April 6, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

An Interview with Courtney Bingham

Courtney Bingham began her career in modeling at the age of 17. She later went on to work under Christine Peters(How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, The Out of Towner’s)at Paramount Pictures/CFP Productions. She went on to produce the movie Inappropriate Comedy starring Adrien Brody, Rob Schneider, Lindsay Lohan, and Michelle Rodriguez. She currently has two radio shows on XM and IHeartRadio Platform, The How 2 Girl, which offers thrifty how to tips for today’s busy woman, and the half hour weekly pop culture show Behind the Gates. It was a delight to sit down with her and talk just before her pending marriage to Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx.

What were you like as a little girl? What are some of your most fond childhood memories? What did you want to be back then?

As a little girl I was always creative. I loved doing arts and crafts and my favorite day of the week was Saturdays because that is when I would get to go to the craft store and pick out fun projects to do at home. I loved school but mainly the social aspect, not so much the studies. Some of my favorite memories growing up were spent building sand castles at the beach where I was born and raised, riding Space Mountain at Disneyland with my mom and learning to ski at three years old in Utah where my moms family lives. I always saw myself being an “moviestar” when I was little, but oddly enough I never had the actual acting bug, I think I just liked the glamour in it all, not the work.

What led to you becoming a model at 17?

Growing up I was obsessed with Cindy Crawford. I thought, and still do think she is the most beautiful woman in the world, plus she’s an extremely intelligent and business savvy woman. I used to watch her work out videos when I was little and just loved everything about her. I was always tall and thin, I would sometimes get teased, especially in middle school and my mom would always say move over Cindy Crawford. I was not only fascinated with Cindy, who I later in life got to know and love, but the fashion world really mesmerized me. As soon as I hit 5’10 I was on a mission to find an agency and start my career, soon after I signed with Wilhelmina Models.

What was it like when you first left America to live abroad in Europe? What was running through your mind when you first arrived there?

When I moved to Milan, Italy to pursue modeling at 17 I was beyond excited and ready to start a new chapter of my life. I think a lot of girls would be intimidated or nervous at that age to move to a new place let alone a country that mainly speaks Italian but I could not wait for the adventure and for the experience that awaited me. I have always been the type to dive in head first to new things without fear or hesitation. When I arrived and met my agents at Why Not Models I instantly fell in love. The Italians are the sweetest, kindest people and I felt so much support right from the start. Everyday walking around to go-see’s I was blown away by the beauty in the architecture, the people, the fashions, the language, and the food. This was when I believe my passion and love for traveling and food began.

How did you come to work for Christine Peters? What did you learn from your time at Paramount?

Christine Peters and I were introduced through mutual friends when I was 18. Christine was hot off of producing the hit romantic comedy, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and we immediately clicked and became great friends. In 2007, at 21, I had just returned to LA from living in Madrid, Spain modeling and she welcomed me into her production family with open arms. I was always very interested in film production and what better way to learn than from a seasoned veteran! The two years I worked with Christine were unforgettable and life changing. I really learned so much from her and she mentored me more than she will ever know.

Did you develop a love of cinema at an early age? Do you happen to remember what move first made a lasting impression?

I always loved going to movies like any child or teenager, but what really caught my eye and my attention was all of the details that went into a film. I was always very interested in all of the components that make a film great, the editing, the sound, the music, the lighting, the casting, you name it. I was able to dissect all of the sometimes overlooked details that take a film from good to amazing. That is why I believe I became a great producer whether in film or producing segments and radio for my DIY brand The How 2 Girl, I understand what all goes into making a project great.

What was it like to work as a producer on Inappropriate Comedy? What was the most challenging aspect of bringing this film into being?

Working as a producer on Inappropriate Comedy was one of the best learning experiences of my life. I had to get out of my comfort zone because the material and type of slap stick comedy that the movie consisted of wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I was also lucky to work with a vast array of people all with very different personalities and was able to bring everyone together for the common goal of getting this movie made. My favorite part of the process was spearheading the casting, working with wardrobe to find the right outfits that suited the actors and the scenes, and working with the amazingly talented Adrien Brody. To say the production was filled with a lot of fun times and a lot of laughs would be a huge understatement.

Do you think producing film is something you will do more of in the future?

I love film producing and most certainly will be doing it in the future. I just finished writing my fist script, the working title is A Dog Movie. I had the time of my life co-writing it and hope to produce it myself and bring it to the big screen with Disney.

Are there any little known things about you that your fans might be surprised to learn?

I am deathly terrified of sharks and refuse to go far out into the ocean to swim or surf. I am a home body. I am not a big reader, I lose interest in books very quickly and that is something I’m trying to change. I have never been a very patient person, also something I am working on. I am scared of snakes. My favorite three movies of all time are My Cousin Vinny, Clueless, and Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. I love the show Snapped. I also love working out to Motley Crue.

Do you think the media puts too much pressure on the average person when it comes body image?

Absolutely. I am a big advocate for women to be healthy, whatever that means for your body type. I think eating right and exercise is super important for your mind, body, and soul. I naturally have a thin frame and when I look at a lot of these fashion magazines I can’t believe how thin some of the girls are now. They make me look big and I’m a size 2. It’s not only crazy and impossible for any woman to achieve but it’s wrong. Fashion houses should think about using women that are not 15 and look like little boys in their adds. I’m sorry but this is why so many teenage girls have bad body images. When I was modeling I refused to starve myself and work out 3 times a day because that is ridiculous and when I lived in NYC, I was considered too curvy for a lot of the fashion shows. A size 2 too curvy? That’s crazy. I think curves are sexy. People need to realize it is ok to have curves and to embrace them.

What advice would you offer other women in regards to beauty and self image?

Be the best you can be. Work with what you’ve got. Accentuate your assets that are unique to you. Don’t measure yourself to someone else or someone else’s genetics, that’s just a total waste of time!

How do you come up with all the ideas you offer up on The How 2 Girl? Do you think it is important to know how live on a budget in today’s economy?

I think it is important for everyone to save money anyway they can. I look at how lucky I am and how lucky so many of us are to have roofs over our heads and running water. That is a gift. There are so many people that have to do without, so I think spending money frivolously on things when you can find them or do them for less is wasteful. Of course there are those things we like to splurge on, but when you can save money without losing quality why not? That is an obvious choice in my book. Most of my How2Girl ideas actually come from a need I’m filling for myself, my family, or my friends. I love being creative and getting the most bang for my buck and I love nothing more than passing on those time and money saving ideas to my followers.

How did you and Nikki first meet? Were you a fan of his music before you met? What is he like as an individual?

Nikki and I were introduced through a mutual friend because he thought we would click as friends. We spoke over the phone for a few weeks and when we met in person, we instantly clicked. I knew a little about his band but not too much about him when we met.

How are you feeling about all the attention your wedding has been receiving? Does it make you any more nervous about the upcoming day? Do you enjoy attention or would you say you are more introverted?

I have loved being able to share aspects of our special day with the world. It’s been amazing!

What do you think is the key to a life well lived?

Riding the rollercoaster and not sweating the small stuff.

Do you have a dream project you would most like to complete?

I want to build The How2Girl brand into the next Martha Stewart Living via television, radio, home goods, makeup lines, hair care, and home improvement goods.

April 4, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

“Ornithology” by Manuel Paul Lopez

Ornithology

Few trees radiate much fun in the desert, he said. The shopping mall is the villain the hero lunges for when the economy whistles in the wind. I’ve been looking for you. My encyclopedias are without a home now with this technology in our heads. A fountain bursts from the earth and he swears he saw Ornette Coleman playing saxophone at the edge of the horizon. Moonshine on her forehead. The desert never sleeps. It watches, even when the quiet itches, and the sand stirs a migraine in a migrant’s head. I felt the news retreat from as far away as New England, the indigenous vision powdered by the European boot. Come on, friend, let’s just try it. My ears were made for jazz. Abel’s ear lobes are pierced with Milt Jackson’s vibraphone sticks. Last night a commercial pilot shared a story with us about his recent flight from Guadalajara to Los Angeles that didn’t involve the melting snowball constraint practiced by the Oulipo. The story was about an elderly woman who died while in the air. The crew tried to save her. They used compressions, a defibrillator, and a doctor onboard shot her with an epinephrine pen straight through the chest. Her husband, fed tequila by the flight crew, sat heavily in his seat as they worked on his wife at the front cabin where she eventually died and left herself to a blanket draped across the length of her body. When the trip concluded the passengers touched down to a new realization: the difference between arrival and departure is what? Not a snowball, but the whole Sierra melted for a husband that night; mountains of water overflowing the rusty-riveted wooden bucket in his chest. (The mind sees so much water in the desert when thirsty and on the verge of deliverance) My father was a trombone player. His horn wailed like a sad commander perched among the insane asylum’s rafters, which to my father, meant no battle but a war declared by a guilty conscience. Standing armies are catalysts for war-mongering jingoists my history teacher instructed. They’re expensive, and when they’re not actively engaged in plots to unrest a potential enemy to shamelessly plunder its resources, it becomes a drain on the economy and is no longer justifiable. Who would have ever thought! Blessed be the snowball that melts by its own accord. Ah. We are not there. Though somewhere I can feel the wind banging softly against our collective faces, and my heart the amble of a sleepwalker chasing colossal love.

Manuel Paul Lopez’s work has been published in Antique Children, Bilingual Review, Bitter Oleander, Blue Mesa Review, Chiron Review, Hanging Loose, Puerto del Sol, and others. His first poetry collection was entitled Death of a Mexican and other Poems. His newest collection The Yearning Feed is out now.

http://manuelpaullopez.blogspot.com/

March 31, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

“Michou” as read by Jack Ketchum from “Notes from the Cat House”

Notes from the Cat House features 60 over poems from the BramStoker-Award winning author. It is available in ebook format as well as audio, in which Jack himself reads all of them. Michou is dedicated to the artist Neal McPheeters and his wife Victoria, who did save Michou from the basement of a bar.

To hear Michou as read by Jack please see: http://www.davidniallwilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MICHOU_v1.mp3

Notes from the Cat House is available at Amazon.com, CrossRoad Press, and Audible.

March 28, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

” Frank James” an excerpt by Michael Xavier

Frank James

Frank James had the same dream every night. He tossed and turned between his 800 thread count sheets and dreamed he was someone else.

Someone that possessed certain special powers; someone who had the innate ability to bring people back.

He dreamed that his words and deeds had no consequence. And if they did, he would flip a switch inside his special head, and flash a beam of light from his special eyes, and anyone who went away would come back to him.

Tumbling in reverse until they were back to the moment they stepped away.

Frank liked the way they fell in line, poised to hear his next few words. And what his next few words were always going to be were . . .

I’m sorry.

Finally repairing the damage of right vs. happy. He had learned this lesson the hard way, after the very last person he let himself love went away.

So now he sleeps, bringing them back. All of them.

But the thing is, Frankie cannot sleep. And when he does, it doesn’t last.

So he spends most days at the bus stop, putting himself into other bodies. Using the special beam of light to make himself into someone else so he can sit next to strangers. Getting as close to them as he can without scaring them away.

Feeling them breathe and swell with emotions he once felt.

He sits and he remembers.

It lasts as long as it takes the next bus to arrive, and then they are gone—off to the places where people go.

Sometimes he uses his special powers to leave first. He gathers himself and walks to the next bench, to soak up the human vibrations that others take for granted. And then he leaves when his body is full.

Frank never knows when he is dreaming. He only knows that he must bring them back . . .

All of them.

So he starts with “her”. She was the last- the greatest- the name he still whispers in the thinnest part of the night, while the rest of the world sleeps.

He brings her back and she sits at the bus stop, not quite knowing why she is there. Bound to the bench and waiting.

Frank sits next to her, the beam of light in his eyes fades as he begins to unwind the memories of them. He does this by touching his thumb to the tip of his pinky finger, then his ring finger- his middle, his pointer, then back to his pinky.

He does this while he thinks.

He considers for a moment, why he is still alone.

He sits and he tells her all that he remembers;

She lived across the street from Disneyland, and every night the fireworks from the castle would light up her room-

Throwing color across her walls in tidal waves of red, white, and indigo. Finally fading back, shrinking to the blackened hush of her life, returning to the distant cheers of the crowd inside the magic kingdom.

He remembers she told him these things in the slick quiet moments after they threw their desperate naked limbs together.

He tells her he remembers dismissing these facts as trivial- as having no consequence to the quality of life whatsoever. It is only in this moment, telling her, that he suddenly remembers her face when she used to kiss him hello. And how the small of her back tightened like a flower at dusk when they made love.

It is also then, that he wonders where it all went wrong.

He tells her this as she sits there beside him in a body he safely dreamed of her having, a body old and worn.

Safe.

A body that he could tell that he was afraid.

Afraid like a boy in the dark after the lights went out, and all was quiet.

Too quiet.

So he tells her these things; all of them….

That his leaving was cowardly, that the life he saved was his own.

His own and no one else’s.

-MICHAELXAVIER

More information on Michael Xavier and his work can also be found on Van Gogh’s Ear at the following links: And You Will Find Me and An Interview with Michael Xavier.

March 25, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

An Interview with Jonathan Maberry

New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry has been a working writer since 1978. Before switching to fiction in 2004, he sold over 12 articles, two plays, greeting cards, and 28 nonfiction books. His first novel, Ghost Road Blues, was published in 2006 and he is currently writing his 22nd novel. He’s also sold fifty short stories and writes comics for Marvel, Dark Horse and IDW. Two of his books, Dead of Night and Rot & Ruin, are in development for film.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Did you always have an active imagination as a child? What were you like back then?

I’m pretty sure I was telling stories within a half an hour of being born. I’ve always wanted to write. It’s what defines me. Although I worked several oddball jobs on the way to becoming a full-time writer. I was a bodyguard in the entertainment industry, a bouncer at a sleazy strip club, a martial arts instructor, and a graphic artist and actor in regional theater.

As a kid I was shy and very much in my own head. I grew up hard, though. Bad neighborhood, bad home life. Poor as dirt. But books were my escape route. I read, I learned, and I got the hell out.

Do you happen to remember what you very first favorite story was?

My first story was something I saw rather than read, but it hit me pretty hard. It was a two-part episode of the original The Outer Limits, called The Inheritors. A brilliant, subtle, and surprisingly moving story. I saw it when I was about nine or ten, and from that point on I connected good storytelling with real human emotion.

My first favorite book was also the first book I ever read outside of school. Conan the Wanderer. I bought it brand new on my tenth birthday in 1968.

Did you enjoy comics early on? Why do you think they have had such a mass appeal? How did it feel to get to write for Marvel?

I fell in love with comics even before I fell in love with novels. My first comic was Fantastic Four #68, which was published in November 1967. I’d never really paid much attention to comics before. I was obsessed from about page three. From then on I was a Marvel Comics kid. Some D.C., a lot of Warren and old E.C., but mostly Marvel.

How does writing comics differ from writing stories and novels etc.?

Novels and short stories are a solitary process. It’s you and the story. With comics it’s far more of a collaborative process. You pitch a story to an editor, you write an outline and review notes on it, then you do the script, and after that you interact with the artist as he goes from rough sketches to inks. Then there’s the colorist and letter. Plus, you have to script comics so that the visuals tell much more of the story than do the word balloons. You have to allow the artist to participate in that storytelling process, and you have to trust that he can do just that.

What led you to first try your hand at writing?

I began writing for school papers in the fourth grade. By junior high I was writing for the yearbook. I wrote short stories for English class assignments, and I even put together some stories in photocopied/stapled form to give to friends. Writing was always something I wanted to do. However in high school my focus was on nonfiction. I wanted to be an investigative political journalist. I went to college to study journalism, but while there I shifted focus again, this time to magazine feature writing, which I did for twenty-five years. While I was a teacher at Temple University I began writing textbooks, for my class and others. I didn’t get the bug for fiction again until 2004.

How has the publishing industry changed most since you first started your career?

When I started, editors and writers were faceless people. There were no computers and the Internet wasn’t even a dream. I wrote hundreds of articles on typewriters. My first nonfiction books were written on a Commodore-64. The publishing industry, as I knew it then, was magazines and textbooks. The fiction aspect of it wasn’t even on my radar, and I knew very little about it.

In 2005, when I sold my first novel, Ghost Road Blues, digital publishing was in its infancy and the economic crash hadn’t happened. Everything changes after 2009. Now digital is a fact of publishing life, social media has become as important as writing talent, the economy necessitated that writers become far more involved in the process of self-branding and in marketing their works. It’s all changed and it keeps changing.

I’m totally cool with that evolution. I keep in touch, I stay up to date, and I play those changes like hands of cards. It’s a fun game if you look at it the right way.

What exactly is Shinowara-ryu Jujutsu? Can you tell us a little more about that?

Shinowara is a lesser-known old Samurai family fighting system. About a thousand years old, but dying out here in the 21st Century. It’s very old-school in that it focuses on deep understanding of physics, physiology, anatomy, the law, psychology, and a technical philosophy particular to its practitioners. It isn’t pretty. It works, but it’s not for the casual practitioner. It’s not easy to get promotion. As a result, it’s fading like most of the other good fighting arts.

Did your own martial arts training come in handy when writing your books on the subject?

I draw on my nearly fifty years of martial arts training quite heavily, and on the years I worked as a bodyguard and bouncer. Sadly, I’ve been in a lot of violent confrontations. I know how fights work. I don’t like fancy-schmancy nonsense. When I write a fight scene, everything that happens is actually possible. And nobody does any silly jump-spinning ninja death kicks.

Had I not been involved in the martial arts as deeply or for as long, I doubt I would be writing the same kind of action stories.

How did it feel to be inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame?

It was a wonderful honor, and totally unexpected. My extensive writings on martial arts, including several textbooks for university classes, was a significant factor in that honor.

Do you enjoy writing fiction more than nonfiction? How to the two of those differ most?

I feel like I’ve ‘done’ nonfiction. I did it exclusively from 1978 through 2004, and I continued to write nonfic books and articles up to 2012. I loved the process –the research, the interviews, the construction of feature pieces, the planning of booklength works. It was a great mindscape to wander around in, and I still do extensive research and even some interviews, but now it’s in support of my novels. It’s time to put the nonfic away for a bit. Besides, I’m totally in love with fiction. I’m writing three to four novels per year, as well as two monthly comics and scads of short stories. Right now, it’s more fun to make everything up.

What led you to depart from nonfiction to write works dealing with folklore and the paranormal?

Nonfiction was my bridge. After doing a bunch of books on the martial arts, sports and related themes, I decided to do one in honor of my grandmother. She was an amateur folklorist and amateur anthropologist. She loved studying the beliefs of cultures all over the world, and she had a bias toward legends of the occult and supernatural. I’m pretty sure she believed in everything. Absolutely everything. Kind of like a Luna Lovegood as an old lady. So, to honor that, I wrote a nonfiction book about the folklore of vampires –The Vampire Slayer’s Field Quide to the Undead, published under the one-time-only pen name of Shane MacDougall.

Writing that book renewed my interest in horror movies and novels. And diving into the genre fiction gave me the idea to try my hand at it. After all, I’ve tried a lot of other kinds of writing. I’d already published articles, how-to books, greeting cards, plays, reviews, textbooks, song lyrics, poetry. So, in 2004 I wrote my first novel, Ghost Road Blues, which draws heavily on the research I did for the Slayer’s Guide. I fell in love with fiction during the writing of that book, and I am even more deeply in love with it now.

Why do you think society has always been so fascinated with things they can’t explain?

Although many people take pride in being ‘realists’ and ‘skeptics’, most of us want to believe that there’s more to the universe than this weary old world. And not just other planets or galaxies –but other kinds of worlds. Other dimensions. Other beings. Other aspects of the world and of ourselves. We like to believe that magic, in some form or another, exists. Even skeptics will pick up a heads-up penny and hesitate before taking one that’s heads-down. I have total nonbeliever friends who read their horoscope in the paper –just on the off chance that one day it will be right.

We are an inquisitive species. We are always cracking open the rock to see the crystal, peeking through the brush to see the unknown species, chasing the flitting thing through the forest in the hopes that it’s something rarer than a butterfly.

Do you have any one body of work that you consider to be your favorite? If so why is that?

I’m fickle about my own work. I love the Rot & Ruin series for different reasons than I love the Joe Ledger novels or the Pine Deep Trilogy. I love all my children.

How does it feel to be labeled a New York Times Bestselling Author? Did you even dream you’d have that added to your resume?

I never really thought it was in the cards for me. I still get a jolt out of it. It’s moderately surreal. Ditto for having won a Scribe Award and four Bram Stoker Awards. That sort of thing happens to other people. So…I’m still in the ‘wow’ phase.

Are there any little known things about you that your readers might be surprised to learn?

I used to be a singer/actor in regional theater. I loved performing in musicals, and I did that all through high school and well into my early thirties. I played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Arthur in Camelot, Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and a whole slew of other roles. I loved it.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m in the middle of what I call ‘hell year’. It’s fun, but it is crazy. I have four and a half novels to write this year. I just finished The Nightsiders, the first in a new series of SF/horror/fantasy mash-up novels for Middle Grade readers, which will be released at the end of this year by Simon & Schuster. I’m currently writing Predator One, the seventh Joe Ledger weird-science thriller. Then I write Deadlands: Ghostwalkers, a novel inspired by the classic RPG; then Watch Over Me, a mystery-thriller for older teens. I’m also writing two new monthly comics for IDW: V-WARS, based on my shared-world anthology series, and Rot & Ruin, based on my teen post-apocalyptic zombie books. I’m editing two anthologies, V-WARS: Blood and Fire and Out of Tune.

And I have a new novel in stores, Code Zero, the 6th Joe Ledger thriller (from St. Martin’s Griffin), and a collection of stories due out next month, Joe Ledger: Special Ops. My limited-series horror comic, Bad Blood, wraps in two months from Dark Horse. JournalStone will release a hardcover special edition of Ghost Road Blues. Griffin will release my new zombie novel, Fall of Night, in September. And I have a few other projects on the fire about which I can’t yet spill details…but they’re extremely cool.

Anything you’d like to say in closing?

Yeah…if you haven’t read my stuff before, come and take a bite. You might have some fun. If you have, then thanks for sharing the ride. Hope you dig the scenery.

You can find me online at www.jonathanmaberry.com, on Twitter at @jonathanmaberry, on GoodReads, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jonathanmaberry.

Editors Note: Readers of Van Gogh’s Ear can also find his story Doctor Nine on site at: https://theoriginalvangoghsearanthology.com/2013/08/28/doctor-nine-by-jonathan-maberry/

March 21, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

The X-Ray Art of Arie van’t Riet

Turtles, wagnerianus, azalea

Monkey (mummificated)

Helianthus tuberosus

Chameleon, hanging begonia

Arie van’t Riet is a medical physicist from the Netherlands. His x-ray photographs are available in limited edition prints. More information on those and more examples of his work can be found at http://www.xrart.nl/.

Iguanas,bromelia, tillandsia

Along the road side

Chicken

Caduseus dutch

Turtles, wagnerianus, azalea

Dragonfly, Wild Roses

March 13, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

“Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom” Available on VOD

Today marks the digital release of Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom, the definitive film about one of the silver screen’s most fascinating stars!

From his difficult childhood in the Bronx to his rise to international fame, Tony Curtis gives his most honest and intimate interview of all in a film that’s not only a biographical account of the legendary actor and his six-decade film career, but also an exploration into the universal concept of fame and its impact on Hollywood stars. Combining personal interviews from family, friends and co-stars (including Hugh Hefner, Theresa Russell, Harry Belafonte, Debbie Reynolds, Mamie Van Doren, John Gilmore, Sally Kellerman, Nicolas Roeg and Jill Curtis), filmmaker Ian Ayres forms some incredible material into a revealing portrait of one of Hollywood’s greatest legends.

This feature-length film is now available in North America on the following platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, YouTube (TVOD), Vudu, XBox and Sony Entertainment Network (Playstation).

Available on Vudu at http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!content/512966

To rent or own from Amazon please see here.

March 12, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

An Interview with Tommy Emmanuel

Tommy Emmanuel is an acoustic guitar virtuoso who has delighted fans with his complicated fingerstyle technique. He has been playing Maton guitars for most of his career. A long standing fan of Chet Atkins he recorded the album The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World with Atkins, the album also turned out the be the last Atkins ever recorded. Tommy still performs at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society every July in Nashville. He recently wrapped a tour alongside Martin Taylor.

What was it like being taught to accompany your mother on steel guitar when you were only 4? Do you think looking back those are some of your most fond memories? What do you think is the most important thing you learned from her?

It was so long ago, it’s hard to remember everything. I recall it was exciting to play music with my mother – everyday I looked forward to hearing the school bell, knowing that I would run across the road to our home and my mum would be waiting to play. She showed me some songs that were simple and easy to remember. She taught me how a song is constructed, to know the difference between the verse and the chorus and the bridge, and to look out for key changes. I think I learned the importance of melody against chords through learning all these songs.

Do you remember what it was like to work as musician at the age of 6? Did you ever get stage fright when you first started playing to crowds?

I was never afraid of going on stage – in fact, the opposite is true; I couldn’t wait to get out there. I’m just the same today.

I read somewhere that you vividly remember the first time you heard Chet Atkins on the radio, can you tell us a little about what that moment was like for you back then?

I heard Chet on the radio and it sounded better than anything I’d ever heard. There was a power and great tone in his playing, and at the same time, it was very commercial-sounding for its day. Everybody was attracted to Chet’s records. I recall thinking, “I want to do that.” He sounded better than everyone else.

What was Chet Atkins like? Aside from his playing what did you love most about him?

He was a guy who loved life and loved people and was fascinated by human achievement. He taught me to appreciate the cleverness of some people and to not forget the simpler things of life. His positive attitude and humble approach with me and everybody else around him, made life seem like it was full of possibilities.

What do you love most about playing the guitar?

The fun it brings to people to hear and watch it. It is a weapon of mass construction!

Why do you prefer to use Maton guitars?

I like everything about them. They feel great, they sound good and when you plug them in, no other guitar comes close. I like many brands of guitars, but for me, the Maton is the complete package.

What was it like to perform with your brother Phil at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000?

Two words: exhilarating and unforgettable. We played lived using inner-ear monitors and Line 6 pods. We played to a backing track but we were live. It was such a big event that the rehearsals went for two weeks. It was an amazing achievement and I was so proud of my country for hosting this amazing event.

Do you think certain talents such as musical ability are inherited to a certain extent?

I think a person’s desires and abilities are definitely handed on through the generations, but those who do well with their abilities are the ones who are willing to put in the work and be dedicated, and who are willing to sacrifice for its fruition.

Why do you think music has been such a powerful force throughout the ages?

Music goes back to the dawn of civilization. There’s a principle here: sing to that which is unproductive and it will be productive. Nature will always answer your call. In the same way that native Americans would sing to their crops to make a good harvest, I play to the people to try to make their lives better.

Do you ever wonder where your life would be now if not for the music?

I cannot imagine one day without music – it would be sad!

Do you still enjoying touring as much as you did early in your career?

I enjoy touring more than ever because I’m not just a player in a band. These are my concerts and I have a greater obligation to the audience to give more of myself.

Is it true you don’t use set lists? Why is that?

I only use a set list if I’m working with a band or orchestra so that people know what’s coming next. When I work on my own, I don’t need a set list – I decide what I’m playing on the fly based on being in the moment.

I read somewhere that Steve Vai considers you one of the most inspired acoustic guitar players he has ever seen. What are your feelings on that? How does it feel to have guitarist from all various skill levels admire your work?

I’m just one of millions of guitar players around the world. We are like a brotherhood and sisterhood and we are all different. Steve has been a good friend to me and his words are always encouraging. The funny thing is, we are all so busy that sometimes we have to communicate with each other through interviews like this!

What advice would you offer the beginning guitarist?

Learn some good songs. Keep it simple and give yourself lots of time.

Is there any one moment that you consider to be the highlight of your career?

No…every day above ground is a good one for me. What’s next is what’s intriguing to me. A life in music is filled with endless possibilities.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m always hoping to write more songs, but I’ve been practicing some Jerry Reed songs recently to play them better. I have a new solo album in the works and also an album of love song covers with John Knowles as well. We are busy boys!

What do you think is the key to a life well lived?

Everything in moderation. Keep things simple, don’t get greedy and be generous.

If you don’t mind my asking what are your personal feelings on death and what comes after? How do you hope to be remembered when your time comes?

Death does not sadden me, it’s just part of life. I have never cried at a funeral. I don’t worry about being remembered, I just do the best I can while I’m here. I certainly don’t know what will happen to me after I die, nobody does!

Anything you’d like to say before you go?

Music is one of the best ways to communicate feelings and ideas, so use it wisely.

March 9, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

“Existence, Example and Eccentricities” by Jen Karetnick

Existence, Example and Eccentricities

Two floors down

and one wing over,

a maid, in snow-white

armor and mild-

tempered faith—

a muffled trouble—

reduced large portions

of men to size

with little application.

Not-so-good ensued.

It wasn’t the girl’s

fault. This isn’t the press.

An ancient state of mind

must be forgiven.

Note: This is a found poem from the Pulitzer Prize-winning work, Advise and Consent, originally created for the “Pulitzer Remix” National Poetry Month challenge website. The poem was only available for viewing for April, 2013.

Jen Karetnick is the author of three poetry chapbooks, the latest of which is Landscaping for Wildlife (BigWonderful Press, December 2012). Her work has appeared widely in print and online in Barrow Street, Blood Lotus, Cimarron Review, Cleaver Magazine, Georgetown Review, Gravel Mag, North American Review, and River Styx, among others. She works as the Creative Writing Director for Miami Arts Charter School and a freelance food-travel writer and critic for several national and regional publications, including MIAMI Magazine, Relish, 10Best/USA Today, and Vegas Player.

March 1, 2014 by theoriginalvangoghsearanthology

The Art of Theo Danella

Among the European artists, the works of Theo Danella stand out by their lightness. An aesthetic that no longer is commonplace in our time: Winning and friendly, sometimes even funny. Here, with dignified restraint. Sometimes, loud, but not shrill.

The style of Theo Danella’s work is partly by hand, but this is by no means technology-abstinent. On the contrary! Despite references to the traditional painting contemporary aids, the world of color sometimes from the Flemish early Baroque, the grain here and there reminiscent of Gulbransson, show how the artist tries to be transported into the present. There are also scanned drawings in mimeographed ornamental arrangement in addition to digital sketches, and “mixed-media” and digital “computer painting” (the painting board under the “mouse-pen”) square. Painted beauties photographed before – “mounted” – garden fence. Collagen own drawings, integrated with vector-like graphics or images in the ink style.

For more information on his work please see: http://theo-danella.com/ and
http://www.danella.de/