Thank You!
Looks like the public, professional looking blog is about to leave the dock here soon. Very exciting stuff. It’s coming at the perfect time to replace the old me.com family blog on film school life and all things north campus that hit a wall right after Showcase and Spring Quarter last year. Heck, I hit a wall back then. So many new and exciting things on the horizon as I build the bridge out of film school into a professional life with a few trusted collaborators. I’m excited to have any eyeballs – family, friends, and fellow wayfaring strangers travel through and share the thoughts, experiences and stories here. As a writer, I’ve always likened journaling (back in the days before the internets) and now blogging as a kind of calisthenics for the imagination. I hope to incorporate some measure of audio, visual, and words here as I engage more than just the film school life, but also other interests – unknown and known to me now. That may or may not include baseball, food, music, theater, television, movies, the civil war, sailing, california, and los angeles. We shall see.
Anyways, what I do want to say before I get rolling is THANK YOU! To Jason and his friend Joe (who work for Elany Arts)for all the awesome work in making Guided By Wire such a perfect place to work words. I owe you guys for all the wonderful work. The picture is of Francis Ford Coppola, who I have been likened to many times before(just last saturday at screenwriter Terry Rossio’s writing house by Terry (look him up here) for instance and who I’ve drawn some inspiration from at different times in my life. Pretty neat photo, huh? Once afain, THANK YOU! to the those that made this site come alive. It’s definitely something I couldn’t do.
All right. And some how it’s just perfect that Jessica left the first real live comment. Now, I know I have a blog. I still have to read Confederates in the Attic, Jess. I’m on it. I promise!
So what is Guided By Wire? Well, I’ll just start with this and get into why I like it/chose it at a later date. It’s a lyric from one of my most favorite singers, Chicago’s enigmatic noir chanteuse, Neko Case who, in a word, is dangerous and who’s voice is divine.
Here are the lyrics:
GUIDED BY WIRE (By Neko Case, from Furnance Room Lullaby)
Voices that did comfort me
Are furthest from my sanity
And come from places I have never seen
Even in my darkest recollection
There was singin’ my life back to meThe life you learn from someone else
That you can only trust yourself
Sometimes that is still too much to wantGravity won’t get you through the mazes
You can never travel by the way you’ve comeI could never choose the ones to love
And the ones who took the credit left me reelin’
But I owe much to the nameless and all those surrogates
Those who’re singin’ my life back to meLife is not a constant thing
It’s only made of short stories
I couldn’t even tell you where I’m from
Guided by the voices I’ve deflected
Guided by electric wires’ hum
I could never choose the ones to love
And the ones who took the credit left me reelin’
But I owe much to the nameless
Those who’re singin’ my life back to meI see you in the future, skippin’ time
While the eyes of all the faithful rest in peace
Yet tonight I see the highway
And someone singin’ my life back to me
So welcome to the place where I’ll collect my short stories and capture the voices of all those faithful singing my life back to me.
Tags: Guided By Wire, Imagination, Neko Case, Thank You
haha yes, please make sure you do get on reading Confederates in the Attic. You’ll love it.
And now I will leave some room for others to leave comments…!
a). I am glad you finally have a blog of your own because for too long now you have been leaving beautiful comments on my brother’s blog that leaves us all wanting more and b). I can see why you are a writer.
and fine, c). I should probably say hello since it’s been a while, so hello:)
Yay, Jessica! Hello & Thank you for the kind words as a first official comment! Now I feel like I really have a blog. Your brother is extremely talented and he knows many talented individuals!
I love the way this site looks, I think it’s very “you,” and I look forward to the wisdom that will be contained by these digital walls.
yeah… that last comment was me. Not really sure how or why I managed to masquerade as you on your own blog.
oh and one more thing, that picture of Neko Case with the black background looks gorgeous on the black blog… you should post more black on black images like that.
Matt, the Cheese Crew in SLC is glad to be on the invite list to Guided by Wire. The boys miss Uncle Matt and look forward to watching your STAR rise. Get those calisthenics in and keep on writing. Come see us when you can!
STAR rise indeed!!! We are so
thrilled that you have “Guided by Wire” up and going…We will be
checking in and enjoying every
bit!!! You never cease to amaze us, and look forward to the future…:You are SPECIAL!!!
You know, I always knew you would do great things, from the first time I met you, always so passionate, I am honored to get a glimpse into your life and where it has taken you- and you should feel honored because this is the first comment I have ever left on a blog!!! love and miss you!
Cheese Crew – I’ve been trying to plot a visit, so hold tight. I would love to come in the spring.
Aunt Ginger and Big Daddy – I hope you guys won big in Vegas.
Christie – I am beyond honored to have a comment from you!
It’s really funny the way things happen. I am living and working on the edge of Eastern KY and have been spending a lot of time just listening. I am mentally cataloging all these stories I have been hearing- as I have done for years- this place is completely full of characters- as most places are when you really pay attention. I feel like I am full of stories and one day they are going to have to come out on paper because, frankly, I get tired of talking. I’ve always thought writing could be my hobby later in life and have really been thinking about the process. So- of course I thought of you and my dear friends from Chicago. Do you think the writing process- separate from style or voice- is something someone just develops or is there some universal truth one would need to know? I feel like the best way would be to just sit down and do it and see what happens. I am curious of your opinion on this.
Christie – that’s a great question. I’ve been teaching undergrads composition and screenwriting for the past year and it’s one I engage in, in the classroom. The process, as I tell them, is simply habit – a solution to the question “How do I do this?” Sure, there’s a little bit of superstition and rhythm to how you enact the steps of the process, but it’s a living thing (or I at least believe it is) and something you grow and hone at the same time. The way I write now, as opposed to twenty years, is radically different. I’m disciplined and organized, and yet more free and stronger in my mechanics, than my younger self could’ve ever imagined. In many ways it’s a lot like learning an instrument – the first day you can barely strum a chord, but if you put in a little time each day and remind yourself it’s okay to fail in an effort to become excellent, in a year you’ll play that chord well, and in ten years you’ll be writing songs or symphonies or playing in front of people – as long as you put in the time. There’s a great book on the writing life and the act of writing – if you get a chance, check it out. It’s called Bird By Bird, by Anne Lamot. And yes, please do tell your stories one day! The world needs all the stories it can get!
I have read a few of Anne Lamot’s books but not that one. I will check it out. Thanks for your words of wisdom and also the permission to write badly in the beginning- I have a perfectionism problem. So nice to be talking to you again!