Cesar Torres's Blog, page 14
July 12, 2012
The Labyrinth, Episode 5 – Vanessa Rodriguez
What would it take for you to cast aside your true fears and pursue the activities that truly fulfill you? Those are some of the questions we investigate this week with writer and ultra-runner Vanessa Rodrigues on the Labyrinth. Vanessa writes with wit and style on topic of running and other non-fiction as a journalist. And she doesn’t just write about running, she runs like many others dream of. Vanessa is an ultra runner, and she and her partner Shacky recently decided to get rid of most of their material belongings in order to pursue trails with their feet and to devote the right amount of attention and time to writing.
How will Vanessa subsist with less money? She talks to me about her new life decisions, how to challenge the body, and about what truly is the strangest thing that’s ever happened to her.
Links
Vanessa Runs
How I Retired by Age 30
Grand Canyon R2R2R Run Report
How to Spring Clean Your Second Wave Shit
July 5, 2012
The Labyrinth, Episode 4 – Daniele Bolelli
This week, I am honored to talk to Daniele Bolelli. Daniele is a writer, academic, a martial arts practitioner and also a parent, though he’s quick to shrug off labels. No matter what role he’s in, Daniele’s youthful curiosity and interest in life shines through. Daniele is the author of the books On the Warrior’s Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology, which according to his Wikipedia page, is “one of the modern classics on the philosophy of martial arts.” Daniele is also the author of 50 Things You’re Not Supposed To Know: Religion.
Daniele talked to me about his training, his upcoming books, and the way in which he ended up on the Joe Rogan Experience from time to time. And the strangest thing that ever happened to Daniele? He’s in fact got two. In one, he stares at the face of evil, and in the other, he steps into an ancient Lakota ritual that tests his body to its limits.
Listen
Live download link: The Labyrinth, Episode 4 – Daniele Bolelli
iTunes
Subscribe via RSS
Links
On the Warrior’s Path, Second Edition: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology
50 Things You’re Not Supposed To Know: Religion.
The Joe Rogan Experience
June 28, 2012
The Labyrinth, Episode 3 – Adrian Bott
Welcome back for episode 3 of the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is a show dedicated to finding the strange and unusual stories in our world. During each episode, I ask our guest the question, “What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you?”. This week I am happy to welcome writer Adrian Bott to the show. Adrian is a well established writer of table-top games and video games, as well as a writer of fiction and non-fiction. Adrian recently caught the attention of the Internet when he posted his analysis piece on the film Prometheus, entitled, “Prometheus Unbound: What the Movie Was Actually About” under his Internet moniker Cavalorn.
Image by 20th Century Fox Film Corp
Adrian joins me on the Labyrinth to talk about his early experiences running and occult bookshop, his entry into game writing, and he’ll tell us the strangest thing that ever happened to him. We also discuss some of the motifs in “Promethus.” How could we not?
Listen
Live download link: The Labyrinth, Episode 2 – Adrian Bott
iTunes
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Links
Book of Unremitting Horror
“Prometheus Unbound: What the Movie Was Actually About”
June 25, 2012
Literary Reading this Friday, June 29 at Transistor in Chicago
I am thrilled to be invited to this reading event hosted by Mare Swallow (whom you may have spotted at Tuesday Funk readings in the past). I will be reading with some other members of my writers’ group Error of Judgment this Friday, June 29th, 2012.
Yes. Here’s what’s on the table as far as stories go. I may read “Tincture DRK-01″ from “12 Burning Wheels,” or a new story. I am leaning more toward new fiction, but I’ll put this out there. Which would you like me to read? New or old? Dangerous love parasites or a new piece of work? Tell me in the comments.
To RSVP for the reading, go to this Facebook invite. Also, it’s BYOB, and in these hard economics times, who doesn’t like to save a few dollars? Anyway, I am excited to see you all there.
June 21, 2012
The Labyrinth, Episode 2 – Matt Staggs
This week on The Labyrinth we welcome writer and publicist Matt Staggs, who’s a guy that has his finger on the pulse of the esoteric veins of the Internet. Matt produces the Disinfocast, the podcast of the Disinformation Company, where you can hear interviews with Warren Ellis, Duncan Trussell, and more. You can also find him on Twitter.
Week by week, we’ll bring on guests to talk about their own strange stories and answer the question, “What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you?” If you’d like to be on the show, send me a message.
Listen
Live download link: The Labyrinth, Episode 2 – Matt Staggs
iTunes
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Links
The Disinfocast
Matt Staggs on Twitter
Paul Stamets
June 14, 2012
New Podcast! The Labyrinth
There’s some really good news today in the blog. I am proud to announce a companion piece, the new podcast called “The Labyrinth.”
Welcome to the debut episode of The Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is a show dedicated to finding the strange and unusual stories in our world. On this first episode, your host Cesar Torres talks about doorways, the way they extend into labyrinths. We’ll visit Jorge Luis Borges, John Carpenter’s “The Fog,” and the Minotaur. Week by week, we’ll bring on guests to talk about their own strange stories and answer the question, “What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you?” If you’d like to be on the show, send us an email to me at cesartorres.net.
Listen
Live download link: The Labyrinth, Episode 1
Links
Jorge Luis Borges, “Collected Fictions”
“The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology”
Robert Graves, “The Greek Myths: 1″
John Carpenter’s “The Fog”
Download Link
May 2, 2012
Your support, and how to get “The 12 Burning Wheels”
Lately some of you have been asking me recently about my 2010 book of short stories, “The 12 Burning Wheels.” Yes, I wrote this short collection in 2009, and M Brane SF published it as a book and and e-book. When it was published, I promoted the book pretty heavily, and I think it’s worth doing so again. This book features stories involving forgotten Greek witches, designer cannibalistic products, an absurdist opera, monsters in the walls, a giant spider, and much more. As you know, I am in the process right now of working on a third novel (and finding representation for it). If you have a chance, check out my book on Amazon, and most importantly, leave a review. Reviews really help us authors to do what we do, so whether you love or hate the book, leave me an Amazon review.
March 24, 2012
Only 5,000 words left to go in March
I wrote 1,582 new words today in "The Ocean Hunters."
That means I need to write 5,000 more by March 31 to stay on time, to stay on track.
March 13, 2012
Marching ahead toward a completed manuscript
At the beginning of Saturday's writing session I had 12,635 words in "The Ocean Hunters."
A few hours later, I ended up with 1,350 new words. I am at 14,000.
If my quota for this month is 10,000 words, that means I gotta keep on going, moving, moving. I have about 6,000 more words to write for the month of March.
GONNA GET THERE.
March 1, 2012
How I changed my mind about writing groups
Every writer is different. Some believe writing can be taught. I generally don't subscribe to this idea. I think people who inherently want to explore the human condition and the subconscious are wanting to do this innately. These are the reasons why I turned down my chances to go to an MFA program.
However, I do think one can improve one's writing as a craft. I do not debate the benefits of reaction and feedback from a seasoned writer or peer.
And yet, I have avoided writers' groups like the plague. I have been approached by friends in the past who talk about these groups with an intensity that borders on religious fervor. Sorry, I am not attending your church, I have thought to myself.
In 2010 I got to meet a group of Chicago writers who had experience in workshops (many of attended Clarion), and I liked their company and professionalism. We had a beer. We had two. We read at Tuesday Funk. Over time, someone suggested starting a writers' group. I began to sweat. Could I do this? Would I get annoyed? What would happen to my writing?
We began to meet. I submitted some of my work. We drank a beer. We drank two. I got feedback on my work. And we repeated the process (once, we even Skyped me in from Berlin).
Well, I am happy to report I am very happy to be part Error of Judgment, the writing group I belong to with the likes of Holly McDowell, William Shunn, Dustin Monk, Eden Robbins and Tom Underberg.
I don't always submit a story or chapter, but when I do, I have learned a lot about my own work (in a way that is very similar to when I have shared my full manuscripts with my first readers). The advice they give is articulate and thoughtful, even if I may disagree with it. In fact, the advice has kept me moving in my project "The Ocean Hunters," and though I am not sure how much of it we will discuss in detail by the time I have it in full completed draft, I know that I will have had invaluable feedback.
I had always thought that writers' groups were writing by committee, a violation of the artistic vision of a writer. After becoming more comfortable with the way we operate as a group, I realize that this type of feedback is really useful. What's more, its usefulness comes from the fact that I respect each of these writers for their craft, professionalism and spirit.
This Thursday I will gather with Error of Judgment for another session. I don't have any new copy, but I will provide feedback to the others. I cannot wait.
Somewhere, Gentle Readers, I changed. I am not sure or exactly how, but I did. I am still working closely with myself and by myself, but opening up windows into my work while it is still in development has felt good in this environment. I hope you can find the right environment for your writing, too.
