#my favorite job I ever had was working at one in the perennial section

[charmwasjess]

🧮💩 any random recipes you'd like to share? or gardening tips mayhaps?

(signed, tumblr user count doodoo, master of burning food and killing plants)

Count-y DD, my beloved, I've been sitting on this ask forever because I LOVED it so much, I really thought I was gonna make a big recipe post with heavily filtered pictures (I used to write a fake lifestyle blog as a joke) --and I probably still will sometime when I'm procrastinating at work.

BUT I was reminded of the plant tip question as I was wandering around the complete mess of my garden after leaving it for two weeks and thinking how much of gardening is failure. It's a real exercise in trying something, it not working, and trying something differently, trying something else, or just trying again. I am a plant serial killer. If that were a crime, I would go to jail for a thousand years for all the plants I killed. But it's part of the process! You don't know what's going to work in your yard until you've experimented, had some duds, and felt out what works for your light and soil situation, and what doesn't. And of course, research is good, but the best thing is just trying - experimenting and paying attention to the results.

I think a lot of new gardeners get excited about a new plant or garden bed, kill one, or hell, all of their plants, and then get discouraged and decide they're just not good at it. This false idea that you have a green thumb or you don't. But I think the real thing is trial and error and not getting discouraged when you face setbacks in the garden. Sunflower seeds didn't come up, or they did, but then some idiot went to France and didn't water them for two weeks? Okay, there are like a hundred seeds in those little packs! Plant them again! All plants have natural lifespans, even perennials that come back year after year. Even your most successful, beautiful plants can just up and die on you and that's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, it's part of gardening.

[ryanmeft]

The Greatest Showman Movie Review

The Greatest Showman is a piece of complete fantasy, an almost total fabrication that gets two things exactly right: P.T. Barnum existed, and he created modern entertainment. The rest is smoke and mirrors, obscuring behind a modern narrative sheen what it doesn’t outright invent. Barnum would be proud. What matters isn’t that it’s accurate. What matters is it is a total blast with a genuinely moving message, the kind of thing that no longer entirely works in Disney films because they’ve driven it into the ground. Somehow, song-and-dance numbers about being yourself get a breath of fresh life injected when they’re sung by conjoined twins and bearded ladies.

The film, helmed by a first-time feature director name of Michael Gracey, takes the complex and sometimes dark and terrible stories of P.T. Barnum’s life and distills them into an archetype: the struggling visionary desperate to provide for his family. Hugh Jackman, that perennial audience favorite, dons the bright red jacket and top hat, but not at first. When the film begins, he’s nothing: a servant boy whose lady love’s father (an easily loathable Fredric Lehne) sneers at him when he later comes to take her away, announcing she’ll be back as soon as she tires of his lack of wealth.

 She doesn’t and isn’t. Soon she’s grown and played by Michelle Williams, and they are dancing and singing with their two daughters on the soot-stained rooftops of mid-19th century New York. This is one of my favorite time periods in all of film or any other medium, suffused as it is with a Dickensian vibe of downtrodden-ness, a ripe canvas on which to paint any number of rags-to-riches stories. You might notice that Williams, as Charity, isn’t saddled with the easy cliche of most wife characters in these yarns. She neither constantly nags the perpetually struggling Barnum with reminders of their money woes, nor does she make dramatic speeches when his success and his head begin to swell. When one of the daughters asks for ballet shoes, their response could draw tears even in 2017 from anyone who ever had to spend an hour in the store trying to decide whether they could afford the tiniest luxury. (I was reminded of the personal recollection of someone I know, which I won’t share here). Barnum, who has been let go from a (fictional) job in shipping, is able to provide as a present instead a quickly invented gadget that puts on a light show.

Quickly inventing things, of course, became Barnum’s stock in trade. It isn’t an exaggeration to say he invented modern entertainment as we know it. What is a movie, after all, if not pure and total…humbug? And the even more modern video game has learned how to ensnare a person’s emotions with computer code in such a way that they will keep returning and paying for new hats. Barnum sought out the total outcasts of society, the ones who would have before been doomed to poverty, prejudice and early death, and made them stars. He brought in exotic animals and displayed them for the audiences of the cold New England coasts for the first time. He brought the idle whims of the aristocracy to the people.

He also made his performers to go on stage in cages, and can without a doubt be called a profiteering exploiter. The film portrays him as a philanthropist and early champion of what we would now consider rights for the differently-abled. His performers are his friends, and the ensemble cast includes dazzling performances by Sam Humphrey as the famous General Tom Thumb, Keala Settle as bearded lady Lettie Lutz, and Zendaya as black trapeze artist Annie Wheeler, whose race alone kept her off any earlier stages. The only time it is intimated that Barnum forgot they were human is during a period when he hires famous, respected singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) to tour the world and bring him the respect he craves from titans and queens (there is a wonderful exchange between Tom Thumb and none other than the Queen of England herself).

 In reality, the man whose second-most-famous line was “There’s a sucker born every minute” was very, very in it for a buck, and while it can be fairly said that his performers lived much worse lives before he found them, that was hardly his intent. He didn’t use the term “freaks” affectionately.

What “The Greatest Showman” does is what “Moulin Rouge!” and the supremely underrated “Marie Antoinette” did: it helps to shine a light on a mostly forgotten period of history by modernizing it, and it mostly does this through music. The film opens with “The Greatest Show”, as rousing an intro as any musical has ever managed. Every song is good, but the standouts comprise the center section of the film. “This Is Me”, nominated for a Golden Globe and a safe bet for Oscar, features the under-valued Keala Settle leading Barnum’s army of “freaks” in a rousing celebration of being yourself. This theme has gotten tired but is given new life with the performance of an ensemble cast and a stellar visual production by an army of technical maestros far too extensive to list in a review. Rebecca Ferguson lends a perfect physical presence to Loren Allred’s vocal performance of “Never Enough”, a solo act that gives musical voice to Barnum’s escalating needs for adulation. My favorite number, visually and musically, is that of Zac Efron and Zendaya’s interracial love song, “Rewrite the Stars”, which explodes off the screen without the benefit of tons of props or multiple flashy costumes, and ought to puncture the stoicism of all but the most stubborn tough guys.

We can debate whether Barnum’s legacy was for good or ill; the film doesn’t even claim the often-laughable “Based on a True Story” appellation, so for me it’s not really important. I loved La la Land, and contend it only took so much flack when people thought it would out-Oscar Moonlight, and I loved The Greatest Showman for the same reason: it made me want to celebrate how awesome life is at the same time it got me weepy at how hard it can get. I don’t need accuracy. After all, I have a broom closet full of history books for that.

 Verdict: Highly Recommended

[untiediknot]

Tico Phillips - ID # 620091551

When it comes to gender representations and stereotypes in mainstream media, it’s difficult to contend with how it might benefit women and men - or even to reconcile with the various changes needed in the way gender is represented - without first recognizing the many nuances which exist within media itself and outside of it. Let me begin by saying that this is a really complicated, contentious issue. Entire books, lengthy ones at that, have been devoted to media and its impact. Nonetheless, I will try my best to unpack a few points. First of all, because “mainstream media” encompasses such a wide variety of platforms and products, it is difficult to address these kinds of issues directly without first breaking down this term more thoroughly. Broadly speaking there is print and broadcast, whether it be music, film, television, books, news and the internet to name a few. Any one of these would merit its own deep dive into the topic of representation of women and men. 

In my opinion, mainstream media (at least in its current state) is by design and definition hegemonic. It both reflects and projects normative values - it may challenge those norms but ultimately cannot pose a fundamental threat to them. Representations of men and women in mainstream media may be progressive, even transgressive, but only to a certain point. The limits of mainstream media to “accurately” represent anyone or anything is a perennial argument for the importance of independent media. For instance, the other day, I recently watched the 2019 movie Hustlers, whose plot mainly consists of a group of female strippers who conspire to rob wealthy Wall Street men. 

While on the surface this narrative does sound transgressive (take for instance, the idea of the film itself being exclusively female led - by a diverse case of women of colour no less - or the premise of disenfranchised sex workers taking control of their lives and exercising autonomy using their wits - instead of their bodies - to get ahead), one cannot forget that the whole ‘point’ of the movie is heavily reliant upon its conformity to and position within outdated tropes of women primarily as sex objects and men primarily as financial providers. Even if it seeks to represent an experience that is for the most part ‘inspired by a true story’, its presentation is, for lack of a better term, tired. 

Mind you, I thoroughly enjoyed the film - and I would recommend everyone go see it whenever they get the chance - but what with its thematic focus on sex, materialism, vanity and greed (especially through a gendered lens), it quite frankly doesn’t tell us the viewers anything we don’t already know (or haven’t already seen) time and time again about male/female power dynamics. In fact, the closing line of the film was particularly poignant. One of the main female leads, Ramona retorts, “The whole country is a strip club. You have people tossing the money and people doing the dance.” With that being said, men (particularly the ones behind the scenes ‘pulling the strings’ as it were) are almost always tossing the money in their funding of these projects and women (particularly the ones on the world stage) are almost always ‘doing the dance’, struggling to keep up - especially if job prospects and opportunities are limited.

Representation matters, no doubt. It’s just that I think that the politicalization of representation is an intentional capitalistic strategy by these powers that be (i.e. the bigwigs). Media is a consumable good, that goes without saying. It can also be used as a tool to distract. In fact, Brooks and Hebert argue that “much of what comes to pass as ‘important’ (or not important) is based often on the stories produced and disseminated by media institutions.” For instance, getting politically unaware people to dialogue about representation in media is a way to get them to interact with media, and at the same, preempt actual political work. People may know for instance the names of all of Kim Kardashian’s children, but ask them to name the elected members of parliament from the House of Representatives and they blank out. They may know precisely how many females/blacks/LGBT identified individuals are on their favorite TV shows but not on their city planning or school boards. Why is this? As discussed in section 1 of Whose Perspectives, the gatekeepers of the media are for the most part, responsible for “selecting, constructing and representing perceived realities - while obscuring others”, mostly for their own gain, financial or otherwise. After all, there’s nothing more dangerous than an educated public, so if they (the public) are kept ignorant (and pacified), they (the elite) can continue to push their agendas and continue to line their pockets, because they know that the public will ‘buy’ whatever they sell - literally and figuratively speaking.

Mind you, to say that media’s influence is purely negative would be negligent at best. I think that while there are definite drawbacks, there are also definite benefits. For instance, seeing people who look, act, or represent themselves the same as you can be comforting if you struggle with a sense of belonging or feeling alone or alienated from your peers. Consequently, as a society we're seeing a lot more diversity now, especially on television, and that's really exciting, especially since media tends to mimic and mirror society itself. Take for instance the critically acclaimed TV series ‘Pose’ on FX which explores how race, class, sexuality and gender intersect within the lives of the queer, trans and gender non-conforming participants of the underground ballroom scene in New York City. It should be noted that this is the first ever show in history with the largest cast of transgender actors (and characters).

If someone had no prior concept of the struggles faced by these minority groups, just engaging with the show might influence how they treat and interact with the oppressed and disenfranchised in their own neighborhoods, inadvertently teaching them compassion and tolerance which may (hopefully) result in them advocating for equitable legislation that benefits everyone - inclusive of people from all walks of life. Thus, when it comes to gender representations and stereotypes in mainstream media, perhaps we should not contend with how it benefits (or does not benefit) men and women across all walks of life, but rather the various responsibilities that we have as individuals (and as a collective) to create content not with the intent to sell or make a profit (as the gatekeepers are prone to doing), but rather to advance civilization forward in meaningful ways.

                                                       References

Brooks, D. & Hébert, L. (2006). Gender, race, and media representation. In B. J. Dow & J. T. Wood The SAGE handbook of gender and communication (pp. 297-318). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi:10.4135/9781412976053.n16

Donald, P., et al. (2011). Gender and Media Content. Whose Perspective: A Guide to Gender-Aware Analysis of Media Content

Ryan Murphy Productions (2019). Pose (FX) Trailer HD - Evan Peters, Kate Mara series. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t4YuPXdLZw [Accessed 16 Sep. 2019].

STXfilms (2019). Hustlers Trailer #1 (2019) | Movieclips Trailers. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUG2U-IxPx0 [Accessed 17 Sep. 2019].

[cutsliceddiced]

New top story from Time: Author Mary Higgins Clark, ‘Queen of Suspense,’ Dies at 92

(NEW YORK) — Mary Higgins Clark, the tireless and long-reigning “Queen of Suspense” whose tales of women beating the odds made her one of the world’s most popular writers, died Friday at age 92.

Her publisher, Simon & Schuster, announced that she died of natural causes in Naples, Florida.

“Nobody ever bonded more completely with her readers than Mary did,” her longtime editor Michael Korda said in statement. “She understood them as if they were members of her own family. She was always absolutely sure of what they wanted to read — and, perhaps more important, what they didn’t want to read — and yet she managed to surprise them with every book.”

Widowed in her late 30s with five children, she became a perennial bestseller over the second half of her life, writing or co-writing “A Stranger Is Watching,” “Daddy’s Little Girl” and more than 50 other favorites. Sales topped 100 million copies and honors came from all over, including a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from France or a Grand Master statuette back home from the Mystery Writers of America. Many of her books, like “A Stranger is Watching” and “Lucky Day,” were adapted for movies and television. She also collaborated on several novels with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark.

Mary Higgins Clark specialized in women triumphing over danger, such as the besieged young prosecutor in “Just Take My Heart” or the mother of two and art gallery worker whose second husband is a madman in “A Cry in the Night.” Clark’s goal as an author was simple, if rarely easy: Keep the readers reading.

“You want to turn the page,” she told The Associated Press in 2013. “There are wonderful sagas you can thoroughly enjoy a section and put it down. But if you’re reading my book, I want you stuck with reading the next paragraph. The greatest compliment I can receive is, ‘I read your darned book ’til 4 in the morning, and now I’m tired.’ I say, ‘Then you get your money’s worth.'”

Her own life taught her lessons of resilience — strengthened by her Catholic faith — that she shared with her fictional heroines. She was born Mary Higgins in 1927 in New York City, the second of three children. She would later take the last name Clark after marriage. Her father ran a popular pub that did well enough for the family to afford a maid and for her mother to prepare meals for strangers in need. But business slowed during the Great Depression, and her father, forced to work ever longer hours as he laid off employees, died in his sleep in 1939. One of her brothers died of meningitis a few years later. Surviving family members took on odd jobs and had to rent out rooms in the house.

Clark had always loved to write. At age 6, she completed her first poem, which her mother proudly requested she recite in front of the family. A story she wrote in grade school impressed her teacher enough that Clark read it to the rest of the class. By high school, she was trying to sell stories to True Confessions magazine.

After working as a hotel switchboard operator — Tennessee Williams was among the guests she eavesdropped on — and a flight attendant for Pan American, she married Capital Airways regional manager Warren Clark in 1949. Throughout the 1950s and into the ’60s, she raised their children, studied writing at New York University and began getting stories published.

Some stories drew upon her experiences at Pan American. Another story, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, “Beauty Contest at Buckingham Palace,” imagined a pageant featuring Queen Elizabeth II, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco. But by the mid-60s, the magazine market for fiction was rapidly shrinking and her husband’s health was failing; Warren Clark died of a heart attack in 1964.

Clark quickly found work as a script writer for “Portrait of a President,” a radio series on American presidents. Her research inspired her first book, a historical novel about George and Martha Washington. She was so determined that she began getting up at 5 a.m., working until nearly 7 a.m. before feeding her children and leaving for work.

“Aspire to the Heavens” was published in 1969. It was “a triumph,” she recalled in her memoir “Kitchen Privileges,” but also a folly. The book’s publisher was sold near the release date and it received little attention. She regretted the title and learned that some stores placed the book in religious sections. Her compensation was $1,500, minus commission. Decades later, the novel would be reissued, far more successfully, as “Mount Vernon: A Love Story.”

For her next book, she wanted to make some money. Following a guideline she would often suggest to other writers, she looked at her bookshelves, which featured novels by Agatha Christie, Rex Stout and other mystery writers, and decided she should write the kind of book she liked to read. A recent tabloid trial about a young woman accused of murdering her children gave her an idea.

“It seemed inconceivable to most of us that any woman could do that to her children,” Mary Clark wrote in her memoir. “And then I thought: Suppose an innocent young mother is convicted of the deliberate murder of her two children; suppose she gets out of prison on a technicality; and then suppose seven years to the day, on her 32nd birthday, the children of her second marriage disappear.”

In September 1974, she sent her agent a manuscript for “Die a Little Death,” acquired months later by Simon & Schuster for $3,000. Renamed “Where are the Children?” and released in 1975, it became her first bestseller and began her long, but not entirely surprising, run of success. She would allege that a psychic had told her she would become rich and famous.

Clark, who wrote well into her 90s, more than compensated for her early struggles. She acquired several homes and for a time owned part of the New Jersey Nets. She was among a circle of authors, including Lee Child and Nelson DeMille, who regularly met for dinner in Manhattan. She also had friends in Washington and was a White House guest during the presidential administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Barbara Bush became a close friend.

Married since 1996 to former Merrill Lynch Futures CEO John J. Conheeney, Clark remembered well the day she said goodbye to hard times. It was in April 1977, and her agent had told her that Simon & Schuster was offering $500,000 for the hardcover to her third novel, “A Stranger is Watching,” and that the publisher Dell was paying $1 million for the paperback. She had been running her own script production company during the day and studying for a philosophy degree at Fordham University at night, returning home to New Jersey in an old car with more than 100,000 miles on it.

“As I drove onto the Henry Hudson Parkway, the tailpipe and muffler came loose and began dragging on the ground. For the next 21 miles, I kur-plunked, kur-plunked, all the way home,” she wrote in her memoir. “People in other cars kept honking and beeping, obviously sure that I was either too stupid or too deaf to hear the racket.

“The next day I bought a Cadillac!”

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

[tanmath3-blog]

  Once upon a time, a young Ambrose Ibsen discovered a collection of ghost stories on his father’s bookshelf. He was never the same again.

Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.

  Please help me welcome Ambrose Ibsen to Roadie Notes…….

  1. How old were you when you first wrote your first story?

I was probably about 7 years old. I tried my hand at writing short horror stories and filled a couple of spiral-bound notebooks with stories that were little more than pastiches of Alvin Schwartz’ Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I also wrote a longer story about a haunted hotel that my grandfather paid me five dollars for. That was a proud day.

2. How many books have you written?

As of right now, I’ve written 18 full-length novels under this name, as well as a few novellas and a 4-part serial. Under other names I’ve probably written around 10 novels, plus a lot of novellas and shorts.

3. Anything you won’t write about?

Honestly, there are no sacred cows for me when it comes to writing. I’ll approach any subject so long as it serves the narrative. If there’s a story there, I’m game. The exception is what I would call a “boring” topic. For instance, I doubt I’ll ever write a book detailing the ins and outs of the US tax code.

4. Tell me about you. Age (if you don’t mind answering), married, kids, do you have another job etc…

As of this writing I’m 29 years old. I’ve been happily married for 8 years and have 4 children—two boys and two girls—the oldest of which is 6 years old. Things around the house tend to be rather hectic!

Up until August of 2015, I did have a day job. For nearly ten years I’d worked as a night-shift secretary at a local hospital. I sat at the nursing station of a medical-surgical ward and answered phones, processed physician orders and—when time allowed—read books or worked on writing my own. By August of 2015 however, my sales had grown to the point where I could comfortably jettison the job, and I’ve been fortunate to live out my dream of being a full-time novelist ever since. It’s still early days, but so far, I haven’t got any regrets!

5. What’s your favorite book you have written?

My favorite book that I’ve written? That’s a tough one. I’d probably select one of my newer novels, Asylum. It incorporates a lot of my favorite supernatural themes and marks the first time in my career I wrote a story that spans three complete novels. It felt like a real milestone to me when I completed it.

6. Who or what inspired you to write? I don’t know that I can attribute inspiration to any one person. As a child, I always wanted to express myself and leave a mark on the world around me. Writing was the only thing I had any sort of innate talent for, and so I pursued it ardently. There have been writers along the way that have inspired me to keep it up, though. R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books in the early 90’s were like a drug for me, and it was after discovering those that I decided I wanted to be a writer. Over the years I discovered the prose of master stylists such as Lovecraft and Oscar Wilde, and wanted to emulate them. Lastly, in many ways—not the least of which is discipline—the Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima has been a big inspiration to me. My parents and wife have also encouraged my writing.

7. What do you like to do for fun?

I love to read, of course. I read widely, and do my best to squeeze in reading time where I can, though admittedly I’m bad at it and read less than I ought to. I also love film. I watch a lot of movies in my spare time. I’m very interested in specialty coffees and teas, and spend a lot of time tinkering with different doodads and brewing methods. Now and then I play video games, though I’m very picky on that front and have to severely restrict my consumption. Nothing derails my writing schedule like marathoning a video game for days on end.

8. Any traditions you do when you finish a book?

I do have a kind of tradition between projects—something I’ve only adopted recently. After completing a novel, I make a point of reading 2 whole books by different authors, and watching at least two films. This helps me stave off burnout. Reading and being exposed to new ideas through media is a really important thing when you’re a storyteller. The storytelling process sees one draw from a well of ideas, however if you keep on drawing water and never replace it, it’ll eventually run dry. This is why a short rest period—a “creative rest period”—is so important to me.

9. Where do you write? Quiet or music?

I write in my home office, at my desk. I have a large iMac computer, and I listen to music that suits the scene I’m working on through headphones. Sometimes, when I want to write elsewhere, I’ll pack up my portable word processor (an AlphaSmart Neo) and go to a coffee shop. I find it hard to write in complete silence, truth be told.

10. Anything you would change about your writing?

Lots of things, to be honest. While I think my most recent work is loads better than my stuff from five or ten years ago, I’m always picking up new techniques and trying to up my game. I really want to get better at writing realistic, relatable characters—that’s a big one.

11. What is your dream? Famous writer?

My dream is to earn a living as a writer for the rest of my life. To build a comfortable life, provide for my family and just keep on doing what I love till I drop dead. I’d love to be a famous writer—a James Patterson or Stephen King. I mean, who wouldn’t? But even if I never approach that level of success, remaining a perennial mid-lister would be a joy. Hell, as long as I can afford the good coffee beans without having to think about it, I’ll be happy.

12. Where do you live?

I live in Ohio. Born and raised! A lot of people consider Ohio—especially the northwest section where I’m from—to be boring. And they’re half-right. But I wouldn’t leave it for the world.

13. Pets?

No pets currently, but I’m a cat person. I hope to adopt a few kittens down the line. Maybe a dog, too. I’m rather fond of pugs.

14. What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I think Dorothy Parker put it best when she said: “I hate writing, I love having written.” While I certainly don’t hate the writing process, for me the most exhilarating part of a project is when I reach the end and take in the whole shape of a story for the first time. Perhaps it sounds conceited, but seeing my story as a finished project—a thing that began as a series of nebulous ideas and notes scratched onto sticky notes—is awe-inspiring for me. Translating my ideas into a tangible book that others can read is the best part, hands down.

15. What is coming next for you?

Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest novel. It’s called Night Society, and it should be dropping in early October, just in time for Halloween. Aside from that, I’m just trying to soak up the season while it’s here. The Fall/Halloween season is my absolute favorite time of year. There’s just something about it. It’s nostalgic. I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

      You can connect with Ambrose Ibsen here: 

ambroseibsen.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ambrose-Ibsen/e/B00YBXIVS0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ambrose-Ibsen-867837259919312/

Twitter: @ambroseibsen

  Some of Ambrose Ibsen’s books: 

Getting personal with Ambrose Ibsen Once upon a time, a young Ambrose Ibsen discovered a collection of ghost stories on his father's bookshelf.

[tanmath3-blog]

Ambrose Ibsen is a new friend and writer for me. He was on the Panic Room Radio Show last night and did a reading. To say he left us wanting more is quite an understatement. He has a delightful sense of humor and is very smart. Personally I can’t wait to read his books. Just follow the links below to stalk him.  Please don’t forget to send him a friend request and to leave a review after you read one of his books.

  Please help me welcome Ambrose Ibsen to Roadie Notes………….

  1. How old were you when you first wrote your first story? I was probably about 7 years old. I tried my hand at writing short horror stories and filled a couple of spiral-bound notebooks with stories that were little more than pastiches of Alvin Schwartz’ Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I also wrote a longer story about a haunted hotel that my grandfather paid me five dollars for. That was a proud day.

2. How many books have you written?

As of right now, I’ve written 18 full-length novels under this name, as well as a few novellas and a 4-part serial. Under other names I’ve probably written around 10 novels, plus a lot of novellas and shorts.

3. Anything you won’t write about?

Honestly, there are no sacred cows for me when it comes to writing. I’ll approach any subject so long as it serves the narrative. If there’s a story there, I’m game. The exception is what I would call a “boring” topic. For instance, I doubt I’ll ever write a book detailing the ins and outs of the US tax code.

4. Tell me about you. Age (if you don’t mind answering), married, kids, do you have another job etc…

As of this writing I’m 29 years old. I’ve been happily married for 8 years and have 4 children—two boys and two girls—the oldest of which is 6 years old. Things around the house tend to be rather hectic!

Up until August of 2015, I did have a day job. For nearly ten years I’d worked as a night-shift secretary at a local hospital. I sat at the nursing station of a medical-surgical ward and answered phones, processed physician orders and—when time allowed—read books or worked on writing my own. By August of 2015 however, my sales had grown to the point where I could comfortably jettison the job, and I’ve been fortunate to live out my dream of being a full-time novelist ever since. It’s still early days, but so far, I haven’t got any regrets!

5. What’s your favorite book you have written? My favorite book that I’ve written? That’s a tough one. I’d probably select one of my newer novels, Asylum. It incorporates a lot of my favorite supernatural themes and marks the first time in my career I wrote a story that spans three complete novels. It felt like a real milestone to me when I completed it.

6. Who or what inspired you to write?

I don’t know that I can attribute inspiration to any one person. As a child, I always wanted to express myself and leave a mark on the world around me. Writing was the only thing I had any sort of innate talent for, and so I pursued it ardently. There have been writers along the way that have inspired me to keep it up, though. R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books in the early 90’s were like a drug for me, and it was after discovering those that I decided I wanted to be a writer. Over the years I discovered the prose of master stylists such as Lovecraft and Oscar Wilde, and wanted to emulate them. Lastly, in many ways—not the least of which is discipline—the Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima has been a big inspiration to me. My parents and wife have also encouraged my writing.

7. What do you like to do for fun?

I love to read, of course. I read widely, and do my best to squeeze in reading time where I can, though admittedly I’m bad at it and read less than I ought to. I also love film. I watch a lot of movies in my spare time. I’m very interested in specialty coffees and teas, and spend a lot of time tinkering with different doodads and brewing methods. Now and then I play video games, though I’m very picky on that front and have to severely restrict my consumption. Nothing derails my writing schedule like marathoning a video game for days on end.

8. Any traditions you do when you finish a book?

I do have a kind of tradition between projects—something I’ve only adopted recently. After completing a novel, I make a point of reading 2 whole books by different authors, and watching at least two films. This helps me stave off burnout. Reading and being exposed to new ideas through media is a really important thing when you’re a storyteller. The storytelling process sees one draw from a well of ideas, however if you keep on drawing water and never replace it, it’ll eventually run dry. This is why a short rest period—a “creative rest period”—is so important to me.

9. Where do you write? Quiet or music?

I write in my home office, at my desk. I have a large iMac computer, and I listen to music that suits the scene I’m working on through headphones. Sometimes, when I want to write elsewhere, I’ll pack up my portable word processor (an AlphaSmart Neo) and go to a coffee shop. I find it hard to write in complete silence, truth be told.

10. Anything you would change about your writing?

Lots of things, to be honest. While I think my most recent work is loads better than my stuff from five or ten years ago, I’m always picking up new techniques and trying to up my game. I really want to get better at writing realistic, relatable characters—that’s a big one.

11. What is your dream? Famous writer?

My dream is to earn a living as a writer for the rest of my life. To build a comfortable life, provide for my family and just keep on doing what I love till I drop dead. I’d love to be a famous writer—a James Patterson or Stephen King. I mean, who wouldn’t? But even if I never approach that level of success, remaining a perennial mid-lister would be a joy. Hell, as long as I can afford the good coffee beans without having to think about it, I’ll be happy.

12. Where do you live?

I live in Ohio. Born and raised! A lot of people consider Ohio—especially the northwest section where I’m from—to be boring. And they’re half-right. But I wouldn’t leave it for the world.

13. Pets?

No pets currently, but I’m a cat person. I hope to adopt a few kittens down the line. Maybe a dog, too. I’m rather fond of pugs.

14. What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I think Dorothy Parker put it best when she said: “I hate writing, I love having written.” While I certainly don’t hate the writing process, for me the most exhilarating part of a project is when I reach the end and take in the whole shape of a story for the first time. Perhaps it sounds conceited, but seeing my story as a finished project—a thing that began as a series of nebulous ideas and notes scratched onto sticky notes—is awe-inspiring for me. Translating my ideas into a tangible book that others can read is the best part, hands down.

15. What is coming next for you?

Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest novel. It’s called Night Society, and it should be dropping in early October, just in time for Halloween. Aside from that, I’m just trying to soak up the season while it’s here. The Fall/Halloween season is my absolute favorite time of year. There’s just something about it. It’s nostalgic. I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

    You can connect with Ambrose Ibsen here:

Everything—books, audio books, news—can be found here:

website: ambroseibsen.com

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ambrose-Ibsen-867837259919312/

amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ambrose-Ibsen/e/B00YBXIVS0

  Some of Ambrose Ibsen’s books:

Getting personal with Ambrose Ibsen Ambrose Ibsen is a new friend and writer for me. He was on the Panic Room Radio Show last night and did a reading.