Barry Graham's Blog, page 65

Do you think it's possible for an artist create touching, meaningful art if they lived a life without tragedy? While I haven't had an ideal life, I'm still the product of a privileged, middle-class, suburban life that's never been exposed to the horrors of

Absolutely. I wish I had the mental wherewithal right now to do a web search for the essay Joyce Carol Oates wrote on this very subject several years ago (Ithink it ran inThe New York Times Magazine,but I could be mistaken), where she took on the whole “suffering artist” topic as an extension of an American/Puritan ethic.

Look, everything I say about writing is my opinion, and only that. I am an authority on my own work, barely, that’s all. But I firmly, absolutely believe that good writing ri...

Do you think it's possible for an artist create touching, meaningful art if they lived a life without tragedy? While I haven't had an ideal life, I'm still the product of a privileged, middle-class, suburban life that's never been exposed to the horrors of

Absolutely. I wish I had the mental wherewithal right now to do a web search for the essay Joyce Carol Oates wrote on this very subject several years ago (Ithink it ran inThe New York Times Magazine,but I could be mistaken), where she took on the whole “suffering artist” topic as an extension of an American/Puritan ethic.

Look, everything I say about writing is my opinion, and only that. I am an authority on my own work, barely, that’s all. But I firmly, absolutely believe that good writing ri...

Do you think it's possible for an artist create touching, meaningful art if they lived a life without tragedy? While I haven't had an ideal life, I'm still the product of a privileged, middle-class, suburban life that's never been exposed to the horrors of

Absolutely. I wish I had the mental wherewithal right now to do a web search for the essay Joyce Carol Oates wrote on this very subject several years ago (Ithink it ran inThe New York Times Magazine,but I could be mistaken), where she took on the whole “suffering artist” topic as an extension of an American/Puritan ethic.

Look, everything I say about writing is my opinion, and only that. I am an authority on my own work, barely, that’s all. But I firmly, absolutely believe that good writing ri...

A few years ago, some drawings by Vince Larue appeared in Les...

A few years ago, some drawings by Vince Larue appeared inLes Nuits blanches d’Édimbourg, the second collection of my fiction published in French. One of them was for my story “Get Out As Early As You Can.” The version of it above will be part of May’s exhibition,Mom!, atR. Pela Contemporary Artin Phoenix.

If you like Vince Larue’s art and my writing, check out the graphic novel we did together,Dark Heat.

What are your least favorite book genres?

Literary fiction (a.k.a. plotless maundering about privileged people getting their feelings hurt), personal essays, confessional poetry (with the exception of Berryman, who’s often given that label, wrongly in my opinion).

"Consider that you can see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum and hear less than 1% of the..."

“Consider that you can see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum and hear less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum. As you read this, you are traveling at 220km/sec across the galaxy. 90% of the cells in your body carry their own microbial DNA and are not ‘you’. The atoms in your body are 99.9999999999999999% empty space and none of them are the ones you were born with, but they all originated in the belly of a star. Human beings have 46 chromosomes, 2 less than the common potato. The exi...

What's ur favorite Elmore Leonar book?

That’s a tough one. I love most of his books, and really like the ones I don’t love. When people who’ve never read Elmore Leonard ask me which book to try, I suggest Maximum Bob,but I’m not sure it’s better than52 Pick-Up, Killshot, Unknown Man #89, Out of Sight, Swag, Get Shorty, Freaky Deaky, Pagan Babies, Valdez is Coming, Hombre…

Hell, read all his books.

criminalwisdom:THE MILLWALL BRICK: HOW TO MAKE A WEAPON FROM A...

criminalwisdom:

THE MILLWALL BRICK: HOW TO MAKE A WEAPON FROM A NEWSPAPER»

criminalwisdom:White laundries, Tuesday 18 May 1915Source:...

criminalwisdom:

White laundries, Tuesday 18 May 1915

Source: Vancouver Daily World

(Source: pasttensevancouver)

Repugnant though this is, I think “White Laundries of Vancouver” would be a good name for a band.

The Broken Circle Breakdown is one of the best films I've seen

Last week, I watched The Broken Circle Breakdown, and have found myself thinking about it, or just remembering it without thought, since. This review by Joyce Kulhawik says everything I have to say about it.