E.A. Aymar's Blog, page 4

...Discuss the End of Breaking Bad

My guess is that you’ve read all the Breaking Bad think pieces you want to read, and have little interest in another. I get that, so I won’t take up too much of your time. But it doesn’t seem fitting for a crime fiction writer (even an upcoming debut one) to allow one of television’s greatest crime shows to end unremarked.

Good television shows are inherently judged by their finales, ever since M*A*S*H set the standard and Seinfeld and The Sopranos failed to live up to their audience’s expectations. I loved the end of Breaking Bad, but my wife thought it was anticlimactic. She found Walt’s death too passive, compared to the ingenious and explosive deaths he’d engineered throughout the series. But I liked it, even if if it was heavy-handed. Walt descended to his darkest levels this season, and I don’t think anyone disagreed with Jessie’s statement: “Mr. White, he’s the devil.”

Until this season, you could make an argument that everyone Walt killed had to die. Every choice Walt made, even if it was evil, was a necessary evil. Check this list out, and you can make the argument that everyone who Walter killed was done (in some way) to protect his family. He rarely acted in a manner that was intentionally evil. He didn’t reign chaos because he wanted to; he did it because he had to. And, as Hank observed in the moments before a bullet smashed into his head, Walter was never able to understand evil for the sake of evil: “You’re the smartest guy I ever met, and you’re too stupid to see he made up his mind ten minutes ago.”

I don’t normally write about Christian theology or symbolism, but I think it’s necessary for this show and post. If Breaking Bad was about a man’s descent into evil, this episode was obviously about redemption. From the beginning scene when Walt offers a prayer and the car’s keys fall from above into his hand, to the crucifixion-imagery at the end, when he lies arms-spread on the floor, a wound in his side, Walt is on a mission to right whatever he can. Not that it matters. Walter White is headed to hell – an unremarked element of the show are the (likely) thousands of lives he’s destroyed with meth, and for that he makes no atonement. And judging by his admiration for the manufacturing machines at the end of the show, he doesn’t even have a wish for atonement.

Imagine a similar show about someone developing a nuclear bomb, and wistfully, ruefully regarding the manufacturing machines in the show's closing moments. There's no heroism there.

Breaking Bad was, ultimately and obviously, about the necessity and nature of evil. And that's why the show was so goddamned good. Walter White was the devil, but not the devil we are familiar with. Not the clumsy simple one that most entertainment (and our society’s consciousness) creates. Not the devil who brings chaos just to do so, or the evil spirit who kills out of unremittant glee. The devil is more than that, and that’s what makes him so terrifying – the devil is a person who makes choices, yet never truly understands the havoc they inflict. We cannot understand this evil because we believe our choices are necessary. Satan chose to battle God. Walter White’s life ends viewed silently from above, lying on the factory floor, eyes open as earth’s guardians cautiously approach…but the view from above remains above, and Walter White remains cast down. As he chose.

E.A.

...Interview Alan Orloff

One of the great things about living near Washington D.C. is that anything that happens inevitably goes through the nation's capitol. I don't mean gun violence or catastrophic  weather...I'm actually referring to shows and concerts. We're fortunate to have a lot of clubs, including a terrific downtown comedy club called The Improv that has hosted any comedian you can think of. I mean, probably. Don't test that theory. Seinfeld's been there, okay? That good enough for you?

D.C.-native (it's true, such a thing exists) Alan Orloff is the author of the LAST LAFF series, featuring club owner and comedian Channing Hayes. The books are set in the northern Virginia / D.C. area, and Alan's clear descriptions of northern Virginia will resonate with regional readers and paint an accurate picture for everyone else. His first novel, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD, was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, and he has also penned darker books under an alter-ego named Zak Allen. He's also super nice and happily agreed to let me interview him.

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What's your favorite joke?

I have a bad memory for jokes; the only one I really remember, and I’m not sure I’d call it a joke, is, “Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one.” As you can tell, I don’t tell many jokes. Certainly not funny ones.

(Ed. Note: Ha!)

It seems challenging to write a series in the mystery/thriller field that doesn't feature a professional crime solver. Is that an obstacle for you in the Last Laff series?



Well, having an amateur sleuth does present a specific problem, namely, why would your main character get involved with a criminal investigation? There are plenty of books where a donut baker/seamstress/gardener/stand-up comic risks life and limb to stick his/her nose into something that is better left for the authorities, but the trick is to come up with a good—believable—reason. Once you can get past that, things aren’t so difficult. In KILLER ROUTINE, Channing Hayes (the protagonist) is the only one who thinks anything is wrong. I set up a similar situation in DEADLY CAMPAIGN, where one of Channing’s friends asks him to look into a matter without involving the authorities.

(Ed. Note: I mentioned the Improv above, but I'd also like to note that the comedy club Channing Hayes co-owns is based on Jammin Java in Vienna, VA, another terrific venue.)

Given that you also publish under an alter-ego, do you work on more than one book at a time?

I usually work on a draft of one book at a time. After I’ve finished, and before I go back and revise it, I’ll sometimes tinker on something else. If I worked on too many things at once, I’m afraid I’d get really confused!



What's been your most successful marketing or promotional platform (Twitter, Facebook, author readings, etc.)?



Some wit once said that half of all marketing is effective, you just don’t know which half it is. I have to agree with that assessment. I’ve used all of those platforms/strategies, and dozens more, and it’s very hard to quantify the success of any specific avenue. I do believe in the cumulative effect of marketing; that is, the more you do, the more “sinks in” to your potential readers.



If you didn't write, is there a different art form you'd practice?



I am probably the least artistic person you will ever meet. I have trouble drawing stick figures. And music? Fuggedaboutit.



Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently in your career?



I would have started ten years earlier.



Can you describe your best moment in publishing?



There have been lots of great moments—getting an agent, selling my first book, speaking on my first panel, getting an Agatha Award nomination, speaking at the Library of Congress, doing a live TV spot. But I’d have to say holding an actual copy of my first book was probably the coolest moment.

Thanks for the interview, Alan! You can read Alan's blog here, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. And, hey, while you're at it, do the same for me.

See you in a week.

E.A.

...Review Earl Sweatshirt's album "Doris"

Why Write About Rap?

I’m surprised that more crime writers don’t have a closer connection to rap. For all those that wax nostalgic about the days and language of noir…hip hop is where today’s broken invented slang flourishes, and crime is inherently associated with the genre. That’s something David Simon realized, and it’s one of the reasons The Wire was so good. I’ve been a fan of rap for as long as I can remember. Something about the music spoke to me, and it led to my other great enjoyment, jazz. More than any other musical genre, rap is influenced by jazz musicians and traditions. Anyway, stop judging me. 

Why Earl?

I first came across Earl Sweatshirt when I saw his gross little debut video for the song “Earl.” Not only was the video hard to watch, but the song was unrepentantly violent, horribly misogynistic and, as a fan of rap, difficult to defend from the genre’s critics.

                I’m a hot and bothered astronaut,

                Crashing while jacking off,

                To buffering vids of Asher Roth eating applesauce,

                Sent to earth to poke Catholics in the ass with saws,

                And knock blunt ashes into their caskets,

                And laugh it off.

The song is fueled by adolescent fantasies of violence and revels in so much horrible bullshit that I wanted to disregard it, and the verses are frequented with violence to women (not as prevalent in rap as critics claim, but not as absent as it should be). But there was something there in Earl’s music…the same feeling I recognized when I watched Gaspar Noe’s film Irreversible. It kind of sickened me , but there was also brilliance. As much as I hated the lyrics in “Earl,” and I did and do, the kid was really fucking good. Internal rhymes are layered and filled with metaphors that delve in topical issues, science fiction, popular culture…Earl had something that separated him from everyone else. It reminded me of a line from an Eminem song (speaking of someone who inspires similar sentiment): “Motherfuckers hate to like you.”

Anything Else About Earl?

Some of you already know Earl Sweatshirt’s story; it’s been documented in a number of publications, including the lofty pages of the New Yorker, so I’ll just briefly summarize it here. Earl (real name Thebe) is the son of a South African poet and protestor who abandoned him and his mother; his mother is a law professor at UCLA. Earl joined up with the controversial rap group Odd Future, wrote violent songs and freaked the living hell out of his mother, who sent him away to boarding school in Samoa. His disappearance, which coincided with Odd Future’s prominence (largely due to the work of members Frank Ocean and Tyler the Creator), only drove more curiosity about him and his music, and he returned a year ago to the states to somewhat-unwelcome fame. The time away changed him – he’s expressed distance from his earlier violent subject matter, and his new album, Doris, shows that distance.

Is Doris Any Good?

In parts. The album is flawed, but forgivably. The music is moody and generally uninteresting. There are too many guest rappers and not enough Earl. But where it is good, it shines. Take the song Hive, when the young rapper describes Los Angeles:

                From a city that’s recession hit,

                With stress niggas could flex metal with,

                Peddle to rake pennies in,

                Desolate tenements,

                Trying to stay Jekyll-ish,

                But most niggas Hyde, and Brenda stays pregnant.

In six lines, the kid has employed internal rhyme, homophones, imagery, literary and musical allusions, all to describe the terrible state of the city around him. And it’s effective, thoughtful and insightful. Did I mention that he’s nineteen years old?

Here’s another example, from the autobiographical song Chum:

                It’s probably been twelve years since my father left,

                Left me fatherless,

                And I used to say I hate him in dishonest jest.

There’s something touching about the three words in that second line: Left me fatherless. And something about that rings true, touches something deeper. Like every artist, Earl is a reflection of what he understands and interprets, and that interpretation is disquieting. Earl is looking around at a failed society, one that has fueled his violent fantasies and informed his more sober observances. The nineteen year old is rebelling and embracing the world around him, and he’s at the point in his craft where his enthusiasm to do so appears unbridled, like the early works of William T. Vollmann. He wants control (he produced many of his own songs), but he revels in being out of control. He overly complicates his phrasing in ways his contemporaries cannot, and only because he can (truthfully, Earl’s complication is occasionally unnecessarily). He has produced an album that sits between the genius of being misunderstood, but could also be overrated.

What Next?

I don’t know what Earl’s going to be like, or be, in ten years. His path is unpredictable. It’s easy to imagine him walking away from rap and approaching another artistic pursuit, or he could let his ego engulf him and end up celebrating unwarranted work, like Kanye West. In interviews he’s shy and mild, visibly awkward, and one realizes Earl is only comfortable behind a microphone, or with a pen in hand. He’ll likely get better with his artistic output, and understand how to restrain himself, and then how to revel in those restraints.

But I hope that he continues to produce work that is unflinching and private and complex and unique and honest. Every artist should.

...Interview Cathrina Constantine

Today I'm interviewing fellow Black Opal Books writer Cathrina Constantine. Her debut YA novel, WICKEDLY THEY COME, was released last week and, happily for me, she made time to stop by my blog for an interview.

Some of you pointed out that I haven't updated my blog in a while and, dammit, you're right. I plan to resume regular updates on Mondays (starting September 9th), but I'm going to concentate on interviews, album and book reviews.

As always, I will continue to run my regular sex advice column with its focus on feminine issues. That never ends.

You can find Cathrina Constantine at these sites: Web, Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads.

And remember to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Next Week: I'm going to review Earl Sweatshirt's new album "Doris." For reals.

And now, Cathrina:

What’s your favorite joke?

I love, love jokes! Laughter is the best medicine—isn’t that how it goes? Though, I’m the worst joke teller. I can’t write one particular favorite, there’s too many!

(As I always do, I thus offer up my own joke. In keeping in line with my sex advice column note above - Jokes about menstruation aren't funny. Period.)

Can you describe your best moment in publishing, so far?

That’s an easy question. It was back in October of 2012, after the arduous task of sending out numerous queries. In two days I received three offers of representation. I was flying high!

What started your interest in paranormal fiction?

Since I was a child I’d had a fascination with anything out of the ordinary: Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, goblins, dragons...and on and on.

What are some of your other artistic enjoyments (movies, TV, poetry, etc.)?

I take profound pleasure in movies. I could watch a movie every night of the week. I also love going to the theaters to see plays. I like TV, but the past years have been pretty slim pickings for my enjoyment.

What’s been the hardest part of getting your debut novel ready for publication?

Promotion. I’m not one to blow my own horn. Gathering a promotional package is daunting, hard work.

Thanks, Cathrina, for joining me on my blog.

Here's an excerpt from her book. See you soon.

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Evidently, Asa had finally decided the time had come to make their lives a living hell.

“Watch out!” Jordan cried.

The two goons knocked Seeley to the mat. They tied her wrists then hefted her to her feet, facing Jordan. The man with the bloody nose mopped his face and then, without warning, hit Seeley in the chin. Her head snapped back as Jordan screamed. Seeley held onto consciousness, though her head swirled and her throbbing chin began to swell.

“You bitch—” the man shrieked, glaring at Seeley. “I think you broke my nose.”He then walked over to Jordan, grasped her chin with bloody fingers, and drooled. “Young—tender—meat—”

The demon restraining Seeley sounded anxious. “Hank, we’re not allowed to kill her.”

Hank gestured to Seeley. “This lady’s fair game, there’s a high price on her head. We’ll be greatly rewarded.”

The other demons nodded with crooked smirks. “We’re allowed to stay and play as long as we bag souls for his gain. The more souls, the longer we get to stay.”

“Why? Don’t you like your fiery perdition?” Seeley said dryly.

Her remark infuriated them, returning Hank to gloat in front of Seeley. Using the distraction, Jordan subtly tried to weasel her way out of the chokehold.

With his left hand, Hank grabbed Seeley’s ponytail, tugging her face close to his red eyes. They looked like hot coals as he sneered. “We’re not ready to leave, not with all this fun we’re having. Souls are jamming the highway to hell—we just nudge them in the right direction.” A gawky sound rattled in his throat, forcing Seeley to breathe in his foul breath. “Your kind of souls are a pain in the ass.”

Hank dug a switchblade out of his pocket. With a decisive snap, he held the silver blade to Seeley’s throat.

...Interview Lucie Smoker (for the Blogger Book Fair)

I mentioned last week that I’m participating in the Blogger Book Fair. I interviewed two writers and I’m placing the interviews today and tomorrow. And I’m appearing on their sites! Which is nice, because I never get invited anywhere.

The first writer is Lucie Smoker, who I met through the BBF and now we’re totally friends. I’ve started reading and enjoying her novel, DISTORTION, and I’m happy to present her work to you. She also has a deep, studied interest in art, which permeates her writing and is the kind of thing too many writers neglect. Also, she’s a freaking bodybuilder! So, you know, don’t piss her off.

You can read Lucie's interview with me at this link.

Here’s Lucie’s bio:

Lucie's imagination grew up at Little House on the Prairie and at 221b Baker Street.  Her best friends were her little sister Minnie, the Hardy Boys and the Count of Monte Cristo.  Like them, her life followed a path of adventure, sometimes intrigue.  Then she finally fell in love and found home down a long, empty road.  

What's your favorite joke?

I tend not to tell jokes. In my writing, humor seeps in as situations.  It surprises me when a reader tells me they were laughing through a chapter.  Probably has something to do with my laughing while writing it. 

(Ed. Note: In that case, I’ll tell a joke. “How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand.” You’re welcome.)

How do you relax when you're not writing?

I work out.  As a bodybuilder, I lift weights and do yoga.  Solace in strength. 

Do you have a favorite art period or style? If that's an answer that constantly changes, is there one style to which you constantly return?

I would have to say cubist, especially the Picasso/Braques brown period. I think it brings out that something that lesser art so often forgets:  to show us the thing we cannot see.  

Given that DISTORTION was a mystery and your interest in art, is there another type of art form you'd like to explore? Or another genre in which you want to write?

Yes, Adele's purpose as the artist sleuth is to uncover new types of reasoning, based in art.  I featured reverse perspective in DISTORTION for its value to mystery.  By forcing us to look in the background, the image brought out clues to solving a crime. Using reverse perspective as a way of thinking, Adele led the investigation in new directions, eventually through using that mindset they foiled the killer.  

Street artists like Banksy and ROA use  technique and mindset called paradox to expose aspects of our culture that make no sense. Their work is more aggressive, a form of political activism. As a result, my next book, PARADOX, will also be more aggressive.  My protagonist sees paradox as a break in the investigation.  By exploiting the things that seem unreal, out of place, or impossible, she deduces facts that would have been impossible to find with only deductive logic.  

Can you describe your best moment in publishing (so far)?

By far it was the few days when I had two publishers interested in my book.  I had to actually tell one of them, "no thank you," before inking a contract with the other.  It took some faith but I couldn't be happier that I chose Buzz Books USA.

You can learn more about Lucie Smoker and her work here, and you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. And remember to follow me as well. New interview coming up tomorrow!

E.A.