Make Your Own MFA

Put on a shirt old man!

In an effort to put together a more targeted plan for reading, I came up with what I consider my own personalized MFA plan. It’s a list of books I have been planning to read...at some point. Some of these I picked because of the writing style, some for subject matter, and some are classics. For me, they’re all important in one way or another. I should point out this list doesn’t include any books I’ve already read and many of these books were chosen because I had some interest in digging deeper into the subject, style, or mechanics so if some of the authors on here aren’t familiar…well, there you go.

   

Year 1:

Ernest Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls

John Steinbeck: To A God Unknown, In Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men

William Faulkner: As I Lay Dying, The Sound and The Fury, Light In August, Absalom, Absalom!

Larry Brown: Fay, Joe, Dirty Work

Lajos Egri: The Art of Dramatic Writing

I looooove to smoke.

Year 2:

Joyce Carol Oates: Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been (short story collection)

Tim O’Brien: Going After Cacciato

Raymond Carver: Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (short story collection)

Flannery O’Connor: A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Everything That Rises Must Converge (short story collection)

Great Writing Series (5 Books): Revision, Setting, Dialogue, Plot & Structure, Character & Viewpoint

Cormac McCarthy: The Orchard Keeper, Suttree

Richard Wright: Black Boy, The Outsider

Harry Crews: A Feast of Snakes, Body, Car, Scar Lover, The Knockout Artist

Thomas Bullfinch: Bullfinch’s Mythology

Joseph Campbell: The Heroes Journey, Pathways to Bliss

Neil Strauss: The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, Don’t Try this at Home

Blake Snyder: Save the Cat

Linda Seger: Making A Good Script Great

Edward Gibbon: Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic

Charles Bukowski: Hollywood, Hot Water Music

Thom Jones: Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine

Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man

Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Crime and Punishment

Isaac Babel: Red Cavalry and Other Stories

Toni Morrison: Song of Solomon, Beloved, The Bluest Eyes, Jazz

Mario Vargas Llosa: Time of the Hero, Conversations in the Cathedral

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Leaf Storm, 100 Years of Solitude, Memories of My Melancholy Whores

Mary Shelley: The Last Man

Charles Dickens: Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House

Ernest Hemingway: Across the River and Into the Trees, To Have and Have Not, Garden of Eden

William Faulkner: The Reivers, Sanctuary

John Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Travels with Charley, The Moon Is Down 

Seriously, you're going to read this in a year?!

Feel free to drop me a line with any suggestions, or books you'd put on your MFA reading list!

Bright Light Social Hour at the Bootleg Bar

The Bright Light Social Hour played a show Friday Night at Bootleg Bar and, after missing them back in April, I wasn’t going to miss a second chance to see the group that won several awards during Austin's SXSW 2011, including Album of the Year and Band of the Year, and earned them a spot as one of the best bands to come storming out of Austin since The Black Angels. Still, it's always interesting to see just how well bands do on the road, away from the home crowd of family and friends-when the music really has to stand on its own. To be fair, music crowds in Los Angeles can be hit or miss with some people showing up as fans of musical style and stage performance and others coming out to show off their new outfit. So the draw for me was two fold, wanting to see the band and wanting to find a bar where the people are more into the music being played onstage and less into who's in the crowd.

Like many good music clubs, Bootleg Bar is a little bit off the beaten path, located in Silver Lake, a small part on the eastside of L.A. There are two stages at Bootleg: one in between the bar and the front entrance (similar to the old Emo’s indoor stage in Austin) and the main stage in the very back. I'd read several reviews of the club with a few complaints...the acoustics weren't very good, there's no A.C., there's no place to sit... 

This is not the case. There is A.C. The acoustics are fine. Sure, there's some construction as the club tries to make improvements (most of which are complete), but the sound was fine and  there's plenty of theater style seating toward the back with a good sight line to the stage. If you’re more into standing, there’s plenty of room on the clubs large dance floor, which was where most people were for the Bright Light Social Hour performance. Truth be told, with the high energy this band puts out, you almost have to force yourself to stay seated while they're playing. Just about everyone was out on the floor for the entirety of the show, most of them dancing, jumping up and down, and singing along with the climax of the night being a toss up between the extended version of the band's song, Back and Forth, which featured bassist and vocalist, Jack O'Brien, in a call-and-response between and the crowd going back-and-forth with, “We don’t give a damn and we don’t give a f---”  and Joseph’s drum solo. 

Which he killed.

Playing so fast most of my pictures are blurred.

The band's look is a little different (longer hair and more beards), but the sounds only gotten better. The guys have even landed an upcoming outdoor show at Stubb’s on Saturday, Sept. 29. Playing the outdoor stage at Stubb's is a big step for any band-on any night. But, playing the outdoor Stubb's stage on a Saturday night, is a very big step. With the amount of energy the band brings onstage, it's not hard to figure out how they've earned such a spot. I’ve seen these guys perform on several occasions and every time they have given it their all. Beginning to end, they’re impressive, with A.J. being one of the most entertaining guys on keys, creating sounds reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, Curtis shredding on guitar, and Joseph being one of the best drummers touring today. Period. And, of course, there's Jack. A showman who has more fun on stage than most 99% of musicians I’ve seen. Really rock n roll could use a few more mustache smiles. Add to this how the band members are more than happy to meet folks after the show and talk shop, grinning ear to ear as they tell you about their new guitars, or just to say thanks for coming to the show, it's no surprise they're playing the outdoor stage on Saturday night. The only question is why hasn't it happened sooner. 

Keep your eyes out and your ears open for a new album in Spring 2013. If it’s anything like their last it’ll be solid back-to-front.

To learn more about the band, check out their site: 

http://www.thebrightlightsocialhour.com/index.html

Jackalope and a Texas Wedding

I’d picked up a copy of John Steinbeck’s early novels and stories to read on the plane from Burbank to Austin for Nora and Danny's wedding. Somehow I'd gotten lucky with a good enough seat to look out my window and watch the clouds drift by and cast shadows on the brown hills stretching for miles and miles below.

Friday night I hopped in the car with Paul and Cammie and we headed down to the bar at the top of my Food To-Do List, The Jackalope,  to meet up up with friends, grab a couple of cold Lone Star beers, and wolf down some burgers.

Ice Cold Beer and the Best Hamburgers in Austin. Period.

We grabbed a table and swapped stories on everything from new tattoos and gun-toting crazy neighbors to kicking butt in a triathlon and going backstage to meet Ian Astbury of The Cult. We talked music, bands, and about the only time the table got quiet was when we'd all stop and stare and ask, What movie's playing on the patio TV?

Other than the food and cheap drinks, there were a couple of reasons for going to The 'Lope during my trip to Austin. A good friend, Ester, had tended bar on the back patio for the last year or so and-after putting on a successful fashion show and getting more work heading her way-Ester was setting down her bar key and stepping away from the bar to focus on her career as a designer. After all the long hours at school and working behind the bar, good things were starting to happen for her.

Saturday Cammie and Paul took me to see The Expendables 2 at the new Alamo in South Austin. The Alamo has finally nailed the best type of tables for their movie theaters. Gone are the long tables you'd have to try and limbo under in the dark. The new ones are smaller cut-outs that are just the right size so you can get in and out. Back at the house, I watched Paul change out the thermostat on his car and now have a better idea of just how it’s done and just how messy radiator fluid can be. I threw on a shirt and tie and my boots and headed out to watch my friends Nora and Danny get hitched. I’ve known the two for years. They’re great friends and a great match, complimenting each other with their different personalities, and of course any party they throw is guaranteed to be a good time. They'd pulled together a slew of good people from across the country. 

Between glasses of wine and chips and queso, friends told me stories of how things had improved for them and the projects they were working on. Getting to watch Donello, Riley, Jeremy, and Adrienne all onstage together was an added bonus. There's a certain enjoyment a person has seeing friends perform music on stage. Especially when they're good. The band was great, the vocals were spot on, and the transition between bands to Soul Track Mind was seamless. Not an easy thing to pull off. 

Onstage: Jeremy, Adrienne, Mike, Riley; Dance Floor: Nora & Danny

People started grabbed their drinks and kicked off their shoes and the dancing started. This was a party for Nora and Danny. By the end of the night if you weren’t dripping with sweat when you walked off the dance floor then you just weren’t trying hard enough.

Surprised I took a picture of the drum kit?

On the car ride to the airport on Sunday Cammie asked if I was "burgered out".

I told her there was no such thing.

We stopped to grab a Hatch Chili Burger from Hopdoddy’s and I kept checking my watch, doing the math in my head, subtracting out the time in the car to the airport from the time they pre-board. I do this. It's probably something to do with project management, but it happens. 

The third time I checked my watch Paul told me, “I guarantee I’ll get you to your plane on time.” Then he told me to have some french fries.

Of course Paul did get me to the airport with time to spare. Never a bad thing at the Austin airport. It means you can grab some Aimee’s ice cream while you wait. And that’s exactly what I did. And I ate that --- up.

Though it didn’t taste like ---.  It tasted really good.

Now Paul can tell anyone in town for the weekend, “I’ll get you to your plane with enough time for some Mexican Vanilla.”

I ate this.

I'm HUGE in Hollywood!

Groupon puts up an offer for 3 months at a gym for $50.00 so I snag it. On my first day at the gym they put me with a personal trainer who takes me through a FREE hour long orientation that ends with an exciting Fat Test! That's what they call it, "The Fat Test". It was the first test I'd ever had where someone else did all the writing. The trainer, Brett, scribbled down a bunch of numbers, did some quick math, then started shaking his head as he told me, "We need to start working on this right away."
According to Brett, being 5’7”and weighing 172 is technically “obese”.

I learn something new every day in L.A. 

(not actual personal trainer)

Aside from "The Fat Test", the past couple weeks have been a blast! Getting to see The Avengers on the Disney Studio LOT, going to see a play, and, oh yeah, I got a parking space! Okay, so a parking space may not sound all that exciting to most people, but here it means you can go driving around. Explore! Go hiking, go to the beach, go find the best burritos (not necessarily in that order).

One of the surprising things about L.A. is just how quickly it changes. Ten minutes in a car heading West and you’re in Beverly Hills. Five minutes past that you’re on campus at UCLA. From Hollywood to the beach is only a thirty minutes!

Yes, you find out all kinds of things driving around, so much that I made a list. So, here it is...

3 Things to Know About Living In Hollywood

1. Furniture’s Up For Grabs!

Lots of people load up the U-Haul and drive to L.A. They bring beds, couches, coffee tables. Then they get to the place where they’ll be living and find there’s already a bed. Already a couch. Already four coffee tables. While hopping onto a used mattress may not sound hygienic...well, it’s good to have options. And if you happen to show up without any furniture, not to worry. Just go for a walk around the block.

You can find just about anything. Like a couch…

Or, how about a couch AND bed…

But, if you're going to be walking around looking for furniture, you'll want to have a few things on hand. Which brings me to the next item...

2. ALWAYS Carry a Pen

(Self Defense Inking Device)

These things are amazing!! Not only can you use these for scribbling down phone numbers, story ideas, potential furniture locations, but they’re also great to hang onto if you run into screaming bums (…and in L.A., you WILL run into them). For some reason, street people don't stop you as much when you've got a pen in hand. My guess is they don't want to hassle you because you look like you've got somewhere to be. Which brings me to the next item...

3. Hollywood Happy Hour

If you’re in Hollywood and are short on cash, not to worry. Plan on eating dinner between 5-7 when everyone competes for your Happy Hour dollar. Restaurants in downtown Austin had some really great deals to try and keep the after work folks downtown until the late night 9 o’clock crowd would roll in. Hollywood Blvd is no different, offering $3.00 corn-dog bites, 45¢ boneless buffalo wings, half price chips and guacamole, $1.00 Taco Tuesdays and—Oh yeah, cheap drinks.

It's easy to get a meal and a drink for under ten bucks. Just be careful. Too many of these happy hours and you may end up having to go through The Fat Test.

One Month, Many Lessons

It's been one month since I first arrived in Los Angeles. After the unpacking, there was some award show a few blocks away where a bunch of people got dressed up and walked down this red carpet--Even I walked on this carpet...but I was wearing a hoodie so that's not exactly "dressed up". Anyways, somehow I've managed to learn a couple of things in the past couple weeks.

1. Parking Is An Adventure!-You may not believe it, but finding parking here is about as easy as finding a leprechaun carrying a winning lottery ticket while riding on a [insert magical mythical creature...bonus points if people have to google it]. A friend of mine told me, "Getting parking tickets is just a part of living in L.A." I was sure I could avoid getting a ticket. And I did. FOR A WHOLE DAY!

These are almost FREE here.

2. Learn to Use Blocks-There are good blocks, bad blocks, blocks for day, and blocks for night.
 While Hollywood Blvd. has gotten a lot of cleanup since the years past, there are certain streets you don't want to go wandering down after dark. During the day time you can pretty much go wherever you want, but once the sun goes down stick to Hollywood Blvd. That is, unless you've got a dog. Mugging someone with a dog is a total pain.

Hotel Mark Twain with fuzzy neon.

3. Embrace the Hoodie-Yes, the weather in Los Angeles is amazing...most days. But there's still some chilly weather. Since I arrived, there have been at least three cold fronts. The lows this week will be in the 40's and, unless you're from Green Bay, that's not exactly T-shirt weather. This means you have plenty of opportunities to break out those hoodie sweatshirts.

HOODIE...on the red carpet.

Goin' Out West (Driving to Los Angeles)

After Patton’s gas station, it’s back into the hills. I played every cliché song , Goin’ to California by Led ZeppelinWild Wild West by the Culture Club, Route 66 by Depeche Mode,

GOIN' OUT WEST by Tom Waitts...

Finally, I put on Queens of the Stone Age and left it as I headed out of the desert and over the hills where there are giant wind mills that greet you in Desert Hot Springs and a couple of casinos. There’s also wind—LOTS OF WIND! Enough wind to make you think it’s going to pick up your car and send it spinning. 

After the wind, there was a rain storm, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing since my truck had enough desert dust to be almost an “ashetone tan”. I’d hoped to make it into Los Angeles before the sun went down, but with the sun dropping below the hills and 130 miles left to go, that wasn’t going to happen. Also, all of the storage places were already closed, which meant we were going to have to unload my truck then reload it to go back to storage.

We used two grocery carts to unload everything from the truck. It took me and several friends an entire day to pack. When I got to L.A. it took us less than an hour to unpack. The picture frames made it. The clothes and books made it. And yep, the drums made it. Which meant it was time for a drink.

Old-Fashioned pictured above...in case you're wondering.

Vaya Con Dios, Trigger (Driving to Phoenix)

Leaving out of El Paso it’s only a few minutes before the sign for entering New Mexico. 

Sign entering New Mexico.

The mountain scenery changes. This is the land of the Apache where Geronimo roamed (and judging by how vast it is, he probably roamed for a long loooooong time). There’s a tourist information center just after you cross into New Mexico which’s a great spot for pictures. 

The land where Geronimo roamed...and roamed...

On the road with the Che audiobook, I learned all the pranks Che pulled as a kid (including shooting firecrackers into a dinner party). The sun was dropping as I drove into Tucson when I got a call from Marissa, giving me directions to her place in Phoenix.

Pictures taken at 70 mph are not guaranteed to be clear.

Staying with friends is the best way to travel. I got to meet Whiley, Marissa’s husband. We grilled. We ate. We drank. Did you know there's a vodka made out of pineapples?!! I also met Trigger. 

A dog named Trigger.

Trigger is a rescue dog Marissa saved and is convinced Trigger knows this. She’s still a puppy and has that level of energy. She also sings, but she won't just sing anything. It has to be Jimmy Buffet's Vaya Con Dios. She’ll stand in front of the speaker, tilt her head, and wail. But don't take my word for it...