Write Fem!

2006-03-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Well, dang! Reading all the news about WaPo you'd think it was run like a high school weekly with student senate rivals calling the shots. And they aren't the only ones hoodwinked lately.
Oprah thought Doubleday did fact-checking. Who knew?

Just for the record:

Write Fem doesn't plagiarize movie reviews
Write Fem doesn't lift stories and put them in The Flat Hat (college paper)
Write Fem doesn't even know The Flat Hat
Write Fem doesn't treat fiction as fact and clearly calls her work FICTION
Write Fem doesn't think Coretta Scott King is a Communist. She thinks she's a saint. But even a Communist wouldn't lift stories from The Flat Hat!
Write Fem wouldn't lie about any description she gave about Coretta Scott King after she said it. That would be even sleazier.
Write Fem doesn't lift stories from National Review Online
Write Fem doesn't even like National Review Online
Write Fem doesn't lift items from the Cox News Service
Write Fem doesn't know Steve Murray and doesn't 'borrow' from him
Write Fem doesn't steal work from PJ O'Rourke
Write Fem wouldn't shrug it off and continue to lie if she got caught at stealing work. She'd shrink about a foot, wet her pants and die on the spot!

One thing the Write Fem wants to know - how do these looser guys who steal and lie their way through college - or just don't go to college at all and lie that they did - get these top jobs in journalism and bookdom????

Is it anything except the "buddy system"?
Well, that "buddy system" has wrecked the whole planet. Write Fem is mad.

2005-12-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

I am reading with sadness the obit in the Times for Richard Pryor.
This comes on the heels of the grand goodbye for Rosa Parks and days after the 25th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon in front of his Central Park West apartment. I want to write here on Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner since so much gets said after someone passes I think its a shame the words aren't said when they are good and alive. Also I think there is hardly any ability today to contemplate their combined work or speak to the larger meaning of it.

Harold Pinter's Nobel speech
http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/2005/pinter-lecture.html
recently spoke of truth in art and truth in politics. Of course the acclaimed speech is banned here and papers of record ignored him (Pinter!). It is widely quoted and talked about all over the world but like he says "(in America) it never happened". There is an unvarnished assault on truth in our country that has a foul social impact.

I believe the majority of works by Lily & Jane wouldn't make it to mass media if they were staged today for the first time. It isn't just that the content was so contemporary and 'wouldn't fly' today because issues etc. are different it's that there has been a dumbing down of the American public. Mostly by design it is often ascribed to the consolidation of media and the lack of broadcast programming in the public interest. The vast majority of Americans cannot contemplate 'issues', equity, feminism or the state of the state. Before the public could embrace pseudo-reality shows (which are scripted and staged), pabulum plots on sit-coms and corporate music groups the critical thinking part of the nation's brain had to do a spontaneous disappearing act.
Us oldies are blessed to have been able to go a long way with entertainment by the likes of Lily & Jane. It was a lot more than just entertainment, a diversion to agreeably pass some time. The monologues, plays and films shed light on society, prejudice, justice, the role of the state vs. the individual and vice versa. My fear is that with each passing day we come further away from seeing a phenomenon like this again. The loss won't be just a poorer entertainment experience. That would be neither hear not there. But the experience that engenders introspection, critical analysis of state policy, advocacy for the down trodden, etc. will vanish.

As it stands this country cannot look at itself, at least not in mass media and I fear it cannot in private. Our testimony that it wasn't always so exists in the recorded art of Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner.

2005-10-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Soap Opera in Washington, D.C.

Indictments in the air spark creativity:

[comment from America Blog:]

At the civil trial, Robert claimed that he had married Bonny in order to get to know her, but that after having sex with her he wanted her to go home. When Patrick saw Judy's notes, he became enraged to find that Scooter had talked to Judy about Valerie before his rendezvous at the St. Regis. In a fit of desperation, Tom ordered his lawyers to subpeona Ronnie. After George finished hammering some nails, Laura told Matt that she has complete confidence in Harriet but didn't say whether she knew about the obscene notes George had exchanged with her. Driving back from the homecoming party, Kevin was arrested for DUI.
- berberry

The Edge of Impeachment

EPISODE No. 1481
SCENE 1
ACT 1

[30 sec. intro - last episode montage #1480]

[commercial break]

MED SHOT: Judy's modish decorated New York apartment. It is semi dark as mauve drapes have been drawn and a Tiffany desk lamp illuminates an open appointment diary, a Montblanc fountain pen and an ivory princess phone on a trendy end table left of the carnation pink leather couch. The room is empty.

CLOSE UP: on princess phone

SOUND FX: phone ringing

ENTER SL: [Judy enters, tossing a business suit jacket onto the couch. She is holding a highball. Answers phone.]

JUDY: (curtly) Judy Miller residence, Ms. Miller isn't home, may I take a message?

CLS SHOT: [Scooter Libby's military grey 'secure' office at unknown location in Washington. 5 clocks on the upper wall, many flat screens display maps, many small tv monitors show local news from various cities. It is sparsley furnished. A portrait of President and Mrs. Bush is prominent on the wall with a baby spot lighting it.]

SCOOTER: Relax, Judy, its me, Scooter. I'm calling from the 'launch pad'. I have a list of imp-

MED SHOT: [Judy's modish decorated New York apartment.]

JUDY: (cuts him off, angrily) Can it, Scooter! I'm through taking orders from you! Look at this mess you got me into! If you think I'm going to take a fall for Rover you are - you are in dreamland! What have you been reading? The Post? I tell you I'm a prisoner here! A prisoner! This is worse than the pen! I have reporters all over my block! And its all your fault!

SPLIT SHOT: Judy/Scooter

SCOOTER: (like a tsk-tsk) Judy. Judy. Judy. (sighs) We know it hasn't been easy. Andy insisted on adding ten grand to that deposit in your Cayman Islands account.

JUDY: TEN! Are you kidding? Tell that errand boy he'd better be coming up with a lot more than that! I mean it, Scooter! I'm scared. I wasn't when "the plan" was on on-track! But its off track now. It's a freakin' TRAIN WRECK. Now you get this and get it good! I want that ten to be a 200 and I want the confirmation number text messaged to me by 2 o'clock.

CLS SHOT: Judy's diamond studded watch shows 12:30

JUDY: You un-der-stan-d me? 2! Or I'll call Harriet. I swear! I'm not dodging bullets for a bunch of -

SCOOTER: (soberly) Now, Judy. Of course we understand your position. Remember the Cayman Islands account is entirely different than the Bank of Aruba. I have complete authority at the - (sinisterly) highest levels - to accomodate you. Its just that there are a lot of ducks in a row who are not entirely lined up ... in a row. You get what I mean? (sly) Not in a row. Like ducks plucking Aspen leaves from the pond. Like DUCKS plucking ASPEN leaves from the pond. And its my job to get those (whispers) DUCKS in a r-o-wwww.

JUDY: (Thoughtfully takes a sip of her highball. Sits on the couch) I have your meaning, now, Scooter. Sorry I flew off the handle.

SOUND FX: doorbell chimes

JUDY: Just a second. Someone's at the door. (puts phone reciever on the table)

PAN RIGHT: Judy crosses stage left through the Pottery Barn furnished dining room. The table is set for 6. Goes to the foyer. Unlocks, opens the door.

SOUND FX: organ music, anxiety suite.

MED SHOT: A man in a black suit is at the door. He is holding a folded set of papers.

CLS SHOT: The paper in man's hand are subpeona to appear in Federal Court.

CLS SHOT: Judy looks anguished.

[dim out]

END ACT 1

[commercial break]

2004-07-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

This week I had a spate of writers' streak (sort of like writers' block only 180^o the other way) and tacked out this NEW short story medium . . .

check out

E-MAILS OF EDNA CREWSHIP, PRINTED & COMPILED BY L. P. PRISE, EXECUTOR

by moi

To get to the credits and story info you click on the fake ad links!

2004-07-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Dog days of job hunting lead me to the netherlands of outer Queens. Not the cosy close-by Queens (Long Is. City) or the scenic and quaint Cambria Heights but the gritty mini-Chicago found at the end of the elusive 'J' train.

It is 2 & 1/2 hours out there and if you have to go any place special you walk about a quarter mile to a bus. I think most people out that way work out that way!

Got to get a job writing so I can avoid this dreary travel! OK for 'research' (can I deduct my subway fare?) but not keen on repeating that exercise soon.

2004-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary:

Today I heckeled Donald Trump!

I was picketing a Coca-Cola gala at the Mayor's

residence on the swanky but sooty East Side.

We all had really spiffy Killer CNke posters

and we were educating passers bys about the kiddies in

El Salvador that have to cut cane for CNke

and are getting all hacked up with machete accidents

and the gangland style killings in Columbia of the

labor activists trying to get living wages for

CNke bottlers etc. etc.

So the mayor is about to wheel & deal a big contract

with CNke to be

exclusive death squad employer & beverage vendor in city

buildings and there's a follderoll society thing going

on with the world's biggest, most obnoxious limousines

pulling in and as the protest looks like it's winding down

my pal from Billionaires for Bush points out Donald Trump

has arrived and he has. He is walking in with a a

Virginia Slims look alike gal - I mean

anorexia- ville -

So, from across the street I shouted out something topical

like "Izzat Number 4? Buy her a PEPSI!".

My first celebrity heckle!

2004-05-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

What a piece of JUNK
10.5, the mini-series by NBC must give all bad writers hope!

I'm sure they paid top dollar for the brains behind this idiotic teleplay! That leaves plenty of room for people like me to excel!
This goof-ass plot line was OK - a big quake. But, hey, NO RESEARCH REQUIRED! Music to my ears - as that's just how I like to write!

Here are some gems -

The first thing to go in Seattle was the space tower... but tv was still broadcasting even though the tv transmission tower on top of the tower had just collapsed!!!! (well, ya gotta have tv!)
Electricity and phones completely UNAFFECTED by a 10.5 quake that eats significant portions of the west coast!!! Tell AT&T!
Frantic millions do not swamp phone lines dead with overload of calls!
Stars have small hair distress in the days long adventure but do not perspire, change shirts, loose cognative agility or worry about immediate family-- except the governor worries about unmussed kin 'lost' in national forest. Gov. written out of the plot but unmussed kin hitch a ride with friendly forest folk and never inquire about ma (gov.)!
Evacuees don't experience gridlock on roads!!!!
Kids calmly pack favorite toys etc. at liesure while ma wiles away time on the functioning mobile phone with estranged dad. No sense of urgency that they are about to fall into Pacific Ocean or anything!!!
Nuke plants with deadly waste seem unaffected or nonexistant during this disaster.
Gigundous 10.5 quake that eats a chunk of the latitude in towards Nebraska and kicks up zero dust! No blackened sky for years or red sunsets with this quake. Maybe for allergy Rx sponsors.
President of US has only news tv to gather data from! No gov't agency to advise him etc.
TV News works throughout disaster. No deaths for these cameramen - they levitate above the collapsing streets....

... on & on. I gotta get a piece of this pie!

Cannot believe my MS dormant while tv execs buy this crappola. I have dumbed my plots down as far as I can ... maybe I should add the earthquake-lite with still functioning utilities to add some zest to my stuff!!!!

2004-03-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well, today's creative exercise was trudging out to picturesque Long Island City, the charming warehouse district, to apply to the sheet metal workers' union. And I got inspired on the way back when I applied for a job at Canal Paint store in Chinatown.
As an art major, I could actually buy something I need at an art supply and paint store. I could do art plus finish painting my apartment, a job that stalled after doing the baseboards.
If I got a book deal and was a professional writer what store could I work in to get a useful discount? The office supply store? Paper discount for sure. And erasers by the dozen!

2004-03-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

Has everyone noticed the stock market is in a tailspin ever since the Martha verdict? That'll show 'em! What's good for Martha is good for the market!

2004-03-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Michael Kane for art

2004-03-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

O.K. - I haven't been reading as much as I should, still not done with new Chomsky book but I did read that long piece in the New Yorker about disabled returning soldier. Poor guy not to fit for anything except following orders in some military and they don't use disabled soldiers. He'll probably wind up taking tolls somewhere. So I left my copy in the subway station in case someone else wanted to read it and I missed this
funny as hell piece by Steve Martin on the back page. STUDIO SCRIPT NOTE5 ON "THE PASSION".
One thing I don't miss in the current poverty cycle is Hollywood movies. They are always a disappointment. They should run about 2 hours of trailers. That would be fun! Stink-o movies especially have GREAT trailers. I don't know how they do it!

2004-03-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

This is a call for ALL WOMEN TO STRIKE THIS MONDAY, MARCH 8TH!

Demands of the Global Women's Strike

♦ Payment for all caring work – in wages, pensions, land & other resources. What is more valuable than raising children & caring for others? Invest in life & welfare, not military budgets & prisons.

♦ Pay equity for all, women & men, in the global market.

♦ Food security for all, starting with breastfeeding mothers. Paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks & other benefits - stop penalizing us for being women.

♦ Don’t pay ‘Third World Debt’. Women owe nothing, they owe us.

♦ Accessible clean water, healthcare, housing, transportation, literacy.

♦ Non-polluting energy & technology which shortens the hours we work. We all need cookers/stoves, fridges, washing machines, computers, & time off!

♦ Protection & asylum from all violence & persecution, including by family members & people in positions of authority.

♦ Freedom of movement. Capital travels freely, why not people?

On the disgusting GOP ad campaign for the usurper we have no comment. The foul ads speak for themselves. A blueprint of the mind of a cowardly stupid little man.

2004-03-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a career- operating engineer! Yes, they are hiring. They train their own apprentices so you don't have to know furnace cleaning or anything. It could be the perfect job for the Write Fem as I think it entails being in a big boiler room and monitoring gauges. Slightly boring (or mind-numbingly boring) tasks are perfect for plotting!
So I went to the quaint community way out near JFK airport where the graffiti says "BUSH" (I'm not making this up!) and the pizza men are real Sicilians and the elevated trains are 3 stories above the ground. Why??? Just an observation. I took the mysterious 'J' train to go there. Interesting but no book material there. Tons of it on Long Island including haunted houses and those bars where NFL players get drunk and behave badly. And they put yard pottery in cement driveways reserved for sculpture. Now that's material!

2004-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Invitation to Paradise: Cult Marketing
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/11/275130.shtml"Post-modern advertising assumes the function of religion and reveals the spirituality of consumption.. What is involved is self-fashioning, a kind of trendy self-invention. Life puts itself on stage and invents its identity..Meaning becomes lifestyle.. Capitalism succeeds in elevating commodities into our gods." The kingdom of goods always threatens the kingdom of God, liberation theology warns. - A good essay. I'm not the materialist but I sure could do some consumerizing now. Surfing cards to pay rent and I really need to buy some books. Capitalism as religion may be unstoppable - but I see no reason why I can't cash in on this witless craze like everyone else. I can pack my books full of name brand nicky-nacks like soap opera set decorators do. Just gimmie a book deal! ARG.

2004-02-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

When not cashing big checks from publishers [ scroll down to first message] I do little odd jobs for $$$. So this week I found myself in a cute little bungalow in the 'burbs (a hop 'n a skip from the city) painting. What was great about that was

Low ceilings
and
COURT TV!

There was cable tv upstairs and down and this awful NBA person who shot the chauffeur is on. You can mostly listen which is good - because I wouldn't get any work done watching. And I got to rivet myself to the tv during breaks for the paint to dry. 3 day job. Driver-killer guy scowled and made faces at witnesses, today State troopers, which wasn't winning him praise by the pick a person apart expert commentators. Everyone (not just me) HATES his show off too big cross he sports on his lapel. Diamonds. Jerk.

Speaking of crosses - same channel yesterday said UC (rapist football palyers college) jocks are all in with the Promise Keepers. It figures. Both stories too sordid for me to borrow from when inventing bad guys. My bad guys are bad - but not that despicable!

2004-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

=whew= what a newsy filled day! I am so enjoying watching the gov. Perry (Texas) scandal unfold. Waiting to see if media picks it up. Soo-o much fun watching the right wingers squirm! I can just imagine. It should rival Neil Bush's divorce trial. Its such a contrast to love-filled S.F.:

"Robert Yamaguchi and Raymond Mungo were waiting outside City Hall in the cold early Friday morning when a florist clutching wedding bouquets handed them one. The outside of the accompanying envelope read, "To The Happy Couple, " and the card tucked inside said simply, "With love from Minneapolis, Minnesota." "

and such sweet photos!

Meanwhile - back at the ranch - I won't be posting unless there's something earth shattering for a few days. Got a job for a few days. A few gulps of air - then back below the surface!

2004-02-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

Write Fem comments box is now running. Don't know how I got it to go but I did. I'm all up to date on the St. Valentine's day revolution in San Fransisco. Great coverage is on www.sfgate.com

Had a nice note from a staffer there when I sent msg about how great their coverage is. Escpecially good kick in the pants for our pinhead usurping weasel (p)resident. He and his minions (all 5 of them!) can sit around and be 'troubled' - that screwhead!

Thought for the day:
One thing about being unpublished - sure saves a lot of trees! Only upside. Downside is rent due at end of the month.
Upside - Olypmics back in the news.
Downside - my book is set in Atlanta. But it's still fun - plus everybody speaks English. I don't think book with Greek speaking characters would sell so well.

Speaking of Greece - great read -
"The Lost Meaning of Classical Architecture" by George Hersey, MIT press. Isbn 0262580896 The creepy gorey scary history of the icons and symbols seen in every townhall and church steps in the country. What a book I could get out of that theme! Creepy symbols of sacrifice & death and lead character ordinary gal who falls in love with man who's secretly not a man at all but an XXX (name later) from the netherworld of the past where nobody dies like in Egyptian religion. Jazz up Budge a little. Forces of good 'n evil played out in a swank suberban setting blah blah. And baddies - just from this architecture book are SOO-O bad. Good enough to spin a series. And double meaning of bland architecture a big key to reader as to what side characters are on. A little comedy thrown in.
Oh well, gotta get the first one in print.

Gawd!

2004-02-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Things to do while waiting for that BIG DEAL:

Get active in the
resistance to the FTAA. It may not break up the publishers' monopoly on the market, but it will make you feel better!

Don't totally break with reality! No home decoration/organization. A true sign of going to pieces. Hang in there, gal!

Make lists of stuff you need - after you pay off your owners at American Express! Backlist shopping will be fun as everything
will be cheaper and have more tech features as economy goes south! About 4 or 5 Elvis Bradford plates just waiting for shipping.

Learn lyrics to Eric Miller songs!

Teach parakeets to talk. At least something besides that good imitation they do of the phone ringing!

And for Pete's sake - NO MORE MANUSCRIPTS til you get paid! Murder on [ famous unnamed location] series all set. Just some jiggering by an editor. As soon as I get one =sigh=.

Code
some more web pages.
Keeps the brain alive!