Sam Pink's Blog, page 85
March 27, 2013
i went to go see danny from the story 'danny...' in 'gera...
i went to go see danny from the story 'danny...' in 'gerald mcclellan vs nigel benn' and he was gone, his doorway boarded up.
walked into a large public bathroom yesterday and it was ...
walked into a large public bathroom yesterday and it was just me and this other guy. the other guy was standing in front of a mirror dancing to the music being played over the p/a/ and he was going, 'aw yeah' and other things like he was having a nice time and i smiled and nodded a little, like 'hell yeah, get it' and then when i went into a stall i heard him suddenly and loudly go, 'whoop whoop' and then 'chicken chicken' (or 'shiggin shiggin' not sure which) and then he started talking to himself like, 'see that's what they keep asking me, that is....really that is the ultimate question.'
March 26, 2013
i got a bunch of 'chicago' post cards from the store.&nbs...
i got a bunch of 'chicago' post cards from the store. there are two kinds, one says, 'chicago...my kind of town' with like, neon, and the city behind it, and the other one is an aerial shot of where the city and the lake come together, like something from the 'family matters' opening. if you write a review of 'rontel' on amazon, i will write you a postcard and mail it to you.
UPDATE: email me after you write the review.
UPDATE: email me after you write the review.
March 22, 2013
RONTEL IS RACIST (UPDATED, MIGHT CONTINUE TO UPDATE)
just read this review of rontel where it accuses me of racism and living in a 'white boy bubble.'
i figured this shit would happen eventually because as more people read your work, more people misread it.
the review basically says my use of 'ghetto talk' for the 'black characters' is like, racist. i could probably end this response right here by saying, "there is no mention of race in 'rontel' like, period."
no character's race is mentioned.
if you read someone using "ghetto talk" (whatever the fuck that means) and 1. assume that character is black 2. assume any character is any race and/or 3. assume 'ghetto talk' means 'unintelligent' then you are racist, not me. it's pretty much that easy.
also, it's weird that the reviewer sees the transcribing of how someone talks as offensive. seems like it would be more offensive to 'correct' how someone talks.
i dont hear someone say, "whatchoo thank, mang" and think, "oh my, this ghetto talk is disrupting my white boy bubble." i dont eve fucking think about it at all, people pronounce words in different ways. assuming intelligence based on how someone talks rather than what they say is fuckig stupid.
i'm from chicago. people talk how they talk in the book. believe me. you'll find every possible way of talking. in 'rontel' where the main character and his brother are talking about the 'rattlesnake guy' the 'rattlensnake guy' has a thick chicago accent. i use phonetic/whatever kind of dialogue for any character with a unique way (not 'ghetto' which is an ignorant word to use anyway, seeing as how you can be from wherever and talk like this). for instance, in 'no hellos diet' the 'billy' character (whose race i won't mention) doesn't use "ghetto talk" but i still phonetically write out what he says.
the way people talk is not about race at all in my books. it's about being able to show the reader the same things i've seen/heard, such that it preserves the excitement and uniqueness of it.
this shit pisses me off so much i'm not going to try to hide it. a book can't be racist. a book doesn't have willpower/consciousness. the author can be racist (in day to day activities) but not the book. and...you dont know me, so you're basically accusing someone you dont know/never met of being racist and living in a 'white boy bubble.' that shit is way more racist. i'm white? what does that mean? i'm italian motherfucker. and i promise i show you how we do it in the Chi when you step to a motherfucker.
come to chicago and i'll take you aroudn and you can tell me if what i'm writing about it realistic or not. we can go all over, i'll even pop my white boy bubble so we can leave it. why, you can even walk up to a real life "non-white" person and say to them, "you know, you really do talk like he writes, my stars!"
i really dont like responding to shit like this, because i honestly, truly, do not care how people receive the book, as long as it doesnt extend to making some claim about how i am/who i am. for real, like, i mean it. you can walk right up to me and say, "this book sucked and i hate it" and it wil have no affect. but if you walk up to me and start making assumptions about my life based on wanting to provide "scandal" to a half-assed review (for real though, half an ass was there because you said some good shit), then i dont know man, i might lay you out.
i'm serious, just throw my book out if you're that stupid.
i dont give a fuck about this shit anymore anyway.
one last thought: what is the race of the main character in 'rontel' and how do you know.
UPDATE: just re-read the review. missed some crucial idiotic ideas.
Pink is an astute observer, and I have no doubt that he has encountered many black people in Chicago who talk like this. What makes me uncomfortable is that, as far as I can tell, every black character in his book talks like this.
haha, he has 'no doubt' there are some 'black people' who talk like this. what does 'every black character' mean. how do you know who is black outside of perceiving 'ghetto talk' as black, and additionally (just caught this) the reviewer (you) are white. so you're doing what you accuse me of doing motherfucker. come down off the early nineties puffed chest white dude anti racism bullshit and see shit as it is. you're the same type of person who would probably go "ohhhhhhhhh" in a five year old voice if a "white" person said, "nigga" to a non white person. seriously man, i know you're trying to sound intelligent, and like, academic or whatever, but fuck off.
On their own, these passages are only a few steps removed from blackface. In the context of the story, however, the effect is muted. That’s because everybody the narrator meets in the city is fucked up in one essential way or another. The black people he meets sound ignorant, but so does everybody else. Still, it’s a problem when a book is published in 2013, and all of the black characters sound like they were written by Margaret Mitchell.
a few steps away from blackface? whart the fuck does that mean. blackface is overtly racist, putting the idea of "black people" into a white person's mouth and capitalizing only on made up stereotypes and abstract behavior. rontel is based on things that happen. the "black people sound ignorant." what black people? and who sounds ignorant? people sound ignorant because they use "finna" or what do you mean? ignorant means you don't know. so you could barelt even be able to speak english or any language and still not be ignorant, as long as you are informed.
final note: i write books about chicago and the people here because i love it/them. if you think i purposely try to make anybody look bad or whatever, you're stupid. read any of my books and the main point is, 'nobody knows what's going on and it can be enjoyable.'
i'm still so pissed about this. i feel like beating the shit out of eight people then fucking eight more.
P.S. no one better mention the character enrique again unless it's positive because he's my little baby.
P.P.S. thanks to alex miller for reading and reviewing the book....just...you know, come on. also, i genuinely feel like you should apologize for saying racist shit.
P.P.S this kind of shit works me up because it's so far from the truth. i also fucking hate when people go on about how i represent the jobs i work as "shitty." any time i say shit like that (which i dont really) i then qualify it by saying it's me. so when you shit on the places i work, you shit on everybody else there (including blacks, africans, mexicans, puerto ricans, south americans, eastern europeans, gays, lesbians, transgender/transsexual, jews, muslims and any possible mix of any possible thing you'll find in chicago) and that pisses me off because the people i worked with brought me joy when i had none and we all tried to make each others' lives better by not caring about what outward shit 'divided' us but instead the common need to try and make things better. i got called 'white boy' at work by "non-whites" and it was funny and only meant to be a thing to bring people together and no one ever meant it maliciously. i've only ever been polite and open to anyone and everyone and i've found a little bit of peace in that.
P.P.P.S. chicago, city of the wind, 2013, we'll eat your pussy clean, everybody killers
i figured this shit would happen eventually because as more people read your work, more people misread it.
the review basically says my use of 'ghetto talk' for the 'black characters' is like, racist. i could probably end this response right here by saying, "there is no mention of race in 'rontel' like, period."
no character's race is mentioned.
if you read someone using "ghetto talk" (whatever the fuck that means) and 1. assume that character is black 2. assume any character is any race and/or 3. assume 'ghetto talk' means 'unintelligent' then you are racist, not me. it's pretty much that easy.
also, it's weird that the reviewer sees the transcribing of how someone talks as offensive. seems like it would be more offensive to 'correct' how someone talks.
i dont hear someone say, "whatchoo thank, mang" and think, "oh my, this ghetto talk is disrupting my white boy bubble." i dont eve fucking think about it at all, people pronounce words in different ways. assuming intelligence based on how someone talks rather than what they say is fuckig stupid.
i'm from chicago. people talk how they talk in the book. believe me. you'll find every possible way of talking. in 'rontel' where the main character and his brother are talking about the 'rattlesnake guy' the 'rattlensnake guy' has a thick chicago accent. i use phonetic/whatever kind of dialogue for any character with a unique way (not 'ghetto' which is an ignorant word to use anyway, seeing as how you can be from wherever and talk like this). for instance, in 'no hellos diet' the 'billy' character (whose race i won't mention) doesn't use "ghetto talk" but i still phonetically write out what he says.
the way people talk is not about race at all in my books. it's about being able to show the reader the same things i've seen/heard, such that it preserves the excitement and uniqueness of it.
this shit pisses me off so much i'm not going to try to hide it. a book can't be racist. a book doesn't have willpower/consciousness. the author can be racist (in day to day activities) but not the book. and...you dont know me, so you're basically accusing someone you dont know/never met of being racist and living in a 'white boy bubble.' that shit is way more racist. i'm white? what does that mean? i'm italian motherfucker. and i promise i show you how we do it in the Chi when you step to a motherfucker.
come to chicago and i'll take you aroudn and you can tell me if what i'm writing about it realistic or not. we can go all over, i'll even pop my white boy bubble so we can leave it. why, you can even walk up to a real life "non-white" person and say to them, "you know, you really do talk like he writes, my stars!"
i really dont like responding to shit like this, because i honestly, truly, do not care how people receive the book, as long as it doesnt extend to making some claim about how i am/who i am. for real, like, i mean it. you can walk right up to me and say, "this book sucked and i hate it" and it wil have no affect. but if you walk up to me and start making assumptions about my life based on wanting to provide "scandal" to a half-assed review (for real though, half an ass was there because you said some good shit), then i dont know man, i might lay you out.
i'm serious, just throw my book out if you're that stupid.
i dont give a fuck about this shit anymore anyway.
one last thought: what is the race of the main character in 'rontel' and how do you know.
UPDATE: just re-read the review. missed some crucial idiotic ideas.
Pink is an astute observer, and I have no doubt that he has encountered many black people in Chicago who talk like this. What makes me uncomfortable is that, as far as I can tell, every black character in his book talks like this.
haha, he has 'no doubt' there are some 'black people' who talk like this. what does 'every black character' mean. how do you know who is black outside of perceiving 'ghetto talk' as black, and additionally (just caught this) the reviewer (you) are white. so you're doing what you accuse me of doing motherfucker. come down off the early nineties puffed chest white dude anti racism bullshit and see shit as it is. you're the same type of person who would probably go "ohhhhhhhhh" in a five year old voice if a "white" person said, "nigga" to a non white person. seriously man, i know you're trying to sound intelligent, and like, academic or whatever, but fuck off.
On their own, these passages are only a few steps removed from blackface. In the context of the story, however, the effect is muted. That’s because everybody the narrator meets in the city is fucked up in one essential way or another. The black people he meets sound ignorant, but so does everybody else. Still, it’s a problem when a book is published in 2013, and all of the black characters sound like they were written by Margaret Mitchell.
a few steps away from blackface? whart the fuck does that mean. blackface is overtly racist, putting the idea of "black people" into a white person's mouth and capitalizing only on made up stereotypes and abstract behavior. rontel is based on things that happen. the "black people sound ignorant." what black people? and who sounds ignorant? people sound ignorant because they use "finna" or what do you mean? ignorant means you don't know. so you could barelt even be able to speak english or any language and still not be ignorant, as long as you are informed.
final note: i write books about chicago and the people here because i love it/them. if you think i purposely try to make anybody look bad or whatever, you're stupid. read any of my books and the main point is, 'nobody knows what's going on and it can be enjoyable.'
i'm still so pissed about this. i feel like beating the shit out of eight people then fucking eight more.
P.S. no one better mention the character enrique again unless it's positive because he's my little baby.
P.P.S. thanks to alex miller for reading and reviewing the book....just...you know, come on. also, i genuinely feel like you should apologize for saying racist shit.
P.P.S this kind of shit works me up because it's so far from the truth. i also fucking hate when people go on about how i represent the jobs i work as "shitty." any time i say shit like that (which i dont really) i then qualify it by saying it's me. so when you shit on the places i work, you shit on everybody else there (including blacks, africans, mexicans, puerto ricans, south americans, eastern europeans, gays, lesbians, transgender/transsexual, jews, muslims and any possible mix of any possible thing you'll find in chicago) and that pisses me off because the people i worked with brought me joy when i had none and we all tried to make each others' lives better by not caring about what outward shit 'divided' us but instead the common need to try and make things better. i got called 'white boy' at work by "non-whites" and it was funny and only meant to be a thing to bring people together and no one ever meant it maliciously. i've only ever been polite and open to anyone and everyone and i've found a little bit of peace in that.
P.P.P.S. chicago, city of the wind, 2013, we'll eat your pussy clean, everybody killers
March 21, 2013
March 20, 2013
sometimes i notice i've been grinding my jaw all day
i have about 20 physical copies (handmade by kelly 'big $herm' schirmann) of 'you ruined it' by our band 'young family.'
each one comes with a custom collage/handmade package signed by kelly and me.
sampinkisalive@gmail.com
also, the only part of any dream i can remember in a long time was last night, during which someone said to me, 'i work at the sears tower' and then i made a shithead face and said, 'you mean the willis tower'
each one comes with a custom collage/handmade package signed by kelly and me.
sampinkisalive@gmail.com
also, the only part of any dream i can remember in a long time was last night, during which someone said to me, 'i work at the sears tower' and then i made a shithead face and said, 'you mean the willis tower'
March 18, 2013
can somebody email me about a good (and free) online plac...
can somebody email me about a good (and free) online place to back up the files on your computer, specifically large wav. files. sampinkisalive@gmail.com
2 things i've discovered that improve my life
1. whenever someone mentions a thing i like (like if someone says, 'hey should we get/do [something]') i loudly say, 'i love [thing they mentioned]' then start blinking and rolling my eyes real fast while licking my lips dramatically and making 'thup thup' sounds with my mouth. this adds excitement to things and also feels like a genuine representation of [me].
2. at night, lying in bed, i think about all the pain other people are feeling. i think about certain people, and their pain, and then i think about how i barely know anyone, so there must be so much more pain, and i keep thinking about it, and how there's nothing i can really do, and it becomes like this tone in my head, like a rising tone and i lie there panicking about it until it beats me down bad and then i feel humbled and then stronger and ready to help the next day however i can, even if it's barely doing anything.
2. at night, lying in bed, i think about all the pain other people are feeling. i think about certain people, and their pain, and then i think about how i barely know anyone, so there must be so much more pain, and i keep thinking about it, and how there's nothing i can really do, and it becomes like this tone in my head, like a rising tone and i lie there panicking about it until it beats me down bad and then i feel humbled and then stronger and ready to help the next day however i can, even if it's barely doing anything.
March 14, 2013
reading march 14th
593 East Town Street (rear)
columbus ohio
830 pm
columbus ohio
830 pm
