Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Black House
I'm not a fan of horror, but I started reading Stephen King after I read a book he wrote on the art of writing. And after seeing The Green Mile. I find his talent at crafting words and structuring story amazing. There is a depth and a life to his "worlds" that is beautiful. So that's why I picked up Black House, the creepy thriller that Stephen King and Peter Straub collaborated on together. I haven't read Straub before and have no way to identify who penned what lines or how they shared the writing. I don't care. I found myself in a frightening and tangible world, alongside a believable other-world. The characters were fully, roundly developed. I especially liked the blind disc jockey with his various on-air personas, his insight and his gumption.
I kept only three quotes. I'm glad I did. As I read them over again, the story comes back. And I remember why I connect to the story; it's written by people who, from what they write, seem like me.
Page 6: Like most assumptions, this one embodies an uneasy half-truth.
Page 83: Voluntarily, idly, he walked into craziness, and now he was crazy.
Page 93: Jack's grief, which has been sharpening itself underground, once again rises up to stab him, as if for the first time, bang, dead-center in the heart.
I kept only three quotes. I'm glad I did. As I read them over again, the story comes back. And I remember why I connect to the story; it's written by people who, from what they write, seem like me.
Page 6: Like most assumptions, this one embodies an uneasy half-truth.
Page 83: Voluntarily, idly, he walked into craziness, and now he was crazy.
Page 93: Jack's grief, which has been sharpening itself underground, once again rises up to stab him, as if for the first time, bang, dead-center in the heart.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Congo
Maybe it seems funny, reading a jungle thriller during the holidays. I actually was reading Michael Crichton's Congo mostly during November though.
At the time I was participating in Portland Storyteller Theater's workshop of Urban Tellers. I was encouraged to do it by a couple of friends thanks to some animated stories I've told. But it was much harder than I thought it'd be. I ended up telling a story that I do like, but that feels a little "fluff." But that may be only because it is a story from twenty years ago. It's about a hike I took in Papua Guinea during my honeymoon, trying to find a waterfall I'd seen from the little bush plane. You can find it on youtube under my name or by clicking here. Although I was more challenged than I expected by storytelling, I did enjoy it and would do it again. It's such a unique art form. Oral stories are a little different every time they are told.
I had seen the movie version of Congo several years ago (years!) when it came out in theaters. It was interesting how dated the technology in the story was, yet how cutting edge it still felt. To me, my story about the waterfall was so similar to this one, which seems strange to say. But the similiarity was in the failure of both missions. I never made it to the waterfall; the team didn't get the diamonds. Yet the lessons from the journey proved to be the value of the undertaking.
Okay, it's a stretch.
And I didn't keep any quotes. The power was in the suspense, not the lovely use of language. :-)
At the time I was participating in Portland Storyteller Theater's workshop of Urban Tellers. I was encouraged to do it by a couple of friends thanks to some animated stories I've told. But it was much harder than I thought it'd be. I ended up telling a story that I do like, but that feels a little "fluff." But that may be only because it is a story from twenty years ago. It's about a hike I took in Papua Guinea during my honeymoon, trying to find a waterfall I'd seen from the little bush plane. You can find it on youtube under my name or by clicking here. Although I was more challenged than I expected by storytelling, I did enjoy it and would do it again. It's such a unique art form. Oral stories are a little different every time they are told.
I had seen the movie version of Congo several years ago (years!) when it came out in theaters. It was interesting how dated the technology in the story was, yet how cutting edge it still felt. To me, my story about the waterfall was so similar to this one, which seems strange to say. But the similiarity was in the failure of both missions. I never made it to the waterfall; the team didn't get the diamonds. Yet the lessons from the journey proved to be the value of the undertaking.
Okay, it's a stretch.
And I didn't keep any quotes. The power was in the suspense, not the lovely use of language. :-)
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