‘Stringing a Yarn’ takes many turns

Lou preps a microphone during shooting.

PANAMA CITY — So we made a short film about writing — and we made it in a local art gallery and studio.

In the movie, an old fellow hovers on the outskirts of a class where an artist teaches children to weave on makeshift looms. He is inspired by their activity to write a story called “The Weaver.”

And then — facing the choice that all artists must make — he puts his work on display for the public to view, interpret, critique or disparage. “The Weaver” goes on the wall as if it somehow fit among the embroidery, rugs, needlepoint and other woven arts and crafts on exhibit.

Is it art? That’s the question. The answer is less obvious, perhaps.

The film, “Stringing a Yarn,” was directed, photographed and edited by Lou Columbus, a resident of St. Andrews. It was shot at Floriopolis, the new art hub in the historic district, with the cooperation of artist-in-residence Heather Parker and her young students.

To complete the scenes we had in mind, Lou and I also conscripted artist and natural improviser Deborah Kivett, who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, and whose critiques of the work had us in stitches.

Now the film, like the short story, is out in the world. It’s a thing that is no longer strictly “ours,” but that the viewing public can take and make of it what they will.

>>See the video, "Stringing a Yarn"<<

>>Read "The Weaver"<<

Weaving is a natural metaphor for the craft of writing, of pulling together the disparate threads of story to create a meaningful whole. It works as well for film-making, as the director envisions the writer’s scenes and the editor connects pieces shot out of order to form a narrative, often tying everything together with the perfect melody.

It’s not the first time I’ve been inspired by the art of the weaver. I once wrote a piece about a woman who saw in the patterns of her crochet all the quantum secrets of the universe, all the ways we’re connected and how simple it is to become entangled, frayed, knotted or cut off.

Life is a series of interconnected stories, and art is steeped in story (and vice versa). Later this month, Floriopolis will host some examples of storytelling arts you might enjoy:

* A “1940s Noir Night” will be 6-8 p.m. on May 24 to celebrate the release of local author Michael Lister’s latest mystery novel, “The Big Hello.” The book represents the conclusion of his “Soldier” Riley trilogy set in 1940s Panama City. Details: MichaelLister.com.

* Bay Storytellers will hold a Panama City Story Slam at 7 p.m. May 30. Participants must tell — not read — a 5-minute story. No poetry or songs are allowed, and the key word “bay” must be included in the tale. Cash prizes will be awarded. Details: Call Pat at 814-2616, or visit Facebook.com/BayStorytellers online.

Meanwhile, “The Weaver” remains on display at Floriopolis, part of the “Spinning a Yarn” exhibit. Visit the shop at 1125 Beck Ave., and decide for yourself if it should be there.

Peace.

---

(This is my Undercurrents column this week for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald.)

The Weaver

THE WEAVER

By Tony Simmons

~

The ancient weaver works her loom in darkness, though the morning sun warms her face. A girl, not her daughter, sits beside her, invisible but for the scent and sense of her presence, a mass with little gravity and no voice. The child feeds the crone’s dry fingertips the threads from spools arrayed on a wooden rack like rainbow pools as the weaver requests them.

”Give me the blue of the sky on a summer’s morning,” says the weaver. ”The sun not yet at zenith, as it is now. No clouds or haze. The blue of an infant day.”

Taking the thread from the girl, the weaver feels its texture, recognizes its touch upon calluses that time has smoothed from the youthful swirls once etched in her skin like the weaving of a fleshy fabric. She nods, feeds it into her loom. Flexes her back, moves with the machine, building visions she glimpses only in her darkness, visions only the unseen child can confirm.

”Give me the emerald of the shallows,” the woman says. ”Waveless. A reflecting pool fashioned from crystal, revealing the sugar carpet where stone crabs scuttle. The emerald of a swimmer’s salty perspective.”

Once more, the girl delivers the thread into the old weaver’s grasp, and she in turn provides its thin materials to her contraption, working the narrow hairs into wide swaths of texture and hue until drops of sweat run off her nose and the day’s light softens upon her head.

”Give me the white of ghosts, of a virgin’s wedding dress, a saint’s halo,” she says. ”White of sugar, white of salt, white of quartz or bone bleached by the sun of a billion years.”

The weaver takes the thread she receives into her fingertips, and she pauses. The texture is incorrect. She sniffs the material, gathers a clump of it rolled like webbing in her palm and strokes it against her sunken cheek. She drops it in the empty, black space between herself and the girl, feels the cool of evening descend as the sun disappears, Apollo abandons his orbit.

”Girl, this is not the white thread I wanted,” she says. ”This is not my thread at all. What are you trying to do? What game is this?”

The darkness is quiet, though she senses the child still sitting beside her, like a breath in the night. The weaver waits as the air turns cool on her face, her fingers go cold, and the ache in her bones becomes a steady moan only she can hear.

”Try again, child,” she says. ”Find me the thread though your sight be rendered black as mine.”

Something moves then. A sound of air and soft contact, of wood scraping. The old weaver knows the noise like she knows the cry of her own muscles – thread in the loom, the sweep of the arm, the action of the machine.

And she moves aside, her day done, someone else picking up the thread of her life and working it into images she cannot even imagine.

----

(This is the story I wrote for use in our short film, "Stringing a Yarn." It was designed for use with a typewriter font that only had working end quotes, and no apostrophe.)

Video: 'Stringing a Yarn'

So I had a silly idea a few weeks ago and told my friend Lou about it. We turned it into a short video:


It's our tribute to writers and artists everywhere. But mostly to writers.
Peace.

A Book Trailer: The Book of Gabriel

My friend, Lou Columbus, a videographer, writer and audio story narrator, created this trailer for my most recent novel, "The Book of Gabriel: An Endtimes Fable."

He used footage from this shoot on the shore of St. Andrew Bay, as well as found footage, and a photograph of Marisa, on whom I based the personality and image of the angel Joy; the text shown on the background of each scene is taken from the book and corresponds in some way to the scenes being depicted. I think he did a great job.

I hope you'll watch the trailer (1 minute) and check out the book, which is available in trade paperback and Kindle editions from Amazon.

It's the story of Gabriel Jones, a man at the end of his rope who finds himself drafted into a celestial war, fighting fallen angels and heavenly hosts on the side of Shekinah, the female aspect of God. They take some advice from Cain, the first murderer, who lives outside of Eden Gardens State Park. Borrow a ride from Elijah, who likes cars with flames on the side. Meet the Watchers who hover in the night sky over Gulf Breeze.

Dream of new lives in other worlds, and awake to find them true. Step through a door into the torture rooms of Hell, and walk the wilderness with Lilith, first wife of Adam. Stand on the edge of the world, part the sea, and raise the light of hope in a world where Lucifer is lord of all.

Fan Trailer: Kingdom Come

I have a friend and former coworker, Brian Parsley, who is pretty great at making superhero costumes. Great enough that he does that full-time now. He appears in this as "Magog."

From Wikipedia

It's based on a groundbreaking graphic novel (originally a four-part prestige format series) from 1996 that explored a near-future in the DC Comics world that saw Superman coming out of retirement to try to reign in the out-of-control super-powered folks and fight a cabal of bad guys. There's much more to it than that — there kind of would need to be for it to remain a fan-favorite storyline nearly 20 years later — and if you want to read it, just hit this link.

American~Indian

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Ford Seeuws is a surfer, a violinist, a filmmaker, a seeker. A Bay County native, he’s husband to Melissa and father to Satya and Rohan, and they all recently returned from a two-year stay in India.

Ford’s feature-length documentary on their time there is called “American~Indian.” It’s now for sale online, as a way to help Ford finance future film work upon their return to India, and it will be available to view on YouTube soon.

>>See the trailer for American~Indian<<

>>View Ford's vlogs from India<<

“We had always been interested in India, but we wanted to see if we could really make it home,” Ford said, explaining the process that led to the film. “At first we started taking Hindi classes. I landed a job with a tourism/travel company to make short videos that could be used to show clients famous cities and destinations.”

All the while, the camera rolled on just about everything the family did, and Ford used these as video blogs on YouTube. (You can link to these videos in the online version of this column at PanamaCity.com.)

“In January of this year, I met with some of the good people who manage Kunzum Travel Cafe in Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village,” he said. “They were hosting a film series and after seeing one of my YouTube videos, wondered if there was anything I wanted to show. As much as I believe in YouTube and the power of vlogs, I felt a bit self-conscious showing these low-production value vlogs on a larger screen.”

He edited together footage from the vlogs with higher-definition travel videos for a feature length presentation shown at the café on Jan. 25, but he wasn’t satisfied with the result.

“People really liked the first half, but the frenetic pace of vlogs was too annoying to sustain for a full 75 minutes,” he said. He decided to make some changes, slow the pace, add some narration and extra content, and: “What you will see is the new and improved final version incorporating some of the feedback I got from viewers of the first film.”

Ford’s past travels have been partially financed by family, friends and churches, as well as his corporate work, but he’s hoping to transition into a business model that will allow him to focus on filmmaking alone. He wants to further his immersion into India and open the minds of people on both sides of the world.

“It has been a great experience. Every time I travel overseas I learn something new,” Ford said. “Getting down on the ground, the immersion process is something I really resonate with. … It made me realize so many preconceived notions we have are not fair.”

India is a diverse place, he said, with 18 major languages and 1,000 dialects. And yet, there are only three official religions (Christian, Hindu and Muslim) and you have to register with the government as belonging to one of them.

“You can’t be an atheist,” he said.

 Tensions are often high in the country, with people breaking into factions along religious, ethnic or geographical lines. But it’s also a time that seems on the threshold of bright changes, with start-ups and NGOs opening up new forms of business and revenue.

Ford plans to return to India in about six months.

“I see myself more as a non-governmental ambassador,” he said. “I try to get these cultures to understand each other, to show them that not all Westerners are colonial jerks. … I hope to be a peacemaker, I guess.”

Peace.

(This is my Undercurrents column for this week at PanamaCity.com and in The News Herald.) 

Two Writers: A Video

Thanks to Lou Columbus for shooting and editing this chat between me and Michael Lister. It's a bit long, but if you have the time, we both read from our work in the second half; Michael reads from his newly released novel, The Big Beyond, and I read from a work-in-progress, Giants in the Earth.




Thanks again, Lou!

Awesome Wonder Woman trailer

Peter Stormare as the Nazi interrogator. This is what Wonder Woman could be on the big screen. Why can't DC Comics/Warner Bros. get its act together?
Female Super Hero Fan Film from Jesse V. Johnson on Vimeo.

Art is not for the Faint of Heart

Devillers and Fuller

PANAMA CITY — Back when Steve Martin was still funny, he released an album titled “Comedy is not Pretty.”

It doesn’t make linear sense in that I always think of that title when I’m talking to someone about art. That is, I can’t draw a direct correlation between the two, though I know the connection exists.

I was thinking about that Tuesday evening as I watched a rehearsal of a scene from “How I Learned to Drive,” the latest production by the Division of Visual and Performing Arts at Gulf Coast State College. I’m not familiar with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel, except from what the actors and director related to me, but I’m guessing it’s not pretty, either.


Art is often not pretty. It takes us as creatures with a shared origin and common ways of viewing the world to uncomfortable places to examine parts of our human psyche that we’d rather not bring into the light. The things that scare us about the strangers all around us. The things that possibly scare us about ourselves.

“How I Learned to Drive” is being presented in the Amelia Center Theatre Lab at GCSC, otherwise known as the “black box theater.” Seating is extremely limited and the audience is so close to the action that the space is often described as “intimate.”

Director Jason Hedden, associate professor, said that forced intimacy will likely make audience members uncomfortable as they view this play, which is about forced intimacy itself. He added that he would not be surprised if some of the viewers exit before the final bow.

“It’s right there in your face and hard to ignore,” Hedden said.

The story is introduced and narrated by a woman named “Li’l Bit,” who grew up in the 1960s and doesn’t have much in common with her family, according to a synopsis at Broadway.com. Her only connection is with her Uncle Peck, a troubled veteran who seems to be the only adult in her life willing to listen. The two begin spending a lot of time alone together when he starts teaching her to drive.

Driving becomes a metaphor for many things in the play, and their relationship leaves her damaged.

“I’m not a very touchy-feely person,” said Jennifer Fuller, who portrays Li’l Bit. Fuller most recently played Puck in GCSC’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“The show has kind of tested my boundaries, having to be close and comfortable with my fellow actors,” she said.

The show opens Friday night for a two-weekend run. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, 16, 22 and 23; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 17, 23 and 24. Admission is $10, or free for GCSC students, faculty and staff with valid ID. Advance tickets are available online at GulfCoast.edu/arts.

This performance is for mature audiences only. The 90-minute show will be followed by a talkback with the director, cast and crew. The box office opens 1.5 hours before curtain. Details: email jhedden@gulfcoast.edu or call 872-3886.


This was my column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.

Postcard Girl, Dancer Guy

I shoot and edit videos as part of my job at PanamaCity.com and NewsHerald.com. Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing a local lady who was a model used to promote Panama City Beach in the 1960s. Here's some video of her:



And today, at the joint meeting of the Bay County/Panama City Beach chambers of commerce, I had a front-row seat for a performance by Brandon Bryant, a winner of the TV series "So You Think You Can Dance" and the choreographer of a movie, "East Side Story," that begins filming Sunday in PCB. Here's his dance:






Overall, not a bad way to make a living.
Have a great weekend, folks.
Peace.

Video by a Fellow Traveler

This is my friend Nick. He writes books, and blogs, and short stories, and plays in a band and stuff. He's pretty cool. You can check out his jam at HeyNickMay.com.



Expect more stuff like this in the New Year we've just begun. We should always share the love, and I plan to tell you about more cool people and the stuff they do.

Peace.

Video Post (Catching Up, Part 1)

Here is part of how I've been spending my time recently:

 

Peace.

Christmas Song of the Day: Fairytale of New York

On Twitter, I've been posting a "Christmas Song of the Day" for the past few days. Today, I put up the Pogues' "Fairytale of the New York." Tells you what kind of end-of-week mood I'm in.



Yesterday, the 31st anniversary of the death of John Lennon, the song was, of course, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." I'm morally obligated to warn you that the video at that link has some gruesome imagery.

The day before, I chose the 21-minute long Francis Ford Coppola filmed "Junky's Christmas" written and narrated by William S. Burroughs. (So, the mood has been off all week, looks like.)


The day I started all this, I began with Bing Crosby and David Bowie's "Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)." (Along with a bonus song, the scarily accurate Funny or Die recreation of the performance starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.)

I'll bring you some more songs as the month progresses.
Peace.

Lou1492 & LightsUpOnKayla & HeyNickMay make a movie

Kayla & Nick as Shekinah & Gabriel

I have some good friends. Possibly even courageous ones.

This evening, Kayla and Nick met me, Lou and my daughter Jessi at the shoreline behind Oaks by the Bay Park to shoot a sequence that opens my novel, The Book of Gabriel. Kayla assured us the water wasn't too cold (she was more concerned about the crabs crawling in the sea grass and the jellyfish we spotted). To say she was a trouper is an understatement. She dunked herself under water several times so Lou could get just the right shot, while all Nick had to do was sit and be cool.

Lou and Kayla in the bay.

Lou was great to offer to make a trailer for the story, and Kayla and Nick were great to volunteer for the shoot. We were concerned about Kayla being too cold (the temp here has been cool in recent days), but she said she was an "art martyr" anyway. Jessi and Lou both joined her in the shallows to get a couple of shots, while I stayed dry on the shore with Nick (and we laughed at the antics out in the water). Let's just say, we had a slowly gathering audience of onlookers on the boardwalk who had more to look at than a gorgeous sunset...

Reviewing the shots.

We then got a shot of Nick pocketing the photo of the angel Gabriel meets along a back road. These shots will be added to others that Lou has gathered, and a few more we have yet to shoot. I'll post the trailer as soon as he's pleased with it.

It was great fun, and it warmed my heart to have such helpful and willing friends (and daughter, too) to participate in the project.

Lou & me, in the brilliance of the moment.

If you'd like to read the book this trailer is being made for, just come by the Bay County Public Library on Saturday for Local BooksALIVE, a gathering of area writers and authors. (Or download the ebook version for cheap.) We'll have informative presentations from 10 a.m. to noon, break for lunch (you're encouraged to bring a sack lunch and talk with the authors), then have sales and signings from 1 to 3 p.m. I hope to see you there!

Peace.

Catching up & Things to do

Mike Brim and a Vampire

Mike Brim (who writes horror novels under the name of Michael Goldcraft) was the guest author in my Education Encore class on Friday. He talked to the class about how he builds his characters, getting to know them before he begins writing about them. He wants to know how they react, and why they do the things they do, so he'll recognize immediately if they do something "uncharacteristic." He is scheduled to do a presentation at the Bay County Public Library on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m.

Minutemen by Nick May

Nick May will kick off his "Follow the Oil" tour to debut is new novel, "Minutemen," on Friday with stops all over the place for the next several days. I have read a pre-publication copy of Minutemen, and it's a hoot. (Look for my review here with the complete schedule of appearances on Thursday after it hits the web at NewsHerald.com.)

The Offer at The Axis Venue

The Offer made their official Panama City debut with new lead vocalist Nathan Simmons on Friday night. (I'll be posting a video of one of their songs later.)

I will be participating in Local BooksALIVE at the Bay County Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 29. It's a full day of local writers and their work, with a slate of speakers beginning at 10 a.m. (then a lunch break at noon) and book sales and signings from 1 to 3 p.m. I will be there with The Book of Gabriel as well as remaining copies of The Best of Days and other earlier works. I hope you'll stop by and see me before you head downtown to the second annual Panama City Zombie Walk at 4 p.m. (More on this as the event details are arranged.)

Meanwhile, check out this video I shot of last year's Zombie Walk:

Video Brainstorming

I met with Lou Columbus at Layla's Gelato yesterday for a coffee and brainstorming session. He offered long ago to shoot a promotional video for my novel, "The Book of Gabriel." And when I say "long ago," I mean back when the storyline was still a serial appearing randomly at PCityLive.com as part of my "366 Days" project.

Lou is a professional videographer, so having his enthusiasm for the project is gratifying and inspirational. (He's also a fellow fan of Bill Nelson and David Bowie, he has old Vampirella novels in his collections, and he once gave me — I repeat, gave me — something like a thousand comicbooks he had kept for decades. I'm still working my way through them.) In short, Lou is a giving fellow with my weird taste in music and entertainment. I'm lucky to know him.

Anyway. Gabriel:

Lou sees certain images from the story as essential to the video, and I agree. Many of them are probably unobtainable on a $0 budget, even taking advantage of public domain video and images. Some things we hope to work out include the opening image of the woman rising out of the sea; a shot of an armored form grasping a flaming sword; men walking on water; the other-worldly visage of Lady Grinning Soul; the Watchers twirling in the night sky; Satan in his nice cotton suit; portions of a chase sequence; and the photo of Joy in Gabriel's jacket pocket.

I'll let you know as we proceed.

Meanwhile, go here to see samples of Lou's videos; the sixth item down is a spooky trailer Lou shot for my friend Michael Lister's novel, "Double Exposure."
T

Drive-In Saturday: 'Changes'

Once again my titles reveal the Bowie connection.

'CHANGES' is an animation experiment created using a VHS Panasonic camera in 1990; the camera had a function that allowed it to shoot one second of tape every minute, so I changed out the pages of typewriter paper in between activations.



NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH:



(No extra charge for tonight's double feature. You're welcome.)

Drive-In Saturday: 'Future Warning PSA'

Shot on a VHS home video camera (a Panasonic, I believe) in 1988 or so, and recently re-edited and tweaked. (Way back then, I had no way to create credits or on-screen titles, so the project was never completed.) This was made for a contest where you had 60 seconds to present a public service announcement about the future. I created mine as if it came FROM the future, what was then the distant world of A.D. 2005. I aimed the camera at the TV it was hooked up to in order to create the visual feedback, and used some Halloween makeup to build a layered scar on my face. The hair was my own; no special effect required.

Hope you liked it.

Next Saturday: A real live music video from the same era. (Not starring me, thank God.) Meanwhile, do you have any videos you'd like to share with the class? Post the link in comments.

Peace.

Drive-In Saturday: 'OUR DEAD'

"OUR DEAD" was my final project in TV Production 2 class at Pensacola Junior College in 1984. We used a video camera that weighed about 25 pounds and required you to wear a battery belt weighing about 15 pounds. We were absolutely ordered not to point the lens into the sun or get the camera wet. Did you see the sunset we shot into, or the rain on the window panes? Even so, I got an A. Wish I recalled the names of the folks who worked with me on this, but it was long ago and far away.

Peace.