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John Brizzolara’s Last Column
At the risk of getting my face kicked in once again, I would just like to say I have long been an admirer. Make no mistake; TGIF has always been about you, about your unique voice, about harrowing tales from the darker side of life: there but for the grace of god go I... Thankfully, you are not dead yet. Now is the time for something in longer form, yes?— March 25, 2012 4:15 p.m.
Elusive Salvation
I owe an apology to SD and MSG. My comment to SD was a very poor attempt at humor. To MSG, well I feel bad that she hated my shlocky writing so much she went back and read it twice… Anyway, I also wanted to thank you both as you gave me a harsh reminder of why I need to stop posting comments on the internet. Hopefully this time I will stay away for good. And there was much rejoicing! By the way, I think you are both excellent writers and I hope you keep it up. (Feel free to B-slap me if I ever show my face in here again.)— June 23, 2010 6:49 p.m.
Elusive Salvation
I’m liking Refried more and more as time goes by, but apparently SD thinks you can critique death... Dang-it! SD gave me a C- on my Final-Days essay; I won’t be able to get into an Ivy League afterlife now! Legacy – that’s what this whole sad thing has me thinking about… It is a very human thing to want to leave a legacy, it seems. Why this is I’m not sure; something to do with the quest for immortality I guess. Some few want to make their mark on the word by either becoming famous/infamous or erecting some lasting monument in some way. Most people, however; consider their children to be their legacy, even though they will most likely be forgotten after only one generation. Yet, for many creative people, children are secondary to leaving an artistic legacy, a masterpiece, a magnum opus that will influence people and be talked about for decades, even centuries to come. I bet you can all name a half-dozen masterpieces right off the top of your head that were created centuries ago, but still remain pertinent and whose creators are iconic names. It is my belief that inside every creative person there is a masterpiece yearning to see daylight, yet they seldom do. Why? Simply because giving birth to a great work is an extraordinarily difficult thing. But you can feel it in there, can’t you? Scratching and tickling, aching to be born… We put it off, don’t we? We can always create that masterpiece later when we’re ready, yes? Well, that’s fine when you’re young, but when you find yourself passing that mark when there’s more life behind you than in front of you, you begin to feel that tickling more and more. Yet we still manage to put it off, the end is always a nebulous thing. There is always more time… However, our hero (protagonist) finds his days literally numbered. No longer is his end a fuzzy vague “something” on the horizon, now it is a black line, a precipice. He hurtles toward it now, down the river of life on his makeshift raft, he can see the misting spray, he can hear the roar of falling water… If you cannot sympathize with that, then show some respect for the final days of a fellow artist, and if you cannot find that in yourself, then I ask you to summon up a few shreds of forbearance for those of us who appreciate our hero’s work.— June 20, 2010 4:07 p.m.
Letters
I want to be in that bubble-bath with SD... No beans or seafood allowed!!! :P— May 20, 2010 7:12 p.m.
Letters
I am amazed! Amazed by Dorian’s story, and amazed by the responses to it… First of all, Doctor Shiny Shoes is the lowest and least that I care to respond to. Frankly, it surprises me that our medical system doesn’t produce more of his ilk. Yet consider the medical educational process that aspiring doctors go through. Most people could not even imagine how tough that is! It’s a wonder to me that anyone can survive it with their humanity intact... That being said, what annoys me more are the ones complaining about the cover. Open your eyes to the reality of life! He had part of his skull removed!! That’s what it looks like, you twits!!!— May 2, 2010 11:46 p.m.
Life as Workweek
SD – When I used the term hero it was in the sense of the protagonist of a story, not as someone to be admired. Frankly, I find all this crow-like picking apart of his moral corpse distasteful. Some say he is a despicable individual, to be honest it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t need to know the personal details of a writer’s life other than what they choose to reveal in their words. Indeed, as readers we often greedily devour those details, yet we should not loose respect for the writer because of it. Is it not how they choose to reveal those details that truly matters? I admire writers for where their words take me – dark places, humorous places, painful places – I do not judge them for taking me to those places. It occurs to me that the internet is a horrible medium for writers who create introspective personal work. I am thankful Kerouac didn’t live in these times… The crows would have gotten him for sure.— April 8, 2010 11:47 p.m.
Hobnobbing at the Hob Nob
I am rather of a different opinion. Although I love him, the end for our hero was inevitable, the powers arrayed against him were intractable, insurmountable, inescapable, and yet, appropriate. Well meaning folk espouse the “help” that he supposedly needs... What help is there for an artist executing their vision? Did Van Gogh need help? Did Poe need help? Such artists express themselves in all the human anguish that makes them great! John’s achy musings on life are his masterpieces; there is no help for such vision. Although some might think he could be cured or that they could take his place, in my opinion no one else could fill that particular achy void. And yet there is hope. Those with his affliction have a strange way of living on well beyond the predictions of the wise. When John is truly gone, I for one will miss him and celebrate him!— March 22, 2010 12:49 a.m.
Banker's Hill/Mercy Outpatient
Not starting my own blog any time soon. Don't have an urge to be torn apart by worthless cretins... The most I do is sometimes post a few things to my facebook page. Anyone regular on SD's blog is a pretty much a friend o' mine! ;) Let me know...— January 19, 2010 7:56 p.m.
Banker's Hill/Mercy Outpatient
Hi, SD I recognized your symptoms from a couple friends who also suffer from that lovely disease. Not fun at all, yet it’s the adversities in life that make for a great writer, yes? The list is long and illustrious as I think you know. The writings of those who exist within the darkness are beyond compare (why I love TGIF so much). Your Mercy writings are particularly poignant in this regard. You have a curse and a gift blended together into something powerful, do not be afraid to use it...— January 15, 2010 8:59 p.m.
Magic Kingdom
For the first time ever I'm giving David a Thumbs Down! :(— January 2, 2010 8:04 p.m.