irony and romp of the neo-leisure

I'd gotten taken up in a pair of Chicago writers' groups. On the internet. One using the name, 'association'. For both, my application was reviewed over a number of days before being accepted. Now it’s been two days since, and over all, an odd experience. I should have known any club that would have me as a member…

The two groups are structured differently through their message boards. In one, your post goes to everyone; in the other, a reply only goes to the original sender.

In one group, Jakob Middlewest had wanted everyone to read the prologue to his novel for the next meeting. It seemed like they exchanged work and gave feed back—that was good.

His prologue to “The Terrorist Acts: A Divine Correspondence in Four Acts” was posted for download. And since I wouldn’t be able to be at the next meeting I thought I could still participate if I read some of the posted work and sent my opinion. I sent Jakob my opinion. But I should say I don’t take prologues seriously—that they are the fluffy part. And I think they are an afterthought. Jakob took offence to the message I sent him.

His prolouge began: "I really don’t want to get into a fight with you. Just the same, I know that sooner or later you’re bound to fight with me or against me"; and ended, "But first, you’ll have to find your way out of this one."

My response was:

Jakob,

I read the prologue. I don't think it works. For one, its too long. And two, the philosophy is a bit naive. Read some Derrida for your references to 'polarities': http://www.hydra.umn.edu/derrida/sign-play.html

I think your prologue could only detract from the body of your work. It doesn't make me eager to read on.

This is how we talk in my writing class. And I am grateful for the candor of my fellow students.

He wrote me back immediately and was rudely expressive: "...it appears you can't cope, and if you can't cope... go." It got my goat up. My father calls me "Mundra Dupa" a lot; which in Hamtramck means 'smart ass'.

I would have offered an in depth critique had I felt your prologue salvageable. That would have meant that it made me eager to read on—and it did not. That said, rework it with some of the same attempted wit and authority that you tried on me, and your prologue could be improved.

And yes, Derrida, even if a bit messianic, was a famous agree-r, “Yes, yes”.

He wrote back again—angry. He called my opinion a “non-event”. Another good line was, "the product of a thinking mind, precisely because there is no thought to it."

And I re-read the prologue wondering if the guy might be crazy. The seven pages were reading instructions to the novel. And it warned, "when you think you understand what is happening in the novel, ask yourself why you think that." “It’s a mystery. But it’s not only a mystery.”

I'll include a paragraph from the beginning of his novel: "In fact, the formation of the team was so secret that the agents had never actually laid eyes on, or directly spoken with, the governmental entity that assembled them. They were instructed (my italics) to refer to this 'invisible boss' as 'the one who formed us,' and say no more about it."

Well, on the other site they have a message board. And every time someone makes an entry it sends you an email. And that, as it turns out, can be very often. But they don’t talk about writing.

They have been talking about blogging. It struck me as strange to get so many emails about blogging (without blog links).

Reading the emails you could see a general consensus on certain points. They agreed the dream was quitting the day job--but, are not writing for the money. And often the market overlooks genius. It’s dumb and random. But maybe, blogging can sell you to a publisher. (almost as if they were part of Middlewest's secret team trying to make contact with 'the one who formed us'.)

I added some discord:

Re: Weekly Discussion Topic

I have always been blessed with tact. But you all are making this sound like a fools game, talking about name recognition, talking about business as if you had something to lose, pressing yourselves for minor appearances and blogs—groveling. You're going for originality, to master a genre?

Get an agent. If your work is not accepted, bin it, recycle it, tweak it—read and write. Read more, write more. Sparkle.

Yeah, it's a game. And it has rules. But your money is in the game. Guerrilla press sure, its still looking to get picked up by a major. Distribution is locked up. And you have to get pushed by the big three to get any respect. And then it's just your foot in the door. Best sellers all have one thing in common, there is a talented writer hooked up with a professional editor, connected to a publisher.

That connection is made by an agent. And if not, how’s the contract going to go?

There is money out there for projects. There are projects (books/movies) going on all the time, with or without you. But if that's what you want, it's not a lottery.

And those of you donating your books to the local library thinking your sales will go up—well...

Just figure out how it works, not how you want it to work— blog to Hollywood movie.

After my entry the traffic picked-up. I had no idea of what I was talking about. But my message was quoted through quite a few posts. And 'picked up by a major' began to be used without quotes. People started talking about agents and how to compose query letters. But they agreed that blogging couldn't hurt. And then one guy said it was starting to sound like "Amway" reps talking to each other.

Well, one of members published a book, "A Punk in Gallows America," in 2001 with a small press that didn’t have any publicity. (This made him sort of an expert).

I found his book reviewed by a graduate advisor in Utah. It sounded like the reviewer had been angry about having read the book. She was contemptuous. She related the premise as such: Eddie Ways has a nice house in a nice Chicago suburb. The novel begins after his wife has left and he is alone in the house. So, after work he starts hanging around prostitutes (stereotypically portrayed) and junkies (also stereotypically portrayed) down in the dark dangerous city--(as if it was a land inhabited by restless natives).

—(and as it happens, it's set in my neighborhood, which made me wonder if the writer had ever been here).

Anyway, the protagonist falls for the alluring self-destructive bar fly possible prostitute; and he is supposed to be too drunk to notice when she pops out to meet her clients. And then the brutal death of one of the other junkie prostitutes makes them “re-asses” where their lives are going. And most everyone, but that sacrificed whore, has a ‘happily ever after’.

The author took his book to stores like a traveling salesman. And they took some books on consignment, but only one store ever paid for the books they sold; and that was Women and Children First.

Another member said:

"An addendum to my previous message: my blog is called "Never too Late!" and the story of publishing my book is in the July archives.

"Marlys Marshall Styne
Author of Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor"

Yeah... 'Everybody is somebody in Luckenbach'.

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys

This successful life we're livin' got us fueding

like the Hatfield and McCoys(1)

And finaly, this from the groups leader:

"One of the things I'd like to share is my joy at how much this group has grown and progressed. While I may still be you're fearless leader, the fact is, I am not the only one who can or should generate discussions here. I think some topics about craft are an important part of growing as a writer. So, while I'm not necessarily the best equipped to post those topics, I'd be happy to see them come online too!

Diana"

"Well...

is this it—the end of civilization? Are we prepared? Well, I hope so. Here, is the official stolen government training film of the secret plan to deal with an alien uprising" (2).

Turned out like baiting a 419.

l'a-r0

1) Ultimate Waylon Jennings, "Luckenback, Texas"

2) Quisimoto: The Further adventures of Lord Quas, "Civilization Day"