Jim Cherry's Blog, page 9

The Doors Open for the Outcasts

I've been working on"Strictly From Hunger!: A Rock and Roll Memoir" it's the story of John Morton and his band Hunger! and how they go from playing in their native Portland, Oregon to becoming one of the biggest bands on the Sunset Strip in 1968.

Chapter 1 The Doors Open For The Outcasts

Don Koss, the popular local DJ in Portland, Oregon stepped up to the microphone and introduced us. “And now we have the number one band and the winners of the Teenage Fair, The Outcasts!” Our drummer Don Marrs threw his drumsticks into the air, then slammed them on the snare. We broke into our medley of the Young Rascals tunes ‘Good Lovin,’ ‘Lovelight,’ and ‘Groovin.’ It was flawless. Our fans and the audience were cheering! We had beat eighty-five other bands. We were the number one band in Portland! All of the sudden we were celebrities. Standing on that stage, lights in our eyes, sweat pouring off of us, we were instantly hometown stars when only the year before we had lost the very same contest, we’d come in last place, and we weren‘t sure the band was even going to survive.
Read the rest at; https://jymwrites.wordpress.com/2016/...

The Doors Still Relevant? CENSORED!

July 1, AXS Entertainment took down The Examiner, including The Doors Examiner. They (AXS) subsequently asked me to continue to provide Doors related content for them. After some brief negotiations, I agreed. I posted my first article this morning (July 14, 2016) "Are The Doors Still Relevant" and they published it, but they edited out a whole paragraph. I asked them why and they told me because it was more of a rant and not material to the article, I said it was the crux of the article and without it the remaining portion of the article was vapid. I told them I would no longer provide content for them. Here's the unexpurgated article, see if you can tell which part was a "rant".

It’s been over 50 years since Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek met on Venice Beach and formed The Doors. We’re quickly approaching 50 years since Jim Morrison added the Oedipal section to “The End” and The Doors became part of rock and roll legend. January 4, 2017 will be the 50th anniversary of the release of The Doors first album. So, after 50 years are The Doors still relevant?

The interest level of fans is still high. Robby Krieger still tours yearly, usually filling the venues he plays. He also plays on CDs by up and coming rockers, John Garcia being an example of one the latest. The Doors are still played in heavy rotation on classic rock stations, and every year eight to nine books are published on some aspect of The Doors or Jim Morrison.

Rap groups have taken to claiming The Doors as an influence. Snoop Dogg was in early with a cover of “Riders on the Storm”. More recently Tech N9ne has repeatedly stated in interviews The Doors were an influence, so-much-so that he named his production company Strange Records. Prior to Ray Manzarek’s death the surviving members of The Doors did a cover with Tech N9ne of “Strange Days” complete with samples of Jim Morrison’s vocals. The Doors have also kept their music in front of younger audiences playing with dubstep DJ Skrillex on “Breakin’ a Sweat”.

The 60’s are remembered as one of our most turbulent periods of American history. Today’s fractious political situation with members of both parties claiming the system is rigged against them, and both parties have mounted populist movements. Sociologically, events on today’s news unconsciously mirror those of the 60’s. Race relations are again a major issue with past reforms trying to be reversed. Youth movements have again taken to the streets to oppose and challenge the status quo in the form of the Occupy movement as well as Black Lives Matter, and again our television screens are filled with images of protesters confronting armor clad police officers, and images of riot and tear gas, while revolution isn’t in the air, justice is. Strange days have found us again.

The Doors seem as relevant to the times as they did 50 years ago. Their message reverberates in the air, and the music sounds as fresh and vibrant as it did when The Doors were first creating their music.

The Demise of The Doors Examiner

On the 45th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s death there’s probably some kind of synchronicity in announcing that The Doors Examiner won’t exist after July 10th. It’s not only The Doors Examiner, AXS Entertainment is pulling the plug on all its writers.

The Doors Examiner has been around almost seven years (August 29th would have been the 7th anniversary). We’ve written around 1500 articles in that time, gained thousands of subscribers and readers (from zero), and I think given The Doors Examiner a good reputation not only amongst Doors fans, but rock fans as well, and a level of respect from The Doors organization. After all The Doors Examiner has been in the top 10 most widely read national music writers since June of 2014 and in the top 5 since June of 2015.

I’ve heard nothing officially from The Examiner that July 10th is the day they will pull the plug, but in trying to confirm if it was true or some kind of internet rumor I discovered that The Examiner’s Facebook page has been taken down, their Twitter feed no longer exists and when I tried to confirm it with my “editor” at The Examiner I discovered he no longer works there (after only a few months) and was referred to sending emails to a generic email address. As I’ve only heard about this less than 24 hours ago I’ve taken some initial steps in seeing where I can take The Doors Examiner. Of course that’s not enough time for anything definitive to be resolved, but I’m determined that The Doors Examiner will live in some other iteration, what that form will is still unknown.

One thing The Examiner has never shared with me is a list of MY subscribers claiming it’s a proprietary list. But over the seven years I’ve built the subscriber list through my writing, and using the advantages of social media. I’m hoping my subscribers are willing to take the next step with me (whatever that may be). To that end I’m asking my subscribers and interested readers to please send their email address to me at jymwrite@gmail.com under the subject of Doors Examiner Subscriber and I will keep that list and when I’ve found a new venue for The Doors Examiner (or whatever its new name may be), I will add your email addresses to the list and we can start where we left off. I still have some ideas for articles on The Doors that I think fans will find interesting and I would love to bring them and their viewpoint and insights to you.

One of my goals when I started writing The Doors Examiner was always to bring a more artistic level of writing to the genre and hopefully that would attract readers and interest them in my other writings. I’ve been successful in that to some degree. I got a book deal through a review I wrote for The Doors Examiner, and one of my new projects, a book I’m working on “Strictly From Hunger!” have been previewed in past articles (“Strictly From Hunger: The Doors Open“(http://www.examiner.com/article/stric...), “Strictly From Hunger: Jim Morrison it Looks a Lot Like Paradise to Me” (http://www.examiner.com/article/stric...) and “A Night Out With Pam Courson”(http://www.examiner.com/article/a-nig...). I’m working on it with a member of Hunger! John Morton and we’re hoping for publication next year. The manuscript is out as a query to publishers now. If you wish to keep up with the project please like the Facebook page Strictly From Hunger! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/16345...)

I’ve also been doing some very preliminary work on a novel titled “The Third Day” and have recently finished a rough draft. If you wish to keep up with my literary endeavors you can follow me at Jymsbooks on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Jymsbooks-22...), I’m on Goodreads, or my Amazon Authors page.(http://tiny.cc/cx9ncy)
I’m also going to be keeping my Doors Examiner Facebook page active.

I’ve enjoyed my tenure as The Doors Examiner, and I’ve been supported by so many cool people who have helped me build The Doors Examiner up to what it is, its truly A LOT of people and if I mentioned names I would forget somebody. It has also allowed me to talk to a lot of people who knew The Doors and Jim Morrison which I wouldn’t have been able to do or maybe wouldn’t have had the courage to do if I didn’t have the imprimatur of The Doors Examiner behind me. Thank you everybody for your help and support and for reading The Doors Examiner! Now we open the next door and prepare to step through it. Let’s keep the whole thing going baby! This is not the end, and nothing is over until we say it’s over!

P.S. Unfortunately until we find that new venue The Examiner will no longer allow me to publish articles. So please spread the word to your friends who read and/or subscribe to The Doors Examiner and get everybody on board.

Jim Cherry

Coming Soon Jim Cherry author appearance!

If you live the Chicago metropolitan area here is your chance to meet your friendly neighborhood Doors Examiner. The Oswego, (Illinois) Public Library will be hosting a presentation of my book“The Doors Examined” on July 12.

“The Doors Examined” is a compilation of the first three years of The Doors Examiner. As readers of The Doors Examiner, you know every aspect of The Doors is reported on, including The Doors history (including what’s available from their prehistory), reviews, influences of The Doors, the current events of the members of The Doors, the people that surrounded the band, and a few extrapolations or theories that you won’t read anywhere else. All these subjects and a few more are reflected in “The Doors Examined”.

The program at the library will include a presentation by Cherry on his book and subjects of interest to Doors fans, are The Doors still relevant 50 years after forming? Some of the history of The Doors, and hopefully some insight into the band. There will also be a question and answer period and when the presentation is over the opportunity to purchase copies of “The Doors Examined” and Cherry’s novel “The Last Stage” which will also appeal to Doors fans. The presentation will be held at the Oswego campus (32 W Jefferson St, Oswego, IL, 60543) on July 12 at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public if you would like to register or need more information that is available at the Oswego Library’s website (http://tiny.cc/h9zkcy). Hope to see you there!

The Third Day Excerpt- Confronting Janus

Here's an excerpt from my novel in progress "The Third Day" I think it's a nice tension filled scene, what do you think?

After seeing Janus at Ranko’s funeral I went straight to my workshop in the store, I took off my suit coat, loosened the tie and rolled up the sleeves of the dress shirt. I hooked up the battered hard drive we had found at the house Janus had told Ranko he was living at. The dirty and dented hard drive had been sitting on my workbench for a couple of days, I hooked it up and made some adjustments and suddenly it lit to life spewing out directories onto the monitor the neon green glow illuminating the surrounding darkness. I went through file after file that Janus had thought deleted or destroyed and found lists of safe houses and names of people who supported his effort, payments made to him in large sums. I had everything I needed to find Janus and stop him. Next to the hard drive was the book of matches Ranko and I had found in the ruins of Janus’ house, the Club LAMERIKA, Ranko had said that’s where all the war profiteers hung out. I had to give Janus the same chance he had given me I owed it to my friend.

It was easy to find the Club “LAMERIKA, I walked into the club and the first thing that hit you was a wall of sound, a throbbing emanating from the darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness there were POPS of reds, greens, and blues from Christmas tree lights blinking on and off. I could see people dancing on a cleared section of the club, others standing around a bar and around the walls of the club, booths, and in one sat Janus wearing his white shirt and leather jacket surrounded by beautiful women. I walked over to the booth.
“Vlad! My old friend! you look terrible.” He was obviously drunk.
“It’s raining out.”
“What’re you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
“I didn’t, I was told that people who profit from the war come here to celebrate.”
“We aren’t celebrating, we’re trying to forget the death of an old friend and the war for a few hours.”
“I know you’re the sniper.” Janus looked at me cooly while he sipped his drink.
“What sniper?”
“The sniper everyone is talking about. The sniper that can shoot great distances. The sniper whose gun has such a unique report that the victim hears the shot that kills him.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“None of that sounds like a champion marksman with a Mauzer awarded to him by Tito himself?”
“I know what you think of me Vlad, as some kind of predator. But it seems like you’re the one stalking me, who’s the predator here? The sniper could be any of us, all of us on the team have those guns.”
“I’ve accounted for all the guns except one, where’s your gun?”
“Where’s yours?”
“At my store.”
“I haven’t seen mine in years, the last time I saw it was at my father’s cabin.”
“It’s not there, I was there with Ranko when he was killed.”
“The cabin has been abandoned for years anyone could have taken it from there. Anyway, you shouldn’t have been there.”
“You suddenly seem to have a lot of money to celebrate while others suffer.”
“It’s what’s left of what little my father left me as an inheritance.”
“I’m just here to warn you, you warned me, I’m returning the favor, to give you a chance to leave.”
“Leave?” He looked around feigning shock.
“Leave the country, I’ll help you, otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“I’ll have to stop you.”
“I doubt it.”
“You’ve courted death your whole life, but you can’t live with that knowledge, you’ve lived your whole life in fear of it, and what has it brought you? Has it made you any wiser than others? It hasn’t brought you any peace, just violence and death, you’ve always been hunted, more haunted than hunted.”
Janus smiled at me, “your arguments have gotten better over time, but then you went to college.”
“You had the same opportunities as me, maybe more, you were the hero of the Olympics.”
“So, you’re going to kill me, is that it?” I stared at him coldly, hoping to see my friend in the eyes of this person I no longer knew. “You told me before this war began that I haven’t learned compassion, if you kill me or try to murder me, where has your compassion gone?”
“It’s still there, it’s there for the innocent people that you gun down in the streets, the people who can’t escape your sights. And it’s there for the boy who was my friend that I’m trying to save.”
“Better to save yourself.”
“When we try to save someone it’s not the body we’re trying to save, it’s the person, the mind, the individual, that unique perspective on the world that makes each of us special, important, and Janus was important, important to me, important to the world.” This enraged him.
“Innocent?! Who is innocent? No one I tell you, and that boy you knew is dead and I killed him.”
“You’re not the boy I knew.”
“Has it occurred to you I could just kill you here?” He pulled out a gun from under the table, pointing it at me. He looked at me, I think he was hoping it would scare me. “You’re right a lot of people here are from a darker side of the war, they’re my friends, I could kill you and they would help me take your body out and throw it in the street, another victim of the war.”
“That’s not part of the game for you, you can’t kill anything or anyone face to face, you like your killing impersonal, abstract, safe, a target down range.”
“I’m not going to kill you,” he said, putting the gun down on the table, “not because you’re right, but because I’m right about you, you’ll never do it, if you could do it, you would have done it already.”

A Chance to help Achieve a Dream

Hello Everybody!
There's a young filmmaker, Jovan Thomas who is a very talented guy, he was accepted to James Franco's masterclass on filmmaking. The problem is he doesn't have the money to pay for the class nor pay the expenses. Money shouldn't be a deterrent to realizing a dream. If you can contribute to Jovan's GofundMe campaign you would be helping someone achieve their dream. Remember every little bit helps, as much or as little as you can give would help this talented young man. https://www.gofundme.com/26t8zdnz

Happy Memorial Day!!

Jim

Interview on Woody's Goodies 5/8/16

Woody‘s Goodies radio host Wendy Windham is conducting her first on-air internet interview with “The Doors Examined” author Jim Cherry tomorrow, Sunday night May 8:30 pm Eastern time.

Windham who has previously been on-air talent for Citadel Broadcasting for 15 years before taking her show to the internet. On Woody’s Goodies she plays mainly classic rock but does reserve the right to play a variety of music as her musical tastes dictate.

Windham will be talking with “The Doors Examined” author Jim Cherry (also the author of this column) about The Doors and his book which is a compilation of the first three years of Doors Examiner articles. “The Doors Examined” takes a look at The Doors from every angle from their pre-history (see Doors history note at the bottom of this article) to their meteoric four year career in the 60’s to the individual members post-Morrison work and what they’re doing today.

Cherry is also the author of the novels “The Last Stage” and “Becoming Angel”, a book of short stories “Stranger Souls” and the short “The Captured Dead”, as well as a couple other projects in the works including “Strictly From Hunger!” which is the memoir of the band Hunger! which was one of the biggest bands on the Sunset Strip in 1968.

You can listen to the interview on Woody’s Goodies (http://www.woodywindham.com), May 8 at 8:30 pm Eastern time. Cherry’s books are available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Cherry/e/B0...).

"Strictly From Hunger" Micro-Excerpt: Meeting Jimi Hendrix

This is from a non-fiction work-in-progress "Strictly From Hunger!" which is John Morton's memoir about his band Hunger! which was one of the biggest bands on the Sunset Strip in 1968.

Meeting Jimi Hendrix
While we were recording “No Shame” when I met Jimi Hendrix as he was walking out of the studio. He was gun slinging his Strat, wearing black leather pants, a black conquistador hat, Indian silver belt and rattlesnake jacket. He invited us in to watch him play he was recording stereo versions of “Crosstown Traffic” and “Fire” both of which had been previously recorded for British release but in mono, he wanted stereo versions for the U.S. release of those songs, and playing the hell out of his guitar! Now that was a moment I'll never forget! and had finished doing the final mix on “Cross town Traffic” and “Fire”. When he finished he said, "hey man your welcome to use my amp. Everything's setup.” so on that day I plugged into Jimi's amp and played away not recognizing that I had encountered the biggest legend in rock and roll history. To me he was just this cool dude that offered his gratitude and trust to a stranger. We had a strong connection because we both loved what we were doing, performing and playing music.

Hungers! "No Shame"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qzJ...


Jimi Hendrix: Crosstown Traffic Behind the Scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-xyG...

To keep up with the progress of "Strictly From Hunger!" visit visit the "Strictly From Hunger" Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/groups/16345...) and "Like" it!

Some other excerpts from "Strictly From Hunger": Meeting Pam Courson http://www.examiner.com/article/a-nig...

"Strictly From Hunger!: The Doors Open" http://www.examiner.com/article/stric...

Jim Morrison "It looks like paradise to me" http://www.examiner.com/article/stric...

The Third Day Excerpt: The Rabbit

The next morning I came down the stairs, Janus was sitting on the coach in the living room smoking a cigarette, I had one of my computer magazines with me.
“Where’s your father?” I asked.
“He left early this morning, he didn’t even say goodbye.”
“It’s really cool that your parents let us stay at their cabin.”
“Yeah, my father is a very giving man. You really read those magazines?” He asked nodding towards the computer magazine.
“What do you think I do with them?”
“I thought maybe you just used them to make people think you’re smarter than you really are, or to carry around those centerfolds in decadent American magazines.”
“The only decadent American magazine I ever had was the one you gave me when I broke my leg.”
“So, why computers?”
“Computers are machines of the future, we’ll be able to run everything with them, we’ll have access to information and whoever knows how to run them will have the most power.”
“What about shooting?”
“No, guns are machines of the past, gunpowder, gases, grease and bolt action, straight from the 19th century, they’re history. Just like the old men with old ideas you talked about last night.”
“We’ll always need guns, they’ll probably even have them with your computers in them.”
“No, I don‘t think a computer will ever be that small.” Obviously my prescience wasn’t present that day.

Janus put out his cigarette and went over to the gun cabinet, as he fished around on the top of the cabinet looking for the key he said, “I’m going hunting, want to come along?”
“No,” I said, “I’ll stay here and read my magazine, maybe look for that centerfold.” Janus took a rifle out of the cabinet, found some shells for the gun, and in the bottom drawer pulled out a silver flask, shook it to see if anything was in it, opened it and drank what was left in it, and then went over to the bar to fill it.
“You want any?” He asked.
“No thanks.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours, and if you’re really interested in finding that centerfold they’re in the bottom drawer of the gun cabinet.” He said, with that sly smile of his.

Later that afternoon, I was sitting on the front porch of the cabin reading and smoking, enjoying the afternoon. The cabin was really out in the woods, there was no road to speak of just two worn tire tracks in the dirt. It was early fall there was just a little chill in the breeze, the trees were all burnt with gold and red, the grasses brown, and the woods only about a hundred feet from the stone and wood cabin. When Janus came back, walking up the dirt path towards the cabin holding up two pheasants by their limp necks, he smiled and yelled, "dinner!"
“How did you catch so many?” I asked, as he walked up the stone steps of the porch.
“The smart hunter let’s his come to him. You should hunt, you’ll enjoy it walking around in the fresh air.”
“And kill living things.”
“Come on, we have to kill to live, we’re both marksmen, man is a predator, we have the right to hunt, we’re at the top of the food chain.”
“Who say’s we’re at the top of the food chain?”
“No other creatures hunt us.”
“But it’s not on equal terms, you go out into the woods with a rifle and a scope, and your prey doesn’t even see you. Maybe if you approached nature on its own terms. If you went out into the wild with only a knife or a spear, on natures own terms then you'd discover who is at the top of the food chain."
“You mean like hanging from a tree limb in a loincloth with a knife clenched between my teeth.”
“Come on be serious,” I said.
"You should hunt, you'll enjoy it."
"I don't like to kill."
"What do you shoot for?"
"For the art of it, the sport, as a challenge."
"The sport of it is hunting."
"It's something I do well, I like being the best."
"I'm the best." Janus chided, laughing, "besides, I do not expect the hunted to understand the hunter. Everything kills, it is the natural order of things, there is no innocence."
"Animals kill for survival, to eat, to protect their young, to live, only man kills for sport, and once you justify the killing of one creature, no matter how small and insignificant, you can justify the killing of any other creature. It‘s an illusion."
“What’s the illusion?”
“Your imagined power over life and death.”
“What are you a bleeding heart? Janus looked towards the woods and saw a rabbit hoping along the tree line, "here, watch." He pointed his rifle at the rabbit, he shot in front of the animal. Panicked it turned and ran in the opposite direction. Janus jerked the rifle fast and shot in front of the rabbit again, the bullet kicking up dirt right in front of the rabbit's nose. The animal froze in fear not knowing where it's attacker was.
"Jesus, leave the poor creature alone." I said, Janus tired of playing with the animal, he took his time sighting it, and with one fluid stroke of a finger ended the rabbit's life.
"I'll make a hunter of you yet." He left the rabbit where it died. Thereafter Janus and I agreed to disagree. Although, thinking back maybe it was a trait I shouldn't have tolerated in a friend. Maybe it would have made a difference, maybe it wouldn't have. But that's not the way kids think. I was his friend and that's all I understood. Over the years Janus and I would debate it many times over, neither of us conceding or conceiving an argument to convert the other.

The Third Day Excerpt: Meeting Kaja

It had been four years since we’d won the Olympics and I had grown up, I walked with more confidence in my stride as I lived the life of a college student registering for classes, living in a dorm room, attending classes, working on computers, talking with my peers none of whom knew who I was, the anonymity gave me freedom. I had managed to get through almost all four years of University until the day a reporter for the student newspaper discovered me. I was totally unprepared when one day a man came running up to me and said, “you’re Vlad Smirtonev, aren’t you?” But I guess it would have happened sooner or later and I was fatalistic about it. I admitted it right away.
“Yes, I am.”
“The Olympic shooting team captain?”
“Yes, and who are you?” and then he started talking fast making his pitch.
“I’m with the school newspaper, and I was wondering if I could do an interview with you? And maybe we could take a couple of pictures for the article too?”
“I don’t think so, I left that behind a long time ago.”
“It wasn’t all that long ago, and people would really like to know that a national hero goes to the school.” I hesitated, maybe it was my vanity and the reporter sensing my indecision pushed his advantage.
“Look, the photographer is right over there, and we can take the pictures right now.” He waved over to someone on the sidewalk behind us to come over. I turned and I saw her for the first time, Kaja the woman who would become my wife. She was beautiful, a round face with long blond hair cascading down her back, a camera around her neck and her hair falling around it, she walked over smiling, her face shone in the sunlight, or maybe the light emanated from her. The reporter kept talking as I watched her approach us, “and then go to a coffee shop and do the interview before your next class.”
“How do you know…” My thought trailed off, distracted.
“I looked up your schedule. What year are you?”
“This is my last year.”
“How have you managed to remain anonymous?”
“I didn’t want anybody to know so I didn’t talk about it. I just wanted to be like everyone else here.” When she walked up I asked, “you’re the photographer?”
Her answer was a simple, “yes.”
“This is Kaja.” The reporter said, knowing he had me.
“Well…, I guess I could talk to you.”
“Great!” The reporter said, “let’s do the pictures.” He stepped out of the way and I smiled at Kaja as she aimed the camera and with the bright flashes of light the pictures were taken and the memory of the interview washed out of my mind.

Then coincidence, or synchronicity or plain fate intervened. That same night I went to a party, the house was jammed with people. I was off talking in the living room with a group of my friends, when from across the room I saw Kaja come in the front door. She was dressed in a white peasant blouse and black jeans. I kept my eye on her as she talked with her friends until finally she was off by herself and I could pry myself away from my friends.
“It looks like we were destined to meet again,” I said.
“Or to meet,” she giggled. Looking into her gray eyes I could see forever. I could see the future, our future. Her smile was the sun and brightened the room, and for the first time in my life I was filled with hope for the future. “You’re the gun enthusiast, right?”
“Well, it was a little more than that,” I said.
“I know, I’m just teasing a little. Mikal is a big fan and when he found out you were at the school, he made it his mission in life to hunt you down. So, you were on the Olympic shooting team?”
“I was the captain of the team.”
“Does that mean you’re the best?”
“One of the best. Not many people in the world can shoot better than me.”
“What made you so good?”
“A lot of natural ability, good hand eye coordination, and a father who was glad I was good at any sport.”
“Do you still shoot?”
“I thought I did the interview this afternoon?”
“Well, you didn’t answer the question.”
“No, I put that part of my life away after the Olympics. I thought it was time to do something else with my life, it was something I was good at, but not my life.”
“So at the risk of asking a clichéd question, what’s you major?”
“Computers, they’re the future, and I want to be part of the future.”
“And you couldn’t be, in shooting?”
“I guess I could be a coach, but it’s a lot of politics and I had six years of politics and politicians on the national team.”
“What’re you going to do after graduation? Design computers?”
“No, I don’t think I’m smart enough for that I guess I used all my natural ability on shooting, but I’m good with my hands so I can fix them, maybe have a shop and sell them.”
“When are you going to open your shop?”
“After graduation, for my services to the state I got a scholarship for University and a small stipend to get me started in life.”
“You gave better answers to me than to Mikal.”
“I didn’t want to talk to him, I only agreed to the interview when I saw you.” She smiled, she was clearly impressed and flattered by what I had said.
“What about you?” I asked, “are you going to be a photographer?”
“Sure!” She said, confidently, “Kaja Valorc girl photographer! Sounds like it comes straight out of a comic book.” We both laughed at the joke, as only two people can who are sharing a private joke and a private language that lovers speak in, “it’s maybe not as ambitious as you, but I could see myself working on a magazine or newspaper.”

We spent the rest of the night talking to only each other looking into each others’ eyes. As the night progressed slowly the crowd thinned out, and we sat on the couch in the living room, talking and holding hands until we were the only two left. About two or three in the morning the hostess came in, she wasn’t angry she only smiled tiredly at us.
“Kaja, I’m going to bed if you two leave, can you lock the door on the way out?”
“Sure,” Kaja said, “we’re only going to stay a little longer anyway.”
“Or you can stay the night.” She turned out the light in the other room, and we were bathed in a soft light and everything that followed seemed to be happening in a gauzy impressionistic film, like in the movies. We talked until we couldn’t talk anymore, and we stretched out on the couch holding hands until we fell asleep. The next morning we awoke on the couch still holding hands. It was the most beautiful night of my life. As we awoke I noticed that her makeup had worn off and for a brief moment I was taken aback, not all looks are classical, Greek in symmetry or precision, parts of her face, taken out of context she might not be pretty but as a whole she had context. but the moment passed and I saw the true beauty in her. In that moment you also catch a glimpse of yourself reacting to our superficial ideas of beauty, but you quickly forgive yourself when you let these superficiality's wash away and you see her and the underlying beauty that is there, and the makeup was only magnifying the beauty that is always there. I could see myself waking up to her every morning. The night seemed to take us out of ourselves, out of time, we became immortal, at least for a little while. Later when I told her of this feeling she said, “it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Although I hadn’t known her very long, and we hadn’t had much of a chance to talk of many things I felt comfortable with her like I’d known her and about her for a very long time.