Recommendations, Volume 1

Books

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)

If one were to ask me about my influences as a writer, I honestly wouldn’t know where to start. I’d know that what they’d be searching for would be titles to novels, and/or short stories, or essays, etc. Or even just author names. And I could drop a few, but I’d generally struggle to answer because I truly wouldn’t know where to start and stop. That’s not because I’m some record-setting reader (I work full-time and am a devoted parent to a two-year-old; sometimes it takes me 4+ months to finish a 400-page book), but rather, it’s because I don’t just view texts as influences. I think influences can come from anywhere (environment, I’d argue is the biggest influence a writer can have, but we’ll get to that at a later date).

That said, The Road by Cormac McCarthy would certainly be one of the texts I’d cite as work that has been crucial to my journey as a writer. See, when I was a kid, I enjoyed reading. I really did. And I read books and magazines outside of what was assigned at school. But not a ton, and never one like this, which was gifted to me shortly after I’d turned 16 by my then-girlfriend. I can’t remember if I read it shortly after receiving the gift, or if it was some months later. But, it was within a year, I’m certain, and I remember it rocking my socks.

What McCarthy was doing on the page, the way the narration worked, how little fucks were given about traditional styles, well, it was something I hadn’t experienced prior. More than that, the mood of the book…the atmosphere…the vibe of it…it was striking. Overwhelming at times, even, but in a good way.

I don’t know what numeric value to assign The Road when it comes to what made me want to become a writer, what weight to give it, but the novel was definitely top of mind for me in those first writing classes, to one day write something as impactful for someone as it had been for me.

Therefore, it 100% served as a primary influence for me when I sat down to write what is now known as And in the Dark They Are Born.

Film + TV

This Boy’s Life by Michael Caton-Jones (1993)

I had a pretty nasty cold recently that made it hard to sleep, particularly while lying down in bed. I’d lie on my side and cough. I’d like on my back and snore myself awake. Etc.

All in all, not pretty.

So, I spent a few nights out on the couch, in a daze, kind of going in and out of sleep, though mostly out. I’d flick through what different streamers had available and just generally get overwhelmed by it all. Ten minutes went by of my doing so and I finally decide that what I’m really craving is an “older” movie. “Older,” of course, is a relative term, so let me explain it as briefly as I can: something that wasn’t created for a streaming service.

Enter: This Boy’s Life.

To be honest, it was kind of a mistake. I blame it on my then-hazy brain, but I thought what I’d pressed play on was A Bronx Tale, which was also made in 1993 and stars Robert De Niro. (A Bronx Tale wasn’t even available, I just had seen the trailer for it long ago and was connecting it to the stills HBO Max, and by extension TCM, was showing me of This Boy’s Life).

I hadn’t seen either film before, but I can at least say I’ve seen This Boy’s Life now, and I’m recommending it here, but not because it’s what I’d even label a great movie. I think it’s a good movie. I found the plot to be lacking at times. Same with the direction and cinematography. It wasn’t bad, at all, it just seemed to me in many instances that there was plenty of meat left on the proverbial bone… and that’s true in scenes throughout the film. Some scenes felt too short, like something had unintentionally been withheld, or had been left unexplored; other scenes felt too long, too hairy/unkempt.

I’m not going to spoil it, in case you haven’t seen it before, but there are two instances I can think of here and now, near the end of the film, where I thought to myself, “Huh. That’s it?” and immediately gone into the, “I would’ve done this differently” mode.

But as I worked myself out of that mode and into a mode nearer to acceptance, I started to feel like what I’d just watched was…refreshing. Refreshing, in that hey, it’s okay for things to be a little messy.

And that revelation—that the film was a bit messy—made the performances that drove the film to be that much more admirable. I mean, De Niro. Holy shit. What a chilling fucker he can play. His performance alone is worth checking This Boy’s Life out, but Ellen Barkin and a young Leonardo DiCaprio really deliver as well.

Check it out, and do feel free to let me know in the comments whether you agree or disagree.

Bonus: the town of Concrete, Washington, where the film is based (and was largely shot) is a 2.5 hour drive from Seattle, where I live. Can’t recall if I’ve driven through Concrete, but always a little bizarre to see stories set in a neighbor’s yard.

Podcasts

^ Love The Moth. It's on my “Writing Bucket List” to participate in one of these.

^ Sigh. Health and wellness. Good thing Aubrey and Michael are here to punch holes.

^ To the runners of elections: hiring a few UX designers could go a long, long way.

Articles / Newsletters

“Using a Board Game to Plan for a Changing Planet” by Eva Amsen / Hakai Magazine
“America is Losing Its Religion” by Bryan Walsh / Axios
Story Club by George Saunders — it's rare for writers anywhere to be able to learn from a master like George Saunders, and to be able to do it in real time. Even if you dabble in genres that seem far off from what Saunders does, there's something I think you can learn here about story, character, presentation of information, etc. And just generally how to go about being a writer. George is great, and I've valued from every post I've read.

Videos

^ My daughter and I watch this Etta James video sometimes before I take her to daycare, as I fumble my way through a ponytail.