First Line(s) Friday

First line of a book I started (teaching) this week:

It was a pleasure to burn.

- from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

First line of a story/chapter I wrote (or started writing) this week:

First of all, it helps if the guy is big.

- from "How to Get Your Ass Kicked" (a chapter in my WIP)

First line from a story I read this week (and loved):

Limp, the body of Gorrister hung from the pink palette; unsupported--hanging high above us in the computer chamber; and it did not shiver in the chill, oily breeze that blew eternally through the main cavern.

- from "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison

What about you, fellow travelers? What first lines have you read or written this week?

Blue Collar Boys

A Ray Bradbury inspired flash, "Blue Collar Boys", is up at Every Day Fiction today. It takes a little Fahrenheit 451 background knowledge to "get", so I'm sure I'll get pounded in the comments. Such is life.

You see, Montag's wife overdoses on sleeping pills early on in the book, and a couple of "blue collar boys" arrive after the emergency call. From Fahrenheit 451:

"Hell!" The operator's cigarette moved on his lip. "We get these cases nine or ten a night...You don't need an M.D., case like this; all you need is two handymen, clean up the problem in half an hour."

Just like plumbers. Man, I love that book.

And before you go, please sign up for the newsletter using the link under the title header (top of the page). I'm working on migrating my whole website to the blogger format--it's so much easier to update.

I know I can't compete with Shroud's offer if you sign up for their newsletter, but I will send a free, unpublished story to my new subscribers. That's worth something, isn't it? Maybe?

Yeah, and finally, the followers thingy is back. A few comments convinced me it's for the readers as much as anybody. I'll climb a ladder to the moon for my readers, so tada...

Have a great weekend.

I Hope They Burn My Books Someday

We're wrapping up Fahrenheit 451 in one of my classes, and I just want to share my love of Ray Bradbury. I hope they try to burn my books someday.*

(Bradbury's notes about the book title. Click for more from The Big Read.)

Read the Coda to Fahrenheit 451 to find out why.

NaNoWriMos...please write very flammable books. They're the only ones worth reading.

Fahrenheit 451

I'm so glad that it's time to teach one of my favorite books.

When a student said, "that's the most horrible thing I've ever seen." My response was: "Not as bad as your classmates who won't even read a word of the book."

Why am I so Cynical?

My sister and I love to, um, "debate" at family gatherings. This year, due to the recent release of Twilight (the movie), the topic quickly shifted to the sad state of commercial entertainment in the U.S. How much money did Twilight make in it's first weekend? Have you even tried to read the fourth book in the series?

(I'm not a fan of Twilight, by the way. I understand why every girl at school loves the stuff, but it isn't for me. No way. I'm just jealous, of course. I want the book deal.)

So anyway, sister dear hits me with "I didn't think you were so cynical?"

Did you see the news yesterday? A 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death in a rush for cheap crap? Look--this is the kind of thing that scares the hell out of me. Is it wrong to be cynical?

Now Aaron, you say, Twilight and the Wal-Mart incident are unrelated.


Really, I say. Really? I think the mob mentality is present in both situations. People have been whipped into a frothing mad frenzy for the purpose of selling some junk and making a little profit. Our highly commercial entertainment industry has been blended to a vanilla paste-pudding because it sells better. Have you read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury? He was spot on with a lot of our modern entertainment. Scary how prophetic he was in that book. Make art easy for people, and they buy more. Make art simple and they consume like it's water.

An example: Student 1 had me listen to a song by Emo Band #1 the other day. Student 2 said, "Emo Band #1 sucks; Emo Band #2 is awesome." I listened to Emo Band #2--it was the same thing. Same chord structure, same tempo, same inane lyrics spouted by someone who can't carry a tune. The kids swallow this stuff by the truckload.

I know "money makes the world go 'round". I live in that system. I just don't have to like it.


What me cynical? Only until I land my own seven figure book deal.

(winks and nods)