LEE'S BLAH-BLAH-BLOG
This will be updated with information from my blog as the time goes on.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO LEE 4 OR 5 MAYBE 3, WHO KNOWS?
Ok, I finished my deadline reviews, Instilling Values in Transcending Cultures and The Deviation and Restoration of
the Human Race. I had to ask for a deadline extension. I’ll eventually delete the rough drafts in my previous blogs.
My editor and I made them nice and spic and span. As soon as they’re up and running I’ll supply a link. 3 more came
in the mail for review. One is Alice Hoffman’s new novel, Skylight Confessions, the second is Rick Moody’s older new
novel, The Diviners and the third is memoir from a gulf war Vet, Saving Babylon. I’m supposed to be getting a
graphic novel to review as well. I’m in love with that whole medium.
For pleasure, I’m reading Tom Stoppard a Life and The Tomb, by F Paul Wilson (a Repairman Jack novel, good
stuff) I just finished another Wilson novel, The Keep. I liked it a lot. I’ll be posting a review Of Stephen King’s new
novel Lisey’s Story soon and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on Tom Harris’s new novel, Hannibal Rising.
Neil Gaiman has a new book of short stories Fragile Things, I’d like to read and review etc, etc.
For Inthefray, I’ve got some dvd reviews coming up, The Libertine, Saraband, V is for Vendetta, comparing Moore’s
future with our current war on terrorism. Match Point, and Dostoevsky, a dvd essay and review on The Lady In the
Water as metaphor for literary criticism. And more……..Oh, yeah, I’ve been chosen to participate in the next Poe’
gasm contest, wish me luck, I’m gonna need it.
To tell the truth I shouldn’t be writing a stupid confessional blog. I’ve so much other crap to do. Charla has
convinced me to contribute a play to a playwriting contest with a 12/20/06 deadline. I thought I might submit some of
my older plays that haven’t been produced…but I was suddenly struck with inspiration to write something new.
The working title is Refractions, based on a nightmare. My nine year old daughter and I were in a big city, thousands
of people milled around, crowds of people that moved like waves. In the nightmare my 9 year old was around four
years old and she was holding tightly to my hand (I don’t know why in the dream I didn’t pick her up and carry her,
would have alleviated the whole problem…so much for dream logic) I reminded her to hold my hand very, very tight
as we made our way through the crowd and suddenly I was no longer holding her hand. I searched frantically for
her, yelling her name. I heard her yell “Daddy!” and I turned and saw her for just a second and she was swallowed
by the crowd again. I could not find her. Later I was home, but not my home…My dream self tried to convince his
wife and himself that they never had a child. I woke up with so much guilt and sadness that it took a while for me to
realize that I was only dreaming.
The play, Refractions (Maybe I’ll call the play Hierarchy) deals with the strain of the fall out on a marriage of a couple,
Andy and Bonnie, their four year old daughter Sarah disappears. It looks at the questions:
How realistic is it for so-called Christian parents to form a hierarchy of God, spouse and child? Makes me think of
the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac: Read the following
“When Isaac became a young boy, God spoke to Abraham and commanded him to take his son to Mount Moriah and
offer him as a sacrifice to God. This was God’s test of Abraham’s faith. Abraham loved his son very much, but did
not hesitate to follow God’s words for he was a man whose faith in God was strong. As Abraham and his son
reached the place where the sacrifice was to be performed, Isaac said to his father, “Father, where is the lamb that is
to be sacrificed?” Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide the lamb”.
It is not known how eventually Abraham told his son that he was to be the sacrifice, but Isaac courageously laid on
the sacrificial place ready to be sacrificed for god. As Abraham was taking out his knife, his hands were trembling.
He was about to sacrifice his son when heard the voice of God saying, “Abraham, Stop! Do not hurt your son. You
have proven your faith and shown how much you love Me by willing to sacrifice your son for Me. Therefore, I shall
bless you and your family, and through you, I shall bless all the nations on earth”. God also provided a lamb for the
sacrifice. Abraham went home along with his son, and their hearts full of love and faith.”
I would have told God to go F himself. I find the story sick. Why would an all knowing and all seeing God need to
have reassurance that someone had faith by killing their child?
Other questions:
Is there resentment and or jealousy or feelings of neglect on the part of a parent when a child monopolizes the other
parent? Can these people keep their relationship without the keystone of their child? Do parents lose their identities
when they have children, does the loss of the child cause identity confusion? And of course there is a twist. We
read about and see on the news parents that purposely lose, hurt or kill their children all the time. What could make
a person do that? There is more than I mentioned but I don’t want to give it all away. This play only needs to be 10
minute long. I’ve got a lot I want to cover in such a short amount of time.
I’d welcome comments and ideas about the parent child dynamics or anything else I’ve mentioned.
My other project is more intense and time consuming. I received an email from one of my yahoo groups, a theater
company in England is looking for original plays…deadline 12-24-06, so me being me, I’m gonna try to finish writing a
full length play called Economy of Motion. (loosely based on an idea I had during the Maria Schiavo case), I’m not
going to go into detail until I complete the play.
Yeah, I’m nuts, but I work well under pressure. And I’m on a much needed 2 week vacation.
Thanks for listening,
©Lee Gooden 12/17/06 copyright 2006