Today’s theme: “Writers”
Today’s blog post …
“Bored sailors, broken supply chains & what Alex Haley has to do with any of it …”
Thanks to my friend Jim H., here’s all I know about the South Pacific island of Guam: US Navy sailors contend it is so boring the name’s letters stand for “Get Up And Masturbate.” I mention this now because there is an outbreak of boredom so profound, so poignant, I feel compelled to address it. I’m talking about the godforsaken crews of the hundreds of massive cargo ships marooned off our coasts waiting for persistent supply chain problems to be resolved.
• Zeitgust Word of the Week (a word I made up with the goal of getting it into an actual dictionary) …
Ernie Borgten: What we’ve all been looking ever since July 8, 2012, when great actor Ernie Borgnine, 92, succumbed to his mortal absolutes.
Writers
• I’m a writer. My wife is an editor. When I thanked her for turning my comma into an exclamation point she corrected me.
• Many people say they want to be writers when what they mean is they want to be either John Grisham or J.K. Rowling.
• Read the classics — Steinbeck, Twain, Jane Austen, Hemingway — you skimmed over or ignored in high school English. Not only will you find them immensely fulfilling, but you’ll be given fresh insight as to why teenagers aren’t nearly as smart as they think they are (or you thought you were).
• I wonder if I'd get farther if I stopped calling myself a "writer" and began answering "philosopher" when asked what I do. Pay's about same.
• It may not be fair. It may not be just. But you need to understand if Bob Dylan releases an album of Frank Sinatra covers it is “tribute.” But if you publish a verbatim version of “The Grapes of Wrath” with your name where John Steinbeck’s should be it is “plagiarism.”
• I remember seeing a story that asked prominent writers to name works they wish they'd written. Answers included "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Grapes of Wrath," etc. Me? I wish I'd coined the phrase "Butt dial.”
• I used to dream I would become a great writer. And I ofter hear from readers who declare I am, indeed, a great writer. Advice to aspiring writers: Dream not of becoming a great writer. Instead dream of becoming a successful writer.
• My next book will be, I promise, twice as good as "Catch-22," my all-time favorite book. I'm calling it “Catch-44!”
• Author’s note …
Isn’t it time you started thinking about ordering some books? And it should go without saying, but I welcome your donations. Please consider supporting me with some tangible appreciation (PayPal, Venmo, 874 Solomon Temple Rd., Latrobe, Pa, 15650).
All Chris’s books can be purchased through www.ChrisRodell.com