On Substack I talk about two remakes of classic films and novels that I feel might've missed the point of their inspirations: Jackson's KING KONG and del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN.
open.substack.com/pub/alexbled...
The recent news of suicides, plus just the news in general, have gotten me so deep in a hole that I can't write, can't focus, and can barely function. I'm seriously not made for the world we've got now; nothing I'm good at is valued. I feel as if I serve no purpose. Anyone else feel this?
I've been reading a collection of essays and interviews with Michelangelo Antonioni, as well as immersing myself in his films. I knew I liked him, but when I ran across this, I understood my affinity even more. We share the same favorite painter. :-)
Thank you so much, Kitty! I honestly never thought of Sparrow as scary, but now that you mention it, I can see how he might be. I might have to stress that if I do a sequel.
I have an old DVD of this that is iffy quality at best. The new restored blu ray is only available in the Pasolini box set from Criterion, and I don't like the rest of Pasolini enough to buy that. :-(
Wake of the Bloody Angel
He Drank, and Saw the Spider
The Zginski novels:
Blood Groove
The Girls with Games of Blood
Dandelion
Give the People What They Want (audio-only short story collection)
If you give any of these a try, let me know what you think!
Latest: urban fantasy crime thriller WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS.
The Tufa series:
The Hum and the Shiver
Wisp of a Thing
Long Black Curl
Chapel of Ease
Gather Her Round
The Fairies of Sadieville
The Eddie LaCrosse series:
The Sword-Edged Blonde
Burn Me Deadly
Dark Jenny
(continued)
Finished up my expenses for my taxes. The fun part? Damn near every receipt from our trip is a) in Euros, and has to be converted to not just $, but to the conversion rate at the time, and b) in Italian, so I have to look up what some of these places are since many receipts aren't itemized.
At my Substack today, I go through the Spotify playlist for my new novel, WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS. Videos for all the songs and links to the playlist, too.
alexbledsoe1.substack.com/p/music-from...
At my substack, I talk about my favorite movie. It may not be the one you think.
alexbledsoe1.substack.com/p/howard-haw...
No rush, of course, but when you finish let me know what you think. And thank you!
All right, y'all, it's a) release day and b) my birthday, so I bet you know what present I'd like! Available in kindle, audio, hardcover and paperback editions. If you like it, leave a review on your site of choice, and share the word!
www.amazon.com/While-City-N...
Since there's ONE MORE DAY until my new novel, WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, hits. I thought I'd share some more of its influences. Link to order in the next post!
alexbledsoe1.substack.com/p/influences...
We have a Chevy Volt, and for the most part it's a jewel. But on ice? Not so much. I mean, we also have an SUV, and with a full tank it's heavy enough it does pretty well. But the Volt? Turns out a fully-charged battery weighs as much (or as little) as an empty one. And it ain't enough, baby.
Hey, happy early birthday! You were ALMOST a February baby.
Since there's a general strike tomorrow, AND my new novel comes out next Tuesday on my birthday, I thought I'd share a brief excerpt to give you a taste of what you'd be getting if you decide to try it. Let me know what you think!
alexbledsoe1.substack.com/p/chapter-on...
I know there are fans of Stefan Rudnicki on here, because I'm sure one of them. The audiobook of WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS is now up for pre-order at Barnes and Noble.
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/while-the-...
Last night the Siren hit herself in the lip with the rim of her metal water bottle. I didn't see this, but heard the "Ow!"
Me: Are you all right? What happened?
The Siren: I was taking a drink and missed!
The Brokenwood Mysteries.
I'm not kidding.
I was re-reading Andrei Tarkovsky's diaries and came across this. Not bad as a statement of purpose for any creative types:
"All that I wanted was to tempt into life things that wanted to come out of me."
Well, not everything speaks to everybody. I don't get most of Godard, and Truffaut, while I can appreciate him, never really connects with me. Tarkovsky and Antonioni, though, are like talking to myself (not saying I'm an artist on their calibre, just that I get what they're saying).
Addendum to my earlier post. My novel WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS also has a character named "Tom Asiago," taken from the menu abbreviation for tomato asiago quiche at Sjölind's Chocolate Shoppe. 😁
I had to come back and say I thought you were spot-on in your long-ago comments on JEANNE DIELMAN. We still disagree on Antonioni, though. 😄 Really enjoying the older episodes as I try to catch up.
How can you resist a novel with character names like:
The Mendicant
Grimy Tim
Apocalypse Joe
Mummadabba
Lobotomy Eyes
Harry the Less
Artie the Dodger
and the Lightning Girl?
You can't! Well...I hope not. Pre-order WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS below!
falstaffbooks.myshopify.com/products/whi...
Pipes going into the dishwasher motor froze, so it's hand-washing in the sink for a while. Love the way old houses clue you in to WHERE one of the old owners skimped on insulation (it's literally easier to wash dishes by hand than to try to get to the motor and thaw the pipes).
I have to say, I feel like you guys missed a lot of the points on this one. You misinterpreted many things, such as the supposed influence of Miami Vice on the fashion; trust me, that's just how we dressed in the 80s, whether in Miami or L.A.
Your periodic reminder that in next novel, WHILE THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS, you get:
Gangsters;
Rogue cops;
Crusading reporters;
Child criminals;
A snake that guards a tattoo parlor;
and a female vigilante who controls electricity.
Pre-order now!
falstaffbooks.myshopify.com/products/whi...
Did a tarot reading for the Siren, age 14. As I told her when we were done, it basically boiled down to, "You need to get your shit together." Actually, they all boil down to that, now that I think about it...
