These streets are New York streets. In the spring, the trees and the sidewalks out front could be in a clearing in Central Park. The warm sun on the pavement could just as easily fall on old men’s shoulders and cast angles on chessboards and wrought iron tables. The sounds are almost identical, too – light conversation interwoven with the swishing leaves and squirrels jumping invisible in the darkest spots in the highest branches. Our neighborhood is half-a-continent away – further if measured by state of mind. The Heartland people are supposedly not as vocal and more practical as New Yorkers, but the calmness in all the activity makes the pleasure in it are the same for both. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: City
Swashbuckling photography was something I thought was relegated to comic books. You know, something for the funny pages – the always on-the-spot photographer, like Jimmy Olsen or Peter Parker – good natured and fun, but definitely talented and hard-nosed when he needs to be. Aaron Lindberg taught me that those caricatures come from real life photojournalists, and that they weren’t derived from comic strip frames. (Here are some kind words he posted about me this week). Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: People
At times on this blog, I’ve taken liberty with a few names. For example, last week I used the name Valerie to refer to a lead character in a story I told about Ponak’s on Southwest Boulevard. Valerie is a real person, except her name is not Valerie.
I don’t know anyone named Valerie. I chose the name at random in case the subject at hand might be uncomfortable with me writing about her. This probably says something about me. I’m not sure what, but something. I felt I should clarify this in case someone asked me who Valerie was or what she meant to me. My truthful response would have been: “There is no Valerie and we mean nothing to each other. We’re just friends.” That wouldn’t have made sense to anyone but me.
I don’t see any reason why changing a name here or there would impact my credibility as a storyteller. I am writing this blog for me – for further writing practice – and maybe to land a side gig here and there. In this economy, the side gigs are either drying up or going to journalists who have lost their jobs. The pool of freelance talent available write now is pretty deep, so I’m told. I am not sure if the most talented writers out there would use real names or not. Probably so. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Random
As promised, here’s a link to the story about Hope House I wrote for Present. About the beginning: last week, I saw the storm roll up out the back windows and this quaint Thomas Kinkade scene came to me with Hope House’s Lee’s Summit facility in its midst, only in my vision the sky was threatening. Nothing about the setting was serene or would make you want to buy a calendar or a jig-saw puzzle. I thought about the house standing firm – not just the house, but the purpose it stands for, and I thought it might be a decent description to set the tone. So I did some free writing about the storm pressing down on the building and the rain on its way. The night happened to be coming on at the time I started writing. With the storm front, the air thickened suddenly. You could feel it filling space around you. The clouds kept billowing, turning darker and darker gray, and it seemed like the night was heavy. I think I use the phrase “real weight.” There was definitely some weight on the nine o’clock air.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter how much hope it might create, the Hope House deals with dark issues. The sky, say like today, might be blue, but there’s something hanging over the cottage-like setting in Lee’s Summit. The picture of a happy house is a false one. Things are so much better for the women inside and their children, in some cases, but it would be wrong to paint a sunny picture. I took the opposite approach from the outside. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Present Mag.
Backs belonging to the lake houses face the cove and the tree-shaded hills. Backyards with elaborate decks and outdoor furniture and umbrellas look over the boat docks and welcome guests out for strolls along the lake. Long stairways lead down terraced hills to fence gates carved in wood and or set in wrought iron. Around the lake top, light shimmers in patterns as the branches let flashes of sunlight through in sharp, definite cuts. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Family Life
