Violent Viral Plague Stories-- My Guilty Pleasure!

Disclaimer: This is a totally self-indulgent blog post, but fear not, I want you to indulge as well! I am ELATED! I am giddy, and giggly, and ecstatic. Why? Because my guilty pleasure has been elevated to high art.

Because I do have so many, I must clarify—this guilty pleasure is zombies! Though (thanks to Netflix’s recommendations algorithms) I am expanding to Violent Viral Plague Stories! For those of you unfamiliar, here is the difference:·

• Zombies are re-animated corpses infected by something. They can be fast. They can be slow. But they are, without argument, the living dead. Think Dawn of the Dead.
• “Violent Viral Plague Stories” are people out of their minds, hungry for flesh or death or both! The difference is that these people aren’t necessarily dead—though they may be. Think 28 Days Later. Not dead, still freaky.

So, all zombies are violent viral plague victims, but not all violent viral plague victims are zombies. OK?

Regardless of the type of violent viral plague, I LOVE these stories, but have always thought of them as a guilty pleasure. Excluding Danny Boyle films, which are beautifully made and written, the point of these films is usually straight up carnage. And yes, yes, yes, I hear you zombie lovers screaming! Romero began the zombie genre as a comment on consumerism in the U.S. BUT, in terms of the themes of the movies, you gotta admit—carnage.

Until World War Z by Max Brooks. Enter high art.

Yes, I am late to the game. The book has been out for quite a while, but thanks to my wonderful friend Wade, it finally worked its way into my hands. And I am having a hard time putting it down. Its finals week. I have a test. I have a paper. I have two conferences to prep for. My dog wants attention. My stomach is growling. My kitchen sink is full… and I just want to read about zombies.

But here is what is different- this is truly a zombie book about human nature, political interactions, the will to live, to survive. Dehumanization. Atomic warfare. This book is actually step by step examining the social, political, economic, and personal impacts of a zombie apocalypse. And beyond that, it is quite easy to see the links that can be drawn between this situation and MANY situations. The book is about zombies, but the book isn’t just about zombies. It’s about human nature and the society in which we live.

Stay tuned. I am halfway through and I am hoping the book carries me through, but I do encourage everyone to read it! Just not before bed… I have been having the weirdest dreams and yes (at the age of 30) sleeping with the lights on. Even more so than Paranormal State, and that is saying something!

This is actually something I have toyed with in my own writing-- how do you take a genre I love (horror) but create something powerful and profound? Can it be done? Other than World War Z, have you guys seen it done?

Clearly, Max and Menna-- not horror... and its not something I want to write full time, but seeing it done so masterfully has my mind a-working!

But, because of this, I am anxious to know of your giddiness… what are your guilty pleasures, and who is raising them from “brain candy” to art?

Famous Blue Raincoat

I have a Leonard Cohen song stuck in my head... actually a cover of it. For those of you who know Jennifer Warnes only as the chick who had the time of her life in that Dirty Dancing song, you are missing out. Check out her album Famous Blue Raincoat which includes covers of almost all of my favorite Cohen songs (just missing Suzanne).

Why this song? Because it is 2:39 a.m., and my alarm clock is set for 4:30 so I can get up and head (back) to the airport (again) for another work trip. The song begins with a classic line "It's four in the morning, the end of December, I'm writing you now just to see if you're better."

So, while it is only two in the morning at the end of October, I go back to this song. I am not a music fanatic by any stretch. I have a ton of stuff I love, but being that I am surrounded by friends who are musicians, I truly understand that my musical understanding and taste only scratches the surface. Songs aren't like books to me-- they don't move me-- with a few notable exceptions.

Famous Blue Raincoat is one of those exceptions, and in this moment, that song so perfectly represents my mood. I am listless, and tired, and thinking about the past.

The song is sort of a letter to music, where Lady #1 is writing to Unnamed Dude after he moved away to build his house "deep in the desert" following some alluded to tragic incident. Throughout the song, Lady #1 croons that "Jane came by with a lock of your hair. She said that you gave it to her. That night that you planned to go free."

And then, the penetrating question "did you ever go free?"

In so many ways, the song is about a group of people who's plans are all destroyed by...life...

This brings up a question I have been mulling over as of late after lots of conversations with lots of friends who are struggling to find a balance between the life they have and they life they want (which we all are). For us twenty-something people (and yes, I can still claim that for two more months!) sometimes the biggest battle is understanding that life you want looks like.

But still, Famous Blue Raincoat is a song about regret, and that is a trap I am trying to avoid tonight. This is what I am learning/have learned about life: it never looks like what you think it will. So many of us, and I feel like women in my age group in particular, have this image in our head of where you are "supposed to be" at twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, etc. It is actually rather fragmented. We vacilate between Sex and the City and Leave it to Beaver.

The problem is, no one's life looks like that.

And that is A-OK! I always had this image of my first book being published while I lived in a loft in Greenwich Village and lived the Carrie Bradshaw flitting existence (but I TOTALLY end up with my Aiden because Mr. Big just sucks). But here I am living in my tiny little rowhouse in Baltimore, going to work every day, spending weekends on school.

But, dude, my life is pretty good, no? I am overcoming the loss of my mom, and that is a huge shadow over everything. It is, nonetheless, a shadow that will fade somewhat, and I will figure out how to incorporate what doesn't fade into who I am in some productive fashion. Otherwise, I have an amazing job, great friends, prospects and potential through the roof. And, other than being exhausted and always a bit too stressed and busy, I am typically a pretty happy, content person. For now.

So why the song about regret, about life failing you so miserably?

Because its now three in the morning the end of October. No good comes of me writing at this hour, and even less so when I share it with the world!

I get to come back on Monday. Max and Menna is at the printer, and I will have copies in my hot little hands in about 3 weeks.

I am actually rather hoping for a night at Joe Squared next week-- haven't had much time to hang out with my favorite bartender recently, and this week's specials look amazing. (I am also hungry at 3 a.m. and thinking with my stomach).

For now, I'm going to try for another hour and a half of sleep, and then go to the airport. Need to wrap up all of my work tomorrow before 9 p.m. Sunday is Paranormal State night.

I hope all of you are sleeping better than I am at this moment in time!

Calling for your great loves!!

I am back from a totally relaxing weekend of camping, which included great food, great friends, and a great amount of much-needed doing nothing. I was totally relaxed, until I came back to a passed deadline on final Max and Menna edits, school work past due, and a really long backlist of other stuff. Ugh. Adulthood is tough.


I am moving at the beginning of October. I’ve been packing up boxes all weekend, and, as always, am shocked by the sheer number of books I own. I packed up 4 full egg-carton sized boxes of books, and this only cleaned off one of four shelves, and took care of the stacks of books lying all over my bedroom.


We’re moving to a smaller house, and I feel somewhat compelled to shed some of my considerable clutter. I am, believe it or not, incredibly sentimental, so I have a hard time parting with things. Apparently, the idea of parting with books is detestable to me. I tried. I convinced myself that I did not, in fact, need more than 500 paperbacks (from my bedroom alone), and that at least 50 of these are books that I didn’t even like. Despite, I found only 8 that I was able to put in the Goodwill pile.


And why is this? I’m actually alarmed by my inability to get rid of books. I am sentimental, for sure, but these hold little to no sentimental value to me. I am surely not materialistic, and so it isn’t the number of my possessions that is crucial. Nonetheless, even books I didn’t like contribute to this symbol of my collective knowledge and experience. I also firmly believe that books have the capacity to change you.


It’s a discussion I have had with my roommate many, many times. She is mystified when I tell her that stories have changed me—not my mood, but the way I think about and interact with the world. Now, the books (and movies and songs) that have done this for me comprise a very short list of the best of the best. But they do exist. And I can’t get rid of books, because what if I happen to pick one up at just the right moment, when I am in the perfect state of mind, and it becomes the next book that changes me. I love that feeling, and I cannot get rid of something that may someday have that power over me.


And so, I ask everyone—what books/movies/songs (if any) have changed you? I don’t necessarily mean your favorite book/movie/song, or the one that has the most awesome explosion, or the best sex scene or anything like that. Are there other people out there who have been so moved by a story that it changed them on some basic, fundamental level? Or am I just weird? If you do have a life altering book, share a little bit about it with us.


I am aiming to have some life-altering sushi from Chiyo tonight and settle in with a Paranormal State DVD to guide me through my edits… as I’ve mentioned, Ryan Buell (Paranormal State’s founder and a man who is near the top of the dreamy men list) has written a book that comes out this month. Apparently, we can demand that his book tour bring him through Baltimore. Another chance to chat with him might alter my way of interacting with the world. I think you should all go DEMAND IT! You know... for the sake of... literature :0)
http://eventful.com/performers/ryan-buell-paranormalstate-book-tour-/P0-001-000237801-0

Back from hiatus...

Hello all.

I want to apologize for the lengthy gap between my last blog entry and this one. I’ve had a lot on my plate. Quite frankly, I still do, but I also feel that, as someone who wants my book to be read, I should be able to commit to sharing a blog more regularly.

So, why has my plate been so full? I lost my mother on August 13. There isn’t much more I am yet able to say about it. This isn’t a forum for me expressing grief, nor is it appropriate for me to try and work out some of what I am thinking/feeling here. Thus, though it is trite and not at all fitting, I will simply say “it is what it is” and assure everyone that I am working through this incredibly difficult time privately.

And, back to my true aim here—to spread and share my love of the story!

About a month ago, I bought a new copy of an old favorite. This was a book I read two or three times during my early teen years—I am sure I would not have been allowed to do so if my parents actually knew the content. Rereading it has been invigorating and created such a whimsical nostalgia in me. The feeling I get from returning to these pages alone has been enough to push me (albeit slowly) through the 1100 pages of this tome. However, I have been very pleased to find that the book contains as much appeal for me as an adult as it did when I was 12. Perhaps this book is even more appealing now that I actually understand some of the “adult content.”

If you have not yet found the time, I encourage everyone (over the age of 16!!!) to pick up Stephen King’s It. Most of you probably know the premise—a scary clown terrorizes the young residents of a Maine town until a band of seven kids band together to stop it. Thirty years later, when It returns, they do as well to try and end its reign for good. King isn't typically a favorite of mine. I actually thoroughly enjoy his books, and have read many of them, but he isn't on my list of "all-time favorites" as his style just isn't what I am typically most drawn to. It, however, is the exception.

The book is about a lot of things (you can cover a lot in 1100 pages), but some of my favorite themes are perhaps those that many people would read over or disregard. I am in awe of how intricately King weaves such a frightening and powerful story, and how, if you dig just below the surface, you will find the book rife with really beautiful and compelling lessons. Pervasive throughout the book is the power of belief, be it in the monster in the sewer, or the power of friendship. King teaches in the book that belief is crucial and potent, and I love the idea. This goes hand in hand with an emphasis on fate—both that it exists, but also that it is within your control. I know it seems conflicted. Characters in the book are destined to do this or that, but yet maintain the power to affect change on their situation. I like the duality.

It’s a good read, but definitely a commitment given the length. I have been grateful for the chance to dwell within my own past, and find re-reading it as an adult definitely gives me perspective on if and when you can ever go back to childhood, either in place or in state of mind.
There is much to look forward to this fall, and I am focusing on it with maniacal intent. We are now only two months away from the publication of Max and Menna. I am truly amazed at how fast these past several months have flown by, and am very much looking forward to promoting the book when it is a tangible thing!

Also, this fall, a new season of my second favorite t.v. show (True Blood being the first) premiers. All of you ghost story fanatics should join me in my excitement to see what Paranormal State has to offer when (dreamy man) Ryan Buell is at the helm as executive producer. Ryan’s first book comes out in September. I am contemplating braving another potential foot-in-the-mouth moment to go to his book signing party. We shall see.

And last but not least, some amazing movies on the line up for this fall. Tron is on my must-see-over-and-over list. Stay tuned. I will keep on sharing amazing stories as I come across them.

For now, my advice to everyone in Baltimore is this: Get to Joe’s Squared this week for the special skins. Roasted eggplant and feta. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Smiles!