Stephen King’s Dilemma

In his memoir On Writing, Stephen King wrestled with the fact that, of all the novels he had written, the overwhelming favorite was The Stand.  While he was glad his readers liked the post-apocalyptic tale, this was his second published novel.  He believed he had grown immensely as an author since he had crafted that early work, and by the time he wrote On Writing, had published an astounding number of novels.  He had invested all his stories with imagination, creativity, and passion, and believed some of his later novels represented his best efforts as a writer. Yet by an overwhelming majority, readers loved The Stand more than any of his later stories.

Over the last few months, a few of my posts have attracted more page views than the norm.  In my Pages section, you can find a link to my current Top Ten posts.  The first four, all about authors working today, have garnered an astounding number of page views.  Fans of those popular authors evidently liked what I had to say and recommended them to their friends.  Four of my seven-part series on Ritz Cinema also got a large number of hits.  I attribute the popularity of those posts less to the James Herriot connection (or my particularly beautiful prose), and more to the fact that Ritz Cinema is a very special place, and therefore, like Steven Brust, Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, and David Malki, has a passionate following.  My original intention for my blog, to write about particular works of fiction, is represented by only one entry: “Envying Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber.”  I’m not sure if this is because people like what I had to say, or if they were searching for images of Luke’s lightsaber.  

Blogger has its foibles, some of which I’ve discovered since I started using the Pages function.  One inconsistency I noticed long ago, however, was that the number of page views listed in my Posts section was often different than the numbers represented in the Statistics section.  In many cases, the number of page views is higher on the Posts list than it is in the Statistics section.  One entry in particular, “As Time Goes By in Holland Park: Part 1,” has enough page views on the Posts list that it should reside in number eight on my Statistics section’s Top Ten page.  Yet it doesn’t appear there.  I suppose it doesn’t really belong in my Top Ten anyway, as parts Two and Three only have half as many page views, and “As Time Goes By Jean’s House” frequently appears under search terms that drew people to my site.  This may also explain the popularity of “Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg’s House.”  The latter post, which initially attracted average interest, has steadily risen in popularity in the months since I wrote it.  In reading it, I can see why fans of the TV show “Last of the Summer Wine” would like it.  But “Norman Clegg’s House” also shows up regularly under Searches that led people to my blog. 

I apologize to all you “As Time Goes By” fans: I don’t know the address the TV crew used for the exterior of Jean’s House.  (Nor do I know the exact address of Norman Clegg’s house, but I believe the second location the production used was a cottage behind The White Horse Inn, if that’s helpful).  Part one of my three-part entry is about exploring the residential and commercial area of London known as Holland Park, and parts two and three cover the actual park.  The Dutch Garden within the park was an important place for us to visit, as it is there that Lionel first pursues Jean, and realizes that he wants to get to know her better.  (Even if you’re not a fan of the TV show, it’s a beautiful garden, and the entire park is worth a visit).  At least I know that I’m not the only one who still loves a show that started twenty years ago, and aired its last reunion show seven years ago.

One entry that I particularly love, but hasn’t gotten many page views, is my entry “Leaning on Steven Brust.”  While it’s somewhat derivative of “Steven Brust: My Ultimate Weapon,” it not only relates to my struggles as an author, but to Grand Master Robert Silverberg’s own struggles during the 1970s.  I wrote it later in April for those who enjoyed "Ultimate Weapon."  Yet, as Stephen King found with his published novels, what resonates with readers often astonishes the writer.  I know my affection for Jupiter Project, If the Stars are Gods, and The Stars in Shroud surprised Gregory Benford.  His favorites tend to be novels like Timescape and Artifact, SF stories about working physicists such as himself. 

From a business side of things, it makes sense for an author to look backward, study what books have sold the most, and attempt to cater to those tastes.  From an artistic standpoint, it makes sense that a writer should ignore past successes, and follow his muse wherever it leads him.  I hope I never find myself in a place where publishers will only buy one particular type of story from me.  Stephen King’s dilemma (and every popular writer’s dilemma), is that the type of books he longs to write may not resonate with his readers as much as some of his other types of stories.  This phenomenon should not be ignored or discounted.  As readers, we should sympathize with those writers who can only sell one type of story.  But at the end of the day, it’s an author’s job to serve his or her readers, whatever stories they’ve come to love, and for whatever reason they treasure them most.  At this point, the fact that anyone out there loves anything I've written brings me joy.  It’ll be my job to remember that, should I win a publisher’s attention, and see my novels published.  

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

As Time Goes By in Holland Park: Part 1

Still Leaning on Steven Brust

Convert Or Die!

No, this isn’t a post about Christian Crusaders fighting the Muslims hundreds of years ago.  Instead, it’s about one of so many unnecessary fights that are waged today in the name of progress.  It’s about a movie industry that is forcing small theaters in our country to take out huge loans to update their equipment, or they will no longer be allowed to receive the latest films.  In fact, they may not even be allowed to show old films in the near future.

Digital conversion, it is said, offers better picture quality.  Digital copies of a new film cost less to produce and distribute than 35mm prints.  So Hollywood studios are making it tougher for theaters to get film.  Soon, they warn, they will no longer make 35mm copies available at all.

As an amateur photographer, I wouldn’t have nearly so many photographs to share with you if I didn’t have a digital camera.  You wouldn’t get any pictures of the books I reference if all I owned was a film camera.  I converted to a digital camera long before anyone else in my family, and immediately saw the benefits of doing so.

But everyone is different.  Just like the audiophiles who still prefer vinyl records and analog receivers to CDs and digital surround sound, some theater owners and attendees prefer the look of film to digital.  These people would gladly pay a little more for the 35mm prints they love.  And some filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan, the director of "Inception," and the latest Batman films, are pleading with the industry to continue providing 35mm prints to the theaters who want them. 

People can be passionate about their small town theaters.  Four of the entries on my visit to Ritz Cinema (where James Herriot had his second date with Helen Alderson) are among my ten most popular posts.  This little theater (they’re called cinemas in England) has made the conversion to digital.  But many theaters in the United States are finding it difficult to make the switch.

A Google search of “Forced Digital Theater Conversion” turns up page after page of articles on this issue.  Small, independent theaters are pleading for financial assistance, as well as more time to complete the conversion.  And other owners are simply giving up the fight.  They cannot sell their theaters if they haven’t made the conversion to digital.  So they’re simply closing the doors forever, and selling these historic properties.

“Convert or die,” John Fithian, the head of the National Association of Theater Owners, has told his members.  Why die, John?  Why should death even be an option?

Change can be a blessing, if it allows more choices for everyone.  But no matter how resilient someone (or something) seems, sometimes one change can be one change too many.  What causes are you fighting for?  Are they causes that will result in greater inclusion and diversity?  Or will acceptance by the majority exclude those who do not wish to (or simply cannot) change? 

This particular crusade, being waged right now in the name of progress, seems unnecessary.  Even if all the theaters could afford to upgrade their equipment, victory would mean decreased diversity in the marketplace, and excluding theater-goers looking for a different experience.  In my mind, that not only makes it intolerant, but also heartless and cruel. 

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

An Evening at Ritz Cinema: Part 1

Related Internet Links

L.A. Weekly article

Cinema Retro article

The Wrap article

Ritz Cinema 

James Herriot’s Wonderful Waterfall

A view upstream along the middle falls area.

In his picture book, James Herriot’s Yorkshire, the real James Herriot (Alf Wight) describes one special hiking trip he took with his son:

“We had to take a look at the famous Aysgarth Falls…I had seen them countless times before, but they still drew me.

“The upper falls are the ones I like best; where I have taken my children since babyhood and where I have returned with fresh enchantment so many times over the years.

“The river here has infinitely varying moods.  It can be a torrent after much rain or snow but in very dry weather there might only be a trickle with children playing on the flat rocks in mid-stream.

“We turned at the end of the bridge and climbed a path to the river’s edge.  It is wonderful here.” 

Exuberant water.

Unlike the rest of his books, which focus primarily upon the people he knew and the animals he treated, this book concentrates on the places in Yorkshire that Harriot loved best.  Aysgarth Falls was clearly one of them.

While James Herriot lived in Thirsk, much closer to the North York Moors, “All Creatures Great and Small” was filmed in the Yorkshire Dales.  I don’t know if any of the TV shows were filmed here, but this was the type of scenery that had formed the overall look of the show.  I could imagine James and Helen crossing the river on her father’s farm that first day they met, when he arrived to set a calf’s broken leg.  Even though they had just met, they held hands to steady each other as they made their way across.  The scene makes clear that the two find pleasure in each other’s company.  Their conversation and mutual interest plant the seeds of their later romance.  

Unlike Herriot, I cannot simply walk over a bridge.

After the debacle at Ritz Cinema, their courting often consisted of taking walks together.  In one episode, they spent an afternoon walking beside a river.  So, while James and Helen were dating, perhaps they strode along the River Ure, and gazed upon Aysgarth Falls, on one of his rare days off. 

Especially not one with such a wonderful view of the upper falls.

As I wandered along the river and the trails on that hot, humid day, I tried to concentrate on the area’s scenic beauty.  Vibrant trees rose up beside the River Ure.  The clock tower of Aysgarth Church, notable for the largest C of E churchyard, rose higher yet in the distance.  Water flowed over rocks, tumbled over the small succession of falls, and ate into the stones of the streambed.  I would have enjoyed the unexpected warmth more had we packed shorts.  I could have appreciated its beauty more had I been in the proper mood to do so.  Still, despite everything that detracted from the experience, I could still agree with James Herriot. 

“It is wonderful here.”

Seeing Aysgarth Falls through James Herriot’s eyes,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

An Evening at Ritz Cinema: Part 6

Those Quiet Little Yorkshire Villages

Thirsk, as shown in James Herriot's Yorkshire
during the 1970s.

There’s something inherently peaceful about wandering around the sleepy little Yorkshire villages in England.  The lovingly preserved greengrocers, the butcher’s and the baker’s, and all the other shops imbue a sense of yearning.  Life there seems so serene, untouched by the waves of progress that relentlessly wash across our globe.  The village of Thirsk, for example, even boasts an old time cinema.  While it offers its patrons a modern screen and sound system, its façade and interior seem little changed from the 1930s when James Herriot lived there.  A trifle spiffed up perhaps, but no more than necessary to make it a warm and inviting place.

Today’s cars may fill the town center, or seek what space is accorded them along the village streets, but one can still blank those out, ignore the signs that signal current events, and imagine what life must have been like decades (or even centuries ago).  One can wonder what it might be like to reside there.  One can dream of a life away from the hustle, noise, and anonymity of the city, in a place where anyone can be someone, play a vital role in everyone’s life, and take part in everything that goes on there. 

Thirsk today.

Then the locals confide that, in order to afford living there, they must drive off to shop at Walmart on the weekends, and the illusion, in all its grandeur, comes crashing down. 

Still, one can dream.

Remembering Yorkshire,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

When Holmfirth was Sleeping

An Evening at Ritz Cinema: Part 1

My Surprising Link with the People of Eritrea

Last week, my wife sent me a questionnaire to determine where I stood, weight-wise, in comparison to the rest of the world.  I typed in the relative numbers, and learned that I weighed less than 97% of the men in my age group in the United States, and less than 83% of such men in the world.  This came as such a pleasant surprise that I called up my wife and took her out to lunch.

I’m not really sure what to make of these statistics.  I know the average weight in this country is rising.  My own weight has varied over time.  Growing up, I was always on the heavy side, and for most of my life I’ve weight at least forty pounds more than I do today.  Counting my calories has not only removed the weight and kept it off, but it’s ensured I don’t eat M&Ms by the handful when my mood sinks, and has improved my self-image.

What intrigued me most about the questionnaire was how it ranked me in comparison with the average BMI (Body Mass Index) of other countries.  According to the World Health Organization, I have the most in common, weight-wise, with the people of Eritrea, a country on the horn of Africa.  Its citizens stare across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia & Yemen, the latter country being notable, in fiction at least, for its promising Salmon fishing industry (see the Ritz Cinema link below).  The Eritreans have been ruled by the same president for nineteen years, and have a single-party government.  They receive their news solely from government sources, which ranks them below North Korea on their openness to outside reporters. 

I grew up in the Nazarene Church, not one recognized by the Eritrean government.  So, after my parents had been thrown in prison (and perhaps tortured), had they been willing to convert, I might have been brought up in the dominant Orthodox Church, or been raised as a Roman Catholic or a Lutheran.  Otherwise, my parents would have remained in prison without charge or trial, and I would have grown up as a street urchin.  But even if they had opted to become Lutherans, which seems the closest to Nazarene belief and practice, we would have been in the minority, as the population is largely divided between Orthodox Christians and Sunni Muslims.  As national events are tied to the Christian (Orthodox) calendar, unless the Lutherans observed the same religious year, again, my parents and I would have been cultural outsiders.

In a country in which 80% of the population survives on subsistence farming, my parents would likely have raised crops or tended animals.  While education is available to all, I doubt my parents could have paid the school fees, given their status not only as farmers, but also as reluctant converts to a minority religious group.  But even if they had managed such a feat, given the state-controlled media environment, I find it doubtful I would have aspired to be a novelist.  It goes without saying that I probably wouldn’t have a computer, let alone a blog.

One of the reasons we love Fantasy is because it’s fun to imagine becoming a knight, wizard, or king (or their female equivalents).  We love to imagine that if we lived in a different place and time, our lives could be more glamorous.  But I found it interesting to muse on what my life might have been like, based upon my family’s background and beliefs, had I grown up in an African country I hadn’t heard of before I completed the questionnaire.  Suddenly, life here didn’t seem so bad, even if I’ve yet to fulfill all my personal goals.  Perhaps I ought to call my wife and thank her again for sending me the questionnaire.  No, better yet, maybe I’ll take her out for a celebratory lunch.

Musing on my weight-relations,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

An Evening at Ritz Cinema: Part 4

Related Internet Links

Weight Questionnaire