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April and I live about five miles from Rosehill Cemetery, which happens to be where Lee Harvey Oswald is buried. Since he died 45 years ago today, shot dead by Jack Ruby, and since Jack Ruby is the unofficial patron saint of Antihero Comics (my unpublished attempt at nonfiction), I thought we'd visit his grave site. Yes, I'm one of those morbid JFK assassination history buffs -- minus the conspiracy theories.
Rosehill Cemetery is large, and it's difficult to find a headstone even if you know where it's supposed to be. So, without any plan or guidance, we started walking. I presumed it would be along the fence and far away from everyone else. I mean, would you want to be buried next to Oswald? As we walked, across the street, there was a man tending to a barbecue at his house. He shouted, "Are you looking for Oswald?" Guilty. "Yeah." He walked to the fence where we were, and shared some interesting information. First, we were close. Apparently, they move the body regularly. (Move?! That's kinda creepy.) They changed the name on his headstone to a woman's name, but the initials are still LHO. According to the neighbor, he's somewhere along the fence. He got on his cell phone to call a friend. "Hey, what name is Oswald under now?" Then his neighbors came out, they started pointing: "Oswald's somewhere between those two trees!" We kept walking around, and couldn't find him anywhere. (April's blog about the event.) I went online, and found a few more details, which may or may not be outdated. First, Rose Hill officials will not tell an inquirer where the grave is located, and no historical marker references the location. Second, a man named Nick Beef is buried next to Oswald, unless they moved him. The Nick Beef story is interesting. "According to the folks in the black suits at the cemetery office, Nick Beef is the stage name of a comedian who bought the plot and had a headstone with that name installed. In his act, he apparently tells people that if they want to find Oswald's grave (which info the cemetery office will not give out)...just ask for Nick Beef instead and you will find Oswald. Only thing is...now they won't tell people where Nick Beef's grave is either! Once the cemetery folks realized a group of us (Arthur and Margaret Snyder, Bill Hamley, and myself) who were out there already knew where Oswald's grave was and were just curious about Nick Beef, they told us the story. Of additional note...Marguerite (Oswald's mother) is buried on the other side of Oswald.... sans headstone."Also, according to the site, he's in section "Sunset 18" about twenty feet from the cemetery road. Once again, unless they moved him and changed the headstone. I'm insanely curious. What's his mysterious female acronym? I'll make a return visit, and bring my camera.
Friends, grab your calendar!
The Dallas Museum of Art, in conjunction with La Reunion and the Make Space for Artists competition (here and also here), will host a panel discussion on "artist's studios in historical and contemporary contexts, with particular consideration of artists in the Dallas/Ft. Worth community." And yes, I will be on the panel -- along with architect Bang Dang, sculptor Frances Bagley, and an artist historian to be announced. The session will be facilitated by the Book Daddy Jerome Weeks of KERA. Q&A afterwards. Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 PM. Four panelists will enter, only one will survive! And it's going to be me! Who survives! Not them! And by that, I mean, I will destroy them! With violence! In other news: I will be part of Art Conspiracy on December 6th and F6 Gallery's Gift Show on December 13th.
"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much." - Gordon Gekko, WALL STREETNow substitute the word "greed" with "ego." If greed is the catalyst to a free market economy, then ego acts in the same regard for creative pursuits. (1) the "I" or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought. (2) the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment. (3) egotism; conceit; self-importance (4) self-esteem or self-image; feelings (5) the enduring and conscious element that knows experience (6) the complete person comprising both body and soul. I'd like to add one more definition. I would clarify that "ego" is the exertion of one's will onto their world. Any writer or artist who wants to pretend that their task doesn't involve, on some level, forcing their vision upon others is fooling themselves. Maybe you use less violent language, but a writer or artist presents their work and says, "This is my world. This is my truth. Embrace it." Artists, in any media, are stubbornly committed to their vision. Thus, why some of the world's greatest novelists, poets, painters, and filmmakers are famous egomaniacs. (Andy Warhol and Alfred Hitchcock come to mind.) The challenge is for the artist to compartmentalize their egotism, and save it for their art; balance it with compassion. This does not mean the ego-filled artist shouldn't listen to criticism or collaborate with others, but they do not give their trust easily. The priority is always to make their work better. We may have to get past this negative connotation associated with ego. There is good ego, and there is bad ego. When I write a story, from first notes to final draft of the script, I am the person responsible for caring about my work. I am the person who must write it. If it doesn't happen, it's my fault. I'm the only person who can compromise my work. I'm the only person who will defend it. From my perspective, taking ultimate responsibility is an act of ego. After I've written it, if it's an honest work and skillfully executed, there's an audience for my story. Too many writers allow their insecurity to play the role of editor, and they mutilate their story until it lacks any voice or personality. There is no "I", no ego. If you are going to fail, fail with your own ideas.
Anytime you work in a field with creative people, it's difficult, because you are occasionally put in a situation where you evaluate each other's ability. Is it better to keep your mouth shut and play the role of a nice guy? Or is it better to offer honest critique for their benefit? I guess, it comes down to the invitation. Did they ask for your advice or opinion? Sometimes people only want to hear the positive, even if they ask you to be honest. Artists and writers are sensitive creatures. I've tried my best to sugar coat criticism. Lately, however, I think I've gotten more harsh. Maybe my experience as a Creative Writing teacher has tainted me?
Someone sent me a graphic novel and asked for my thoughts. It was a mostly glowing review. However, I did say... "That being said, I do feel like (name deleted) is still finding his footing with the dialogue and overall plot structure. However, it's nothing that will damage this story. As a writer, it reminded me of my first steps into the process. No one else will notice, but in your gut, you know it could be more polished."They never responded to my email. Another person sent me a few issues of a comic book he was marketing. He asked for some feedback. "That being said, the art is not good, and it corrupts the entire work."As before, they did not email me back. I met a talented up-and-coming writer at Wizard World Texas who wanted me to review their work. It was very good, but I did notice some glaring grammatical errors. "I apologize for nitpicking the grammar -- but I think if comic book writers are to be taken seriously, we need to hold ourselves to the same standard as other professional writers. Need to proof read for these mistakes."In this instance, they responded. No problem. They were professional and tolerant of my advice. Then just yesterday, I feel like I overstepped my bounds in a critique to a peer. I don't want to go into details, but I did apologize. Any thoughts? How do you handle criticism? How do you give it? (pause) How do you really feel about my comics?
It's a graphic novel about the comic book industry and failure. It's a happy story. Tell your friends.
It's official. My dad is now 60 years old, and in better health than me. It's partly my friend Leah's fault. I'll explain. Leah Wilson is senior editor at BenBella Books, which published THE CHINA STUDY. My parents picked up this book, and they've jumped into the study with great enthusiasm. It basically advocates a vegan-like diet. Leah explained it to me, and I have no doubt the findings are dead on, but never in a million years did I think my dad would become vegan. My dad, the man who (while I was in high school) grilled meat for dinner at least four days out of the week. My dad, the man who taught me how to grill, which steaks to choose, when to flip and when not to flip. The man I've had discussions with concerning the greatness of Stubb's beef marinade. The man who taught me the joys of a crock pot and pot roast. He's a vegan now. Not that I'm complaining about my Republican dad become a hippie vegan. They've lived in California long enough for it to displace the Texas influence. It's good to have a dad who eats healthy, exercises daily (golf counts, right?), and doesn't smoke. He's a grandfather now, so it's important for him to be able to keep up with my daughter. Kennedy asks about him and "Grandma Nancy" all the time. It'll be good to have him around -- and THE CHINA STUDY knows a thing or two about longevity. It sucks, because now I have to start being healthy too. It'd be a little embarrassing to have your parents outlive you through "natural causes." I'll live to be 80. They'll live to be 109. Way to go, Leah.
Happy birthday, Dad!
Journalist Laura Hudson posts on MTV's comic book blog. She interviews several writers and artists about the election. (click here)
Marlena Hall gives her thoughts (click here), and so do Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir (click here).
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