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ANGSTMONSTER SPECIAL RELEASE
NUMBER 7
___________________________
| |
| Zines Make Me Cry |
| or |
| Real Expression Isn't |
| Premeditated |
| |
| A rant by Mr. Jay |
+---------------------------+
Ok, here's the drill. I want you to come in here every day at 4:30pm and cry
about your childhood. Yes, every day. No calling in sick. I don't CARE if you
happen to be happy on a given day, you'll be here at 4:30 every day and cry,
damnit!
Does that make sense? No. Neither does saying "I will be insightful for my
readers every other Wednesday at noon." Neither does, "I will write something
witty and fun and worth reading every day." Folks, it just doesn't work that
way. Sorry.
If I, as a photographer, decided that I'd take shots every day at noon and
four, I'd never take any good pictures. Why? Good subjects come and go at
random, beautifully unpredictable intervals. Some days we're gripped with
passion and we write something truly great. Some days we'd be better off
watching TV.
Forced expression is the cause of most of the bullshit in every medium and
genre of art today.
Sure, some people are just shitty artists. That's a given. Most garage bands
will never write a good song. I should know, I had lots of friends in them
in high school. I suffered through many a practice session. Beyond that, there
have been plenty of talented artists who felt the need to express themselves
without waiting for something worth expressing.
Quick example: Elton John. He started his career brilliantly. Elton John was
a musical force in the 70s, but his work ethic slowly whittled away at
his considerable talent. He thought he had to release an album every year,
and it's ruined him. The man who wrote "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Levon"
has become a trite old man whining about love, like a back street boy who ate
too many cheeseburgers.
Let's compare songs, shall we?
*Elton John - Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters, 1972*
And now I know
Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say
I thought I knew
But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City
Until you've seen this trash can dream come true
You stand at the edge while people run you through
And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you
While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers
Turn around and say good morning to the night
For unless they see the sky
But they can't and that is why
They know not if it's dark outside or light
*Elton John - The Way You Look Tonight, 2000*
And I can't explain
But it's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath away
It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside
And I can't describe
But it's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath away
The way you look tonight
With a smile
You pull the deepest secrets from my heart
In all honesty
I'm speechless and I don't know where to start
See what I mean? The first song is powerful, poignant... the second one
sounds like a poem ripped from someone's live journal. He might as well be
rhyming "fire" and "desire."
How does this relate to Zines, livejournals, Tfiles and whatnot? Simple.
Stop talking just to talk. Stop babbling just because you think you need to
express something. Or write it, but for fuck's sake, don't put it up just
because you wrote it. Learn to shut up, listen, read, and speak only when you
have something meaningful to say. We all have a hundred thousand experiences
haunting us through habits and fears and memories that make our fists clench in
the middle of the night. When those parts of you want to speak, they will.
Your fingers will fly over the keyboard and you'll hardly breathe until it's all
out of your system.
Never write just to write. If you' re staring at your computer screen, at
a loss for words, do the world a favor. Turn off the monitor and go watch cable.
*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*
+ Are you down with fame and all sorts of riches? +
+ Then Angstmonster Special Release is not where to +
+ submit your tfile goodness to. But if you have +
+ something you'd like to see published all on it's +
+ own? Email us <gir@angstmonster.org> and it'll be +
+ released under the Angstmonster name. Maybe if we +
+ attract talented people, the fame and riches will +
+ follow. But don't count on it. We're just out to +
+ entertain ourselves and others with all sorts of +
+ ASCII madness the likes of which no one has seen! +
*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*
ANGSTMONSTER SPECIAL RELEASE NUMBER SEVEN
10.07.02
Brought to you by angstmonster.org / Angstmonster Publishing.
"We have a lot more xp to earn before we start healing the sick."
http://www.angstmonster.org/txt/