SOME THOUGHTS

I spent most of my day reading Prince of Stories, a book covering the work of Neil Gaiman by Hank Wagner, Christopher Golden, and Stephen R. Bissette. It features synopses of his comics, novels, short stories, and so forth along with details of his legal battles with Todd McFarlane and interviews and so forth. It's not a perfect book. For instance, the section on his Sandman series summarizes each issue and then includes a "People, Places, and Things" section that pretty much restates the summaries. Still, I enjoyed reading about his work and I chose this book to be my first of the year for a reason, which I will get to shortly. In the end, though, the book makes me want to reread Gaiman's work and pick up the stuff I haven't read yet. Guess the book did its job.

I learned yesterday that F&SF is going to be changing its publishing schedule to every other month starting with the Apr./May issue this year (I just received the Feb. issue in the mail yesterday). The issues will be bigger (longer than the usual double issues are) but they will be losing about 10% of their annual content. It's not surprising with the way things are in publishing these days and I don't fault Gordon Van Gelder for it in the least. I am also glad that the best SF magazine will still be published.

I chose the book about Gaiman because he is one of my favorite writers and I've felt he is an example of the sort of writing career I would like to have. I thought reading about him would help to inspire me. It's no secret that I've wanted to be a writer for a long time...really, ever since I was a kid. College was when I actively made the decision and then spent a long time putting a ton of pressure on myself and becoming depressed over the whole thing. It's a dream I've put on the backburner over the last five years or more as I found something I liked doing and found some self-worth for the first time since I was a teenager.

My "Year of 35" project back in 2006-2007 was a way of reconnecting with all of those old creative dreams. It was always my plan to include writing as part of the project but I was having so much fun with the music and it was on such a smaller scale that I was content.

I start this year realizing that I do still want to write and I think I'm in a better place to do so now. I've made changes in my life that have me heading in a direction for the first time ever and I am content with that direction. Looking back, I think part of my problem with writing is that I had pinned all of my hopes on it...I couldn't conceive of myself doing anything but being a writer. So much pressure. I don't have that pressure now.

I want to see what I can do. I'd love to eventually be published in a place like F&SF, because I respect the magazine so much and greatly enjoy many of the writers published therein. I know that's getting ahead of myself. I'm going to start by trying to get something down, to finish something I start, and see where it goes from there. It's a modest proposition and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm looking forward to the journey.

THE YEAR OF 35 2: THE YEAR OF 37

Two years ago I embarked on "The Year of 35," in which I decided to start doing all the things I'd talked and dreamed about all my life. I picked up the guitar and started writing songs, played in a band, and just had a great time. I kept on going once I turned 36...but in September I let my new responsibilities at work consume me. I have made very few appearances at open mics since then and haven't played a ton of guitar, let along doing creative things with it.

Today I turned 37 and I'm going to use this birthday to propel myself back into music. I want to get back out there and get back to writing songs and just enjoying making music. In addition, I want to follow through with the spirit of "The Year of 35" and add writing to the palette as well. I've wanted to writer for years and years and years. Now's the time to get started. I like my job but I also don't want to do it forever; I need to start building towards the life I want to have.

I'm not going to make any grand statements or specific goals, nor do I know what this will mean for the blog. Changes? No changes? Long absences? Who knows? I'm not going to inundate you with "Year of 37" updates either. It's not a thing, really, just a rededication to what I started 2 years ago. I'm ready to reload and crank it up. Looking forward to it...

THE YEAR OF 35: END

I turned 36 on Thursday, which effectively ends "The Year of 35." A year ago I set out to start doing some of the things I'd always talked about doing but never did. I started with music and my year exceeded any expectations I might have had.

I wrote 11 songs this year - I finished one on Tuesday and another on my birthday.

Not only did I improve tremendously on the guitar, I also dusted off my piano skills (I think my freshman year was the last time I had lessons and played on any regular basis), learned how to play the bass, and have also played harmonica and the tambourine.

I started playing open mics and joined a band. I've played a bunch of shows, both in our full band lineup (3 of us) and a slimmer version (without a drummer).

It's been a fantastic year. Of course, I'm not going to stop now that I'm 36. I feel like I'm still just getting started. I want to record this year and play more shows and write more songs. I also want to start writing some fiction as well.

"The Year of 35" did its trick.

PERFORMANCE LOG: FEBRUARY 2007

Feb. 1 - Front Porch Music - The Sigh Begins (Graham Smith) - piano; Poor (Smith) - harmonica; Dear Prospective Employer; That's Okay; 23 Across (Graham on piano)

Feb. 3 - Boundary Waters - Poor (Smith) - harmonica, backing vocals; Holding Pattern (Graham on lead acoustic guitar, backing vocals); Give Yourself (Smith) - keyboard; Song For A Day (Graham on bass, backing vocals); Liquor Sink (Smith) - bass, backing vocals; 23 Across (Graham on keyboard); Dear Prospective Employer (Graham on bass, backing vocals); The Sigh Begins (Smith) - keyboard; Jews & Gypsies (Smith) - tambourine, backing vocals; Woke Up (Graham on bass, backing vocals)

Feb. 14 - Front Porch Music - Our Love (Rhett Miller); Decoder Ring; Dear Prospective Employer

Feb. 22 - Front Porch Music - Woke Up; Dear Prospective Employer

All songs are mine, unless otherwise noted. I play guitar on all songs, unless otherwise noted. We do have audio of the Boundary Waters show, if anyone is interested in a copy...