Verbal Magazine

One massive problem I have encountered as a fairly young aspiring writer is the fact that I haven't really had any solid experience in the field. A degree in English is a good basis to work on, but what I really need is to get something in print. Of course, one can always try and get articles or stories published online. Getting a piece published in the more traditional form though is more important as far as I'm concerned.

That is why I was happy to find out about a monthly literary magazine close to home. Verbal magazine is based in Derry. It is a non profit funded by the Verbal Arts Centre. Each month, the magazine has a readership of about 200,000 people. Their New Writers section in particular caught my eye, as they seem to publish a mixture of established writers and those who are new to the trade. The website can be found here.

http://www.verbalon.com/magazine/

When/if I get a bit of spare time, I plan to submit a few pieces and hopefully get my first step up on the ladder.

Links to the mob

For some time now, I have been fascinated by all things mafia related. I can, and quite often do, quote large chunks of dialogue from films like The Godfather, Casino and the TV series The Sopranos. Much to the annoyance of friends and family, I try to strike up conversations about people like John Gotti, AKA the Teflon Don. Or Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante, the New York boss sometimes called the Oddfather, due to the fact that he would often walk around Greenwich Village in his pyjamas and slippers talking to himself in order to appear insane, thus evading prosecution.

There I go again. So, I became overcome with excitment when I read about the arrests of 13 suspected members of the Gambino family recently. The article is available here:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/US-Prosecutors-Arrest-13-Alleged-Mafia-Members-Of-The-Gambino-Clan/Article/201004315611731?lpos=World_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15611731_US_Prosecutors_Arrest_13_Alleged_Mafia_Members_Of_The_Gambino_Clan

A couple of days later, this video of Italian mobsters setting fire to a bowling lane appeared on YouTube. The music is a poor choice, but apart from that it is pretty exciting stuff.



I know these are some pretty bad guys, but the characters and the fact that such groups still exist fascinates me. What can I say? I guess I'm still just a big kid.

Harmonium - Vert

Recently, I was reminiscing about my stay in Spain for the purposes of the book manuscript I'm trying to produce. I found myself caught up trying to remember the name of a specific bar we used to frequent.

For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the place. All other details were clear as a bell. The comfortable seating, the tapas, the small lights embedded in the ceiling which was painted to resemble the night sky. I even remember asking Lucie, a French friend, the name of a song playing. Then, a name popped into my head. Unfortunately, it was the name of the band and not the bar.

Lucie had informed me that the band were called Harmonium and that they were Canadian, not French. After a quick search on youtube, I found the song. No wonder I asked about it. Vert is taken from the album Si on Avait Besoin D'une Cinquième Saison (1975)



I still can't remember the name of the damned bar.

New LCD Soundsystem - All I want

Just a quick note here on LCD's new track All I want. James Murphy has at times been accused of pandering to the hipster crowd, and going by the recent single Drunk Girls from new album This Is Happening, I would be inclined to agree.

However, all is not lost. All I want is in the same vein of their previous single, All my friends. It is also quite similar sounding to David Bowie's Heroes. And that isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. Importantly though, Murphy makes his tribute to Bowie his own.



Update: NPR are now streaming the whole album for free here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125909422

Colin Bateman on the state UK crime fiction

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the local author Colin Bateman about the state of the crime fiction market in the UK today. Colin is the author of Divorcing Jack which was adapted to screen in 2004. His latest book is 2009's Mystery Man.

The author is described as the king of the comic caper. The interview will form the basis for my industry analysis for the Professional Writing course, and Colin's insights proved very useful. Particularly interesting were his views on the e-book situation and the difficulties encountered by young authors in the field.

I plan to post a transcript of the full interview here after I submit my industry analysis, so watch this space.

Update: Crime writer Mark Billingham has also granted me an interview, so I will be posting both within the next month or so.

1000 Essential Recordings by Tom Moon

I have to preface this review by stating that I have already told a little fib in this post. I doctored the title of the book because the alternative, 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die, A Listener's Life List, irks me. It isn't the simple fact that the title is unwieldy (although was the alliterative addition at the end really necessary?). What annoys me more is the idea that I must do these things before I die. I don't have a fundamental problem with lists, but why call to my attention my impending death? This phenomenon is all over the place these days. 100 films to see before you die. 50 cities to visit before you die. Why not make it 50 cities to visit, enjoy and get home safe afterwards?
Anyway, that is the only complaint I have about this book. At just over 1000 pages, it is ideal to dip in to a random page every so often. Tom Moon's (NPR, Rolling Stone) featured recordings cater for almost every conceivable taste. Genres range from techno and metal to jazz and songbook. There are even a few genres I have never encountered before. What the heck is' fado' for example? (Turns out it is Portuguese music based around mournful tunes and lyrics)

1000 Essential Recordings - I'm persisting with my title - is ideal for any music lover. Each entry is given around a page in which Moon details the origins of the album/track and highlights similar recordings. This will help me in my quest to discover new music for years to come. As Moon states the more you love music, the more music you love.

Collateral Murder

The shocking video below was obtained and made available to the public by Wikileaks. It was shot from the gun sight an apache helicopter in Iraq. It shows the American military shooting around a dozen people, among whom were two Reuters journalists. Their cameras were mistakenly identified by the American troops as RPGS. Both men died along with other locals, and two young children were severely injured. This is an edited version of the original 38 minute tape.

None of the locals involved seemed to be posing a threat or causing trouble before the shooting begins. The US Military has stated that the American soldiers did nothing wrong and were simply following the rules of engagement.

NOTE: This is not intended in any way to be a criticism of the US military or their involvement in Iraq on my part. Rather, it is meant to serve as a window in to the absurd world of war. Troops all over the world are driven to believe that they must kill or be killed.

Address to Impress?

In an effort to expand my vocabulary a little, I recently picked up a copy of Chambers Address to Impress: 200 words you should use. I figured this would be a handy way to improve my range of language, particularly with regard to my writing. We all know there is nothing more grating than reading a piece of text where the same few words seem to crop up time and again.

This little book was really worth the few pounds I paid for it. So much so that I inveigled (Pg 119) my sister and a friend into buying their own copies. See? It's already beginning to pay for itself.
The only major problem I had with the book was the lack of an index. Surely all reference books such as this should have a index page. They went to the lengths to add a pronunciation guide, so why not have one? Still, I wouldn't want you to think that this made the book any less useful. Just not as easy to use and I might have hoped.

MGMT - Congratulations

It has been some time since the Brooklyn based band MGMT have produced any significant new material, and many have been awaiting the new album with anticipation. As is common in today's internet age, their new material has been leaked before the official release date.

Congratulations is a departure from what many fans might have expected from the band. Gone are the instant hits of their first album, such as Weekend Wars and Kids. Instead, the band have decided to go a more experimental route. For example, the song Siberian Breaks runs over the 10 minute mark and is apparently about surfing in the Artic Circle. The track is complex and at times seems almost a composite of a few different songs. Ultimately, it is a rewarding song which requires repeated listens.

This track is a microcosm of the album as a whole in that it will challenge listeners rather than pander to their expectations. There are a few great tracks here like the haunting I Found a Whistle and Brian Eno. Although some may call Congratulations self indulgent, you have to give the band credit for trying something different. I feel the album is at least as strong as Oracular Spectacular.

Since the leak, the band have posted the entire album on their official website which can be found here http://www.whoismgmt.com/uk/home

Kurt Vonnegut - God Bless you, Mr. Rosewater

Eliot Rosewater, a millionaire drunkard with a fascination for volunteer firefighting, becomes president of the Rosewater Foundation. The foundation was set up by his family as a means to prevent the government taxing their fortune. When Eliot takes over, things change dramatically. He moves out of his mansion and abandons his wife to live in a dilapidated house in Rosewater County. There, he tries his best to help the poverty stricken inhabitants, manning a phone for emergency calls from the public. Meanwhile, antagonist Norman Mushari tries to prove that Eliot is insane in order to get some of the family fortune for himself. Soon though, we find ourselves wondering whether Eliot's eccentric kindnesses may be linked to his mental health.

One of Vonnegut's lesser loved novels, God Bless you, Mr. Rosewater instantly became one of my favourites. The author immediately puts his stamp on this tale about capitalism, informing us that the main character in this story is "a sum of money". Written in his inimitable style, the book is more a series of short stories involving the inhabitants of Rosewater County than a traditional novel. The simplicity of Vonnegut's writing and the matter-of-fact storytelling which originally drew me to the author is present throughout the book. Take the following extract for example.

“The Client who was about to make Eliot’s black telephone ring was a sixty-eight-year old virgin who, by almost anybody’s standards, was too dumb to live. Her name was Diana Moon Glampers. No one had ever loved her. There was no reason why anyone should. She was ugly, stupid, and boring. On the rare occasions when she had to introduce herself, she always said her full name, and followed that with the mystifying equation that had thrust her life so pointlessly: “My mother was a moon. My father was a Glampers.”

Is Eliot Rosewater a guilty millionaire, a madman or a humanitarian? The blurring of these lines is what makes the character so fascinating.

Shutter Island - Living up to the hype?

Another week, another Martin Scorsese post. In my last offering about the director, I exposed the shocking revelation that he made about his intentions to make another mobcentric movie. I know, I know. I'm barely over the excitement myself.

In my state of delirium though, I forgot to mention the main reason he was at the Berlin Film Festival. Mea Culpa. Scorsese was busy promoting the soon to be released "Shutter Island", a psychological potboiler based on the the book of the same title by Dennis Lehane. Here's the trailer.



Two federal agents travel to an island which houses an insane asylum to try and recover a missing patient. I have to say, it looks great. My only concern would be the casting of Di Caprio in the main role. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me.

Shutter Island is released in the UK on March 2010

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen announce tour dates in Ireland

Dylan and Cohen, the two elder statesmen of music, have recently announced their tour dates. To my surprise, both are planning Irish gigs. With Dylan now pushing 70 and Cohen 75, there may not be many more chances to see these giants of the industry in my home country.

Although I have seen Dylan a few times already it has always been a wonderful experience, one which I'm not sure I can pass up. A few years back, I wasted a ticket to see Cohen in Dublin due to work obligations. Of course, friends who went told me that it was the best gig they had ever been to. So I guess I can't miss that one either. What a hard life it is!

Bob Dylan will play the Thomond Park Stadium in Limerick on July 4th

Leonard Cohen will play Lissadell House in Sligo on July 31st

Stop the Presses: Scorsese to direct mob film

I know, I can't believe it either.

While being interviewed this week at the Berlin film festival, journalists asked the veteran director of such classics as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas if he intended to produce another mobster flick. Scorsese answered in the affirmative to a collective sigh of relief from the crowd of journos. And you'll never guess who is attached to star. Bob De Niro. Talk about taking risks! Here is what the director had to say.

"De Niro and I are talking about something that has to do with that world - there's no doubt about that. We're working on something like that, but it's from the vantage point of older men looking back, none of this running around stuff."

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/entertainment/scorsese-de-niros-new-mob-film-14683383.html?r=RSS#ixzz0mlSdwgNa

The Thought Gang by Tibor Fischer - Philosophy of the one-armed bandit

Eddie Coffin, a down and out philosopher, wakes up after a night of debauchery to find himself naked in a strange house, surrounded by child pornography. Having convinced the police of his innocence, he flees to France to start anew. Soon, he meets Hubert, a small time criminal with one arm and a thirst for knowledge. Penniless, the unlikely duo decide to begin robbing banks. These aren't your typical bank robberies; each one is based on a school of philosophical thought.

As always, Fischer's mastery of language is the draw here. The underlying concept is zany to say the least, almost bordering on the absurd, but the fast pace and almost omnipresent comic turns allow readers to connect with the characters. The dialogue is wonderful, and I found myself wondering, as Hubert does, what the next blend of high philosophy and crime would be. On another level, Fischer is examining the terrible lows and dizzying highs that we can experience in this life. Always hilarious and at times touching, The Thought Gang is a book I will revisit.

RIP J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey, died yesterday of natural causes.



"People coming and putting a bunch of your flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody." - Excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye.

Apple unveil new device, fanboys swoon.

Apple have revealed their new tablet to delight of Mac fans the world over. The iPad is supposed to be a PC on the go, a device for internet use, movies, books and everything else you have ever dreamed of all rolled up in one handy package. And, being an Apple product, it is unfathomably thin.



Incredible! Great! Tremendous! While the tablet looks like a pretty useful device, the prices are likely to be astronomical. And, when you look at it, it's not really much more than a bigger iPod Touch. Also, any company referring to their new product as "magical" on the official website ( see http://www.apple.com/ipad/) is bound to lose a certain degree of gravitas.

Chris Morris film 'Four Lions'

Chris Morris has been quiet of late, so it is great to hear that his debut film is showing at the Sundance film festival next week. 'Four Lions' is described as a "jihadist comedy", and from the looks of the clip below, it is a return to form for the satirist who brought us Brass Eye, The Day Today and others. Can't wait to see this.

Exclusive clip available at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/jan/21/chris-morris-four-lions-sundance

Generic News Report

Charlie Brooker explains how a typical news report is prepared and presented to us. From his Newswipe program, it's a real Regent's Treat.

An electro-opera about Charles Darwin's life?

While I initially found the idea of the opera 'Tomorrow, In a Year' quite intriguing, I wasn't convinced that a bunch of songs about Charles Darwin would translate well as an album. The project is a collaboration between Mt. Sims, Planningtorock and The Knife. And the results are amazing.



An album version of the opera is to be released in March this year.

UPDATE: Listen to the whole album free at NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122944293&sc=fb&cc=fp

New Portishead - Chase The Tear

Portishead have released a new track for Amnesty International. Proceeds from the single will support the Charity's work with human rights.



While Beth Gibbons voice is wonderful as ever, the track isn't quite as good as songs from the band's recent album, 'Third'. Note: Just to clarify, the title doesn't refer to the type of tear that comes from your eye, rather a tear in a sheet of paper.