Falling off the Empire State Building, Part 2
Falling off the Empire State Building, Part 2
I had a full manuscript of poems in a collection I titled Falling off the Empire Building. To enter a contest at the journal Rattle for a chapbook, I had to whittle it down to only 25 or so pages. That was less than half of the poems. But I wanted to enter the contest, and I really believed in the collection.
I love the title. I wonder what most people will think of it. My guess is they will connect it to King Kong's death in the movie where he leaves Fay Wray down on the top of the Empire State Building before he falls to his death. That was such a great scene. The Beast dies for his love of the Beauty. Maybe readers will bring something from King Kong to their reading. I don't know.
Here is the story where I actually got the title from. When the Empire State Building was being built, workers sometimes fell to their deaths. A line of new workers waited to take the place of the fallen construction workers. So every time someone died a new man would take his place. Sounds horrible. Here's the thing: It is not true, but I believed it for a while. I even told some students in an English class it was true. Then I checked it out and found out it was an urban legend.
In the following years, I kept telling the story and explaining to the class some thoughts about critical thinking skills. They learned three things: 1. Always check your facts. 2. Even Mr. Pappas can make mistakes, but not many. 3. Facts are real. That lesson is needed now more than ever with our current President of the United States.
The story became a metaphor for me about my father working in a factory. It was a job he did not want to have. He was an artist. He went to Boston Art School. He was creative and mathematical. But he lived in an immigrant family. He needed to support his brothers. He needed to support his own children. So he kept working there. It was like he was a man falling off the Empire State Building.
Here is the link with the winners of the contest. On March 1, 2020, Rattle editors will send out 7,000 copies of my chapbook free to all of its subscribers. Seven thousand! Amazing.
https://www.rattle.com/chapbooks/c201...
I had a full manuscript of poems in a collection I titled Falling off the Empire Building. To enter a contest at the journal Rattle for a chapbook, I had to whittle it down to only 25 or so pages. That was less than half of the poems. But I wanted to enter the contest, and I really believed in the collection.
I love the title. I wonder what most people will think of it. My guess is they will connect it to King Kong's death in the movie where he leaves Fay Wray down on the top of the Empire State Building before he falls to his death. That was such a great scene. The Beast dies for his love of the Beauty. Maybe readers will bring something from King Kong to their reading. I don't know.
Here is the story where I actually got the title from. When the Empire State Building was being built, workers sometimes fell to their deaths. A line of new workers waited to take the place of the fallen construction workers. So every time someone died a new man would take his place. Sounds horrible. Here's the thing: It is not true, but I believed it for a while. I even told some students in an English class it was true. Then I checked it out and found out it was an urban legend.
In the following years, I kept telling the story and explaining to the class some thoughts about critical thinking skills. They learned three things: 1. Always check your facts. 2. Even Mr. Pappas can make mistakes, but not many. 3. Facts are real. That lesson is needed now more than ever with our current President of the United States.
The story became a metaphor for me about my father working in a factory. It was a job he did not want to have. He was an artist. He went to Boston Art School. He was creative and mathematical. But he lived in an immigrant family. He needed to support his brothers. He needed to support his own children. So he kept working there. It was like he was a man falling off the Empire State Building.
Here is the link with the winners of the contest. On March 1, 2020, Rattle editors will send out 7,000 copies of my chapbook free to all of its subscribers. Seven thousand! Amazing.
https://www.rattle.com/chapbooks/c201...
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Alarie
(new)
Apr 26, 2019 10:30AM
Besides getting the best exposure imaginable, Rattle subscribers know these chapbooks are always great and look forward to them. Congrats again!
reply
|
flag
I am looking forward to all three chapbooks, Alarie. I always enjoy them as well. We subscribers get so much for our subscription.
Yours and Al Ortolani's will still mean more to me for knowing you.
I agree about the chapbooks being included in the subscription-it's wonderful. And I am so excited to read yours, Jimmy. I love the story about the title. I'm sure the title will draw readers to the chapbook.
