: Joe is a real stand up kind of man, isn’t he?

Vicky: Hmm… Is that American jargon?

EWN: Well…maybe. I bet he did a lot of standing after that run in! Actually, it just means he is a great , one of a kind gentleman (your chance at bonus points with Joe)

Carrie: Like Alex!

Vicky: Joe is amazing. Short-fused but incredibly gentle, generous and kind. (Joe’s dictating to me here.) Actually, not true, he really does have those qualities, and he cooks a mean curry.

EWN: Was it Joe, or you that named that chicken Fuck? And why?

Vicky: Haha! How did I know you’d ask that! The two black chickens were even more curious than the others. They’d untie your shoelaces, trip you up, look in your pockets, etc. Joe swore at them so often, the two names just kind of stuck…

EWN: Lol…funny thing, I wasn’t even mildly shocked that the name was there. It seemed to flow in so naturally.

Vicky: So far, (touch wood) I haven’t had a bad review, except for some American ladies who liked ‘Chickens’ but were offended by those names. I apologised to them.

EWN: The way you describe your friends, neighbors and family in Chicken, Mules, and Two Old Fools was one of the big hooks (out of many) for me. I have mentioned caricatures and Carl Hiaasen only because your descriptions are not too far over the top and leave me with visual images or references. For instance: Judith reminds me of a more genuine Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge) with Julia Child’s voice. Did you mean to write them as near caricatures?

Vicky: Gosh! No, not consciously. I think it’s just the way I see people. You know how you can pick keywords from a sentence? Well, I seem to do the same thing with people in order to get their ‘essence’ across. Does that make sense?

EWN: Yes. Makes perfect sense to me. We remember features that tell the tale.

Vicky: May I ask you a question?

EWN: Certainly! I insist…I think.

Courtesy of @HamsteratFrys

Vicky: In your amazing review of ‘Chickens’, you said, “Now comes the cincher: I found a couple of awww moments in the book, so I’m sure that some of you ladies will need a tissue or two, especially if you read the same line that sent shivers down my spine when I read it.” My question, and I lie awake thinking about it, what was that line? I can guess, but I’m not sure… (If it’s a spoiler, don’t say…)

EWN: Well…it was the last line. That line tied a pretty bow around the entire  package.

Vicky: Well, you’ve surprised me! No, I guessed completely wrong. The Pepa, my favourite Egg Customer, incident reduces me to tears every time I think of it, but I didn’t guess the last line. Thank you!

EWN: Yes…that was the other moment. You are quite welcome.

EWN: The newsletters remind me of letters from home. El Hoyo really is home, isn’t it?

Vicky: Most definitely! Even when we’re away on a shopping trip, or whatever, both Joe and I feel homesick.

EWN: That’s wonderful! Would love to visit sometime. How about you Carrie? Wanna go?

Carrie: Yes, please!

Vicky: Our visitors usually say something like, ‘A bit third-world, isn’t it?’ but after a while, the charm of the village gets to them. Then they understand why we’ve made it our home.

EWN: For some reason, third world doesn’t reside in my vocabulary. I think I could see greatness no matter where I am standing.

Vicky: There are down sides too. Like poor TV reception, trying to figure out what official letters mean, trips to shops are an entire day affair, very cold in winter, etc.

Vicky: Flies. I forgot the flies. And more flies.

EWN: But, those never overcome the companionship and the terrace, right?

Vicky: That’s very true!

EWN: This has been a great joy. I want to thank you and Joe for the time. Carrie? Any questions for Vicky?

EWN: I could actually do this for hours

Carrie: No, I think you covered it all;  it’s been interesting to hear about you, Vicky

Vicky: I can’t thank you enough for the fabulous review you gave ‘Chickens’, Alex. It absolutely made my day, well, week, actually. You were too kind. And thank you for this interview, both of you, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

EWN: You are quite welcome, and thank you for the joy of the tale.

Vicky: You are most welcome.

Like I said, just a wonderfully informal chat that I hope you all enjoyed as much as I did.

Thanks again to Vicky, and to Joe for lending her to me for a couple of hours. And thanks to the wonderful Carrie for stopping in.

Now, as promised, her is that trivia question for a copy of Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools:

Q: Andalucia is famous for its variety of small portions of food, usually served with sherry, wine or beer. What are these dishes called?

Be the first to answer correctly in the comments below and I’ll send you the book.

Enjoy!

Author Victoria Twead can be found at:

Website

Squidoo

Twitter

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© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.

“To have an old friend visit from far away – what a delight!” What if that old friend was you? The quote just mentioned is from the introduction to Natalie Goldberg’s book, “Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir.” It was a birthday present from a dear friend and I thought it would provide good fodder for a memoir writing group on Extreme Writing Now.

Goldberg also writes that “there is nothing stiff about memoir.” It is not a chronological listing of facts about your life; it is rather those memories that affected your senses and are still present somewhere in you – the smell of the swimming pool, bologna sandwiches made by Grandma, an old tune your mother used to hum. It’s about successes and failures and the emotions underlying them.

For me personally, many memories are vague. I need all the help I can get to bring those memories to the surface. Another book called “Writing the Mind Alive” taught me about proprioceptive writing or tapping into the emotions that are still being held in our bodies. This was fascinating stuff and I have done several exercises with this kind of writing. See my Squidoo lens – Proprioceptive Writing – to find out more.

Each week (or maybe more) I will post an exercise from the book to get you writing. If you want to share your writing, great. If not, that’s okay too. Maybe you just want to share what the experience was like. We don’t have to tell our deepest, darkest secrets to the world, but I know I could share how I used to pick a tomato fresh off the vine, give it a lick, and throw some salt on the wet spot, and then eat it like an apple. To me, this was heaven. So, if this sounds interesting to you, please join in.

At the end of her introduction, Natalie Goldberg says, “Let’s pick up the pen, and kick some ass.”

© 2010, kimmanleyort. All rights reserved.

I am sure that most of you would be surprised if you caught me reading a book called Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools. Even the book’s author, Victoria Twead thought the writing might be south of my taste. I don’t blame you for thinking as such; all one has to do is to read most of my fiction to come to that conclusion.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Not only did I read the book, I will most likely read it again. And again.

On the surface, the book looks like a light hearted look at a five year experiment in which Victoria and her husband agreed to try a slice of of Andalucian life. The experiment involved the couple moving from England to Spain when at the end of the five year agreement, they would decide whether or not to remain.

Below the surface, the book is a wonderful love story. This is not your typical chick flick type love story. The couple have met, struggled, raised a family and are now living out their lives as inseparable as yin and yang. The love story here is about a couple that became enamored with beautiful lifestyle and have been accepted with open hearts by the indigenous souls of El Hoyo.

Oh yeah, I can’t forget to mention that the book could also pass for a regional cookbook containing mouth watering fare form in and around the region of Andulcia. Recipies that are salt of the earth.

I can honestly say that Grumpy’s Garlic Mushrooms Tapa has made its way into my gullet more than once over the last three weeks.

The one experience with reading Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools that kept me motivated was the casual conversation that Vicky carries out between the covers. I felt like I was sitting on her terrace, drinking wine at sunset while she impishly told of the misadventures of Joe (her husband) and herself. All the while, Joe is sipping wine, smiling, and occasionally grimacing.

Poor Joe.

As I was reading the book, I sent a Twitter update in praise of the penning. The tweet mentioned how I felt that Carl Hiaasen would be proud of Vicky’s caricatures because both authors accomplish the same thing for me; humorous paintings of players that are not so over the top that  I see them as totally unbelievable.

I will forever see all über efficient Germanic real estate brokers named Kirt as tall  gangly men in smart, navy or black, two piece suits and sporting :

…curly blond hair that flopped when he talked as though punctuating his sentences

Now comes the the cincher: I found a couple of awww moments in the book, so I’m sure that some of you ladies will need a tissue or two, especially if you read the same line that sent shivers down my spine when I read it.

I highly recommend Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools, a book about, yes, chickens mules and two old fools that fall in love with a place and people so beautifully written about that I yearn to at least visit.

Thanks Vicky!

Coming Monday July 12th: My Interview with Victoria Twead. Should be a blast!

Author Victoria Twead can be found at:

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© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.

This Past Monday, Extreme Writing Now gave away held a contest and the winner is getting a copy of the William Golding biography, William Golding: The Author of Lord of the Flies, a book  that was penned by the esteemed critic, John Carey.

I am reluctantly sending the only copy of the book I have along to the winner, Rachel. I say reluctantly because after thumbing through the volume, I now wish I had advertised the prize as slightly used.

Lord of the Flies, as many of you know, is a story, not of human triumph, but of failure. A dark look at what animals we really are, the story begins with the high hopes of survival through kinship and teamwork, and then crashes into a complete breakdown of the fragile framework that supported a pseudo-civilized society.

If one reads any number of the one page, or less, treatments concerning William Golding, they may acquire a certain comfort in understanding why Golding wrote Lord of the Flies. Golding’s parents were free thinkers and educators and raised William to be a scientist, a notion he rejected once he reached college, where he took up the mantle of the literary arts.

During World War II, Golding was present at three of the most significant naval actions to take place in the conflict; the sinking of the Bismark, D-Day, and the action at Walcheren.

Golding’s masterpiece was published in 1954; the Cold War was in full swing and many had feared that human civilization was in a complete meltdown.

So, to make the assumption of understanding where Golding was coming from for his concept of Lord of the Flies , based on these details, would not be far from the truth. On the other hand, the man was way more complex than the details we can read in a few paragraphs would make us believe.

William Golding was vehemently opposed to biographies, especially those written while the subject was still alive. And his opposition was respected, where his life story was concerned, well after his death in 1993. That is until John Carey, a British literary critic, had befriended the Golding family and was allowed to publish the only, and highly praised, biography of Nobel Prize winning Golding.

Carey had access to all of Golding’s largely untouched documents, including a personal journal that spanned 22 years. What Carey gives us is a detailed look at an artist who was tortured at his soul; a brilliant mind that was pained by self-doubt and other flaws.

Out of the gate we are given a peek into Golding’s torture as we are given this from his journal:

…the bloody cold daylight I’ve spent my life in, except when drunk.

The author was referring to the most powerful experiences he had, one from his early youth, and how memories of that experience provided him refuge from life.

Golding was a man touched by many of the flaws that great artists are typically touched with, including harsh self criticism. He was very critical of Lord of the Flies, as can be witnessed in a correspondence between him and his agent. This statement came after he re-read the book in 1972:

I found it boring and crude. The language is O level stuff…

What Golding really detested about the book was the enormous success it had gained. So much success, that it had overshadowed all of his other work. Work that he felt was superior, perhaps because it was most recent.

The passages I did get to read were very comfortable and flowed like a lazy brook on a late spring day. Not only does John Carey’s voice fall easy on the eyes, but it is unassuming and factual.

I actually sat in the parking lot of the post office and considered keeping the book long enough to read it.

I will discover the man that wrote Lord of the Flies, and I am thankful that my guide will be an author as adept as John Carey.

© 2010, Alex Crabtree. All rights reserved.