from 6/30/09

Mommy, He's Got The Same Name As Me!

Before I go, I just wanna say something about Michael Jackson. I was never really a fan of the guy's music, except for Off The Wall and a few songs here and there. But when I was a kid, I grew up loving the Jackson 5. Some of you might not remember, but there was a Jackson 5 cartoon. And I used to watch that show every day. It was like clockwork, literally, I knew it was 5 o'clock because The Jackson 5 was on. And the whole time, the very idea that they were black was something that never dawned on me; it wasn't what mattered, it didn't merit any thought. And when Michael died, it made me think about that, and then I also realized how back in that decade, there were so many pop culture figures who were beloved by children, who were african-american. Besides The Jackson 5, there was Bill Cosby, we loved him. And Muhammad Ali; not exactly a children's figure, but he was so larger than life that he was the closest thing there was to a living superhero. So, when you have a generation of children growing up like this, well, we still have a long way to go, but maybe that's part of the reason racism has declined in this country. And I'm not saying that Michael Jackson was some kind of civil rights leader, but, and while he's probably got some time in Purgatory to serve, if there is a paradise up there, just for that, I hope he ends up in it.

Cheers,

Namaste.

I NEED YOUR OPINION!!!


My novel is in the Marketing Copy stage. I need an excerpt for the back cover and would like to know which one you find the most compelling. Is it:

Excerpt Number One (the opening passage):

There was nothing unusual about the day I died. My death didn’t happen because I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been, or there at the wrong time. I wasn’t on my way to dinner to celebrate a job promotion, running to save a child in danger, or carrying out any abnormal, “if only he hadn’t” kind of circumstance like you always see on TV medical dramas. Those shows may not have taught me anything about medicine, but I did learn that for every unfortunate loss, there has to be some kind of irony to compound the tragedy or regret for someone left behind to dwell on. But, having my skull bashed open in the middle of the street didn’t create either of those things. My life was an insipid exercise in monotony, and its ending didn’t come as the result of anything more interesting. I was just walking home from the subway after work, the same way I did every night, Mondays through Fridays, week after week, month after month, and so on. Early on, I didn’t imagine my existence would turn out to be so dull, but I wasn’t expecting it to end so soon either. At least my life and death weren’t predictable.


Or is it Excerpt Number Two (introduction of lead female character and true start of the major arc):

“Hey. What’s your name?” I asked.

She picked her head up so slowly it looked like she had weights on her forehead. Some strands of hair fell between her eyes, running down the side of her nose and past her mouth, but she let them stay there without brushing them away. Her hair looked even darker lying against her skin, which was so pale you’d think she was still sick from whatever had killed her. She obviously wasn’t, though. She was a soul rookie too, and apparently that was how she wanted to look.

Her face was pretty, but blank, without a single sign of emotion. With what appeared to require considerable effort, she forced a slight smile and said, “Marlene.” Her voice was warm but very soft, as if she was happy to answer but didn’t really want to be heard.

I waved at her. “Nice to meet you, Marlene.”

“Marley.” The word barely escaped her, and I wasn’t sure if I’d heard her right.

“What?”

“People call me Marley.”

“Well, nice to meet you Marley. So how’d you die?”

The smile retreated and her head took a freefall back down. “I OD’ed.”


Please leave a comment here or on facebook. Which one's better? Why? Your help would be most appreciated

Baconnaise and Happiness

Watch and enjoy (hopefully).