More changes

Chose a different template for the blog, I like the brighter outlook and the better utilization of space. I'd eventually like to streamline all feedback to here, but currently it's all over the place. I also have slightly changed the description to reflect the fact that I'm currently working on several writing projects simultaneously. I like doing the short stories as they offer immediate gratification, so to speak, in terms of completion, feedback, practice, and marketability. And I think that's benefiting and balancing off the screen writing.

Bird of Prey: Research

The art of falconry is thousands of years old, and to this day still fascinates. The next text I'm working on looks at modern day falconry, and in particular its demands and implications within the context of family, home, relationships. Like the previous two texts, it's a first person narrative that takes place on Cape Cod. In these early stages of development I'm doing my homework, researching.

Image courtesy of IAF's Salburun 2008 outing.

End Dream

End Dream: Editing

It's taking a little longer to publish "End Dream" and that's largely because it's undergoing a rigorous editing process that "The Breakers" didn't get until after the first publishing. Hacking and slashing at the writing can feel very much like giving up some of the organic experience in favor of structure, technicality. With an abstract piece such as "End Dream" that veers towards post-modernism and deconstructionism, this technical aspect becomes even more important because it gives the reader the ability to better process work that tends to be difficult to read. So what I'm basically saying is: it will be ready when it's ready.

Reality in writing

In striking the balance between my responsibility to my reader, and that to my writing, an important question has come to my attention. How real does the writing need to be so that the reader can relate to it? From what I'm experiencing, not very. For example, real people shift moods rapidly and often without explanation. Real feelings are rarely streamlined and often bounce around and conflict. In writing that often results in "I don't get it" from the reader. We always want to have the why-s answered or at least asked properly. But so often there are no why-s, there are no explanations for our life experiences. Should that not be written about because the reader isn't inclined to digest it?

End Dream: Foreword

I'd like to talk less about the story and more about the language in the foreword. The language is one that I hope fits the occasion. It may seem random and disjointed at times. That was very hard to achieve. Writing smoothly, transitioning, actually comes quite naturally to me. But a story that largely takes place in a man's mind in a state of dreaming and semi-consciousness calls for a more chaotic approach. This reminds me of a scene from Ian McEwan's "Atonement" where Cecilia Tallis is trying to arrange flowers in a vase so that they look as if they were just thrown in, without a moment's thought. And that, she remarks, takes a lot of time. I feel the same way about the language in "End Dream". This may result in a slower read, but it's a short one (at about 2,700 words "End Dream" is about half the size of "The Breakers"), and a read truer to the actual experience. An experience that makes for a special kind of a love story.

Headline change

Decided to sync the headline with the blog address- the previous one was perhaps a bit too morbid, and there are, after all, the rare occasions of things upbeat popping up in here (next post will be on pink lollipops I promise :-)). Who is the man with the white hair you may ask? Suffice to say, he is a central character in the script I'm writing, someone quite mysterious, and often unpredictable.

Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEM ) and Transhumanism

How curious to read about current existential philosophies! Tonight, I'll talk about the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEM) and Transhumanism. The former basically holds the notion that the Earth will be better off without us, so we should refuse to procreate, thus eventually becoming extinct, everything returning to a natural state. The latter argues that we are essential to the Earth's survival because through us the Earth has achieved consciousness and become self-reflective, and so we should employ our science and technology to improve ourselves and our environment. What a choice? A. We cease to exist. B. We become posthuman products of genetic engineering and mechanic implants. As for the Earth, I wonder- is a truly natural state even possible at this point? And what are the real prospects of our managing its survival? Interestingly enough both of these contrary philosophies agree that we're not fine as is and we should take dramatic steps to change that. There are, undoubtedly, a lot of things with the current state of humankind that need to change to improve our chances of continuity but I can't shake off the feeling that we are exactly where we need to be in our journey. So what's the verdict?

End Dream (Pic)

Organized Religion

I was asked recently about religion, and I wanted to expand on what I have previously said in the blog. To put it in one sentence, I am very deeply spiritual and also very deeply anti-religious. I have always felt extremely connected with existence, the universe, nature, mankind. And the notion that we are all part of a Oneness speaks to me and often speaks through my writing. I am fascinated by the philosophical perspectives on the Oneness- meaning of life, meaning of everything, the big questions. And I have studied quite extensively religious and non-religious philosophies alike. However, the notion of organized religion is extremely troublesome to me. No one, and I mean no one should tell anyone what to believe in and how to believe in it. This, to me, is fundamental, it's the essence of faith, not only, it's the essence of being human. Each person should decide in his or her own right. It's needless to say important to expose oneself to what others have come up with, but only to deepen one's own understanding, not for the purpose of adopting dogmas and indoctrinating others. I realize that the majority of people likely don't care or don't want to figure it out on their own, and organized religion fills in that niche by offering a solution that is popular enough to give people an incentive to partake. It's sort of like this, one needs a glass of water, and instead one gets soda and it's either Coke, or Sprite, or Root Beer, etc. This solution is not only limited, it costs, and it costs a LOT. Organized religion to me is the bane of mankind. Throughout history it's been an instrument of enslavement, war, and suppression. Deprivation, death, and destruction. No other social construct, no other institution has resulted in more human lives lost. And for that, I have no sympathy, no forgiveness, not even pity. And before anyone accuses me of wanting to burn down all churches, I want to make something very clear, I don't believe in violence. And I recognize the good, however minuscule when juxtaposed against the ills, that's come out of organized religion. But I maintain my position that the scales aren't even, and that dismantling the apparatus, the institution of religion is instrumental to our evolution. I do believe that somewhere between inaction and extremism there is a perfect medium. This said, I doubt I'll see a world without organized religion within my lifetime but I do think eventually that will come to be, and what I will do with my art and with my life is talk about it, share this view.

End Dream: Behind The Scenes

"End Dream" is a story that combines two streams of consciousness into one. In one stream, a dream is unfolding, ending as it is. And in the other stream is a contemplation of a relationship, mixed up with all sorts of other things, trivialities. The story takes place in a man's head, going in and out of sleep, while lying next to his lover. Early in the writing process I decided that I would write the two streams separately, independent of one another, and use different writing styles and language tools to convey a similar experience. In fact, the dream stream was written on the computer, while the other stream was written in my notebook. Then I would weave the two into one, and patch if necessary. It's a challenge. But also, or perhaps because of, it's a rewarding process.