Out of the Picture

 

'You may be quite sure, you know where you're going
But sooner or later you're out of the picture
Too many lost names, too many rules to the game
Better find a focus or you're out of the picture.'

 

I may be alone in thinking that Son Volt is the better band to come out of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, but Trace, their first album, is at least as good as anything Wilco ever did. "Out of the Picture" is one of those perfect country-rock songs of exhaustion, like Neil Young's "Albuquerque." They just sound like utter desolation.

How's that for an iTunes Playlist? "Songs of Exhaustion and Moral Fatigue." 

Anyway. I'm going to bitch about some personal stuff. ["On an obscure blog?," I can hear some of you say. "Who would deign to do such a thing?"] 

Everytime I come back from a party I feel like I've failed some sort of test. I don't socialize well. I'm an introvert, and while I love teaching or talking to a group of people, when the gathering gets to that eight-fifteen person size, part of me just shuts down. I don't know why. Being raised by excommunicated cultists probably didn't help.

I lost my nutritionist this week, which has been really sobering. I've learned a lot about basic nutrition and body chemistry from her, but now that she's gone and the holiday season is upon us, I'm getting a bit nervous. In a way it's like leaving your parents--you know what you have to do, but the challenge seems insurmountable at times.

I have a really good idea for a comic/graphic novel, sort of a cross between the Sopranos/Breaking Bad and the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline from X-Men. I'm going to write up the first part/issue and see if I can find an artist to work with. If you know of someone with art skills who'd be interested, or are yourself such a one, get in contact. I might post the script when I'm finished it.

Anyway, editing of Last of the Independents is underway, I now have an agent for the next book, and I've finished the third. I have a few stories in the mail and a couple of ideas for the next books. Working on a graphic novel in my spare time will be a nice change of pace.