I Say "Writer" - You Say [blank]

Word association time!

When I say "writer" who is the first person who pops into your head?

What if I said "artist?"

What if I said "author?"

I don't think I can do it -- I've thought about it for too long.

I was going to make a post that I could re-use whenever I got "writer's block." I figured I'd make it a bit clever by having no words, just a picture of writers and then a picture of a block.



But when I tried to think of a picture (or two) that would represent "writers" I got stuck. What writers could I select that would immediately be recognized?

I thought these three might be iconic enough to be recognized:



But that got me thinking about the question that started today's entry: When you think "writer" who do you think of? And when you think of that person, do you think of their image? Because when I think about most of the books I read, I doubt I could tell you what the author looks like.

Anyway if you see a post from me that looks like this:




now you'll know what it means.

Blitzes, Streams and Floods

"Lost" was on Wednesday night. Immediately following that, "Life on Mars" was on. The opening scene had "Ballroom Blitz" playing as the action took place.

"Self," I said to myself, "you have to buy that song someday."

But I forgot about it.

Then last night, when Leah got home, we watched the episode of "Lost" again so she could see it. And, sure enough, "Life on Mars" started playing as "Lost" finished (that's how VCRs work, you know -- not like these fancy DVR devices the kids are so down with these days [I typed that last bit with my crotchety old man voice]) and there was "Ballroom Blitz" again.

So I decided I simply had to get on Amazon.com's MP3 site and download "Ballroom Blitz" (the original, by Sweet.)

Now, once, I'm there, what else should I buy? Well, I had recently blogged about the Day the Music Died, and that reminded me that I don't own any Buddy Holly. Or Ritchie Valens, or Big Bopper. Queue those up! Oh, and what about that classic, "Rock Around the Clock?" Get that too. But searching for it, I also saw "R.O.C.K. in the USA."

And the hits just keep coming! A stream of consciousness led me down a strange path and before long I had music from:

• Sweet
• Buddy Holly
• The Big Bopper
• Los Lobos (the recordings of Ritchie Valens were so poor)
• Bill Haley and His Comets
• John Mellencamp
• Will Smith (and DJ Jazzy Jeff)
• Celine Dion
• John Denver
• Enya

There were probably more. I've lost track. (It's a good thing I don't buy Magic much anymore. Or play it online. Otherwise I wouldn't have the personal money to buy this stuff.)

Now, it's time to listen!

Letter? What's that? A stream of consciousness loop.

Inside my fortune cookie today:

"You have a charming way with words. Write a letter this week."

Well, thanks very much, but when was the last time I wrote a letter? E-mail, design documents, blog entries - sure. A letter?

Strangely enough, I thought I had received a letter yesterday. It was from Jenny -- a friend I've not corresponded with in several years. She used to write letters. This, however, was a hand-written "Thank You" card. That's pretty close to a letter. I even entertained the idea of writing back to her, though it would likely only be a short note enclosed in a box of Magic cards. Would that count as a letter?

I wonder what the per capita letter production is these days, and how that compares to twenty years ago. Sounds like a PhD thesis waiting to happen.

Not my PhD thesis, mind you.

If I wrote such a thesis, would that make me a man of letters?

OK, I'm rambling now.

Steve Martin's "Ramblin' Man"

Stephen King's "Walkin' Man"

Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time"

Alan Parsons wrote "Time is flowing like a river, to the sea."

Cat Power sang "Sea of Love" in Juno.

Cat Stevens wrote "First Cut is the Deepest."

Sheryl Crow is the latest artist to make that song a hit. She wrote a song called "Letter to God" which gets us back to "letters."