Writing at Starbucks
I need a break from Fireball Wilson Roberts and his incessant barking. Anyway, meme time. Taken from a random place on the Internet. Someone give me a better place to find my surveys, please.
01. What's the last TV show you saw?
Um, last night I watched part of this show on PBS (omfg I am so old) about Arctic Exploration (omfg I am my father), the theme of which was, "If you explore in the Arctic, it is best to do so without lead poisoning and scurvy." I already knew this, but it was nice to have it reinforced with a good old-fashioned story of Victorian suffering and death.
02. What are you wearing at the moment?
A zip-up windbreaker, jeans, argyle socks, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt that says, "My Wife Is a Yeti."
03. Favorite Song of the Moment?
The recent feature story about Will Oldham has me listening to "New Partner" again.
04. What is your favorite scent?
white musk from the body shop. (I know. I'm in eigth grade. And I'm old. And I'm my father.)
05. What's your occupation? What do you do there?
I am a writer. I work at Stabucks and other locations. What do I do? I tell stories.
06. What do you drink the most?
Water.
07. What is your favorite restaurant?
I'm pretty fond of a family-owned restaurant in Indianapolis called Smee's. But my favorite restaurant in the world? Probably Nobu.
08. What will you be doing after finishing this?
I will write some screenplay.
09. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be this, but I pictured it differently.
10. Your favorite romantic movie?
Rushmore. Is Rushmore acceptably romantic? I think it is. If not Rushmore, then maybe Juno.
11. What's the least favorite thing about yourself?
I am too lazy.
13. What are your ideal qualities in a novel?
I like it when they are all-the-way-funny and all-the-way-serious.
14. What time do you usually go to bed?
Between 11 and midnight.
15. What's the meaning behind your LJ username/name/nicknames you go by?
sparksflyup is taken from a line in the Book of Job, which is inarguably (TRY TO ARGUE WITH ME! JUST TRY!) the greatest book in the Hebrew Bible. "Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward."
posted by John Green @ Wednesday, January 07, 2009
37 Comments
37 Comments:
When I was fifteen, I watched a PBS program about Antarctic exploration. Since then, I've not been able to think of anywhere on this planet I would rather go.
Previously I would have argued that 1st and 2nd Samuel are far more enlightening books than Job. But after hearing you insists constantly that Job is so great, I spent a lot of time studying it and you were right. It's the best, at least in the Old Testament.
As an author forced to compete in the cruel, inattentive world of modern media, it's understandable that you're pretty much forced to write screenplays of your novels in order to get any recognition (Brotherhood 2.0 aside, of course), but, curious, have you ever considered writing a screenplay for which you did not write a novel counterpart--whether it be adaptive (by which I mean not from your work) or original?
We all desperately want to see Looking for Alaska made, and fast, too, so we can hopelessly count on our favorite choice of teen actors in the cast while they're still young, but you never know how good a John Green original screenplay could be until you've seen one...or even fifteen or twenty of them. It took Woody Allen at least eight or nine feature-length scripts before he actually got...you know...good at writing and about twenty-five before he reached his height--Which I would argue as Crimes and Misdemeanors, because I'm a pretentious snob.
Alaska struck me as less adaptable than your other novels due to the more overtly philosophical aspects of it. It's hard to put so many reflections in a script without boring the audience with excessive voiceover. It's tough to think of how to represent everything visually or with non-contrived dialogue without coming off as too pretentious--as opposed to Katherines, where simply writing a smile into the ending can very well get the point across.
I wish you good luck, with my own selfish interest in seeing your books on the silver screen.
--Jordon
I would argue that there a several books in the Hebrew bible that are better than Job. Psalms, because it still has suffering and redemption but it's prettier and no children were murdered in its making. Also it is hugely mulit-layered.
Proverbs, because it is also hugely multi-layered (although I guess you could say that about the whole bible) and it gives you something to do and answers your own "question for people of faith" (and I quote "The question for people of faith is how and if God is working in the world and how and if we can participate in that work." -you, some question Tuesday)
Also, no murdered children.
What is your argument for Job?
My argument for Job is the moral complexity of a God who murders children! (Which is to say exactly what you don't like about it.)
I see the case for Psalms, but for me it's too multivalent to work well as literature; I don't see the case for Proverbs. (Nothing personal, Proverbs!)
There will be no disparaging remarks about The Body Shop's White Musk. It is a scent for all people of all ages (as is clearly evidenced by the fact a male writer, his father, and a young woman aspiring writer all wear it without feeling girly, perfumey, or otherwise icky from body splash).
I suppose we all turn into my parents. Isn't it Oscar Wilde who said, "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That is his."? I consider it a tragedy I'm not turning into my father. It means I won't grow up to be a six-foot-three financier. Darn.
I'm a sucker for commercial, sensational fiction so I argue that Genesis and Exodus are the best in the Hebrew Bible. Wrath! Retribution! Incest! Sodomy! Murder! And...boils and sores. Great stuff.
ummm, wow, I can't remember what my favorite book in the Hebreqw Bible was. I should go back to church.
"I am in 8th grade. And I am old. And I am my father." Hahahahahaha!
Also? I kinda love Song of Songs, which is, however, not in all copies of the Bible, so perhaps that's where you come up with Job for the win. Also-also? Robert Pattinson wants to play Job in a movie. You should so write a screenplay . . . ;)
Genesis and Exodus have an argument... there is sensationalism and a God who not only murders children but also damns the whole world AND hints at redemption. I would say that the deity of Genesis is at least as brutal as that of Job, and at least as followable.
Also there's the complexity of a God who loves everyone but at the same time no one, and, I would argue, the story is much bigger. As much as we can all extrapolate from Job's story, it sort of sets up a God for whom a few major players are important and everyone else is just a tool to test or screw with these major players. Genesis does this too (I mean, really, when was the last time anyone cared about the tribe of Issachar) but it does so less. Plus, a creation song like that of the first few chapters of Genesis is hugely important, and there are still lots of dead children in God's wake (flood, genocide, babies in Egypt, ect.)
As literature, Proverbs doesn't make the cut, I'll give you that, but I still think it's extraordinarily important.
Also, you know a lot more than I do about both the bible and literature, having been to a bit of divinity school and more that a semester of college and being an actual writer and everything, but there's this huge plot hole. Job is all upset because his life has been sucking and he cries out and asks why and God just shows up and all of a sudden Job is ok. I understand that Job is a righteous man and trusts God, but seriously, he's not just going to be ok. Also, the replacement children and stuff are nice accounting-wise, but Job lost people that he loved and people you love are not cars or dishwashers or nice silverware; you can't just get a new set to replace the old, that's always just going to be a giant vortex of suck in your life. In Job, the title character just seems to move on with his life.
This isn't to say that Job isn't one hell of a book, because it of course is, and I think it has important things to say for people who have faith and people who do not. I just don't think it's the best one.
I'm quite partial to Ecclesiastes; I like the sense of infinity that I feel reading it; it's as though I'm separate, but simultaneously part of it. Many in classes I took before I got confirmed and at school think it's excessive, but I get something new out of it everytime I read and study it more than most other religious texts. Although I can't really read Ecclesiastes 3.
But yes, I would say that Job is the best, or one of the best. It says so much about apparent contradictions in God's nature and existence and it took me a while to begin to appreciate that. When I was younger, I used to adore Genesis, but I think that's because we didn't read much of the other books, apart from Exodus, Psalms and Proverbs.
Hey, I'm 17 and I watch those kinds of programmes all the time! Especially if they have Stephen Fry. I ask my friends if they watched it and most of them reply, "uh, no... but my dad/grandpa did". Agh.
Also, this morning, I was sent a New Year's mix CD and This Year by The Mountain Goats was on it. The play count has already hit double digits.
- Rosi (who is avoiding homework and has decided that this is educational enough to make up for it)
Ooooooooo, I forgot about Ecclesiastes. That right there is a really good book. When I was more religious I hated it (although that may also be because I was younger) but now I love love love it.
"This Year" by the Mountain Goats was my theme song for '08 (thanks to the vlogbrothers) it's such a good song!
...and a t-shirt that says, "My Wife Is a Yeti." FTW!
Nice dress today John. But question, are the argyle socks matching?
I just got into a battle royal with my mom over whether or not Juno is a romantic movie. I think it is, she thinks not. She also rejected Rushmore as a romantic movie. lol
I love Job the best for two reasons. One, it's the only book I've been able to complete because I am very lazy and never know which version to trust. Two, it's basically GOD GOES TO VEGAS and the chips are souls of children!
Ah, the Bible.
Is it weird of me to say that I enjoy reading your blog more than I like watching your videos, John? Not that your image repulses me or anything (and that was intended to be a "you're not ugly" comment, not a creepy "OMGZ UR SO HOTT" comment); I just really like reading the words you write. They're so...witty. There's something to be said about the written word, even though it uses one less sense than videos.
such thoughtful comments. i am going to bring it down a notch by asking what perhaps may be the lamest meme question of all time: what do you typically order at starbucks? i'm an ex-barista, i can't help myself...
also, <3 rushmore. i find it interesting that juno is your back-up romantic film...they're both very, very strange romances. yet another reason why you're awesome.
captcha: anglyth. noun. 1. the angle at which light enters a room in the morning in such a way that one knows that it will be a Very Good Day.
14. What time do you usually go to bed?
Between 11 and midnight.
OMFG, John... you are SO old! :)
When you were younger, what did you picture being a writer would be like? How is it different?
-Phyllis
A reply in 3 parts:
My favourite read is Judges.
I won't argue Job with you but would love to sit down and discuss it with a group of thoughtful people.
and finally...I had to look up multivalent and I'm still not sure how you're applying it to Job. I knew I should have paid more attention in school...
When I read the part about writing the screenplay I got very excited. It is so jokes that you get that much creative control over this movie.
What is 'argyle'? I know you've mentioned them before, I think. I too suffer from laziness and do not wish to look it up myself, lol.
Wow, I watched the exact same program last night! And since I am a teenager and not old, I'd have to say it is not an indication of age but of being a nerdfighter! Also, it was pretty tragic. I mean, can you imagine suffereing from internse frostbite, scurvy AND lead poisoning at the same time? And starving, with the possible threat of canniblism? In a five year winter/ That's intense.
The / was supposed to be a question mark. Also sorry for the spelling errors.
I've often made the case for Job. Although, I do get the argument that Job is a pretty materialistic character. However, I could and do argue that although people we love are not dishwashers, they can be, in the event of death, by substituted with new people. Human beings can easily forget and find new attachments. Sure, that is a bit cynical but whatever.
John, I am curious as to how you rationalize God's cruelty in Job and other Old Testament books like Judges.
Also, Jessica, in a previous survey he answered "water" as most commonly ordered Starbucks item. I'm going to pretend its not creepy that I remember that.
Rushmore is more than acceptably romantic.
Inesse: A shampoo factory that dumps directly into a delta that creates a nice, frothy bubble bath of a sea.
Captcha Dictionary
I can't wait for the movie. I'm overjoyed that you're writing the screenplay because that means that even if it must deviate somewhat from the book (because although I may not like it, I recognize that it can be necessary for movies to not be perfect visual replicas of the literature that they are displaying...) it will nonetheless still be awesome. :)
Captcha Dictionary!
throt: to ALMOST throttle someone; generally occurs either in jest or immediately preceding actually throttling.
Dftba.
Oh, also, I love the "My Wife is a Yeti" shirt. :)
XD
tranc: the term used to describe a vehicle collision occuring between a train and a car.
ex: Sorry I'm late, there was a huge tranc that was causing traffic...
You may be your father, but he sounds pretty fly. Haha.
Oh! Also, real quick. While I'm personally a fan of Hosea as a book, I can't say that I have found a distinctive line in the Hebrew Bible that I prefer over the one you have quoted.
I can't argue with Job being the best book of the Bible. But I can argue which is the worst... Leviticus.
I'm not going to argue with you about the Book of Job being the best because, well, you always win. Also, I have a feeling you're one of those people that gets nothing but water and sits in Starbucks on their laptop...I'm one of those people too.
You think watching an Arctic Exploration documentary makes you old (which I've seen)? What does that make me? I watch Antiques Roadshow and Bargin Hunters regularly.
john. when you post surveys. you justify my own habit.
i'm not complaining. i'm just saying. this is your fault:
http://agent-teacup.livejournal.com/315643.html
Hey, I'm 14 and I absolutely LOVE PBS documentaries. Probably my favorite programs on TV. At all, ever.
(I take that back, Star Trek is a very close tie.)
(Well, I really like BBC......dramamentaries? The old ones, like "The Six Wives of Henry VIII." Those are pretty great too.)
Ah, who am I kidding? I love TV.
I was linked here and feel I must state that Esther is the best book of the Hebrew bible.
I most definitely argue with your favorite book of the Bible. Song of Solomon is most definitely more awesome. Its just so darned cute. And beautiful. And completely unlike the rest of the Bible.
I like you, John Green. :)
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