As is the case with many college students, I return to my hometown over Thanksgiving break to celebrate the holidays. While in Dallas, I dropped by a few bars with some old friends of mine who I had not seen in a couple of years.
As we sat around and reminisced about old times, we also touched on the present. A few of my female friends told me that I looked really good, despite having lost about an inch to a receding hairline. They reassured me, telling me that, in combination with my glasses, the follically challenged look gives off a mature vibe.
This little holiday moment made laugh and reconsider the importance of frank friendship. — Stephen Fish
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A Creative Venture
Scott Kaukenon is the award winning author of a tale of short stories, “Ordination” and is an English Professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. He has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and a PhD in Creative Writing from University of Missouri-Columbia. I got a chance to sit down and talk to him about anything from his history as a writer to the processes in obtaining a degree in Creative Writing.
I) How long have you been writing? Specifically, how long have you been
writing creatively?
It sort of depends on what you want to count as "writing." I was writing
stories in elementary school, ten-, twelve-page handwritten short stories
with central characters who looked a lot like me and who had the sort of
experiences you often find in made-for-TV movies. I recall writing, when I
was in fourth grade, about a blonde-haired ten-year-old downhill ski
champion who was in Finland trying to win the world junior downhill title
while also battling leukemia. Finland, because my family's heritage goes
back to Finland (though I've never been there). A ten-year-old with blonde
hair, because I was ten years old with blonde hair. Leukemia, because
nothing's more melodramatic for a story than a child's bravery in the face
of a deadly disease. Even at ten, I understood this.
In terms of thinking professionally about writing, I first had the inkling
to write, especially fiction, as an undergraduate, partly under the
influence of my professors at Hope College, Jack Ridl, in particular. They
introduced me really to the idea of writing as a means for thinking about
and exploring the world, of wrestling through story with the world in
which we live and all its complications. Until that point, as much as a
read as a child and as much as I enjoyed stories, I tended to see writing,
at least in a professional context, as merely a skill you needed to have
for a job--memos, cover letters, reports. I really had no idea how one
became a fiction writer.
I did spend six years after undergraduate as a sports writer in Michigan,
two years with a small local paper and then four years with the Grand
Rapids Press, a larger regional paper. The experience of writing daily, of
writing on deadline, of trying to find new ways to tell the same stories
(someone won, someone lost), of listening to people speak served as
another layer in my development as a writer.
II) Your collection of short stories "Ordination" was well received in the
writing community. Are you going to stay with the short story genre or
branch out to the novel genre?
I'm currently at work trying to finish a novel. I love the challenge of
the novel as a form, its breadth and scope, the freedom it allows, setting
so much in motion and then trying to get it to all work together in some
way. I'm sure I'll continue to write in both genres as time goes along
since each genre provides its own challenges and pleasures.
III) After receiving your Masters from the University of Arizona, what
made you to pursue your PhD in creative writing?
It was at the University of Arizona that I believe I began to find my
voice as a writer, and while in the MFA program, I'd discovered as well
that I thoroughly enjoyed teaching at the university level. But then
suddenly that brief span of 2 1/2 years was over, and I wanted to find a
way to keep doing both of those things. I taught briefly as an adjunct at
U of A, but I didn't see it as viable way of maintaining a career, and so
I began to investigate Ph.D. programs with a creative dissertation option.
It was one way of "staying in the game," as I often say, while continuing
to develop as a writer, a scholar, and a teacher, and to give myself a
chance to write those stories that would eventually find publication and
truly get my career off the ground. Mizzou provided an excellent situation
and a supportive environment for that to happen for me.
IV) What are the major differences/challenges between the process of
earning a Masters compared to the work in obtaining a PhD in creative
writing?
Well, MFA programs are distinct in many ways from Ph.D. programs. MFA
programs tend to require two to three years; Ph.D. programs four to six.
MFA programs are studio programs, generally speaking, and so the emphasis
is on the writing workshop itself with a relatively lesser emphasis on
literature and theory (though this varies greatly from program to
program). In general, the Ph.D. expects more of the writer in terms of
academic scholarship, in terms of course work in literature and theory,
and in terms of the traditional comprehensive exams. But it does vary
greatly from program to program, though fundamentally both come down to a
lot of reading and a lot of writing.
V) You teach at Sam Houston State University. Do you think your approach
to teaching your writing classes is different with a PhD than with a
Masters?
I don't know that's it different. I've written more, taught more, been
more intentional in my pedagogy since I earned the Master's, but that
reflects experience (both life and classroom experience) as much as it
reflects the degree.
I) How long have you been writing? Specifically, how long have you been
writing creatively?
It sort of depends on what you want to count as "writing." I was writing
stories in elementary school, ten-, twelve-page handwritten short stories
with central characters who looked a lot like me and who had the sort of
experiences you often find in made-for-TV movies. I recall writing, when I
was in fourth grade, about a blonde-haired ten-year-old downhill ski
champion who was in Finland trying to win the world junior downhill title
while also battling leukemia. Finland, because my family's heritage goes
back to Finland (though I've never been there). A ten-year-old with blonde
hair, because I was ten years old with blonde hair. Leukemia, because
nothing's more melodramatic for a story than a child's bravery in the face
of a deadly disease. Even at ten, I understood this.
In terms of thinking professionally about writing, I first had the inkling
to write, especially fiction, as an undergraduate, partly under the
influence of my professors at Hope College, Jack Ridl, in particular. They
introduced me really to the idea of writing as a means for thinking about
and exploring the world, of wrestling through story with the world in
which we live and all its complications. Until that point, as much as a
read as a child and as much as I enjoyed stories, I tended to see writing,
at least in a professional context, as merely a skill you needed to have
for a job--memos, cover letters, reports. I really had no idea how one
became a fiction writer.
I did spend six years after undergraduate as a sports writer in Michigan,
two years with a small local paper and then four years with the Grand
Rapids Press, a larger regional paper. The experience of writing daily, of
writing on deadline, of trying to find new ways to tell the same stories
(someone won, someone lost), of listening to people speak served as
another layer in my development as a writer.
II) Your collection of short stories "Ordination" was well received in the
writing community. Are you going to stay with the short story genre or
branch out to the novel genre?
I'm currently at work trying to finish a novel. I love the challenge of
the novel as a form, its breadth and scope, the freedom it allows, setting
so much in motion and then trying to get it to all work together in some
way. I'm sure I'll continue to write in both genres as time goes along
since each genre provides its own challenges and pleasures.
III) After receiving your Masters from the University of Arizona, what
made you to pursue your PhD in creative writing?
It was at the University of Arizona that I believe I began to find my
voice as a writer, and while in the MFA program, I'd discovered as well
that I thoroughly enjoyed teaching at the university level. But then
suddenly that brief span of 2 1/2 years was over, and I wanted to find a
way to keep doing both of those things. I taught briefly as an adjunct at
U of A, but I didn't see it as viable way of maintaining a career, and so
I began to investigate Ph.D. programs with a creative dissertation option.
It was one way of "staying in the game," as I often say, while continuing
to develop as a writer, a scholar, and a teacher, and to give myself a
chance to write those stories that would eventually find publication and
truly get my career off the ground. Mizzou provided an excellent situation
and a supportive environment for that to happen for me.
IV) What are the major differences/challenges between the process of
earning a Masters compared to the work in obtaining a PhD in creative
writing?
Well, MFA programs are distinct in many ways from Ph.D. programs. MFA
programs tend to require two to three years; Ph.D. programs four to six.
MFA programs are studio programs, generally speaking, and so the emphasis
is on the writing workshop itself with a relatively lesser emphasis on
literature and theory (though this varies greatly from program to
program). In general, the Ph.D. expects more of the writer in terms of
academic scholarship, in terms of course work in literature and theory,
and in terms of the traditional comprehensive exams. But it does vary
greatly from program to program, though fundamentally both come down to a
lot of reading and a lot of writing.
V) You teach at Sam Houston State University. Do you think your approach
to teaching your writing classes is different with a PhD than with a
Masters?
I don't know that's it different. I've written more, taught more, been
more intentional in my pedagogy since I earned the Master's, but that
reflects experience (both life and classroom experience) as much as it
reflects the degree.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
TO and Touchdowns
Wow. The Cowboys remain undefeated in divison play as they beat the Washington Redskins in a nail-biter (twenty-eight to twenty-three). The only loss, out of ten games, has come at the hands of the (undefeated) New England Patriots.
In today's game against the Redskins, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens connected on 4 occasions for touchdowns as Terrell Owens passed receiver Marvin Harrison for most career touchdowns with One Hundred and Twenty-Five. At the same time, he broke into the top ten all-time reveiing yards of all time.
If Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and the rest of the Cowboys keep this up, the rest of the NFL is going to have a difficult time keeping the Cowboys from the Super Bowl.
In today's game against the Redskins, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens connected on 4 occasions for touchdowns as Terrell Owens passed receiver Marvin Harrison for most career touchdowns with One Hundred and Twenty-Five. At the same time, he broke into the top ten all-time reveiing yards of all time.
If Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and the rest of the Cowboys keep this up, the rest of the NFL is going to have a difficult time keeping the Cowboys from the Super Bowl.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
zappa plays kinda
Review: Zappa Plays Zappa
By Stephen Fish | Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 05:59 PM
I thought it was odd that a concert promising so much energy was playing at Hogg Auditorium on UT’s campus, a sit-down venue with hardly any room for standing, let alone dancing. But just as I thought this, Dweezil Zappa and company took the stage; Zappa announced that the Tuesday night show would be filmed for a Zappa Plays Zappa DVD. This seemed to rally the crowd, who stood up and cheered as the first notes left the speakers.
After the first two songs I was impressed with the succinct sound, especially considering the variation of instruments on stage: gongs, xylophones, trumpets and saxophones, along with the usual guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. The backdrop to the second song was live footage of Frank Zappa in his prime, while Dweezil and the band filled in the blanks. The third song was a tribute to Austin, coming from the album “Bongo Furry,” which Frank recorded in Austin.
Dweezil and the rest of the musicians played for nearly three and a half hours and at times the music stalled. Guitar solos tended to drag on, leaving the rest of the band with little to contribute. But then Dweezil and company would bring the crowd back with ballads like “Quaalude Thunderclap,” a technical but emotionally charged song.
Midway through the concert, the band asked the audience for random phrases and special guest guitarist/vocalist Ray White went backstage and wrote a song with the offerings. The band performed the song through the vessels of jazz, then gospel and then finally in the form of an ’80s rock hyper ballad, showing the band’s range and diversity.
Dweezil has done a good job of mastering the technical art of his father’s music and I was surprised by how much emotion the music evoked. Frank’s music has been compared to a modern orchestra, and the band on Tuesday demonstrated its mastery of this “orchestration.” As the concert came to an end, the crowd members rose from their seats and began to dance, some making their way to the front of the stage. As the final notes played, Dweezil leaned into the microphone and uttered his father’s famous sign-off, “Goodnight Austin, wherever you are.”
By Stephen Fish | Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 05:59 PM
I thought it was odd that a concert promising so much energy was playing at Hogg Auditorium on UT’s campus, a sit-down venue with hardly any room for standing, let alone dancing. But just as I thought this, Dweezil Zappa and company took the stage; Zappa announced that the Tuesday night show would be filmed for a Zappa Plays Zappa DVD. This seemed to rally the crowd, who stood up and cheered as the first notes left the speakers.
After the first two songs I was impressed with the succinct sound, especially considering the variation of instruments on stage: gongs, xylophones, trumpets and saxophones, along with the usual guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. The backdrop to the second song was live footage of Frank Zappa in his prime, while Dweezil and the band filled in the blanks. The third song was a tribute to Austin, coming from the album “Bongo Furry,” which Frank recorded in Austin.
Dweezil and the rest of the musicians played for nearly three and a half hours and at times the music stalled. Guitar solos tended to drag on, leaving the rest of the band with little to contribute. But then Dweezil and company would bring the crowd back with ballads like “Quaalude Thunderclap,” a technical but emotionally charged song.
Midway through the concert, the band asked the audience for random phrases and special guest guitarist/vocalist Ray White went backstage and wrote a song with the offerings. The band performed the song through the vessels of jazz, then gospel and then finally in the form of an ’80s rock hyper ballad, showing the band’s range and diversity.
Dweezil has done a good job of mastering the technical art of his father’s music and I was surprised by how much emotion the music evoked. Frank’s music has been compared to a modern orchestra, and the band on Tuesday demonstrated its mastery of this “orchestration.” As the concert came to an end, the crowd members rose from their seats and began to dance, some making their way to the front of the stage. As the final notes played, Dweezil leaned into the microphone and uttered his father’s famous sign-off, “Goodnight Austin, wherever you are.”
Sunday, November 11, 2007
ZAPPA
Talking with Dweezil about Zappa Plays Zappa
By Stephen A. Fish | Friday, November 9, 2007, 05:29 PM
Dweezil Zappa is on the road with “Zappa Plays Zappa,” his way to keep the musical legacy of his father, Frank Zappa, alive. He’ll play Tuesday in Austin (details here), along with Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Terry Bozzio and other musicians. We talked with Zappa about what Austin means to him, his expectations for the Austin show and his experiences playing his father’s music:
American-Statesman: Have you been to Austin?
Zappa: I’ve actually been to Austin several times for several different reasons. I recorded music with Eric Johnson at one point; I’ve been down there to play golf. It’s a great city to visit.
Did anything about Austin stand out to you?
The feel that Austin has to it is like no other. The food, the little river scene; I actually dated a girl whose family owned a boat on the river, and anyone who has had the privilege of going out there is lucky.
What are your expectations about playing ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ in Austin? I know you guys didn’t play here last year.
Yeah, last year we played Dallas and Houston, and I think the real difference about Austin is that Frank has folklore-related times in Austin. His album “Bongo Furry” was actually recorded in Austin and makes references to the Guacamole Queen. It is also where the term “Good night Austin, wherever you are” was born.
What has been your favorite venue to play and why?
To me, the crowd is the aspect of the show that is always most memorable. One venue we played up in Montreal, the Metropolis, is the most memorable venue I’ve played. The place is set up so the entire crowd can see the stage and for some reason, the sound in there is amplified so that it sounds like twice as many people, and the place seems twice as big.
How difficult has it been to adjust your playing style to suit the needs of Frank’s music?
His music is very sophisticated. He played things on the guitar that were never meant to be played, and I had to sit down for two years to learn his style of playing. I had to make drastic changes in my stylistic approach to accommodate to his playing, especially in the technical sense. I have been playing guitar for 26 years now, and I think that learning his music is something most guitarists would give up on because they are so set in their way of playing. I would play one passage for six or seven hours a day, a passage that would only last a second during a song, and my wife would go crazy hearing me play the same passage over and over and over and over.
Whatever happened to the Hendrix guitar you restored?
I actually have it sitting in a corner in my home.
Do you ever play it?
I do, but not that frequently. I’ve actually considered selling it a few times. It’s a very valuable guitar, and I just know some lunatic with dot-com money would love to have it at the center of their home or studio.
How do you think the younger generation has accepted your father’s music, and in turn, your performance of his music?
I do not think that the younger generation, ages 14-25, has a great deal of exposure to Frank’s music. That is what I am trying to target and expose to a generation unfamiliar with his music. Frank has a quote, from the early ’80s, “Music has become wallpaper for your lifestyle.” Many people live their lives according to the music they listen to, especially younger kids. They are more content with watching their music or getting it for free, which takes away from the artistic integrity and merit of music. Kids these days are used to one-hit wonders, bands that if they have the right tattoos, bounce around and know how to play a 2-4 are becoming radio sensations. Radio music is too formulaic; it doesn’t take chances. And with Frank’s music, I am trying to show a generation of kids music that no one ever thought was possible.
By Stephen A. Fish | Friday, November 9, 2007, 05:29 PM
Dweezil Zappa is on the road with “Zappa Plays Zappa,” his way to keep the musical legacy of his father, Frank Zappa, alive. He’ll play Tuesday in Austin (details here), along with Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Terry Bozzio and other musicians. We talked with Zappa about what Austin means to him, his expectations for the Austin show and his experiences playing his father’s music:
American-Statesman: Have you been to Austin?
Zappa: I’ve actually been to Austin several times for several different reasons. I recorded music with Eric Johnson at one point; I’ve been down there to play golf. It’s a great city to visit.
Did anything about Austin stand out to you?
The feel that Austin has to it is like no other. The food, the little river scene; I actually dated a girl whose family owned a boat on the river, and anyone who has had the privilege of going out there is lucky.
What are your expectations about playing ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ in Austin? I know you guys didn’t play here last year.
Yeah, last year we played Dallas and Houston, and I think the real difference about Austin is that Frank has folklore-related times in Austin. His album “Bongo Furry” was actually recorded in Austin and makes references to the Guacamole Queen. It is also where the term “Good night Austin, wherever you are” was born.
What has been your favorite venue to play and why?
To me, the crowd is the aspect of the show that is always most memorable. One venue we played up in Montreal, the Metropolis, is the most memorable venue I’ve played. The place is set up so the entire crowd can see the stage and for some reason, the sound in there is amplified so that it sounds like twice as many people, and the place seems twice as big.
How difficult has it been to adjust your playing style to suit the needs of Frank’s music?
His music is very sophisticated. He played things on the guitar that were never meant to be played, and I had to sit down for two years to learn his style of playing. I had to make drastic changes in my stylistic approach to accommodate to his playing, especially in the technical sense. I have been playing guitar for 26 years now, and I think that learning his music is something most guitarists would give up on because they are so set in their way of playing. I would play one passage for six or seven hours a day, a passage that would only last a second during a song, and my wife would go crazy hearing me play the same passage over and over and over and over.
Whatever happened to the Hendrix guitar you restored?
I actually have it sitting in a corner in my home.
Do you ever play it?
I do, but not that frequently. I’ve actually considered selling it a few times. It’s a very valuable guitar, and I just know some lunatic with dot-com money would love to have it at the center of their home or studio.
How do you think the younger generation has accepted your father’s music, and in turn, your performance of his music?
I do not think that the younger generation, ages 14-25, has a great deal of exposure to Frank’s music. That is what I am trying to target and expose to a generation unfamiliar with his music. Frank has a quote, from the early ’80s, “Music has become wallpaper for your lifestyle.” Many people live their lives according to the music they listen to, especially younger kids. They are more content with watching their music or getting it for free, which takes away from the artistic integrity and merit of music. Kids these days are used to one-hit wonders, bands that if they have the right tattoos, bounce around and know how to play a 2-4 are becoming radio sensations. Radio music is too formulaic; it doesn’t take chances. And with Frank’s music, I am trying to show a generation of kids music that no one ever thought was possible.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
A Galactic Halloween
For three of the past four years, the New Orleans based jazz-funk-jam group Galactic has played a Halloween concert at Stubb's. I have been to all three of these and each time the group brings a new dynamic and the crowds seem to do the same.
This year, Charlie Tuna of Jurassic 5 and Mr. Lif, two well-known hip-hop artists, joined Galactic on stage for most of the concert and brought a whole new expereince to their annual Halloween show. The mixing of the two musical styles made for an eclectic crowd with audience members who had no idea who Galactic was or who Charlie Tuna and Mr. Lif were. The musicians struck an alomst perfect harmony together that had the entire crowd moving, screaming and begging for more the entire show.
The costumes, of course, were another highlight of the show. Each year, they have a Halloween costume contest where the winner is given a $500 prize. Typically, the contest is held at set break but this year it came before the concert so I missed the winner. But in the audience I caught a glimpse of some great costumes: Vincent Vega, a group going as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach and a sad emo kid (yours truly) were some of the costume hightligts of the night.
The show was right on par and the audience did there best to behave themselves amidst the excitement of the evening. I look forward to repeating this now Austin tradtion next Halloween and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to pay $20 for a night of constant entertainment: be it the music, the costumes or the overall enthusiasm of the crowd.
This year, Charlie Tuna of Jurassic 5 and Mr. Lif, two well-known hip-hop artists, joined Galactic on stage for most of the concert and brought a whole new expereince to their annual Halloween show. The mixing of the two musical styles made for an eclectic crowd with audience members who had no idea who Galactic was or who Charlie Tuna and Mr. Lif were. The musicians struck an alomst perfect harmony together that had the entire crowd moving, screaming and begging for more the entire show.
The costumes, of course, were another highlight of the show. Each year, they have a Halloween costume contest where the winner is given a $500 prize. Typically, the contest is held at set break but this year it came before the concert so I missed the winner. But in the audience I caught a glimpse of some great costumes: Vincent Vega, a group going as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach and a sad emo kid (yours truly) were some of the costume hightligts of the night.
The show was right on par and the audience did there best to behave themselves amidst the excitement of the evening. I look forward to repeating this now Austin tradtion next Halloween and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to pay $20 for a night of constant entertainment: be it the music, the costumes or the overall enthusiasm of the crowd.
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