RIP Harve Pekar

 

Everything a Clevelander should be and more...

Harvey Pekar died early this morning at 1AM.  Harvey was a talented writer with the rare skill to see and write about life as it really is, and the beautiful struggle it is to make it through it on a daily basis.  His writing is as funny as it is true.  Harvey was a modern day Chekhov living in Cleveland, which shouldn’t come as much of surprise since Cleveland and early 20^th Century Russia have much in common.

But truly, Harvey was a prince of a man who cared deeply for his city, his friends, and his family.  Here’s a fun link from a Letterman appearance.  RIP Harvey.

Writing is Rewriting, But When to Draw the Line?

Okay, so I’m investing considerable time and energy this year into learning the craft and the business of screenwriting.  I want to write good screenplays, and I want to sell them.  Who doesn’t, right?  But the thing is, I’m willing to compromise my story and ideas in a lot of ways to write/sell a screenplay.  As long as I keep my heart in the script, I’m cool with it.  It’s part of the challenge of writing a screenplay.  And it’s part of the reality as well.  And I’m okay with that.

But what about plays?  How much am I willing to bend?  When I wrote Ready or Not for Painesville-Harvey it was a tremendous experience, and the play was pretty much all mine–aside from some updated lingo from the students.  (They don’t call weed smoke anymore–they call it fire.)  But that play was what I wrote, based on interviews with the students, and the kids loved it.  But at Perry, it’s a different story.

The director/producer took the script to the principal, counselors and other administrators and in his words he felt like he got run over by a train.  This particular script was very challenging to write because the school is pretty much perfect.  Their motto is “get better every day,” and by most accounts, they do.  But that’s not to say there aren’t problems, and there isn’t conflict.

Drama is conflict.  It’s my job as a playwright to sniff it out and show it.  So that’s what I did.  And half of the powers-that-be loved it, and the other half are none-too-pleased.  They want rewrites.  They want to suck the heart of the story out and make it acceptable to them, and bullshit to the students.  Right now, as is, I think the kids would have a great time with the script, but the adults…well…

The point of this project was to start discussion.  Particularly about the dangers of teen drinking.  And clearly that has already happened.  But it’s really supposed to create discussion amongst students so why am I being asked to water it down?  So the parents don’t get upset?

Like I said, screenplay I’d have no problem making the changes.  But this?  This…well….What would you do?

Ready or Not

Harvey High counselor leads a post-show discussion with the student body.

I know.  It’s been a loooooong time since I posted.  And it’s not because I haven’t been reading.  I have.  And it’s not because I haven’t written or directed any plays.  I have.  It’s…well, you can guess.

 

A while back I interviewed some students at Harvey High School in Painesville and wrote a play that addresses the issues they face every day of their lives.  James Mango, the director of the Fine Arts Association, then worked with the students and the play was produced for the whole school to see.  I saw the final performance.   They did a tremendous job. 

It was a really cool experience meeting the students and seeing how theatre had a positive effect on them.  And it was great watching their fellow students react during the performance.  Here’s an article posted in the News Herald about the project.  Our picture was on the front page of the newspaper.  That’s what I’m talking about.  The video is also worth watching and the reader comments are great.  I’d like to develop this even further with them, if that were possible…

Secret Life of Bees

The older I get, the less concerned I become with what kind of book I read – or in this case listen to.  As a youngin who once knew everything, I only read certain types of stories – leaning towards the existential or manly, whatever that means.

But Secret Life of Bees was a revelation to me, much like To Kill A Mockingbird was.  Bees is a book of wonderful poetry, and genius images.  And what a journey it is.  This is a well told, well crafted tale of a young woman’s coming of age, told in her voice.  Even as Lilly makes choices we know are wrong, we can’t help but feel like she’s going to find a way to make it out okay.  Fortunatley for her, she’s surrounded by people who have a lot to show her.  The ever-so-generous August is one of my favorite characters of all time, if for no other reason than her wonderful humanity.

The plotting is also tremendous.  Sue Monk Kidd takes us through all the steps, does not back down from any event that needs to occur, and does so with great economy and grace.  I wish it could have gone on and on.

Sue Monk Kidd has written a tremendous novel.  If you haven’t read it yet, you’re lucky because that’s something you have ahead of you.  As I said, I listened to it, which was really a treat.

White Noise

White Noise, Don DeLillo’s 1985 award winning novel, is just as meaningful now as it was 25 years ago.  It’s hard to imagine how much he saw even then.  Or maybe it’s hard to imagine how slowly things have unfolded in what is a very fast-moving society.  Whatever the case, this is a must read.  Funny, visceral, frightening, beautiful. 
The Gladneys are a wonderful family, blended and bonded.  They hold to each other, believe in each other, watch out for one another.  All the while, a terrible toxic cloud hangs over their lives, over all our lives, seemingly.

With great skill and fun, DeLillo takes us through Jack Gladney’s epoch fear of his own death, as he hazes through his life as a Hitler scholar trying to come to terms with life’s end.  Trying to make sense of his fears.  Facing the extreme acts that reside in any man

Well, I’m not writing a paper here.  Suffice it to say this is one of my favorite novels of all time.  I read it in college, but barely remembered any of it.  It just goes to show that good books of universal proportions can serve us through all the stages of our life.

Some Books

Since last I’ve posted, I’ve read Suttree by Cormac McCarthy.  Some incredible writing in this book.  The vocabulary alone may drive one to despair, but if you can make it through the first chapter, you’re in for a really interesting ride and an eye-opening experience as to  just how many words actually exist in the world.  The structure of this book is different from others I’m used to.  The book does not really have a build to it.  But each event is interesting on its own and what we get is the story of what  a very real person because of it.  After all, most of our lives don’t build like they do in novels to some climactic moment, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be drama in them.  And Suttree has plenty of drama in his life.  Living in the underworld of Tennessee we see the story of a man who always seems a step from death running with the likes who seem to be already tripping over it.  And that adds up to an incredible book of survival and humanity.  This book is like checking up on a friend.  Each section is a new piece of life of Suttree’s journey.  It feels like I’m just calling him up on the phone and saying, “Hey, Sut, what you been up to?”  Of course, Suttree woudln’t have money to own a phone.  But the really great pleasures are the characters, the dialogue, and the trip to the netherworlds that McCarthy takes us to.

God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Vonnegut was one I finished some time back.  I never did write an entry for it.  Vonnegut’s just a helluva writer and Rosewater was a great ride.  I really enjoyed the time I spent with Mr. Rosewater, and his unflinching madness to take care of mankind as if each one of us is his toddler son or daughter.  And there is just nothing – I repeat nothing – that compares to Vonnegut’s prose and voice.  I was a bit let down with the ending, especially in comparison to Breakfast of Champions, but it was still a great ride.

I’ve taken Stephen King’s advice from his On Writing and have just tried to read more.  And in so doing he recommends listening to books on tape.  I listened to Sissy Spacek do Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and that was just heaven.  But then I listened to Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom and was really disappointed with that.  Sometimes I was literally screaming at Faulkner to “get on with it” as I drove down the highway, and I love Faulkner.  I suspect I would have enjoyed this experience much more had I read the book.  My apologies to the dude who read it.  And now I’m listening to The Secret Life of Bees. And I love it.  Damn can Ms. Monk write a simile – as poetically as  Manny Ramirez swings a bat.  Interesting, the books I enjoy listening to have young girls as narrators, i.e., the characters are young girls.  Maybe it’s just that typical storytelling without the devices of literature play better on tape, whereas literature needs to be read.  I’m almost done with that one I’m sad to say, because I love it and I’m not sure what to follow up with.

As far as reading goes, I’m looking toward reading either some Horton Foote plays, Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five or some Joyce Carole Oats.  We shall see.

The Greatatest Story Ever Told

Today I have a gift for you.  I’m sure most of you have read Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.”  I had not done so, until after my son was born, and I read it to him before he was even one.  And he’d listen.  But it was me who was really enjoying that one.

There are many writing lessons in this powerful tale: the power of simplicity and metaphor stand out the most to me.

Every time I read this story it moves me, rips my heart out, makes me want to cry, but more than anything makes me appreciate life for the true gift it really is.  So watch this video narrated by Ol’ Shel himself and live the good life.

Sometimes a Great Notion

 

There are books and then there are books.  And Sometimes a Great Notion is one of of those “then there are books.”  A work of mad genius by a mad genius.  It’s 599 pages of narrative that will have you turning back to pg. 1 the moment you finish and beginning to read again – and you’ll learn even more about the book.  Now that’s good plotting.

There’s a lot to say about this book, and a certain Barney Rubble playwright friend of mine could go on for hours and hours about it as well.  The depth of character is maybe greater than in any book I’ve ever read.  And sure, much like Faulkner, the first few hundred or so pages are hard to navigate until you get a feel for the land – in this case the Wakonda Oregon territory – but once you do, you won’t want to leave.

But what sets the novel apart is Kesey’s ability to plumb the complexity of humanity as seen here via the Stamper clan.  But the way he does so with a narrative that’s both exicting and maddening is a tribute to him and to literature.  And he wrote it when he was 27?!?!  Yikes.

Plus it’s about logging.  Which is cool.  And he knows what he’s talking about.  And it’s always cool to read about something you know nothing about in a novel.  And if you’re a logger, then all the better to hear someone singing your song.  But if you’re like me, you can argue with your wife: what’s more dangerous coal mining or logging?

Get this book.  Read it.  And then you’ll understand the winter.  And maybe you’ll stop giving up those precious inches.

Say What?

You think these two gals are just making idle chit-chat?

I’m working on a super secret project for my super secret job with the government.  I can’t tell you much about it except to say it concerns dialogue.  Writing dialogue.  How people speak, their lingo, etc.  And as a playwright, it’s my greatest tool.  Or so says I.  So what is the secret to writing great dialogue? 

There are many theories, and, of course, and especially in drama, it starts with a character’s need.  A character speaks because he wants something: five bucks, to get laid, an extension from his landlord on his rent, something. 

A common albeit incorrect belief in the theatre is that a play begins with words.  The audience sits down, the lights go out, they come back on and the actors speak.  No!  Plays begin with the need to speak.  Seen a bad play lately?  I bet it started sucking from the get-go when the actors started talking right when the lights came up.  But please, for the love of Davey Marlin-Jones, remember a play begins with the need to speak.

And every word, every line, every speech (assuming the situation even merits a speech) that comes thereafter is all about fulfilling that need.  Or in the case of other characters, getting in the way of the need because they have their own needs, like I don’t want to give you my money, I find you repulsive, or pay up or get out.

And yes, my friend, that’s just the beginning.  Because that doesn’t even truly address dialogue’s greatest charm, and that’s capturing how characters speak.   You know, so they like sound like real people and not cardboard dweebs.

But that is all I will say on this subject.  For now.  What do you have to say?

Ya’sou!

If you’re looking for meaning behind my use of Greek to introduce my blog, don’t. I guess I just wanted to use a word not used very often – well, in English language blogs anyway. As you can read in my About page, this is a blog about writing and storytelling. I’m a playwright so I’ll probably focus on that more than anything because that’s where my skills are – but don’t think we’ll be limited to just that.

 

I’ve been running around the blogosphere reading all sorts of great blogs on writing like Writer Unboxed, Write to Done, or the Writer’s Almanac. And there are so many others dedicated to different specialties, so here I am with playwriting. But again, we won’t be limited to that. In the end, my focus is on storytelling and I think we can all teach each other about that.

 

So how will I go about it? I’ll start posting on topics that strike me and I think hope that this blog will begin to take its own direction.  I hope to hear from fiction writers, screenwriters, playwrights, poets, copywriters, grammar mavens  – anyone who loves language and loves telling stories through language.  Maybe I’ll talk about a play I saw, or an interesting story I read in the newspaper.  Maybe I’ll wax philosophic about my desire to allow “they” to be used as a neutral singular pronoun.  Either way, it should be fun.  So until the next post…ya’sou.