It's Coming

Fall. And I can't wait. This summer has been too hot. There is a reason I live in Minnesota. I'm looking forward to sweatshirts and jeans. Besides, the two pair of shorts that I own both ripped during the same hot hot HOT week. One along the back pocket and one, somehow, along the front of the leg. Summer hates me.

Also coming: More stories. I've been working overtime on my critical paper and the first draft is done and I'm hoping that the second draft doesn't take as long as the first. It's about the relationship between songs and short stories as they relate in the three techniques of precision, movement, and final effect. If that sounds super boring to you ... well, it might be. But for me, it's one of the most interesting non-fiction topics I've ever written about. And it's changing the way I write songs and stories, which means it must be important. At least to me. The gist of it is that in songwriting and short story writing, you're working within the confines of a shortened time and space. With a novel, you can write five hundred pages about whatever you want - the color of the grass, the history of the Nordic people, why a character might wear glasses instead of contacts. And the reader will probably give you the time to do it; they've invested in the novel and they're going to want to see it through to the end. (Not always true, but we're working on generalizations here.) Short stories and songs are different. You have to be precise; if you only have a certain number of words to use, then each word ought to be chosen precisely. You have to provide movement; in songs that comes in rhythm, but also in the lyrics and stories it comes in plot, but also in the rhythm. And you're trying to provide the reader with one final effect; I would argue that the best songs and stories leave you with one overwhelming feeling. Anyway, if that's super interesting to you, you can get your MFA at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and I'll be teaching about it next summer. Or you can read my 30 page paper. Your call. OR EVEN BETTER: You can hire me to teach at your college.

Anyway, I've almost tackled the critical work, so I'm moving back into stories. I would like for my creative thesis to be a collection of short stories that is accompanied by an album of songs about those stories. The Northwoods Hymnal. I have two songs and five stories completed (and completed is a tricky word). I'm shooting for ten to twelve. I have about seven or eights months to go. Really I have ten months, but there is a break between the spring semester and the summer residency and I think I'm supposed to be done before that break. Regardless, it's nice to have direction and a goal in sight. I posted one story a few weeks ago and I suppose I could post the other stories as they complete. I can post demos of the songs too if that's something people are interested. All eleven of you.

And the album I've been working on for three years? What about that? Still in progress. But I'm sitting down with Jake and Josh this weekend to construct a plan. Hopefully it will help all my flailing in the darkness. I realized I have five different versions of Little Bird; at some point I'm going to just have to tack it down with a tether and nail. And then you'll get that version, while I wince at all the things I should have done differently. So much for masterpieces.