Write.
Interview with Deborah Campbell Author of A Disappearance in Damascus
A story of friendship between two women. One Canadian, the other Iraqi. Both must find strength to deal with gigantic difficulties. This is the story of A Disappearance in Damascus. What I appreciated most about the book is the detailed portrayal of life of an Iraqi refugee in […]
The Adventures of Frakash in the Land of the Geekmeisters
“Frakash was a garden gnome who thought that magic was boring” So begins a story of irresistible charm, beautifully written and illustrated by Elen Ghulam. Do you miss bedtime stories from your childhood? The Adventures of Frakash in the Land of the Geekmeisters is a funny tale that your loved […]
If Quentin Tarantino Wrote Snow White :: Story Mashup
Pot-bellied Snow White gorges herself on blueberry pancakes after a revenge killing spree. Wait until Prince Charming gets a hold of all this….how will he react?
Ezekiel 25:17. “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon you.” Now… I been sayin’ that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, that meant your ass. You’d be dead right now. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin’ made me think twice. See, now I’m thinking: maybe it means you’re the evil man. And I’m the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here… he’s the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you’re the righteous man and I’m the shepherd and it’s the world that’s evil and selfish. And I’d like that. But that shit ain’t the truth. The truth is you’re the weak. And I’m the tyranny of evil men. But I’m tryin’, Ringo. I’m tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd.
Pulp Fiction is one of those movies. You watch it once and it lingers in your imagination. Like that scene with Samuel L. Jackson quoting from the bible. I can never un-see that. It is stuck inside my mind.
This is an experiment in story mashup. I have many many ideas similar to this. Making this video was tons of fun. I laughed so much while making it. Thinking of ways to stick Kill Bill, Django Unchained and Pulp Fiction into the story of Snow White. I decided to keep the video short, rely on the fact that most people already know the story. I don’t need to tell the whole tale, only the bits that are different.
So what other story mashup should I do next? Please tell me.
To be or not be? 2
It doth confound the sense. Of all the plays in the world, why does Hamlet has such a hold over me? Each time I watched it performed I gleaned a new shade of meaning. With each movie rendition, I am dazzled by nuance. And yet despite the repeated viewings spanning […]
Discipline of Undiscipline
“It is impressive! That you can quit your job yet still have the discipline to be productive on your own.” People say upon hearing of my transition from a professional life into a self directed being. “Please don’t be impressed” I want to reply. Discipline was a hurdle in this […]
Intense Emotions
“I don’t care if my next protagonist is a serial killer” I thought to myself after I finished writing my first novel. “As long as he or she is easy to get along with.” The seven year I spent with the main character of that story have frayed my nerves […]
How I became a writer :: Flamenco Dance Story
You can read a longer written down version of the story here. This is my second foray into combining dance with storytelling. The last video focused on hand movements. This one is all about the feet. It was fun thinking up fun locations to film the walking sequences in. Which […]
Dance Me A River
Do you think the Mississippi river ever says: ” I wish I was as long as the Nile?” Does the Yangtze River in China ever lament the fact it flows in only one country when the Amazon washes across a whole continent? Does the calm Euphrates ever say to swift […]
Creativity and Happiness 4
Maud Gonne claimed that the whole world owed her a debt of gratitude for refusing to marry Yates. Had she not rejected the famous poet’s advances we wouldn’t be privy to all that beautiful verse. The biographies of artists and authors are rife with stories of unrequited love, painful childhoods, […]
Author Reading on April 11th 1
Books provide the best nourishment. On Monday April 11 I will be reading from my novel Graffiti Hack. Vancouver Public Library Downtown Vancouver 6:00 – 8:00 pm Alma VanDusen and Peter Kaye rooms 350 West Georgia Street. Free Copies of Graffiti Hack will be available for sale.
Story of a Fish :: Flamenco Dance Story 3
I signed up to participate in the Vancouver Story Slam on March 8th. I took a story from my novel Graffiti Hack and worked on it to shorten it so that it would fit in the 5 minute time limit. My novel is a story that has several stories within […]
Part 3 in my “how to name a novel odyssey” 1
I am in pure state of distress. My novel is nearing completion, yet a name for it has not arrived. Thinking about names for this thing is now a daily preoccupation. Part 1 and Part 2 of this story are not helping. So here is a third attempt. Meat metaphorically […]
The Earth Shook Last Night
Last night I jumped out of my bed as the whole world was shaking. A 4.3 earth quake had struck Vancouver at 11:30 pm. This morning, I wrote this poem.
Part 2 in my “how to name my next novel” Saga
I am half way through the second draft of the next novel. I can see the end coming. It is so close, I can taste it. Yet a name for this creation has not arrived yet. Attempt number 1 is here. I thought it would be cool if I gave […]
Explosion Sandwich 4
Tramezzini is a type of crust-less bread popular in Italy. It’s used in making yummy sandwiches. You can put almost anything in them. I tried to cut them up in interesting ways so that it would like the sandwich exploded and combine it with a poem I wrote called “Last […]
Your feedback in required. Help Me Name The Next Novel 5
I always obsess about what to name a book. How to capture the full range of happenings yet keep it simple and memorable? An impossible task. To find a selection of few words that when combined express the fullness of what takes 300 pages to describe. I have describes previous […]
The Adventures of Frakash in the Land of the Geekmeisters 1
A couple of weeks ago I watched a movie by Chris Marker called La Jetée. I was totally mesmerized. Photographs overlaid with narration. So simple. Yet the movie was engaging all the way through. Some strange impulse went through me.”I want to give this a try” I kept thinking to […]
A Fool Makes Love to April
A Fool Makes Love to April One Says to the other You are such a trickster April showers bring an uncanny surprise People adore your beauty It your sense of humor that will be my demise April replies You see me like no other I shall designate an entire day […]
Story illustrated with pancakes
This was a huge amount of work. The most difficult Eat Your Art challenge thus far. Only this one should be called Eat Your Story perhaps. The first edible story in human history. The first batch was a failure. The batter was either too lumpy or too runny. I either […]
Gravel and Water Made Love
Gravel and Water Made Love One said to the other: You grate me into plops rub me with sizes that shape me wrong Gravel replied: Purity condescending a washes my nature. You tempt well meaning feet to tread where they should not
Storyteller’s Promise 2
If I told you that there is a path that will not make you rich, in fact might make you less rich than you are today, will not make you more popular, in fact might make you less popular, will not bring you enlightenment, will not give you happiness, will […]
Orange is not my favorite color (poem)
I am lonely I am lonely I wear an orange dress to cheer me up Reminds me of the sun a subtle embrace intensity of your gaze Orange is only my second favorite color. With you I wore rain and wind Your heat was enough to brighten my days This […]
The Digital Me
The digital me smiles a lot flicks and pixels dance in circles A forest covered in acrylics I want to reach you. Touch my bleached teeth! allow me to fondle arrows with a cursor Somebody in China reads my post yet you in particular leave no trace Don’t notice me […]
I Want to Be Purple :: The Song
Shortly after I finished formatting Graffiti Hack, a poem popped into my head inspired by the crazy writing process. Next thing I know I was turning it into a song and creating a choreography for it. The novel is a gift that continues giving in most unexpected ways. I am […]
Sand and Shadow Make Love
Sand and shadow make love One says to the other You are so glorious That you wedge yourself in secret corners Contemplating a single particle of you Recreates the whole universe Sand replied You are so graceful You allow beauty to eclipse the sun And during the night you […]