April 24, 2004

If a study from the Learning Research Institute at California State University is to be believed, poets tend to die sooner than other writers. These tortured individuals kick the bucket at 62, while nonfiction writers live up to 68 years.

"A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper."
--Ursula K. Le Guin

April 21, 2004

Now this is my kind of poetry. Dark, morbid with just a touch of funny.

"Last night you were, unhinged. You were like some desperate, howling demon. You frightened me ... Do it again."
--Morticia Addams

April 20, 2004

What happens to magazine journalists when they can't find enough freelance assignments to pay the rent? Most will move into other fields. Jane Fairfax did; she became a dominatrix.

"Being a dominatrix is much like being a journalist. In both professions, you have to be a good listener. You have to get people's names right. Journalists are supposed to tell the truth. A dominatrix tells the story her client would like to hear," Fairfax said.

The next time I visit Key West, I'm going to avoid Big Ruby's on Appelrouth Lane. The downtown B&B ordered three couples to leave last week, despite the fact that they had reservations eight months in advance. The reason? These couples were (gasp!) heterosexuals.

Not only has this establishment lost my business, but I hope the state of Florida fines them $500 for discriminating based on sexual orientation.

April 19, 2004

A new Jaded Writings column has been posted. This week, I discuss the people who rummage through my garbage bins.

Sam Vaknin - 4/21/61
Diana Lesire Brandmeyer - 4/26/57

Past Afterthoughts