I had two essays published last week that are rather brotherly in their subject matter; both tell my sad stories through the lens of literary work I find important, both start with me drunk and disconsolate in Egan’s bar in Tuscaloosa, and both hint at my recently monkadelic lifestyle in HCMC. Please check them out:
Tintin in Vietnam at The Rumpus
I am the Kwisatz Haderach at Red Lemonade
I think the picture I painted of the similarities above is pretty sufficient, but it is my goal to use this space to expand upon themes/history in work I publish so I will see what I can come up with.
As I say in the piece, I got the idea to write about Tintin quite a while ago, but I just never got around to it. I jotted some notes down before I even left the US of A, but that was about it. Oh, I also solicited the story of my first Tintin from my stepfather who responded with a lengthy email – so thanks to him for much of the information in that section. Didn’t really start writing it in earnest until December/January, then it took a minute to find a venue for.
As far as the ex-girlfriend, well, I’ve written quite a bit about her and some of it has been published – Oran for Us in Tuscaloosa Runs This was the first of the bunch – so I will leave it at that other than to say it’s been over 17 months since her decidedly un-optimistic diagnosis and she’s travelled to South America and around the US and lived her life zealously and bravely.
For my part, leaving the US and moving halfway around the world has given me an opportunity and attitude to make some significant alterations to my life; it seems that my new interests have infected my writing some. More to come.
