Maybe I'm Losing My Mind

It's been a minute since I really cared much about street riding/BMX, but the above video, posted this morning by The Big Lead, pretty much made me question if I was still drunk from last night's holiday party, that's how mind-blowing it is. Great music too.

The fact that the Yankees just traded for Javier Vazquez (¿Tienes Leche? No, actually, not anymore--sorry, Danielle) and AT&T won a 12 city 3G network speed test certainly added to my general feeling of what-the-fuck-itis, but again, watch that video. You won't regret it.


More soon.*

JS



*Or not, because honestly, this time of year is putting a vicious cramp in my internet-ing.

PANK Magazine--"The Fourth" And An Interview

As you may or may not have noticed, I added a "My Findings On The Apocalypse" section to Artificial Night. These are, in apocalypse-speak, my recent publications. On 11/15, I added a link to my story "The Fourth," published in the first-rate PANK Magazine. On the off-chance you don't feel like doing much scrolling, here's the link:

The Fourth

What PANK also does that's pretty cool is interview each contributor. My interview went live on their blog yesterday. Here's the link:

Ask the Author, Joe Stracci

And on the off-chance you don't feel like navigating to their site, which I can't really fathom why you wouldn't want to, especially since you should leave comments about how witty and good-looking I am, here's the interview:

Ask the Author, Joe Stracci
[Roxane Gay / December 9th, 2009 / Interviews ]

Joe Stracci’s evocative story, The Fourth, perfectly captures a holiday weekend spent with family. In his interview, he talks about writing that is neither this nor that, authentic dialogue, and beverages of choice.

1. I can’t quite put my finger on “The Fourth”. It can read as flash fiction or a prose poem with multiple parts. Which of the two is it?

I’m not sure if it’s either. I tend to work on a smaller scale in all facets of my writing life. Labeling a specific piece as “flash fiction” or “minute fiction” or a “prose poem” seems to indicate a choice, rather than just writing until I’ve completed a thought, which is always the goal.

If “The Fourth” is anything, it’s my attempt at a list story—something in the vein of Mary Robison’s “Why Did I Ever”, or Joe Brainard’s “I Remember.” I wanted to present tightly woven clusters of specific moments and images and ideas and dialogue and have the end result be a monument to something bigger. It’s never specifically stated in the story that “The Fourth” is taking place on the Fourth of July, only colloquially in the title, but by the end, you still know that’s what the piece is about, or at least I hope so.

2. “The Fourth” has some excellent dialogue. What do you do to prepare the voices of your characters so they sound authentic?

I listen very closely at family gatherings. After, I say a prayer that my relatives never read my work. (And guys, if you read this—just kidding!)

3. When I was younger, my cousin chased me around with lit sparklers and it scared the shit out of me. What, if any, type of festive explosive spooks you?

The block I lived on in the Bronx from ages 6-13 was a literal warzone on the 4th. It was the best day of the year. You’d fall asleep to the sound of the manhole covers rattling every fifteen, twenty seconds. Even better was the day after—the carpet of spent fireworks on the street. I’ve got a love for things that have fuses and blow up. I actually used a well-known International parcel-shipping company (unbeknownst to them) to mail myself fireworks while on a trip to Key West not too long ago. Good thing that worked out too—my fiancée would have gotten in a lot of trouble when they checked the shipper information and got her home address.

4. What is your favorite thing to eat from the grill?

Sausage—it’s the Italian in me. Slighty-burnt hot dogs too. Basically anything, especially if it’s being eaten outside too. There’s a line in an Amy Hempel story that goes something like, “Food eaten while sitting outside doesn’t count,” and that’s an ideology I’m willing to subscribe to.

5. What have you killed with fire?

Many, many relationships. Kidding—although I have been accused on multiple occasions of having a healthy preoccupation with fire. I did invent the “Flaming Burrito” which is when you take a Penny Pincher, rip out five or six pages, roll the Penny Pincher around the loose pages so they stick out, and then light both ends. It’s a sight.

6. I think this line alone sums up America as a whole “Our country’s cake was chocolate. Inside—Mexican vanilla frosting and raspberry preserves.” Would you agree with this statement? If not, how would you sum up America in a sentence.

A doctor recently told me that 80% of the people in this country have either a first or second generation relative that lived in the Bronx or Brooklyn at some point. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’d believe it. Growing up in the Bronx, diversity wasn’t diversity—it was part of the backdrop of everyday life—so in that sense, I’m somewhat disconnected.

I thought of the idea of “America” recently, actually. I’m making my way through “Infinite Jest,” and there’s a part where two ETA students are discussing annular theory and the idea of (and I’m paraphrasing) fusion creating waste, which becomes the fuel for a different process, and that process’s waste becoming fuel for the original fusion. I don’t think DFW intended it to be interpreted in that way, but to a reformed pessimist, it makes a great deal of sense.

7. What’s your preferred beverage on our day of independence?

Sam Adams Summer Ale from noon until dinner. Bud Light until 8 or 9, and then gin and tonic for the rest of the night. And a Bud Light chaser with any shots that take place along the way. But who’s counting?

--

Again, please go to PANK Magazine's site and check out some of the othe other kick-ass pieces that were in the issue with me.

More soon.

JS

Where Brooklyn At?

Haven't posted in a while, I know. Between the holidays and having minor surgery and then getting caught up at work, it's been one big clustercuss (that's my way of hinting that I recently saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox--see my review here).

Anyway, I've got a couple of bigger posts planned, but in the meanwhile, be sure to check out what I believe is now last week's issue of New York Magazine. They did a multi-armed piece on the Brooklyn music scene, broken down here:

-A piece on the scene in general, especially Dirty Projectors

-An interview with MGMT, where they talk about their upcoming album

-An interview with DJ /rupture

-A guide for finding great venues in Brooklyn

-A guide to great Brooklyn music blogs

-And the biggie, a 40 track play list of the best songs that define the scene. I took the time to download everything and put it all together (they give you a pre-made iTunes link, but it's missing three of the songs) and while I was familiar with some of it already (TV On The Radio, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, etc.), some of it really blew me away (Matt and Kim, The Antlers, The National, etc.). Definitely worth your time/money if you're looking to discover some fresh sounds.


More soon.

JS