10/19/2007: "Dynamite Eyes / Music"

Hi All,

So, a few things. First of all, here's a little story I wrote for Esquire, part of their "Napkin Fiction" series. This is a cool series and I encourage you to go read a bunch of them. The editors had this idea to send out Esquire cocktail napkins---each writer only gets one, so you can't screw it up or edit it much---and on that napkin you've got to write a narrative. So, an excercise in minimalism. I suck at minimalism. Anyway, I also have to admit that, when under time constraints and/or length restraints, I---and to judge by some of their napkins---other writers as well, do resort to their "tried and true." In my case, that often involves a fistfight. So, this one's called: "Dynamite Eyes." And please, roam around and check out some of the others. You will be surprised some of the writers who've done one. Thanks to Tom and Anya for letting me participate in the project.

www.esquire.com/fiction/napkin-fiction/davidson-napkin

Other than that, just a few links to MySpace pages who I owe a plug to for stealing their songs. Well, not stealing because they are free, but listening to over and over ad nauseum until most reasonable and sane people would be sick to death of them but me? No way. This one song, 'Pristine Version 2007' by The Absence, a French band, I've listened to while writing and RE-writing this novella I'm working on. I think it's because the song kindled in me something about the ending of the story, which is key, and I kept listening to it over and over, picturing that ending scene, so listening to it while writing was a means of keeping the whole works on a rail leading to that last scene, the song the rope I was holding onto tugging me to the end. Whether it works or not as a writing tactic, I don't know. Certainly other people's brains would've melted out their ears listening to these songs as much as I have. But, as I've got another day or two listening to them, I thought I'd put up their myspace pages and see if anyone else wants to give them a listen. Fair warning: my music tastes are my own, and not to everyone's liking.

The Absence: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=78194160
City and Color [props to St. Kitt's!]:
http://www.myspace.com/dallasgreen
(the song I've over-listened to here is the 4th, "Like Knives Live."

All best, Craig.