Susannah Breslin’s response to an 24 year old aspiring writer.

Writing aside, it’s not a bad way to do life.  Live your dreams ruthlessly.

I came across a music blog the other day that you would have loved.  It was really ecclectic and reminded me of that website that you used to fuck off with when you were supposed to be working.  There were these great graphics and it was fresh and super indie but not annoyingly so.  It just had good, new music.  Anyway, I found this blog and immediately got excited thinking how I would forward it to you before I even scrolled down to the bottom just so I wouldn’t forget (you know how I get preoccupied and excited and then forget), but before I could right click (yes I’m still on a PC) I remembered.

I’ve been obsessing over fiftywords, a “microfiction” blog, comprised of poems and stories in 50 word baubles, daily.

Sample:

le rêveur

Always with the dreaming, the make-believe, the pretend-to-be. Never with the thinking, the make-it-happen, the things-as-they-are. When others saw rain, he saw showers. When others saw snow, he saw feathers. When others saw darkness, he saw the Milky Way, a sneeze of white light he met with God bless you.

“It’s the seismomachines.” she said breathless, tears running down her face.  “I SAID IT’S THE SEISMOMACHINNNEEEESSSS!!”

Wailing, features contort into long established rivulets of skin and wrinkles and pain, etched like canyons from years of unyielding streams.  The room grows static with tension of people unseen, voices unheard, the effects of unreal machinery palpable.  Her head throws back screaming, fists clenched, thrashing air.  She can touch that.

They open now.  To cover her face before fluttering down.  Like little leaves, dead and wet with rain, given up to rest on knees.

-In addition to writing I work with psychiatric clients.  Today, I’m posting some of their stories.  All revealing details have been changed.

“Ahm feelen cawreyjos”, he says pointing gloved hands at no one, eyes blazing as he talked to the corner wall.

“Ah know lives gawnah git goodah en goodah.” A Gullah lilt raises like dawn the ends of each revelation.

“Cawse tha sun gawnah rise tuhdey jas like it gawnah rise everdey. Yes sir. That son ALHWEYS gawnah rise.”

I enjoy receiving loads of unsolicited familial advice.

Mostly it has naught to do with any real life predicament, but a fantastical, hypothetical situation unrelated to me in the least.  This makes paying attention far easier.

Take for example, the newest jewel arriving to my inbox this weekend:

“another reason why u may not like texas. they have now found a flesh eating parasite in northern texas. this parasite is transmitted from the sandfly. if u want to know more u can go to leishmania parasite on youtube. these parasites were thought to be in other countries, but not here. well they did a big study and found about 29 cases in texas.  moral of the story, wear bug spray if you’re going to texas.”

For the record I don’t dislike Texas.  I just think its crazy.  They have different speed limits for the day and night time.

Also, bug spray doesn’t thwart parasites but that’s beside the point.

Sometimes I forget that there are other more satisfying options. Then I peruse Mediabistro and see that other cities do in fact have lovely, fun jobs with genial sounding potential friends.
Even if I don’t do a type about it, that makes me feel better.

Hey kiddies.

I write weekly post coverage about Charleston events for The Post and Courier’s Preview.  Starting March 11th, The Preview will evolve into Charleston Scene, a larger, full color and more vibrant version of it’s former self.  I’ll continue with my column (“Word on the Street”) in that publication, while tossing in a few other stories from time to time.  For added zest.

As you must be curious about my take on fantastic local happenings, I’m linking stories here each week.  They’re short.  With pictures.  So you don’t even have to try hard.

So here you are!  This week’s write ups.

xoxo

Today I went on a cable news program.  The host was Warren Peper.  His television logo looks like this:

While scientific introduction music plays, an invisible pen writes Warren’s name at the top left corner.  Then the show starts.

Before the show was taped, Peper went into detail about not being able to shake my hand as he has a bronchitis that turned to pneumonia that has graduated into a community disease.  We did not shake hands but he did wear a very festive purple tie.

It all moved so quickly that I barely had time to remove my coat before microphones were attached.  The studio was cold.  Due to the quickness, my blush receptors couldn’t catch up so I remained a neutral, pinky color BUT- my voice got tipped off and started making tremors.  Which means I was nervous.

All in all though it was a fine way to spend 3 minutes and 30 seconds on a Wednesday.  I do hope you won’t watch it!  Just kidding, watch it always starting Thursday, every day, at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. for a week on Channel 2.

Teaser:  The last show I watched with Monsieur Peper and my editor was very informative.  I like the introduction with written script again and puppy barking videos the best!  Here’s a picture of something in the barking video:

Note:  My editor, Marcus Amaker and I went on said program to discuss Charleston S.C.’s entertainment magazine, The Preview, evolving into Charleston Scene, to be launched on March 11th. You SHOULD read a copy of that and attend our launch party at Fish the same day.  5:00 p.m.