Peg Life Vol. 9

So we're up to nine now. If that has any significance let me know. I'll be leaving shortly to attend a live musical performance by The Paperbacks and The Organ. It might have been better to delay writing this until after the show so that I would have something to write about, but I wanted to get this out tonight and I'm not going to have time to do any writing later tonight. This, of course, presents the problem that I don't have a topic to go on for this email. However, that rarely stops me for long and I end up blathering about rather pointless subjects. Well, for that I apologize. There are a few things I would like to get into at some point but they can't be done tonight for various reasons. I've been reading a lot of short stories lately. Recently, I finished Charles Bukowski's Hot Water Music. I then began on a book of poetry by William Blake but I set it aside when I acquired a copy of Jerrad's self-published collection of short fiction entitled The Unfortunate Side of You. I've so far read half of it and would like to take this opportunity to ask Jerrad if he would be comfortable with me writing a review (once I've finished reading it) for one of the Peg Life volumes. If not, I understand. I would also be willing to write a private review if requested. Granted, I don't have extensive training in literary criticism so my opinion probably wouldn't help or hinder an emerging authorial career. It turns out I didn't finish this email and send it out before going to see The Organ so I do have the opportunity to write about it non-speculatively. I'm just not sure there's that much to say about it. Overall it was a good show. The Paperbacks rocked through their set quite effectively. One particular song caught my attention with a refrain of "Publish or perish." It got me thinking a little bit about why I write and whether I could write anything worthy of publishing and whether it would have any impact on anyone. I have a bit of a problem continuing with a single idea for an extended period of time. That's kind of why I prefer to write poetry over prose. A poem doesn't have to be very long. I often find it difficult to finish even a short story. Perhaps that's something that I should work on. These comments may serve to undercut some of the criticisms I would have of Jerrad's work as pretty much anything is more than I've done. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the thought that most literary critics are failed authors themselves. As I said, I'm no literary critic and I wouldn't exactly call myself a failed author (yet) but, you know, whatever, or something... So The Organ was great too. They grooved along their repertoire while I basked in their indie rock hotness. Their album is called Grab That Gun. Go out and get it. Especially if you're into The Smiths and Joy Division and more recent bands of that ilk such as Editors (Trevor can attest to their goodness). If you're more into hip-hop the other album that I'm recommending lately is Danger Doom's The Mouse and the Mask. The back to back songs Benzi Box and Old School are standouts. I'm about done for this week. Next week I'll tell you about the new Propagandhi album, and whatever else interesting comes up in the interim. Doop doopa doo.

Tony Hawkins alienated offhand strategies for living