14. A News to a Letter
Greetings Newsletterees, old and new*!
A regular reader recently asked if I still consider these trimesterly missives ‘newsletters’. To investigate the concern, I dutifully dove into past issues and discovered that indeed, the me-centric ‘update’ elements from the earliest editions have shrunk relative to my recommendation lists of gadgets, content, people, and ideas. Perhaps more problematic, many of the listed items were overdue for a bit of updating.
So, further-adolessly, here is…
My Revisited List of the Same Stuff Differently:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – When I shouted out this book in Issue 8, I had no idea I’d soon be writing my own Macbeth update, a gender-swapped Western, but now I have a complete draft, and though Mary Beth Burns needs work and won’t see the light of day for quite some time, there’s another, more adept adaptation far fewer tomorrows away. Between playing the lead in Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre’s run of Sondheim’s Company and destroying me at chess, Opera singer extraordinaire Bogdan Mynka found time to build his own company, Verismo, which, from August 29-31 at the Marigny Opera House, will be performing his operatic Macbeth adaptation titled… Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Get tickets here. And speaking of getting tickets…
Spinal Tap II, which I bragged about in Issue 9 is coming out on September 12th. When people ask what a Script Supervisor does on an improv-based mockumentary, I admit that my greatest contribution was pushing for the title Spinal Tap 11 with a subhead ‘Most sequels only go to two. This one goes to eleven.’ I consider the choice of a Roman numeral ‘II’ in the current posters and marketing a personal win. Right? Anyway, I’ve seen the movie, and it’s hilarious. But speaking of 2s…
Five Nights at Freddy’s – In Issue 8 I also shouted out FNAF and its amazing cast and crew. That movie turned out to be a massive hit, so last year, director Emma Tammi and producer Bea Sequeira reassembled the team to deliver another episode in this absolute bonkers franchise, which I could honestly see going as far as 11. I mean, if Fast and Furious can do it… (Ooooh, crossover anyone? (Fast Nights at Furious Freddy’s)). And speaking of longevity…
Poker nights – In Issue 4 (more than 2 years ago!) I mentioned Monday Night Poker, which was a fixture at my house, and guess what? It still is! Over time it has grown and changed, but it still features a core family of regulars (often including a chef and three musicians) plus a never-ending cycle of wonderful guest stars, some of whom also drop in for…
Writers’ Groups – All the way back in Issue 1 (and again in 6) I praised writing groups as a wonderful way to force ourselves to get words on the page. I’ve now resurrected my at-home ‘Writers Blocks’ (like timeblocking, not the other creative constipation kind). If you’re in New Orleans and are interested in joining the collective fight against procrastination (and/or Eliaz or Adam’s poker streaks), come join us. The more then merrier. Except…
Spaying/Neutering – In Issue 9 I thanked the SPCA and Rachel of Jefferson Feed for helping to ‘fix’ (the human term; I’m told the cats disapprove) 16 of the cats that had populated my back yard while I was away on vacation. But apparently of them slipped through, and a few months ago, we were anything but proud to welcome Bailey, Tito & Bean into our yard/life. They have since awwwwwed their way into our hearts, but we still had them (and Momma Mudslide) fixed, because sometimes we learn from our mistakes and take action to avert further CATastrophe. Other times not so much…
Voting – Despite my incessant pleas in Issue 11, not enough of you did it. So now, well… Fuuuuuucccckkkkk. Can we fix that please? Because the last thing we want (aside from xenophobia, suppression of the press, economic instability, regression of civil rights, etc. etc. etc.) is a sequel to…
Fannie and the Firearms Factory, a book that I wrote and promoted in Issue 1. But now, not only am I considering a semi-sequel (Willy’s Adventures in Wokeland), I’m increasingly inclined to release an audiobook of the original and to replace the pseudonym ‘Reald Deahl’ with my actual name. Speaking of SELF-publishing, several friends have recently put their books out there, so do go and check out the works of Gabriel Rhenals, Alex Salazar and writing group buddy, Bree Brincat. But anyway, back to me and sequels no one asked for…
Parties Past/Present/Future – Since Issue 5, we’ve held all sorts of themed parties including a Mismatch Party, a ‘They’re Eating the Cats’ Halloween Party and The Sqyd Games. But it was the Unemployment Party, intended as a silver lining to the extended lack film industry jobs, which went unfixed and spawned two sequels: Unemployment Party 2: No Work, All Play, and Unemployment Party: At Wit’s End. Perhaps next time (please, God, no!) we’ll coopt Spinal Tap II’s subhead, The End Continues. Don’t be fooled by the name, these parties are classy, in that everyone dresses way up or way down depending on their employment status. Unfortunately I got lucky (like the oxymoron I am) and days before the last party I booked a writing gig, which not only meant I had to suit up and trickle down some fine wine, but also that I had…
Deadlines – In Issue 12 I lauded their value as a motivational tool, but sometimes they stomp all over each other. A quick turnaround on my most recent script (a road trip dramedy on which I hope to re-update you in future Issues) was one of the reasons I missed my self-imposed deadline on THIS Newsletter. To those of you inconvenienced by the delay, I apologize from the bottom of my spine. And speaking of artistic processes, sentiments, and excuses…
Routines of Others – In Issue 1 I shouted out Mason Currey’s wonderful book Daily Rituals and in Issue 11 I mentioned a few other worthwhile reads on the subject. I’m now reading/looking at/exploring The Work of Art (clever title wordplay appreciated) by Adam Moss. In this beautifully compiled maze of a book, Moss interviews dozens of current artists about how they made some of their greatest works. His subjects range from sculptors to musicians to Crossword overload Will Shortz, but all of them (OK, I’m only 1/3 through) have insights that apply to any field. And speaking of interdisciplinary exploration…
Actor’s Apothecary – In Issue 2, I shouted out this incredible institution and its co-owners, Chelsea Bryan and Sylvia Grace Crim, but now I’m not just a fan, I’m also a student. Considering how often I interact (there must be a pun there, right?) with actors, it was a glaring oversight that I’ve never studied their craft. Why not? Frankly, because I was afraid of it. I finally bit the bullet and took a four-part scene study class and it was… very uncomfortable but also invigorating. For the latter I must thank my scene partner Calum, and our wonderful teacher, Kerry Cahill who has another class at the Apothecary soon. This was my first class of any kind since college, but it won’t be my last. And while we’re broadening horizons...
St. George’s – What? The delicious Spiced Pear Liqueur from Issue 13? No! The conveniently named capital of Grenada which was the start and end point of the Caribbean adventure that served as the other excuse for me missing this Issue’s deadline. Again, shame on me. Couldn’t I have done some writing on the boat? Absolutely not. Why Not? Because of…
Travel Friends – I shouted out a group of spectacular international folks (one of whom will re-appear shortly in this sub-list) in Issue 7, so it’s fitting that I have seven new additions to my travel buddy cast-list. Here’s what happened…
Zim, nicknamed for his birthplace (Zimbabwe) decided to put together a Grenadine boating expedition for the birthdays of…
Jo, his wife, who he met at the same British bar where I spent quite a few drunken nights a few years back, and…
Dave, an Irish-born, South African-raised Brit with spectacular taste in music and comedy. Happy birthday to you both! They invited fellow pub regular…
Gabi, a Welsh-born world-roamer with the most insane travel stories and the perfect go-with-the-flow attitude for an ocean expedition, and…
Isla! Yes, the same Flamingo Queen I met 7 years ago (Another 7! We just won slots, didn’t we!!!!) on a cruise ship, later hosted for Mardi Gras (and poker), then joined on a Thai adventure before invading her home in England (though she now lives on Grand Cayman) was invited on this trip by Zim & Jo, and extended the invite to me and…
Syd (of Sqyd Games fame) who, though she didn’t know any of the other travelers, had never left the country, and had concerns about spending such a long time on a boat, came along, had a blast, and should now be the face of Non-Drowsy Dramamine. The only person who knew less about the group (but considerably more about the ocean) than Syd was…
Nico, an Italian-born 40-year-resident of the Grenadines who knew nearly everyone we encountered on every island, though they called him by his stage name (20-year music career), Barracuda (extensive diving career). Basically, he’s the most interesting man alive and he was able to navigate the MANY obstacles we encountered (and created) with only US as his crew.
With this spectacular group, I spent a week being tossed around on the Benetnasch II, swimming with sea turtles, and sampling every sort of beach bar and barbecue. I also drank Jumbie (another excellent liqueur), honed the art of hooking buoys, participated in an accidental food heist and frantically paddled a rapidly deflating board before finally bidding farewell and flying (very slowly (thanks American Airlines) homewards and now…
That amazing adventure is over, and so is this list of updates.
Though I am plagued by a bit of post-adventure malaise, I’m considerably less lonely than might be expected. Why? Because though I may have Trojan Horsed quite a lot of news into all of the updating in the list above, I left out the most important personal bit. But there were clues.
You may noticed some conspicuous ‘we’s, ‘ours’s, and ‘us’s peppered throughout, and if you were concerned that maybe I’ve now taken to pluralizing even my first-person pronouns, fear not, because…
Syd has moved in!!!! That’s right, after nearly a decade of solitary living, I couldn’t be more thrilled to co-habit with the greatest kitten-loving, party-hosting, me-tolerating partner a person could hope for. There’s no one I’d rather be stuck in an ice storm, a cabin, or an airport with, and sharing a home is already an absolute delight. If you’ve met Syd, you know that she’s objectively better than I deserve, but hey, I did warn you that this Issue would be all about up-dating.
There, I’ve brought that all the way back around (take note, American) and have arguably reclaimed ‘Newsletter’ status.
To anyone still reading, please feel free to reach out any time. Whether you’re interested in writing or poker or want to update me on what you’ve been up to lately or to recommend some neat stuff I should check out, I look forward to hearing from you.
Until I miss the next deadline, cheers to you all!
David X** Bush
*If you’re wondering how you got here, you must have flown American Airlines OR you got added to the email list by soMEone. Feel free to unsubscribe below.
** This initial only goes to ten.