Anthony Burghess

Today I bought The Kingdom of the Wicked. I almost didn't because my only concept of Burghess is entirely from Kubrick's film based on his novel A Clockwork Orange. But I wanted to read something he had written as ACO is one of my favorite films. So I bought it.

I regret it already. The very first paragraph is the author talking to you. It feels preachy and insinuates you are too un-cool to get him. I'm hoping the novel will redeem itself later on.

But this goes to show how important beginnings are. If this book had been full retail price, I wouldn't have bought it. I would have opened it up and read that first paragraphy and perhaps never attempted a read of anything Burghess wrote. I know many people whose opinions I respect who insist he is a brilliant author. Still, I might never have known this if I had read that first paragraph before going to the till.

Beginnings prove to be everything.

So I've decided to start keeping track of books with good beginnings, to do a bit of personal research, and to see if I can cut the mustard with my own beginnings. Otherwise, my career as a writer might end before it ever umm, well you know.

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Lebron James

Yes, as in the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA player Lebron James. I'm quite a fan of basketball.

So I'm watching the Cavs vs. The Wizards. Gibson throws back a ball at James, who leaps up as if he legs are actually flesh covered springs, palms the ball, and dunks it so powerfully, I think I heard the china shake in the cupboards. And this is hours AFTER the games has already aired, in another country.

Overrated someone dare call this exceptional version of a man, a man that proves by his existence alone that evolution is a continual process in the human race. James had a grace normally accredited to prima ballerinas, not 6 foot 9 inch, 250 pound, NBA basketball players. He is science. He manipulates physics and masters geometry by proving that there is not angle from which he cannot sink a ball into a basket.

But despite this impressive physique, he is still a boy. You see it in his eyes. He has an innocence and he is an everyman. So confident in his skill that he willingly gives away a shot that could easily be his, because he believes in teamwork.

Today, I created a character in my head and only I, and now any one who ever reads this will know that the source of my inspiration was Lebron James. Many would never believe that this champagne chugging, Chanel wearing, aspiring writer would ever watch a basketball game.

Well now you know one of my secrets. Sorry it's not a dirtier one.

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Books Recently Bought

The Art of the Novel - Milan Kundera
A Biography of Misia Sert
Step - Jerzy Kozinski
The Kingdom of the Wicked - Anthony Burgess
House of Spirits - Isebelle Allende

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Friday, Cooking and New Writers Books

It's 1h30 pm, and while I wait for my parmentier au canard to finish cooking, I've been leafing through the book I have waited for about two months for, The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch (see Books for Writers for a link to amazon.com). The very first chapter is full of quotes of writing, its perils and angsts from noted authors such as Toni Morrison, Isabelle Allende, Tom Wolfe, EL Doctorow, and Faulkner.

Get up and get writing it says. Start at the end of the paragraph. What you don't know is it tells you this in the very first paragraph of the book. As a novice, it consoled me to know it doesn't work the way it seems to in movies or did for Stendhal and Kerouac where a budding author, with no real experience sits down and writes a novel or a screenplay in a matter of days (or in Jack's case, 16 hours). Writing is hard and apparently it is supposed to be, so I suffer less for not knowing exactly how everything is supposed to go.

It sure ain't easy.

While I have been rewriting for the past couple of weeks, I have been reading a great deal of odd little books. At the moment I'm going through Jerzy Kozinski's Steps, a biography on Misia (a muse to Latrec ET Renoir), and Celestine (the Diary of a Chambermaid).

I'm now one-of-those-writers, one of the ones who believe that reading in your down time is a great practice. I highly encourage it. I also encourage listening to a lot of Chopin.

I gave my last rewrite for a fragment from my novel to a dear friend last night who is a brilliant writer, perhaps the one I encourage most to write because he has a gift and I think something soft and important to scream out into the world. I'll let you know what he thinks.

I'm also on a self-imposed deadline to write something worthy of reading at group tomorrow.

So I'm indoors with a clean house (yay), yummy lunch to eat, and I'm going to make Southern Fried Chicken for dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans and have fruit for dessert. Today I am channeling that beautiful voice writers from the southern states of the United States seem to have.

For a glorious moment perhaps I'll have an epiphany of Twain, Faulkner, Williams, Harper Lee, or Langston Hughes.

Wouldn't that be just-oh-so-heavenly, I say in my best imitation of Scarlett O'Hara.

My, wouldn't it be just lovely? I ask in my best Blanche Dubois.

Which means apparently I'm going to channel a British actress who twice played southern belles, Vivian Leigh.

If only I could be as gorgeous. Guess we can't have everythin' now, can's we?

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