How I Came to Write This Poem: Gerald So

TO READ GERALD'S POEM, go here.



In the first week of May, David Cranmer featured my poems "Security" and "Life Sentence" on BEAT to a PULP, part of the site's first-ever week of poetry. Patti commented that she adored "Life Sentence", and today invited me to expound on how I came up with both poems.



Having published THE LINEUP: POEMS ON CRIME the past four years, I've become fascinated with themes of crime in poetry, much the same as you may enjoy crime fiction. After the first issue of THE LINEUP, I opted not to publish my own work in the journal, so when David asked if I'd submit poetry to BTAP, I was ready.



"Security" came out of my noticing how the suffix -ity watered down the word "secure". Security feels more like a concept, more abstract than actual, as in "false sense of security". The poem is an illustration of that watering down. Is our security really secure? Is our reality real? "-ity" seems a flimsy structure to me, tacked onto solid adjectives because common wisdom says nouns are safer footing than adjectives.



"Life Sentence" is a similar look at punctuation. It struck me that our attitudes toward how life ends could be expressed through end punctuation marks. The ellipsis represents the slow trailing-off of age, the exclamation point the sudden violence of stroke, the period the peaceful yet unconscious end of sleep. Preferable to any of these, I think, is the chance to go out on one's own terms, with a dash, a flourish, of choice.



Two of my co-editors at THE LINEUP have stepped down as their own projects and day jobs have gotten busier. I don't have the resources to print THE LINEUP on my own, so I've moved to a weekly website format, THE 5-2: CRIME POETRY WEEKLY, which will publish one poem per week year-round, starting Monday, September 12. I'm also including video clips, and short "signed confessions" from each poet about how each poem was written. I welcome submissions of unpublished poetry to http://poemsoncrime.blogspot.com

END OF EVERYTHING

Is first Fall pick of the Richard and Judy book club in the UK. This is the UK equivalent of Oprah's book picks.



http://www.richardandjudy.co.uk/current-reads/Autumn-2011/123



http://www.richardandjudy.co.uk/home

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FIGHTS... and DANCING!! Results - Silva Dominates and Cane Dances at UFC 134-Brazil!

UFC 134 - Brazil was a tribute to the country that brought the vicious bloodsport that is money fighting into our homes for big bucks and a small fee from the proletariat.  It was a very special edition of 'bread and circus', complete with a little history lesson, ala George Orwell, from our MMA overlords, Zuffa!

The Zuffa UFC re-education went something along the lines of "Brazil is where NHB was born, and they brought it to America for all of us to enjoy.  We owe it to the Brazillians, who do indeed have a great affinity for smashing people's faces with great Brazillian jiu-jitsu technique.

However, Zuffa and Brazil and all Brazillian fighters, don't take credit for Mixed Martial Arts.  Before it was Mixed Martial Arts or No Holds Barred, it was called Pankration.  The Greeks practiced it first, and it was a mix of boxing and wrestling with absoulutely no rules.  Dudes died for the glory of being the best.  It was even an Olympic sport, but too many people died to give it a long lifespan.

With that said, it is time for a modern Pankration featuring the best MMA fighters in the world.  Make it happen, Olympic committe.  Make it happen!  People might actually watch the summer olympics.

And Bruce Lee went to Han's Island and participated in a tournament of martial arts.  Black Belt Jones and John Saxon were there, too.  So was Bolo Yeung.

And if I'm going to bring up Bolo Yeung, Bloodsport came before UFC, too, Zuffa and Brazil.  Yeah, Helio might have been having 3 hour fights in a dive bar in Sao Paulo, but Paco was schooling kung-fu dudes with this Muay Thai.

And, truth is, UFC I and II were flukes meant to promote Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to bring their martial arts style to the states and make money instead of fighting Vale Tudo dudes and beating up tourists on the beaches of Rio for free.

Rorion Gracie put it together.  And though insiders thought Gracie monster Rickson Gracie was going to come in and school everyone with his jiu-jitsu, Rorion made the great business move to make the runt of the Gracie clan, Royce, the centerpiece of the show.  All Royce ever did was surf and borrow money from his brothers.  Also, he did a lot of Jiu-Jitsu and was very small.

And that wiry little shlub of the Gracie clan changed the martial arts world.

Zuffa ended up buying the franchise when Rorion and Art Davie, the booker, had run it into the ground.  And the rest is billion dollar history.

They even played a clip from the last time they were in Brazil, featuring a shot of when future phenom Vitor Belfort schooled a young Wanderlai Silva.  Belfort went on to a hot/cold career.  Wanderlai became big in Japan.

And, of course, good old Royce, who has not seen a UFC match since he was caught for juicing after his noble sacrifice to UFC legend Matt Hughes.

Ben Stiller's stunt double, Ken "K-FLo" Florian took Joe Rogan color duties.  Rogan claimed on his Twitter account he had to stay in LA for 'Fear Factor' taping.  I think he didn't want to get busted at Customs with a buttload of Brazillian Smokey-Smokey.

STANISLAV NEDKOV vs. LUIS CANE

I think it was wise to not make the show a Brazil vs. US show, so they stacked the card with competitors from around the globe.

The best match of the night was the first fight of the PPV.  It featured a Bulgarian named Nedkov taking on the next big thing, Luis Cane from Brazil.  It kind of felt like they were setting Nedkov up as a can for the Brazillian.

But Nedkov flipped the script, clocking Cane and sending him into a fish dance before mauling him against the cage.

Nedkov/Cane get my Fight of the Night honors, as well as my biggest laugh of the night honors!

And, for your viewing pleasure, the Fedor Fish Dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFAwntNMs

Nedkov celebrated by wiping his bloody nose in his nation's flag.

Then there was that awkward moment when the only translator that was hired ony spoke Portuguese, French, and Tongan, but not Bulgarian.

'BIG NOG' vs. BRANDON SCHAUB

Though the Brazillian lovefest started with a bit of a boner-killer, the BonerJam was about to begin.  In what turned out to be a lopsided fight, Nog submitted Schaub with BJJ skill, and the rubbing of a million BJJ LoveShafts began.

Oh, wait.  It wasn't BJJ skill that won the fight. It was a KO.

No need to stop rubbing, though.

Then, because the fight went so fast, we were treated to a fight from the pre-show, in which a Catholic Brazillian beat up a Protestant Brazillian.  The winner gave all his glory to Jesus, even going so far as to stitch our Lord and Savoiur's name just above his crotch for his scientific BJJ win.

Oh.  Wait.  It was a KO.

ROSS PEARSON vs. EDSON BARBOZA

The gutsy limey Pearson was more than Barboza expected, and took the energetic Brazillian to the cards.  The great skill of Barboza's BJJ dominated.  Oh, wait.  They punched and kicked the whole fight with great joy and verve.  It was a good match, and could have gone either way.  Brazil over UK.

Also, never been much for the 'Bad Boy' brand.  I don't like thinking a dudes ass is looking at me.  Kind of creeps me out.

FORREST GRIFFIN vs. MAURICIO 'SHOGUN' RUA

Forrest Griffin brought some Georgia toughness to the fight, but Rua overwhelmed the southern fighter with great scientific Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.

Oh, wait.  He punched him about the face until the ref stopped him.

ANDERSON SILVA vs. YUSHIN 'THUNDER' OKAMI

Dana loves Anderson.  Then he hates him.  Then he loves him.  Then he hates him.

Lord Douchebag finally figured out you get the best out of Anderson when you book him against a guy that will mix him up on the feet.  Because, c'mon, folks.  If I knew a dude was good at grappling on the ground, champ or no champ, I'm not going to down into his guard.  I don't blame Anderson for the snoozefest some of his fights have been.  It's been masters of BJJ who couldn't bring him to the ground and then used the Murilo Bustamante method of lying on their back until the time runs out or the ref lets you back up.

Like Kevin Nash at War Games, I haven't forgot how Murilo Bustamante lay on his back for 40 minutes in his fight against 'Big Cat' Tom Erikson.  Look it up.  It happened.

So Anderson activated his spider senses and gave Okami the 'Griffin' treatment by standing with his hands down, dodging a punch, and replying with a KO blow of his own.

He even took on a classic martial arts movie pose before KO'ing the Japanese star.

Anderson takes the win, and an entire country goes through a Kleenex shortage.

In the end, it was an alright card.  Watch it online somewhere.  Don't buy it unless you get off watching Brazillian fighters trash people.

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the zombie horror series, "Down the Road".  You can learn about his books and network with him at ZombieBloodFights.com.  http://www.zombiebloodfights.com/

This has been a ZombieBloodFights.com Production.

Tuesday Night Music: Dean Martin

Marital Strife

BREAKING BAD is the biggest source of tension at our house.



I think it's the most brilliant TV show since THE WIRE. Phil thinks it glorifies the drug business by making it so much the subject of interest. It think it exposes it as the soul-sucking business it is. If he didn't run off to check the Tiger score so often, he might see the scenes where Walt is exposed as the slimebag he's become.



I detest Drive-ins, Diners and Dives. Shuffle the deck-every episode is the same. Phil loves it. Loves watching meat cook on a grill. I can respect a good cooking show, but damn, this isn't it.



I know we need another TV, but we both kind of think we can find common ground. Right now, JUSTIFIED and MAD MEN are the only shows we both like. And I ask you, how different is JUSTIFIED from BREAKING BAD.



Is there a TV show you and your spouse or partner disagree about? Or do you go to your separate corners.

"How I Came to Write This Story" Paula Fleming and Paul Brazill

Uncle Albert's photograph falls off of any wall it's hung on. He looks just like Phil did in his youth. We never knew the man in life but he haunts us if we let him.







Two Stories from Deadly Treats

Treats, Tricks, and Terror in Tin Lake.” Paula Fleming

Anne Frasier contacted me about a Halloween-themed multigenre anthology she was editing and asked if I would write a story for it. Saying yes was easy. I love Halloween. And I love multigenre collections, being an omnivorous reader myself. At first I thought I’d do something set in pagan Britain where the holiday has its roots. But Anne was looking for stories in the 3,000-word range, and I didn’t think I was skilled enough to develop a historical setting unfamiliar to many readers as well as tell a good story that succinctly. So I opted for a contemporary setting everyone would immediately recognize, one I wouldn’t have to devote any words to explaining.

Then I asked, What’s fun about Halloween? Costumes. Costumes are definitely fun. We can be anyone we want on Halloween. We’re granted the power to reimagine ourselves. And costumes are close cousins of disguises. What if a lizard lady from another planet wore a burka in public so she could pass as human? And what if she was stuck in a small town where a woman in a burka was just slightly less alarming than a lizard lady from outer space? I thought that was interesting. I had a protagonist.

What else is interesting about Halloween? From its origins to today, it’s a test of the bonds of community. Children, the community’s most vulnerable members, have license to demand food from the adults of the community, even adults they don’t know. Adults who deny this basic hospitality may be subjected to nonviolent “tricks.” My homesick, burka-wearing lizard lady would view Halloween as an opportunity to be accepted into her adopted community. But maybe in past years, no one let their kids go to the Muslim woman’s house. So this year, she takes a more aggressive approach. My protagonist had a goal.

And how does an unfriendly community react when confronted by outright hate? My thought is, with decency. I had a plot.

And then I wrote it, and tone and voice emerged, and the story was told.



"This Old House" Paul Brazill

Like Bukowski said, it's the little things that send us to the mad house. The shoelace snapping. The gate creaking. The leaky tap dripping. The toilet blocking.

The mundane. The everyday. Horrible, horrible things. Things that make a horrible life worse.

We've all seen it: someone buys a house or a flat which is supposed to be a bargain and then the place eats their money as they try to fix the unfixable. And then the rest of their life starts to crumble.

So this was the idea behind This Old House, the story that Anne Frasier has published in Deadly Treats. And I'm so pleased to have the story in there.

Shakin' Stevens meets Oscar Wilde would be my pitch. No, really.

Bio: Paul D. Brazill's stuff has appeared in loads of classy print and electronic magazines and anthologies, including the 2011 Mammoth Book Of Best British Crime. His noir/horror series Drunk On The Moon and short sharp story collection Brit Grit are out now.His blog, You Would Say That, Wouldn't You? is: http://pdbrazill.blogspot.com/

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Civil Ceremony at Winder Hall dressed by Simply Bows and Chair Covers

Civil Ceremony at Winder Hall dressed by Simply Bows and Chair Covers

Special Occasion lunch at Winder Hall dressed by Simply Bows and Chair Covers

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One- Book Wonders

Saw a good documentary on Harper Lee called HEY, BOO: HARPER LEE and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. ("Hey. Boo," is what Scout says, when she finally meets Boo Radley.)



Lee kept her silence both in this film and over the years. She has not been interviewed since the sixties. It is also poignant that she never wrote another book. No one knows why although I suspect it was the very success of this one.



Quite nauseating though how Truman Capote ended his lifetime friendship with her when she won the Pulitzer. He insinuated for years that he had a hand in the book.



Who are some of the other one-book wonders?