Inappropriate Conversations

How we read a poem and how we read a hymn are very different things. Mixing that up intentionally can produce interesting, or taxing, results. "Tithe"

In perhaps an equal and opposite reaction to Valentine's Day as a concept, the poem "Unrequited Love" is -- whether romantic or not -- deeply sad, in my opinion. It's open to interpretation, of course. One interpretation is the death of a friendship.

I believe the out-of-place feeling between leaving school and being established in a vocation is universal and remains relevant, if not more than just relatable, today. The same cannot be said for postal concepts like "six to eight weeks for delivery."

A few weeks ago, I posted one of the longest pieces of fiction I've written. This is one of the shortest, composed in the simplest way possible, using only simple sentences.

Some Assembly Required (A NeoSurrealist Forsaking a Habit for Lent) was completed on April 1, 1994.  It's nonfiction title was Temptations from the Wilderness II, a second Lenten writing experiment. This one was a jumble of 40 different writing styles during Lent of that year, including traditional omniscient narration of plot-driven action, a recipe, sermon, poetry, drum music, and more.   Three years ago, these eight chapters were shared in a serialized form of sorts through seven Inappropriate Conversations episodes -- each with its own Different Drummer, etc. This file pulls the entire novella, such as it is, together. 

I've long believed that something more personal and profound is identified within Isaac Newton's laws of motion. This three-stanza poem looks inwardly at each theory.  Inappropriate Conversations #23

Especially on a holiday weekend, I suspect a scene like this plays out all across the world. A baby sleeping in mother's arms is gently taken by a father (in this case) to bed, gently and quietly to not interrupt the slumber. In my family, that simple transfer from one parent to another was often more delicate than it sounds -- a disentaglement of sorts.

I don't like it when podcasts I enjoy disappear. Even if they gracefully pod-fade, I've been known to wait weeks or months before finishing the last episode. It's worse when things stop abruptly.  One thing I'm thankful for each Christmas are the parts of lost shows I've been able to save via a clip show. I'll link to that "best of" episode below. And I don't want to name any part of that retrospective of a lost network as "best of the best" either. But Christmas doesn't seem complete without this story from the long-gone Crimes Against Food podcast. Inappropriate Conversations #178

Here is a short, sweet origin story for the most important relationship of my life, including a key tie-in to Christmas Eve.

Perhaps the true will of God is written between the lines.

Whether a typing exercise might become a manifesto.  

(A Neosurrealist Revising a Will from His Death Bed) The Author, 1979-1986

While this neo-surrealist, and formalist, short story dates back to 1986, it was World Storytelling Day 2016 that led me to read it out loud.  #IC 181

It's definitely a cliche, but this is based on a true story.

The concept of "reunion" can generate a very specific type of anxiety. For me, it has always been an underlying sense of wanting to be there and wanting to be invisible at the same time. That paradox has inspired essays, some short fiction, and this poem.  "Disappear Here" (1989) 122: 'Past Tenths' of 'Disappear Here'

For this perspective on how modern horror movies have squeezed out traditional thrillers, I've called the selection a 6-pack while sneaking in a few extras within the anthology film entry. The essay was written in 1999 and shared on an Inappropriate Conversations podcast in 2012.  The films: A Cold Night's Death Carnival of Souls Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Scarlet Claw The Other Asylum The House That Dripped Blood Trilogy of Terror #IC 103: The Thriller Is Gone

Solomon's Song Of Songs Man: Greg Woman: Karen Friends: Laura https://www.inappropriateconversations.org/e/81-singing-a-song-for-lovers/

As I've noted in the (old, but) most recent Inappropriate Conversations podcasts, work-life balance and other issues have led to a pause in postings. Work-life balance has shifted again, recently. I can't say yet whether or when this will lead to new episodes of Inappropriate Conversations or Walk The Earth, but I do now that content will be starting to flow again.  Starting today, I'm planning to post at regular intervals. During what turned out to be a hiatus, I pulled the plug on promotional clips of past podcasts on SoundCloud. The IC_Greg account there is gone. That experience did lead me to create stand-alone files for some work, including speeches, poetry, and prose.  I'll begin with "10 Areas of Agreement about Abortion" as a consolidation of a two-part podcast topic from 2011. Because our national dialog has not progressed much on the issue since the 1970s, the argument still seems somewhat fresh in spite of ignoring a decade of recent current events.  Thanks for listening!

It's a sinking feeling to realize your actions would be the same if you were trying to undermine your values, that just doing what you've always done fits a narrative you would reject if given a chance. Sometimes the matter can be as small as "has my show pod-faded without me realizing?". Sometimes it's a matter of life and death where thoughtless actions line up with death, even unintentionally. Slight differences in choices or behavior can change things for the better. Failing to take such action, whether bold or benign, should lead us to a crucial question: how would I have behaved differently if I'd intended to do such harm? Different Drummer: David Hayward About NakedPastor Walk The Earth podcast page Pride48 live streaming 2022 event

The politics of abortion has long been a game of state legislatures passing laws they know are unconstitutional. It's a bit like asking a question over and over again when you already know the answer. The situation has now devolved into something worse, an abuse of concepts like "standing" and "damages" in civil litigation. And the current U.S. Supreme Court seems to be aiding and abetting Texas in what could be called, at best, a foolish mistake. Different Drummer: George Carlin Your questions about Texas' new abortion law, answered