A Portrait of the Artist as a Glum ManOriginally written for Episode 62 on Eraserhead (1977) and Freaks (1932). Interviewer: What was Wild at Heart about David? “Well, it’s about one hour and forty-five minutes. ~An interview with Toby Keeler, recounting a conversation with Lynch “Believe it or not, Eraserhead is my most spiritual film.” … Continue reading From the Archives: The Terror Test: Test Prep #17
With my current job I travel more than I ever have. One way I stave off homesickness is by reading books my wife has given me (and rereading poems we’ve written for each other). The one I keep picking up for now is Letters to Véra, Vladimir Nabokov’s letters to Véra Slonim from their first … Continue reading Good night. The day seems to be breaking. The sky is green.–Friday Love Letters
Twenty-First Century playtime: 5YO: I have to take care of this puppy because my mom got this puppy with her husband but then they broke up. They were married but they broke up and now I have this puppy because my mom’s on vacation and the puppy’s babysitter called in sick. ___________________ Last weekend the … Continue reading All About That Broth and Indoor Bug Canopies
Sometimes I can’t tellif she’s eating yogurt ortubes of clown makeup. Continue reading Little Billboards #6
ME: I always like our time cuddling and watching movies or whatever, but I also like seeing how much you all do your own things: playing and drawing, being imaginative. 5YO: We like playing. It’s our superpower. ________ The beginning of the school year has already brought with it some interesting stories. Our youngest will … Continue reading A Great Power with Little to No Responsibility
My wife and I will get a rare date night soon thanks to Nana watching the kids. Our 5YO’s date-night suggestion: “You should go bowling. Then get sad that we’re not there and come back and get us and then we all can go bowling.” I think the “us” is her and her sister, but … Continue reading Date Night Suggestion: Go Bowling, Get Sad
The Jackson 5 songs are fantastic for dancing and studying the electric bass, but for life advice, they sometimes fall flat. “I Want You Back” is how I test a bass’s playability, but testing love through the “simplicity” or “easiness” suggested in “ABC” is probably a mistake. In 2012, we had our first child and … Continue reading Abecedarian–That’s How Easy Love Can Be.
The 5YO told me a dream: I went on a walk and I found the pond. (The one we walk to behind our place, though it sounds like she’s discovering it here in some dream geography.) I saw a copperhead and he tried to get me, but I punched him in the face. (There are … Continue reading Annotated Dreams and Swamp Things
While my wife prepped for the upcoming school year, the kids stayed with their aunt, uncle, and cousins. Our 5YO has many opinions. She informed us that she was going to wear a fancy dress and high heels to her first day of kindergarten. She decided to make do with new pink sneakers, though she … Continue reading Letters from Camp Aunt Sissy
Stephen McClurg 