Ezekiel Tyrus's Blog: A Story a Week with Zeke, page 7
January 9, 2014
January 1, 2014
12/31/2013 - San Francisco
Plans for tonight?
Work at Walgreens till 10pm. Then a short walk to a young lady's apartment. She keeps it immaculate and beautifully designed like something profiled in a magazine. This woman is good company, has a great smile and long red-hair. We're going to listen to Jazz on vinyl. My Job? To bring the Cabernet, the glasses will be hers and waiting for my arrival.
A night like tonight will warm my heart when I'm an old man and when I die, may the people in the room give me a tiny round of applause for a life examined and well-lived. You don't need to be wealthy to thoroughly enjoy your life.
Right now, you are experiencing great moments you are taking for granted, or you've experience great moments you took for granted when you could've been absorbing that moment's sensuality.
Everybody, in 2014, go enjoy the fuck out of your life.
12/31/2013
Ezekiel Tyrus.
Work at Walgreens till 10pm. Then a short walk to a young lady's apartment. She keeps it immaculate and beautifully designed like something profiled in a magazine. This woman is good company, has a great smile and long red-hair. We're going to listen to Jazz on vinyl. My Job? To bring the Cabernet, the glasses will be hers and waiting for my arrival.
A night like tonight will warm my heart when I'm an old man and when I die, may the people in the room give me a tiny round of applause for a life examined and well-lived. You don't need to be wealthy to thoroughly enjoy your life.
Right now, you are experiencing great moments you are taking for granted, or you've experience great moments you took for granted when you could've been absorbing that moment's sensuality.
Everybody, in 2014, go enjoy the fuck out of your life.
12/31/2013
Ezekiel Tyrus.
December 31, 2013
Another 5 Star Review on Amazon
Another 5 Star Review on Amazon.
A second review from the kindle edition which is only a few weeks old. Clearly, English is a second language for this person but no matter, this guy, ChiChi Wong, (great name,) obviously read the book and 'got' what I was going for.
I want to spend a career exploring the dynamics of all relationships: lovers, friends, families, co-workers, etc. (No relationship is easy and real friends don't sugar-coat.)
Eli is an ego-driven bad-boy and a self-hating fuck-up.
I don't know this person but their review really made me happy, (not necessarily for the compliments which are nice) but I think he really 'got' one of the major themes I was exploring
--------------------------------------------------------
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT! You MUST READ!!,
December 30, 2013
By ChiChi Wong - See all my reviews
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Kindle Edition)
OMG! Who is this Ezekiel Tyrus man? He is a genius in social dynamics and men & women dating and relationship. After finish reading this book, I am certain that this MUST be a story which reflect a real event from someone in reality, or perhaps this is the author's history. Our community usually stereo-typically think that women only go for men who have resource, money, status etc. While this is true for KEEPING a woman for long term......those things are actually not always necessary for GETTING a woman for short term.
I have seen it over and over that highly educated women dating charming & charismatic bad boys in real life and it seems like this book is exactly displaying a real fact/event like that into a novel. The protagonist ELI in this book is EXACTLY that charming & charismatic bad boy who is unstable (economically), wild, and vagabond. He is a lover who radiates TONS of excitements and Lover's Values but failed to transform himself into a long term provider role to keep Ely.
To everyone on this review, YOU MUST READ THIS or else it is your lost. I have never seen someone done such a great job in reflecting the facts and real dating situations/dynamics like this man. I definitely learned tons of Gender Psychology from this book. Definitely deserve a 5 Stars & a standing ovation.
A second review from the kindle edition which is only a few weeks old. Clearly, English is a second language for this person but no matter, this guy, ChiChi Wong, (great name,) obviously read the book and 'got' what I was going for.
I want to spend a career exploring the dynamics of all relationships: lovers, friends, families, co-workers, etc. (No relationship is easy and real friends don't sugar-coat.)
Eli is an ego-driven bad-boy and a self-hating fuck-up.
I don't know this person but their review really made me happy, (not necessarily for the compliments which are nice) but I think he really 'got' one of the major themes I was exploring
--------------------------------------------------------
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT! You MUST READ!!,
December 30, 2013
By ChiChi Wong - See all my reviews
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Kindle Edition)
OMG! Who is this Ezekiel Tyrus man? He is a genius in social dynamics and men & women dating and relationship. After finish reading this book, I am certain that this MUST be a story which reflect a real event from someone in reality, or perhaps this is the author's history. Our community usually stereo-typically think that women only go for men who have resource, money, status etc. While this is true for KEEPING a woman for long term......those things are actually not always necessary for GETTING a woman for short term.
I have seen it over and over that highly educated women dating charming & charismatic bad boys in real life and it seems like this book is exactly displaying a real fact/event like that into a novel. The protagonist ELI in this book is EXACTLY that charming & charismatic bad boy who is unstable (economically), wild, and vagabond. He is a lover who radiates TONS of excitements and Lover's Values but failed to transform himself into a long term provider role to keep Ely.
To everyone on this review, YOU MUST READ THIS or else it is your lost. I have never seen someone done such a great job in reflecting the facts and real dating situations/dynamics like this man. I definitely learned tons of Gender Psychology from this book. Definitely deserve a 5 Stars & a standing ovation.
Author Correspondence
Let's Bring Back the Lost Art of Letter-Writing and Author Correspondence
I'm Ezekiel Tyrus. People call me Zeke.
Recently, I received a hand-written letter from an author I admire. This author is an elderly man, a contemporary of Wm S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles, with a considerable body of work behind him though I'm happy to report this author, John Hopkins, has another book coming out in 2014, a journal.
He's already published two diaries, and has 5 novels to his credit. I wrote him a fan letter shortly after consuming 'The Tangier Diaries' and he surprised me months later by sending a letter regarding my own novel, 'Eli, Ely.'
He praised my novel, gave me some brief but cogent advice regarding my own writing and mentioned his new book that's coming out in 2014. 'The White-Nile Diaries,' about the time he rode a motorcycle across North Africa when he was a young man.
This letter, which arrived at the end of an extraordinarily bad day, has come to mean the world to me. Comically, I've reread it about a hundred times.
I will write Mr. Hopkins another letter but want to bring back the art of letter-writing amongst writers of my own generation, i.e. The Lost Art of Author Correspondence. Think of the correspondence between Ernest Hemingway and Georgia O'Keef, Hunter S. Thompson and William Kennedy, or Jack Kerouac and John Clellon Holmes. There are so many more I could mention.
I wish to contact other authors who'd be interested in this age of emails and social media to write letters, keep a literary pen-pal. I will first contact a few authors I admire and already know, be it, very casually. One is in New York and the other seems to be a nomad who moves every few months. However, after that, I will put out ads on Craigslist and on social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter. Authors, be as intimate as you'd like but keep the topic literary; writing, storytelling, finding your muse, keeping your routine, etc. and do it in the form of a letter either typed or hand-written.
It will be difficult to keep the letters up with authors you don't necessarily admire or they write in a subject or genre that doesn't appeal to you. So, let's read each other's work, connect and have fun.
You can be any gender, or race. I will not discriminate anybody's age. You could be 100 years old, for all I care but I am trying to get authors who've come from an era when letter-writing is a lost or dying art.
You can be widely published or have no publishing history, just be serious in your aspirations to write and have some work that you can show.
If interested, contact me via zeke@ezekieltyrus.com. Tell me about some of your work. If everything sounds interesting, we'll exchange mailing addresses, and have some fun and perhaps even inspire each other to keep writing, or increase our game.
I'm Ezekiel Tyrus. People call me Zeke.
Recently, I received a hand-written letter from an author I admire. This author is an elderly man, a contemporary of Wm S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles, with a considerable body of work behind him though I'm happy to report this author, John Hopkins, has another book coming out in 2014, a journal.
He's already published two diaries, and has 5 novels to his credit. I wrote him a fan letter shortly after consuming 'The Tangier Diaries' and he surprised me months later by sending a letter regarding my own novel, 'Eli, Ely.'
He praised my novel, gave me some brief but cogent advice regarding my own writing and mentioned his new book that's coming out in 2014. 'The White-Nile Diaries,' about the time he rode a motorcycle across North Africa when he was a young man.
This letter, which arrived at the end of an extraordinarily bad day, has come to mean the world to me. Comically, I've reread it about a hundred times.
I will write Mr. Hopkins another letter but want to bring back the art of letter-writing amongst writers of my own generation, i.e. The Lost Art of Author Correspondence. Think of the correspondence between Ernest Hemingway and Georgia O'Keef, Hunter S. Thompson and William Kennedy, or Jack Kerouac and John Clellon Holmes. There are so many more I could mention.
I wish to contact other authors who'd be interested in this age of emails and social media to write letters, keep a literary pen-pal. I will first contact a few authors I admire and already know, be it, very casually. One is in New York and the other seems to be a nomad who moves every few months. However, after that, I will put out ads on Craigslist and on social media websites, like Facebook and Twitter. Authors, be as intimate as you'd like but keep the topic literary; writing, storytelling, finding your muse, keeping your routine, etc. and do it in the form of a letter either typed or hand-written.
It will be difficult to keep the letters up with authors you don't necessarily admire or they write in a subject or genre that doesn't appeal to you. So, let's read each other's work, connect and have fun.
You can be any gender, or race. I will not discriminate anybody's age. You could be 100 years old, for all I care but I am trying to get authors who've come from an era when letter-writing is a lost or dying art.
You can be widely published or have no publishing history, just be serious in your aspirations to write and have some work that you can show.
If interested, contact me via zeke@ezekieltyrus.com. Tell me about some of your work. If everything sounds interesting, we'll exchange mailing addresses, and have some fun and perhaps even inspire each other to keep writing, or increase our game.
December 23, 2013
The Interesting Thing About Happiness
I'm happy and have been for some time now.
The interesting thing about happiness is you don't feel a need to provoke anybody, and that was my thing for decades,-provoking people; acquaintances, co-workers, strangers, neighbors, etc. And it really was due to the hurt inside me.
Living with pain, you feel a need to strike out at others.
Think about that next time you see somebody being an aggressive asshole, a killjoy, a negative nellie, a bully, etc. Acknowledge that prick and then immediately think about your last great meal or lover, or look forward to your next one, because while you are thinking about good food and great sex, douchebag is brooding about his pain, which is never far from his thoughts, and fuming over the fact that he was unable to provoke you.
And remember, his pain is none of your business nor your responsibility. Therefore, keep it out of your life. Let him go off and deal with his own bullshit.
Despite my past antagonisms, I did acquire some deep friendships that are with me to this day but turned-off countless others and now I have to wonder about the opportunities, connections, parties and romantic nights I missed because I was too busy counter-punching some hurt that had nothing to do with them.
-Ezekiel Tyrus 12/20/2013
The interesting thing about happiness is you don't feel a need to provoke anybody, and that was my thing for decades,-provoking people; acquaintances, co-workers, strangers, neighbors, etc. And it really was due to the hurt inside me.
Living with pain, you feel a need to strike out at others.
Think about that next time you see somebody being an aggressive asshole, a killjoy, a negative nellie, a bully, etc. Acknowledge that prick and then immediately think about your last great meal or lover, or look forward to your next one, because while you are thinking about good food and great sex, douchebag is brooding about his pain, which is never far from his thoughts, and fuming over the fact that he was unable to provoke you.
And remember, his pain is none of your business nor your responsibility. Therefore, keep it out of your life. Let him go off and deal with his own bullshit.
Despite my past antagonisms, I did acquire some deep friendships that are with me to this day but turned-off countless others and now I have to wonder about the opportunities, connections, parties and romantic nights I missed because I was too busy counter-punching some hurt that had nothing to do with them.
-Ezekiel Tyrus 12/20/2013
December 22, 2013
Another 5 Star Review on Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Ely, Eli. Storytelling without pretense,., December 21, 2013
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Paperback)
What is the opposite of love? Are temporary separations separate? This novel is full of care, loss,gutsy living and straightforward storytelling.
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Paperback)
What is the opposite of love? Are temporary separations separate? This novel is full of care, loss,gutsy living and straightforward storytelling.
December 9, 2013
Another 5 Star Review
Another 5 Star Review on Amazon. I think she's defending the sex in the book from all the prudes who can't handle it and is commenting of the popularity on 'Shades …' I don't think it's a direct comparison. LOL
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5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!!!, December 8, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Paperback)
I absolutely loved this book, being a San Francisco local I loved how the city was portrayed, but to all those who aren't locals, this book will give you a great taste of what living in this city is like.
Eli was easy to relate to: For anyone who is young, confused about life, and has had their heart broken, this book is for you. After losing his job and girlfriend Eli begins to reflect on his life and himself, wondering how he got to where he is today. Although Eli is depressed and heartbroken, this book takes you on an emotional adventure with many highs and lows.
The book is sexy and raw, Ezekiel is a very straight forward writer who tells you exactly what he is feeling, channeling a less drunk Charles Bukowski. The way the story sort of jumps around keeps it interesting and reminds me of a modern Jack Kerouac. There are two of my favorite authors, so when I discovered an up and coming writer with these same influences and styles I was thrilled and Eli, Ely was better than what I could have hoped for. I hope Ezekiel continues to write and produce more novels!
I thought the sex scenes were great, the first page is actually what made me the most interested in the book, I mean, look how popular 50 Shades of Grey was!
Great book and a must read!! Five stars to Ezekiel Tyrus!
--------------------------------------------------
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!!!, December 8, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Eli, Ely (Paperback)
I absolutely loved this book, being a San Francisco local I loved how the city was portrayed, but to all those who aren't locals, this book will give you a great taste of what living in this city is like.
Eli was easy to relate to: For anyone who is young, confused about life, and has had their heart broken, this book is for you. After losing his job and girlfriend Eli begins to reflect on his life and himself, wondering how he got to where he is today. Although Eli is depressed and heartbroken, this book takes you on an emotional adventure with many highs and lows.
The book is sexy and raw, Ezekiel is a very straight forward writer who tells you exactly what he is feeling, channeling a less drunk Charles Bukowski. The way the story sort of jumps around keeps it interesting and reminds me of a modern Jack Kerouac. There are two of my favorite authors, so when I discovered an up and coming writer with these same influences and styles I was thrilled and Eli, Ely was better than what I could have hoped for. I hope Ezekiel continues to write and produce more novels!
I thought the sex scenes were great, the first page is actually what made me the most interested in the book, I mean, look how popular 50 Shades of Grey was!
Great book and a must read!! Five stars to Ezekiel Tyrus!
December 7, 2013
With A Lifestyle Like Yours, ...
Work was fine and though I did experience moments for the gratitude journal, on the way home tonight, I acquired the worst, most vile mood and to be honest, I was angry over the same shit I've been angry about for decades, baggage I just can't seem to shake and this anger was increased when I walked past the North Beach store that employs a certain ugly, mouse-shouldered, elitist, rat-like, green-eyed, big-nose douchebag whose ass I seriously want to kick, for whom fighting would not be a challenge for me.
By the time I got to my office/hotel room, I was stomping my feet, clinching my fists, muttering curse words under my breath, and ready to pounce on anybody that pissed me off.
Did I mention it was raining a bone-chilling rain and my Beat Museum hoodie was soaked?
"I will not be drinking tonight," I said to myself, knowing there'd be serious trouble if I did.
Stepping inside my place, there was a sealed envelope on the floor that the landlord must've slipped under my door. It's from England, sent by an American-expatriate writer named John Hopkins. I wrote him a fan letter 4 months ago thanking him for his work, specifically The Tangier Diaries, a book I loved and can honestly say, changed my life. The book inspired me to keep a detailed diary that became my life-saving, detailed gratitude journal.
Though he was younger, John Hopkins was a contemporary of Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs. He wrote 5 novels and another journal, The South American Diaries. Of his novels, I've only read All I Wanted Was Company, which is a lovely, complex book that deals frankly with subjects like loneliness and solitude.
I'm a big fan. His descriptions and straightforward prose rival the best of Hemingway and he has lived an extraordinary life traveling the world over and while in Tangier, Hopkins knew and met everybody worth knowing and meeting. (Imagine Paul Bowles inviting you to a late-night party and you arrive and John Lennon is passed-out drunk and Paul McCartney is offering you a bong-hit.)
Despite this, the man is little-known, even in literary circles.
I sat down at my writing desk and opened his letter written in blue ink on yellow legal pad.
------------
29 NOV 13
Dear Zeke,
Many thanks for writing 'Eli,Ely.' I enjoyed the roller coaster ride down the flanks of Vesuvius unto the last days of Pompeii. Maybe SF should be purged by another Great Fire, as you seem to suggest, or will San Andreas swallow it all? Your strenuous, perilous existence, living on the edge is perhaps one which only a body-builder can sustain, let alone survive. The narrative seems to pick-up steam as you roll along, with the reader wondering how it will finish. The ending is right -almost an epiphany! You pick up pen and paper and write it down, writing commiserates and now it is forever. Keep on writing and soon you will have another book; with a lifestyle like yours, you won't have to make it up.
I have a new diary for 2014. This one is 'The White Nile Diaries,' with St. Martin's Press, an account of a motorcycle trip I took across Africa. They are also re-issuing 'The Tangier Diaries' and 'The South American Diaries.'
Keep in touch with future projects.
Best wishes,
John Hopkins
-------------------------
Afterwards, I thought to myself, "Oh, Zeke, (or Brett,) let that shit go. Who cares, man. The past is the past, don't think about it unless it is to mine certain moments to write about but even then, you won't be able to until you are at peace with everything. -And who cares if some limp-dick assholes dealing with their own insecurities and jealousy treat you like shit. Fuck them. It's their bullshit, not yours. What would beating them up prove? That you could? You already know that. Let it go. Let it all go. You've cultivated a rather fascinating present, with potential for an extraordinary future. Let the past go and fuck the green-eyed monsters. Fuck them all. ...And lastly, a writer you've long admired now admires you. You wrote him a fan letter and he wrote you one back."
Be happy.
"Keep on writing, soon you will have another book; with a lifestyle like yours, you won't have to make it up." -John Hopkins in a letter to Ezekiel Tyrus.
That quote will be as important to me as anything Kerouac or Hemingway ever wrote. More so, of course, because it was directed to me. Thank you a thousandfold, Mr. Hopkins and congratulations on the book deal with St. Martin's Press! That's huge!!
Regarding the comparison of San Francisco to the last days of Pompeii, this town is a decadent place if you know where to look, I know where to look and I've got a tab going.
I'm happy and have no trouble publicly proclaiming my happiness because it has taken me a long time to get here.
-Ezekiel Tyrus
San Francisco
12/6/2013
By the time I got to my office/hotel room, I was stomping my feet, clinching my fists, muttering curse words under my breath, and ready to pounce on anybody that pissed me off.
Did I mention it was raining a bone-chilling rain and my Beat Museum hoodie was soaked?
"I will not be drinking tonight," I said to myself, knowing there'd be serious trouble if I did.
Stepping inside my place, there was a sealed envelope on the floor that the landlord must've slipped under my door. It's from England, sent by an American-expatriate writer named John Hopkins. I wrote him a fan letter 4 months ago thanking him for his work, specifically The Tangier Diaries, a book I loved and can honestly say, changed my life. The book inspired me to keep a detailed diary that became my life-saving, detailed gratitude journal.
Though he was younger, John Hopkins was a contemporary of Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs. He wrote 5 novels and another journal, The South American Diaries. Of his novels, I've only read All I Wanted Was Company, which is a lovely, complex book that deals frankly with subjects like loneliness and solitude.
I'm a big fan. His descriptions and straightforward prose rival the best of Hemingway and he has lived an extraordinary life traveling the world over and while in Tangier, Hopkins knew and met everybody worth knowing and meeting. (Imagine Paul Bowles inviting you to a late-night party and you arrive and John Lennon is passed-out drunk and Paul McCartney is offering you a bong-hit.)
Despite this, the man is little-known, even in literary circles.
I sat down at my writing desk and opened his letter written in blue ink on yellow legal pad.
------------
29 NOV 13
Dear Zeke,
Many thanks for writing 'Eli,Ely.' I enjoyed the roller coaster ride down the flanks of Vesuvius unto the last days of Pompeii. Maybe SF should be purged by another Great Fire, as you seem to suggest, or will San Andreas swallow it all? Your strenuous, perilous existence, living on the edge is perhaps one which only a body-builder can sustain, let alone survive. The narrative seems to pick-up steam as you roll along, with the reader wondering how it will finish. The ending is right -almost an epiphany! You pick up pen and paper and write it down, writing commiserates and now it is forever. Keep on writing and soon you will have another book; with a lifestyle like yours, you won't have to make it up.
I have a new diary for 2014. This one is 'The White Nile Diaries,' with St. Martin's Press, an account of a motorcycle trip I took across Africa. They are also re-issuing 'The Tangier Diaries' and 'The South American Diaries.'
Keep in touch with future projects.
Best wishes,
John Hopkins
-------------------------
Afterwards, I thought to myself, "Oh, Zeke, (or Brett,) let that shit go. Who cares, man. The past is the past, don't think about it unless it is to mine certain moments to write about but even then, you won't be able to until you are at peace with everything. -And who cares if some limp-dick assholes dealing with their own insecurities and jealousy treat you like shit. Fuck them. It's their bullshit, not yours. What would beating them up prove? That you could? You already know that. Let it go. Let it all go. You've cultivated a rather fascinating present, with potential for an extraordinary future. Let the past go and fuck the green-eyed monsters. Fuck them all. ...And lastly, a writer you've long admired now admires you. You wrote him a fan letter and he wrote you one back."
Be happy.
"Keep on writing, soon you will have another book; with a lifestyle like yours, you won't have to make it up." -John Hopkins in a letter to Ezekiel Tyrus.
That quote will be as important to me as anything Kerouac or Hemingway ever wrote. More so, of course, because it was directed to me. Thank you a thousandfold, Mr. Hopkins and congratulations on the book deal with St. Martin's Press! That's huge!!
Regarding the comparison of San Francisco to the last days of Pompeii, this town is a decadent place if you know where to look, I know where to look and I've got a tab going.
I'm happy and have no trouble publicly proclaiming my happiness because it has taken me a long time to get here.
-Ezekiel Tyrus
San Francisco
12/6/2013
December 3, 2013
Another 5 Star Amazon Review
Another great 5 Star Review. (This makes me so happy.)
Your next under-lined, dog-eared, back-pocket cafe book.
December 3, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase
Have young men begun to carry this book around in their back pocket to impress women in cafes? (Or no. I guess today's generation ostentatiously display their pick-up books in their Kindles.) Have young women already begun to impress and shame young men by pointing out that they've got Eli, Ely all wrong. It is not about a Holden Caulfield-esque writer with a broken mind and a broken heart drifting through the fog of San Francisco. It is about San Francisco and fog and hearts and minds and art and writing and sex and obsession, but most of all, at its very center, Eli, Ely reveals with bright hot intensity that soft, fetid spot where men and women are connected in an amalgam of filthy and unfiltered humanness. It is about our elusive, primordial connection. Has all that already started to happen? Just wait. It will.
Your next under-lined, dog-eared, back-pocket cafe book.
December 3, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase
Have young men begun to carry this book around in their back pocket to impress women in cafes? (Or no. I guess today's generation ostentatiously display their pick-up books in their Kindles.) Have young women already begun to impress and shame young men by pointing out that they've got Eli, Ely all wrong. It is not about a Holden Caulfield-esque writer with a broken mind and a broken heart drifting through the fog of San Francisco. It is about San Francisco and fog and hearts and minds and art and writing and sex and obsession, but most of all, at its very center, Eli, Ely reveals with bright hot intensity that soft, fetid spot where men and women are connected in an amalgam of filthy and unfiltered humanness. It is about our elusive, primordial connection. Has all that already started to happen? Just wait. It will.
December 2, 2013
A Story a Week with Zeke
Writer and Performance Storyteller, Ezekiel Tyrus is here for you, to tell tales and create characters.
- Ezekiel Tyrus's profile
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