Alright, so, as I've made mention in recent days, I've joined quite a number of social networking sites to spread word of my writing/books. As I mentioned in my most recent blog, it's been a mixed bag. Two sites I'm not longer a part of: AllPoetry.com (3-day free membership) and Litsay.com, which I'm now going to tell you all about.
This site appears to be rather new and up-and-coming. With that, there are a few gliches that need to be fixed. It's fairly modern looking and isn't THAT active, but decent activity for such a new site.
So, like I've done with all the other sites I've joined, I started sharing excerpts of my two books, Seasons Come, People Grow and The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s. I shared 3 poems and 3 excerpts from my sarcastic book. I received one comment on an excerpt of mine from the latter book, entitled "Girlfriend Application," where I jokingly concoct an application for potential girlfriends. I list 20 fill-ins and write sarcastic notes underneath each one. None of them are to be taken seriously. He said, "It's really funny...". I'll get to the next comment here in a second. Onto the more boring of the two I'm about to discuss.
It was with regard to my poem, "One Voice". First off here's the poem:
A whisper in the distance,
From a far off place,
Unknown is the source,
Unknown is the time and place,
A voice in the distance,
Unable to make it out,
Only a few others notice,
The rest go on and walk off,
Screaming with all his might,
Unable to get the words out,
Feeling that all is hopeless,
Feeling that all is lost,
I scream for the world to hear me,
But only one voice am I,
Caught in a crowd of billions,
The whisper in the distance becoming a longing cry.
Okay, so let me start this bit by saying while some of my poetry is very personal, I try to not let it be known which ones are more personal than others. I typically attempt to write about topics and in manners which make it fairly easy for the reader(s) to relate to the character in the story fairly well. While the poem/story may very well have been influenced by a single event or multiple events in my life, I try to not specify so much as to make the reader feel as if they're not part of the story. Some may not agree or approve of this style of writing and that's fine, but my personal belief is that a poem is more powerful when the reader can place themselves inside the character portrayed in the story and feel the emotions that the character exudes. That's my personal opinion. Keeping that in mind, here's the comment I received from this woman regarding the poem:
"What is your motive? What are you screaming about? Why do you write? These are all honest questions."
Eh, what? My motive? To make those whom have ever felt alone in the world, like their voices aren't being heard, cognizant that they're not alone, that's it's commonplace to have such feelings at one point or another in a person's life.
What am I screaming about? Nothing. The character is screaming about something. What that something is is up to the reader. I'm sure most readers can picture themselves as that character, which will bring them back to a time in their lives when they felt as if they had to scream to be heard. So what the character is screaming about is dependent upon the person reading the poem.
Why do I write? I write because I love it. I enjoy being creative, expanding my horizons, learning, sorting out my thoughts, attempting to empathize with others, generate laughter, provoke thought, bring about sadness, joy, etc. There are many reasons why I write. Honestly (there's that word again), what was the point of that question? Wouldn't that have been better posed via e-mail as opposed to a comment on a single poem I wrote?
Yeah, so that was a very strange comment. She obviously didn't understand my intent of the poem and couldn't get into the character as I hope many people can. I then read some of her poetry and there were a couple of decent ones, but about 2/3 of them read like a middle or high schooler's journal. It was like a hybrid of Fred Durst lyrics and the stereotypical high school girl from a movie like "Clueless". Also, and this is perfectly fine, she was VERY specific with about 3/4 of her poems. Again, that's fine. That's how many poets write, especially younger ones, but I couldn't relate to the poems. I could read it just from a literary standpoint and judge how well structured it was, but I couldn't get into the story and emotionally or mentally connect with the poet or the character portrayed in the poem (in other words, the poet). The wording wasn't very eloquent. She did use some decent imagery by way of simile, but other than that, the poetry was slightly below average (C-). Also and this may push the grade down further, but I'll be nice - Her spelling was horrible. I had to re-read certain lines 4-5 times in order to understand it correctly. So, why she asked me those three questions successively, including what my motive and reason to write is.
As I mentioned at the outset, this same woman commented on another excerpt of mine, "Girlfriend Application," which can be found in my book(s) The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s (and The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck). First off, like I did with regard to the other comment, let me post this very excerpt:
This site appears to be rather new and up-and-coming. With that, there are a few gliches that need to be fixed. It's fairly modern looking and isn't THAT active, but decent activity for such a new site.
So, like I've done with all the other sites I've joined, I started sharing excerpts of my two books, Seasons Come, People Grow and The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s. I shared 3 poems and 3 excerpts from my sarcastic book. I received one comment on an excerpt of mine from the latter book, entitled "Girlfriend Application," where I jokingly concoct an application for potential girlfriends. I list 20 fill-ins and write sarcastic notes underneath each one. None of them are to be taken seriously. He said, "It's really funny...". I'll get to the next comment here in a second. Onto the more boring of the two I'm about to discuss.
It was with regard to my poem, "One Voice". First off here's the poem:
A whisper in the distance,
From a far off place,
Unknown is the source,
Unknown is the time and place,
A voice in the distance,
Unable to make it out,
Only a few others notice,
The rest go on and walk off,
Screaming with all his might,
Unable to get the words out,
Feeling that all is hopeless,
Feeling that all is lost,
I scream for the world to hear me,
But only one voice am I,
Caught in a crowd of billions,
The whisper in the distance becoming a longing cry.
Okay, so let me start this bit by saying while some of my poetry is very personal, I try to not let it be known which ones are more personal than others. I typically attempt to write about topics and in manners which make it fairly easy for the reader(s) to relate to the character in the story fairly well. While the poem/story may very well have been influenced by a single event or multiple events in my life, I try to not specify so much as to make the reader feel as if they're not part of the story. Some may not agree or approve of this style of writing and that's fine, but my personal belief is that a poem is more powerful when the reader can place themselves inside the character portrayed in the story and feel the emotions that the character exudes. That's my personal opinion. Keeping that in mind, here's the comment I received from this woman regarding the poem:
"What is your motive? What are you screaming about? Why do you write? These are all honest questions."
Eh, what? My motive? To make those whom have ever felt alone in the world, like their voices aren't being heard, cognizant that they're not alone, that's it's commonplace to have such feelings at one point or another in a person's life.
What am I screaming about? Nothing. The character is screaming about something. What that something is is up to the reader. I'm sure most readers can picture themselves as that character, which will bring them back to a time in their lives when they felt as if they had to scream to be heard. So what the character is screaming about is dependent upon the person reading the poem.
Why do I write? I write because I love it. I enjoy being creative, expanding my horizons, learning, sorting out my thoughts, attempting to empathize with others, generate laughter, provoke thought, bring about sadness, joy, etc. There are many reasons why I write. Honestly (there's that word again), what was the point of that question? Wouldn't that have been better posed via e-mail as opposed to a comment on a single poem I wrote?
Yeah, so that was a very strange comment. She obviously didn't understand my intent of the poem and couldn't get into the character as I hope many people can. I then read some of her poetry and there were a couple of decent ones, but about 2/3 of them read like a middle or high schooler's journal. It was like a hybrid of Fred Durst lyrics and the stereotypical high school girl from a movie like "Clueless". Also, and this is perfectly fine, she was VERY specific with about 3/4 of her poems. Again, that's fine. That's how many poets write, especially younger ones, but I couldn't relate to the poems. I could read it just from a literary standpoint and judge how well structured it was, but I couldn't get into the story and emotionally or mentally connect with the poet or the character portrayed in the poem (in other words, the poet). The wording wasn't very eloquent. She did use some decent imagery by way of simile, but other than that, the poetry was slightly below average (C-). Also and this may push the grade down further, but I'll be nice - Her spelling was horrible. I had to re-read certain lines 4-5 times in order to understand it correctly. So, why she asked me those three questions successively, including what my motive and reason to write is.
As I mentioned at the outset, this same woman commented on another excerpt of mine, "Girlfriend Application," which can be found in my book(s) The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s (and The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck). First off, like I did with regard to the other comment, let me post this very excerpt:
Name:
(Note: If your name is Halle Berry, you automatically qualify.)
Age:
(You must be between the ages of 18 and 87.)
Job:
(Strippers and prostitutes can qualify, politicians can not.)
Criminal History:
(As long as you never made an appearance on “America’s Most Wanted,” I won’t fret too much.)
Education:
(You must have passed kindergarten to be eligible.)
Kids:
(If you had octuplets at one time or named any of your children after one of Santa’s reindeer, you will be automatically disqualified. Also, it is of no relevance if your child has a red nose.)
Appearance:
(If you look like any of the following, you will be ahead of the game: Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn or Lance Bass.)
Personality:
(A great personality is a must, but if when describing you, friends ONLY mention your personality, then I’m afraid you’re sh*t out of luck.)
Sense of humor:
(If you can’t distinguish between sarcasm and seriousness, you will be bopped on the head with a sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel and not be eligible.)
Speech:
(If you speak more quickly than someone does Spanish, more slowly than someone whom works at Wal-Mart, are as monotone as Ben Stein or use more clichés than a football coach, you will have to induce migraines elsewhere.)
Sociability:
(If you can stimulate a deep conversation with a mime, preferably regarding Plato’s Cave, you will automatically reach the finals.)
Fashion:
(If you wear a five-piece swimsuit at the beach or a football uniform at a bar, I’m afraid you will have to either move to Europe or find yourself a girlfriend.)
Politics:
(If you thought George W. Bush was an eloquent speaker, I will know you didn’t get past pre-school and due to that, you will not be eligible to be my girlfriend and hopefully not eligible to vote.)
Religion:
(I’m pretty flexible when it comes to religion, so long as you’ve found Jesus.)
Sex:
(If you’re willing to engage in a one-night stand, you will not be eligible. If you’re willing to prolong the one-night stand for a full weekend, I’ll think about it.)
Habits:
(The only thing you’re allowed to smoke is crack. If you smoke cigarettes or cigars, I’m afraid it’s not going to work between the two of us.)
Hobbies:
(As long as you like everything I like, we’re cool. This would include: Developing Tourette’s Syndrome in a church, chasing tornadoes in a golf cart, streaking around the White House and playing chess while drunk.)
Music:
(If you believe that Fred Durst is as good a writer as Bob Dylan and/or Nickelback is as musically talented as Led Zeppelin, I’m afraid you will not be eligible and I suggest you buy some hearing aids).
Movies:
(If you can not accept the fact I don’t want to see “The Notebook,” I suggest you find a gay man and see how that works.)
Sports:
(If you partake in any of the following “sports,” you may well be on your way to the finals: Playing tennis with a football, bowling with a pinball, playing baseball with a cannonball, playing golf with a basketball or curling.)
Okay, the comment read something like this:
"I can appreciate sarcasm, but you took it too far and it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped. It makes you come across as an as*hole. If you want to be seen as funny and not an a*shole, you may want to lighten up on the sarcasm. I didn't find that funny at all."
Alright. Well, if someone doesn't find it funny, that's fine. We all have different types of humor. Some go for the physical, others the sarcastic, others the silly, etc. Whatever. But, an a*shole? Really? I read through this application 3-4 times after reading that comment and eh, it's not like I was being serious at all. Age range? 18-87? Yeah, I'll take just about anybody! Education? Had to pass at least kindergarten? Once again, I'll take just about anybody! Criminal history? As long as you're not on America's Most Wanted, I won't fret too much? Again, I'll take just about anyone! Get the picture? I'm not serious. Geez. A friend of mine read this list to a woman in her 70s and she was cracking up. Again, we all have our own senses of humor, but come on...an a*shole? I don't think I've ever been called that before, well, until now. There's a first for many things, I guess (I'd say everything, but that's not true).
So, there you have it. It seems as if this woman had something against me for whatever reason. Again, if she had simply stuck to saying she found this excerpt to be TOO sarcastic, I'd take it, but referring to me as coming across as an a*shole? That's a bit much. Speaking of a*sholes, she may want to go to the doctor to get that stick taken out of there. It may take a while, but will be well worth it to all those around her. Heck, I'll pay for the procedure. Nah, I'll just collect singles from people and will be able to garner enough money with 10 minutes. Yeah, that should do the trick. Well, I better head to bed. My a*shole is getting sore from having used it so much. Wait, nevermind. I never said that...
(Note: If your name is Halle Berry, you automatically qualify.)
Age:
(You must be between the ages of 18 and 87.)
Job:
(Strippers and prostitutes can qualify, politicians can not.)
Criminal History:
(As long as you never made an appearance on “America’s Most Wanted,” I won’t fret too much.)
Education:
(You must have passed kindergarten to be eligible.)
Kids:
(If you had octuplets at one time or named any of your children after one of Santa’s reindeer, you will be automatically disqualified. Also, it is of no relevance if your child has a red nose.)
Appearance:
(If you look like any of the following, you will be ahead of the game: Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn or Lance Bass.)
Personality:
(A great personality is a must, but if when describing you, friends ONLY mention your personality, then I’m afraid you’re sh*t out of luck.)
Sense of humor:
(If you can’t distinguish between sarcasm and seriousness, you will be bopped on the head with a sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel and not be eligible.)
Speech:
(If you speak more quickly than someone does Spanish, more slowly than someone whom works at Wal-Mart, are as monotone as Ben Stein or use more clichés than a football coach, you will have to induce migraines elsewhere.)
Sociability:
(If you can stimulate a deep conversation with a mime, preferably regarding Plato’s Cave, you will automatically reach the finals.)
Fashion:
(If you wear a five-piece swimsuit at the beach or a football uniform at a bar, I’m afraid you will have to either move to Europe or find yourself a girlfriend.)
Politics:
(If you thought George W. Bush was an eloquent speaker, I will know you didn’t get past pre-school and due to that, you will not be eligible to be my girlfriend and hopefully not eligible to vote.)
Religion:
(I’m pretty flexible when it comes to religion, so long as you’ve found Jesus.)
Sex:
(If you’re willing to engage in a one-night stand, you will not be eligible. If you’re willing to prolong the one-night stand for a full weekend, I’ll think about it.)
Habits:
(The only thing you’re allowed to smoke is crack. If you smoke cigarettes or cigars, I’m afraid it’s not going to work between the two of us.)
Hobbies:
(As long as you like everything I like, we’re cool. This would include: Developing Tourette’s Syndrome in a church, chasing tornadoes in a golf cart, streaking around the White House and playing chess while drunk.)
Music:
(If you believe that Fred Durst is as good a writer as Bob Dylan and/or Nickelback is as musically talented as Led Zeppelin, I’m afraid you will not be eligible and I suggest you buy some hearing aids).
Movies:
(If you can not accept the fact I don’t want to see “The Notebook,” I suggest you find a gay man and see how that works.)
Sports:
(If you partake in any of the following “sports,” you may well be on your way to the finals: Playing tennis with a football, bowling with a pinball, playing baseball with a cannonball, playing golf with a basketball or curling.)
Okay, the comment read something like this:
"I can appreciate sarcasm, but you took it too far and it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped. It makes you come across as an as*hole. If you want to be seen as funny and not an a*shole, you may want to lighten up on the sarcasm. I didn't find that funny at all."
Alright. Well, if someone doesn't find it funny, that's fine. We all have different types of humor. Some go for the physical, others the sarcastic, others the silly, etc. Whatever. But, an a*shole? Really? I read through this application 3-4 times after reading that comment and eh, it's not like I was being serious at all. Age range? 18-87? Yeah, I'll take just about anybody! Education? Had to pass at least kindergarten? Once again, I'll take just about anybody! Criminal history? As long as you're not on America's Most Wanted, I won't fret too much? Again, I'll take just about anyone! Get the picture? I'm not serious. Geez. A friend of mine read this list to a woman in her 70s and she was cracking up. Again, we all have our own senses of humor, but come on...an a*shole? I don't think I've ever been called that before, well, until now. There's a first for many things, I guess (I'd say everything, but that's not true).
So, there you have it. It seems as if this woman had something against me for whatever reason. Again, if she had simply stuck to saying she found this excerpt to be TOO sarcastic, I'd take it, but referring to me as coming across as an a*shole? That's a bit much. Speaking of a*sholes, she may want to go to the doctor to get that stick taken out of there. It may take a while, but will be well worth it to all those around her. Heck, I'll pay for the procedure. Nah, I'll just collect singles from people and will be able to garner enough money with 10 minutes. Yeah, that should do the trick. Well, I better head to bed. My a*shole is getting sore from having used it so much. Wait, nevermind. I never said that...
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