Revisiting the Classics with a Kindle

Owning a Kindle has made it easier for me to revisit some of the so-called “classic books.” And, this time, I am actually reading them all the way through to the end.

For more than 30 years, I have collected and stuffed my bookcases with hardback and paperback copies of many old and ancient books. These have ranged from Aesop’s Fables and Aristotle’s Poetics to Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Shakespeare’s plays and poems, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, to name just a few.

The volumes have looked very good and very scholarly up on my shelves. Sometimes they have even provided handy sources of quotes for some of my writing. But I have not actually read most of the books, at least not completely. Most of them I bought and promptly shelved with every intention to read them someday, later, maybe, when I had the time.

My wife gave me a Kindle as an anniversary present recently. When I discovered (1) that Kindle editions of many of the “classics” are available for free and (2) that a Kindle will hold more than 3,000 books, I made three decisions.

First, I downloaded a few of the $0.00 public domain classics and read them. The first ones I finished included John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress and Aristotle’s Poetics, books I had long ago started in hardback but never completed. Somehow, they just seemed easier to stick with on the Kindle screen.

Then, I downloaded another dozen or so free classics. And I pulled the corresponding hardbacks and paperbacks from my book shelves. I gave away some of the books and sold a few of them to a used book store.

Now, suddenly, there are a few open spaces on my once-crammed bookshelves – spaces for some photographs, plants and curios, as well as esteemed books.

Owning too many things, I believe, can drain away valuable psychic energy. This includes owning too many physical books that spend most of their time gathering dust and cobwebs in my office.

Of course, many of the books I treasure do not have Kindle editions. So those I will keep, read and continue to display in hardback or paperback editions.

But I intend to replace most of the classics I own with free or inexpensive Kindle editions and gravitate toward buying Kindle editions of new books, when possible.

My Kindle could hold nearly ten times as many books as I currently own. But it is not the size of the digital library or physical library that matters.

What matters is that I actually read the books I possess.

I really can’t explain why I now enjoy reading some of the world’s oldest books on some of the world’s newest digital reading technology.

I just do.

Now excuse me. I hear my free copy of The Divine Comedy calling.

-- Si Dunn

'Machete' Incentives Whacked by Texas Film Commission

This was bound to happen under Texas' flawed production measures that offer state incentives to producers of movies, television shows and game programs.

As reported by Charles Ealy in the Austin 360.com movie blog, Robert Rodriguez's controversial 2010 movie "Machete" -- which took a fictional whack at some of Texas' and Austin's images -- has had its state grant application rejected by the troubled Texas Film Commission.

The film commission's head recently announced his resignation, and Texas' production incentives will be easy political targets early in 2011. That's when the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature returns to session and faces a massive $24 billion, two-year state budget shortfall.

Specifically, "Machete" was hit by the "negative fashion" clause in the incentives statutes. A Republican-ramrodded clause enacted into law in 2007 forbids Texas state incentives to any kind of film, TV or game project that contains "inappropriate content or content that portrays Texas or Texans in a negative fashion, as determined by the [Texas Film Commission] office, in a moving image project."


Apparently, Utah is the only other state that takes a similar, thin-skinned approach to try to "protect" its image and how its people and places are portrayed in movies, TV shows and electronic games.
 
Charles Ealy reported that Rodriguez's Austin, Texas-based Troublemaker Studios could have reaped a refund of about $1.75 million on the estimated $10 million spent in Texas to make "Machete."  

For more background on the "negative fashion" (also known as "negative light") controversy, here are links to my previous blog posts about the flawed and troubled state production incentives in Texas:

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2010/04/texas-production-incentives-will-they.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/07/texas-needs-to-rework-its-movie-tv-game.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/06/fiction-is-as-fiction-does-waco.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/06/censorship-issue-remains-alive-in-texas.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/05/waco-movie-controversy-takes-new-texas.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/05/texas-movie-incentives-censorship.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/05/texas-movie-incentives-texas-movie.html

http://datelineoblivion.blogspot.com/2009/05/waco-production-company-on-texas-we.html


-- Si Dunn

Fake Blood 101 (and how to clean it up!)

The Quick Fake Blood How-To Guide


By ErinJennifer Dunn

No matter if it is Halloween or just a simple fight scene, fake blood is popular! Back in early cinema, they would use molasses as fake blood. When cinema turned to color, they often used pigs blood. The movie Carrie features a scene where they used more than 50 gallons of pig's blood.

Many people have ethical and moral objections to using animal blood of any kind in movies or on stage for special effects, so here are some easy ideas for your special-effects needs, including Halloween!

Fight scene: Nightstalker blood is used for vampire effects, but it works well for a bloody nose, bloody lip, cuts and bruises because of how well it oozes and how well it shows up on HD cameras.

The alternative choice is usually Karo syrup and baker's strength food dye, but if you are using HD and you zoom in on the blood, you can see the air bubbles in the syrup.

Full gore: The best blood to use for a full gore effect, is a mixture of the Nightstalker blood and Karo syrup. But, if you are going for puss and oozing, like in Aliens, then use KY Jelly and your choice of food dye color. If you are making a scene where someone's arm gets cut off and you want a fountain of blood, use a spray bottle filled with water and red Kool-aid.

For low-budget movie squibs, there are many affordable options. For a fight scene where someone's lip gets busted up, use a blood capsule. These are manufactured for Vampire and Zombies and will work fine in the actor's mouth. You just have to coordinate their mouth with the punch.

For gunshots, use a snack-sized Ziploc bag. Poke a tiny hole in it above the blood fill line. When impacted, it will explode, causing the fake blood to go everywhere.

No matter what kind of blood you are using, never wear any article of clothing that you do not want to get stained. Even Tide Acti-Lift formula cannot lift the fake blood off of clothing! If you are shooting a scene with fake blood and know that you will need to do several takes, buy more than one of the piece of outfit that will see the most blood, like a shirt.

Fake blood does stain the face but washes off with hot water and Dawn soap. If you are shooting the blood scene from a different angle and need to re-apply the blood, please keep in mind that your makeup artist will have to first clean up the actor, re-apply their makeup and then re-apply the blood. Really think out your shots to save time and to stay on budget.

Fake blood can be found year round at most costume supply stores either online or in your city. There is no right or wrong way to make blood, so experiment! If it looks real to you, then use it and have fun!


Makeup Artist Resource, Austin, TX:ErinJennifer Dunn: http://www.rawkstarglam.webs.com/

Makeup Artist Resource, United States:
http://www.slatecast.com/

Fake Blood Resource, Austin, TX:
http://www.lucyindisguise.com/
http://www.costumeworld.com/

Fake Blood Resource, United States:
http://www.costumesupplyhouse.com/

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Movie Project Update: "Criminal Conversations"

Actors Wes Studi, Maura Dhu Studi and Anthony Arkin are now attached to star in my screenplay, Criminal Conversations.

Logline: A man meets up again with his ex-wife while his current spouse is dying and his ex-wife's current husband is suing her for divorce and trying to prove she is guilty of adultery.

California-based movie distributor FilmWorks Entertainment, Inc., has delivered a letter of intent (LOI) to distribute the movie, which will be directed by Stephen Jules Rubin.

The character-driven romantic dramedy is seeking additional funding and donations, and the movie is scheduled to be shot in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in January, 2011.

The one-sheet is available here. A recent draft of the script can be read here.

Donations of any size can be made via Paypal to si@sagecreekproductions.com.

Donors will receive on-screen thanks in the movie's ending credits. It is not necessary to have a Paypal account to donate.

For more information on this project and how to become involved in it, please contact:

Si Dunn
Sagecreek Productions, LLC
3800 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 730-131
Austin, TX 78756
sidunn@hotmail.com

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Poetry & the Recession

I retired just before the Great Recession steamrolled the national economy. Now I am back at work, self-employed, selling off some of my unneeded stuff on Amazon and eBay while also writing two books and several screenplays and waiting for producers to find enough money to shoot some of my optioned movie projects.

Almost nobody buys poetry, even in good times. In the midst of a recession, it is an even harder sell.

Yet millions of us write it and try to get it published and wish someone would pay us for it.

I actually made a few bucks from poetry a number of years ago. Rolling Stone paid me $10 each for a couple of poems when Joe Esterhaus was still their poetry editor. Equally long ago, the Denver Post paid me a few dollars for a couple of poems used as fillers.

There were a few other small sales, and sometimes, someone passed the hat when I did a reading in a bar or coffeehouse. The biggest take, I recall, was $6.

Over a period of 40-plus years, I would estimate that I have made about $300, at most, from writing poetry and selling copies of my poetry books. That averages out to about $7.50 a year, or maybe enough to buy a hamburger and eat my words.

On that note, I would like to announce that I still have available three autographed copies of my first poetry book, "Waiting for Water." Want one? You can use Paypal to send $1.25 plus $1.75 shipping and handling ($3.00 total) to si@sagecreekproductions.com.

If I sell all three and bring in $9, I'll consider this a banner year for poetry. And, once again, I'll probably buy a meal and eat my words.

Thanks!

-- Si Dunn

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PTSD and the story behind my novella

I saw some combat during the Vietnam War. Saw some.

"Saw" is the key word. There is a big difference between witnessing combat up close and actually taking part in it.

I saw some death. I saw some destruction. And I saw several scary situations while I was in the middle of events that could have gotten me killed.

Yet, my tour of duty in the Vietnam conflict was a calm Sunday family picnic compared with what our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have been experiencing and are still experiencing.

I came home from the Vietnam War with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It affected me strongly for many years afterward. It still affects me sometimes today. And mine was just a mild case.

With the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq still dragging on and on, we now have thousands upon thousands of veterans - men and women -- who are experiencing, or who soon will experience, PTSD and the various, unnerving ways it can affect individuals, families, co-workers and others.

There are no easy solutions or quick "cures" for PTSD. Most of those who have it now likely will need assistance of some kind, possibly for years to come. You don't just take a pill and return to "normalcy" after you've been to war.

One way I have dealt with PTSD is by writing: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, articles, reviews, blog posts.

I recently wrote a book that, at one level, has been another way for me to confront and deal with the PTSD ghosts still floating around inside my head. It is fiction, but many parts of it are drawn from real events in my life during and after my time in the Vietnam conflict.

The book, a novella titled Jump, recently has been featured in "The Spark," the Harvard University Extension School's blog. Here is the link: http://harvardextension.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/si-dunn-story/

The posting explains some of the background behind the book's creation.

-- Si Dunn

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Almost (Poem and Photographs)

Almost

(Near 92 Champs-Élysées, Paris)

Thomas Jefferson lived here

And slept here, it is rumored,

With a slave (not commemorated).

But wait, there’s more!

Corporal Robert Birlinger died here

Just two hours before Paris’ liberation.

The fireman turned soldier

Dared to cross

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Leading a squad to fight

Blazes and German snipers.

Always a bad combination.

He almost made it.

Shot in the leg, he

Gave up too much blood

For France,

While those who could help him

Were pinned down.

Some critics of Birlinger's small plaque

Tell a less heroic story:

A tank shell simply

Blew him apart.

But this all avoids the essential question:
Just before Corporal Birlinger died here,

Had he read the plaque above

What later would be his,
And realized that

Thomas Jefferson always

Made it across the street?

                   -- Si Dunn



From the forthcoming book of poems and photographs by Si Dunn:
The One-Trillionth Picture of the Eiffel Tower
(Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.)