07.31.07
Posted in Books at 13:16 pm by Josh
The Sell Your Novel Toolkit by Elizabeth Lyon - I thought I aught to read a little about strategy, structure, and style in regards to selling my works of fiction. So I chose this book, based off of Amazon reviews, and the basic summary I read about it. It had some excellent information, but some of it was extremely outdated. (She keeps mentioning how e-mail isn’t mainstream yet). The biggest drawback to the book is that it is extremely biased to an editor’s business. At one point, she suggests hiring a private editor three to four times prior to sending out your first query letter. That comes to a minimum of, say, $2400. Minimum. It may be worth the investment for the rich, playboy type who just write books for kicks, but I’m a working man with a Manhattan rent. I’ll take my chances without the professional assistance, thank you. 2.5/5
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Magician’s Nephew - The “official” first book in the series, The Magician’s Nephew is, by far, the cutest of the seven books. At first, I even wondered if The Witch was the same Jadis from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, which, of course, she was. Her character was much more mild, which I only find odd because Nephew was written four or five years after Wardrobe. Anyway, I enjoyed this one very much. 4/5
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Likely the most popular, well-known, and arguably, the best book in the series. There is something that seems extra magical about this book. Maybe it is just my boyish dreams of becoming the High King of a distant world with fauns, Turkish delight, and randomly placed lampposts. 5/5
The Horse and His Boy - I had a little more difficulty relating to this novel. Some of the magic seemed whisked out of this one, maybe because it doesn’t really relate much to the previous two books. Aslan, of course, still plays a main part, but the other characters are not particularly intertwined. I think this one stands the farthest apart from the other Chronicles. 3/5
Prince Caspian - This book sees the return of all four of the Pevensies, as they are called into Narnia by Prince Caspian, rightful heir to the throne of Cair Paravel. With Narnia engulfed in civil war, this book resonates Wardrobe in many ways, which makes sense since they were actually written back-to-back. I thought this one was a lot of fun. 5/5
The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’ - Lucy and Edmund are joined by their bratty cousin Eustace on another trip into Narnia, this time aboard King Caspian’s vessel, the ‘Dawn Treader’. They are in search of the former Caspian’s seven lost friends, but sometimes I forgot that part of the plotline. The story was great, but I feel like it had too much going on at times. 3.5/5
The Silver Chair - This story gets dark. Real dark. Eustace and Jill end up in Narnia on a mission to find and rescue Caspian’s lost son, who ends up deep in the land of the Giants. I found some parts of this one to be maybe even a little too intense for children, though it is still written in a very fairy tale format. I also enjoyed the bringing back of a witch. 4/5
The Last Battle - I didn’t cry, but I came darn close at one point. Parts of this story are heart-breaking; some are infuriating; but then it all comes to a head with such a measure of peace, you can’t help but smile. If you do cry in the end, it can be nothing but tears of joy. 5/5
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling - Better late than never. I finally started the Harry Potter series and I admit it: I’m hooked. I’m amazed at how captivating these books are, enshrouding the reading in both a story and a set of such lovable and loathable characters. I’ve even had strange dreams and at one point, the delusion that I could actually learn magic. And I want to play Quidditch real bad. No, seriously. 5/5
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling - Like its predecessor, this story is full of plot twists, mysteries, and unexpected surprises which keep you turning the pages. I got a little annoyed with both Dobby and the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, but everything else was fantastic. 5/5
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling - Rowling adds about a hundred pages to this Potter tale, and they are well earned, but maybe not well spent. The story flowed well; I don’t think anything was out of context. I just felt like the mystery was so complex, that in the end, I almost found it difficult to follow for a bit. All’s well that end’s well, though. This is still an excellent read and absolutely nothing to miss, especially if you plan to continue through the series. 4/5
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - I don’t know where I found the time to fit this one in, but I did, and it wasn’t all I’d expected. Maybe I’d just been reading too much children’s fiction. The story was very well told and especially as a criminal justice major, it was amazing to be so far inside the process from beginning to end. I did feel that some of the development of extranneous characters was unnecessary, but I realize that Capote was trying to give the full account of what happened, as thoroughly as possible. It just felt like we heard an awful lot about some people who had little to do with the end result. In fairness, it is a major challenge to sum up a six-year murder investigation/trial without boring a reader, and Truman does an excellent job, even if it wasn’t my favorite thing to read. 4/5
That’s all kids. We’re taking a break in August…Probably nothing but Harry Potter. We’ll see 
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07.30.07
Posted in Movies, Culture, Random Thoughts at 16:22 pm by Josh
This is taken directly from Movietickets.com, advertising Broken English:
MPAA RATING:(PG-13), for some sexual content, nudity, some violence including rape, language and drug use
I think it’s time we re-evaluate the rating system…
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Posted in Rants, Culture, Writing at 15:46 pm by Josh
Because I aspire to write novels forever and ever, I recognize that it is my duty to read things such as the Sunday Book Review in The New York Times. Problem is, I’m never particularly interested in what such periodicals have to say.
The truth is that mainstream fiction is failing fast, unless the book has something to do with terrorists or plots to overthrow a faulty democratic government (please note: these two plots are extremely intertwined). But I have to say, I don’t believe that this is indicative of the common interests the of the public. If people only wanted grim whodunits about terrorists and government conspiracies, then why does Harry Potter do so well?
The fact, in my opinion (?!), is that people really do want a variety of genres and they really do like plot (sorry, Chris Baty), and they really will still enjoy reading books that don’t have three chapters’ worth of character development before getting into a poorly-developed plot. I’m not knocking character development; I just don’t think we need to put so much focus on it. In some ways, I blame the market. A couple of character-driven novels sell well, so that’s what agents and publishers look to until something with a tremendous plot sells well, and then they turn back to plot, and then plot has to get split into genres and then they find the genre that’s doing the best, saturate the market again until one of the novels has a great character or two, and then they say, “Gee, character development is really selling. Let’s push that.” And so the cycle continues.
I’m not really sure where I’m going with this except that I’m quickly realizing that my writing is not immediately conforming to the market standard, and that might hurt my chances of ever being successful at this. Regardless, I stand by that stories about guys named Aziz infiltrating suburban America to hide out until it’s time to attempt a large-scale terrorist attack which is inevitably thwarted by masterful FBI work (now you know it’s fiction) just don’t do it for me. Never have. Never will.
And don’t even get me started on the non-fiction…
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07.29.07
Posted in Today, Weather, Writing, Food, Life, Wine at 20:00 pm by Josh
I love rainy Sundays in the summer. The sky opened up while we were in church, which might be Sam’s fault because he did actually ask for it. Anyway, I left church huddled under my umbrella with a perfect stranger which was cozy, even though the entire right side of my body was soaked all the way through. (My umbrella was made for one person, I believe, and I had no intention of huddling underneath it with another). I ate a fine slab of parmesan chicken topped with arugula and tomatoes, along with a Kir Royale which was fan-freakin’-tastic (all of this deliciousness can be found at 41 Greenwich Avenue). The Perfect Stranger had a prosciutto with something that looked yummy, and also a fruit salad which was undeniably the most refreshing thing I’ve tasted all summer. We left, this time my left side exposed so I could experience equal parts of wetness, and I came home where I proceeded to begin working on a new novel, but instead took a nap because the thunder was just so lovely and the sky so dark. It’s one of those perfect days to do nothing and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
That said, now it is back to work on the novel. Oh, haste the day when I can do this during the week instead of in my very little free time!
By the way, the owners of 41 Greenwich Avenue are amazing. If you want a high-end meal with excellent atmosphere while supporting good people in an honest business, please visit this place. You really won’t be disappointed.
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07.26.07
Posted in Funnies, Quotes at 14:48 pm by Josh
From yet another participant at my lousy job:
“I should be retiring right now, I shouldn’t be doing this shit! But I’m humble. Mmhmm, I’m humble, and I’m blessed.”
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Posted in Insomnia, Life at 08:48 am by Josh
Okay, this whole not-sleeping thing has to stop. I’m losing the general functionality of my small motor skills.
On a contrary note, my typing speed was tested again yesterday. 78 wpm. That’s just disgusting.
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07.24.07
Posted in Life at 08:45 am by Josh
I’ve been having strange dreams lately, and I can’t attribute it to anything at all. Grant it, I’ve always been lousy at dream analysis, which isn’t much of a science anyway, but still; I’m interested in the root cause.
The first dream was from Sunday night. It started with me in a cozy, country diner with one of those red-checkered tableclothes, sitting with some friends from church, including one particularly lovely woman who does not actually go to my church, nor does she even exist, as best as I can tell. Anyway, we didn’t seem to mind, and she was singing a Smashing Pumpkins song called “Beautiful”. I started whistling along, and the person next to me made a snide comment, and I left in something of a huff. Next thing I knew, I was on one of those motorcycles they used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when they’re in Germany, arguing about whether or not to go to Berlin. Someone joins me in the little car of the bike, but then the bike morphs into one of those little crotch-rockets, and the person in the sidecar was no longer there, but she was still there…yeah, I don’t get it either. Anyway, I was in Italy on the highway, which I wasn’t sure I was allowed on, and then the road split in an odd, confused way and there were no signs (I was looking for the one labeled “40″). I couldn’t pull back on the throttle, and I went careening into a bog, except there was a railroad track in the bog, which saved me from drowning, but made for an awfully bumpy ride. Eventually, I got off the track and drove the bike awkwardly up a steep incline, which no bike would have ever actually made it up. That’s all I remember.
And now that I’ve said all of that, I’m having difficulty remembering my dream from last night, but I assure you, it was equally as weird, and I believe it involved being pursued to the death, though the death never actually came, and I don’t believe I ever met with my assailant. Really, I don’t know.
I hope you all are sleeping better than I am.
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07.23.07
Posted in Music, Reflections, Life at 08:50 am by Josh
Recently, I’ve rediscovered the Smashing Pumpkins’ album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. This is about the fourth time in my life I’ve done this, and I’m never sorry for it. Mellon Collie is definitely in the top ten albums ever made, and I might go out on a limb to suggest it is the best album ever. The range of relatable emotions covered in the two-plus-bonus-disc series is unmatched in anything I’ve ever listened to before, and while you’d expect a grunge-era band to leave you with an angsty flavor in your mouth, each disc concludes with something that’s…well…melancholy. The title track theme, a gorgeous piano ballad, hauntingly reappears a number of times throughout the album, but instead of bringing you down, it almost brings you to a sort of peace, even a feeling that after all of that, everything is going to be okay.
Of course, I haven’t even mentioned the ingenious use of feedback, harmonics, and Eb tuning which made the Pumpkins a household name in the first place. On Mellon Collie, though, they really went beyond the call of duty, with tunes like Porcelina where the entire guitar solo at the end is a complex array of feedback notes sustained in all of the right places. I had the pleasure of sitting fourth-row twice on the Mellon Collie tour in 1996-1997 and prior to my festival experiences, they were the best concert experiences of my life.
I’m happy to be hanging with the Pumpkins again 
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07.20.07
Posted in Theology, Life at 08:55 am by Josh
Pv. 16:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Not what I felt like reading this morning.
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07.18.07
Posted in Weather, Music, Today, New York City at 08:59 am by Josh
I went to see the New York Philharmonic last night in Central Park with Kyleen and company (John, Justin, Albert, Joyce, and some other lovely people who I’ve never met before). It was perfect weather, and I did a reasonable amount of reading. I only stayed for the first half because I’ve been putting off too much other work, but during that hour I was quite pleased to hear the Philharmonic cover “Summertime” with a brilliant soprano performance by someone whose name I shall never know.
As for today, I am soaking wet because it’s raining forty days’ worth and my umbrella decided to spring a leak.
I need a little love over here.
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