Episode 74 - Live Long and Prosper

[00:00:18] What's up everyone and welcome to Episode 74 of the Promptly Written Podcast where every month we take a writing prompt provided by you, write stories based on it, then break them down for you. My name is Matt Sugerik and with me as always, Ian Lewis. What's up Ian?

[00:00:32] What's up Matthew?

[00:00:33] Oh, oh Matthew. We're affordable today.

[00:00:37] I just wanted to change it up.

[00:00:39] I like it. What's been going on? Anything new?

[00:00:42] Oh yeah, a lot new actually. I finished, well, more or less finished my book and it's up for pre-order right now.

[00:00:53] Oh, fantastic. We will make sure that we get a pre-order link in the show notes for you. I did see that we, what's the release date? Is it November something, 11th?

[00:01:06] November 11th. Yeah. So I am waiting a proof copy which should be here by this weekend for the paperback.

[00:01:13] Oh, cool.

[00:01:14] And you know, make sure that looks good. And then I will do one more read through. I've done like at least, I think I've done three read throughs already and I'm taking a little break and I'm going to do one more read through before I submit my final copy of the manuscript.

[00:01:30] Cause I've got till like the week before to make changes and then they, they call it quits. So.

[00:01:37] Gotcha. Yeah. I think, um, the last time we spoke was the cover out or did we just talk about the cover? Like was in the works? I can't remember.

[00:01:46] You know, I think we were just talking about it. I don't think I had it yet.

[00:01:49] But since then that's been out there. So check out Ian's Instagram to check that out. It looks pretty sweet. Like that guy that you, that you work with, he does great work.

[00:01:57] He does great work. Yeah.

[00:01:58] Yeah. Yeah. It looks really good.

[00:02:00] Yeah. I was pretty happy with it.

[00:02:02] Yeah. So that's really exciting. So, um, I just have to ask, like, I know that you're, you're still finishing up this one. You got another read through to go, but have you, have you started working on next? Do you take a little breather? Like, what are you doing?

[00:02:15] Oh no, I have not. I mean, I am, some of my reading that I'm doing right now is sort of prep for the, for what I'm going to work on next.

[00:02:22] But if I have a little idea here or there, I'll jot it down, but I am not actively thinking about it really yet.

[00:02:28] That's good.

[00:02:29] And I will, I will, yeah, I will take a break after the book and get a breather before I start working on something new.

[00:02:36] So, like with November 11th being your release date, do you think you'll be writing before the end of the year? Do you think you'll be starting in 2025?

[00:02:44] Yeah, I don't, I don't know. I, I mean, it's possible, but I, I don't have any semblance of a plot yet for the, for what I'm going to do next.

[00:02:52] Gotcha.

[00:02:53] So I think it's going to take some more research and reading because it's, it's not going to be something out of whole cloth, like a, like the Reva is, you know what I mean?

[00:03:00] It's going to be in reality in a certain time period. So I, I'm going to have to do some, some research.

[00:03:07] Oh, okay. Um, is this a standalone or is this the start of another series?

[00:03:11] I mean, it's intended to be a standalone. I guess if I loved it, I would keep going with it, but I think it's just going to be a standalone.

[00:03:17] Nice.

[00:03:18] Cause it's in some, in some respects it's going to be quasi derivative. So I don't see any sense in doing something more than once. That's, you know, that's going to be derivative. It, it, it seems foolish, but.

[00:03:31] That's fair. But I mean, it sounds like you're open though to, to see what happens.

[00:03:36] Well, I mean, yeah, you never say never, right?

[00:03:39] Absolutely. Well, well, do you never say never? And then I said, well, you know, yeah, I don't know.

[00:03:45] It's just an expression. It's not.

[00:03:48] Oh man. So, um, I think we have a lot to get to today. So do you just want to start getting down to it?

[00:03:55] Yeah, we're just going to jump right in.

[00:03:57] All right, cool. So I didn't really, we didn't have anything in the document for today. And then you texted me yesterday with a link to, um, the NYC Midnight 250 word, um, micro fiction challenge.

[00:04:09] And, um, if you've been listening for a while, you know that, that we did this last year, we've done a couple of these challenges together before.

[00:04:17] And I hadn't really thought about it. You know, I had always intended that the next challenge we did, like might be one that we haven't done so far, because what have we done?

[00:04:26] Have we done the 250 word and the 500 word? Is that right?

[00:04:31] I thought we did the thousand word.

[00:04:33] Okay. So we did the thousand and the 250. We didn't do the 500. So, um, but the, the 250 we did last year and, um, I mean, you made it, you made it to the second round.

[00:04:44] I did not make it out of the first round. So after you texted me, I was like, cause my initial thought was no, like I want to do something different.

[00:04:51] But then I started thinking about the fact that I never left the first round last year.

[00:04:56] And then today, as I was getting the show notes ready for the recording, I went back, I found my story.

[00:05:02] I read my story and I was like, we did this in 2023.

[00:05:08] And, you know, I haven't read it since then. So it's probably been a year since I looked at this.

[00:05:12] And when you, when you step away from something for that long, when you come back to it, it's,

[00:05:18] it's genuinely almost like you're reading it for the first time. Like you remember doing it, but like, are there things I could change? Absolutely.

[00:05:25] And I think if you ask any writer about anything that they've ever written, if the, if there's something that they would change or could change, the answer is probably going to be yes.

[00:05:34] Like at some point you have to stop and be like, this is done.

[00:05:38] But like, I think there's ways I could have neatened it up. And then I was just thinking more and I was like, you know what?

[00:05:43] I might need a shot at redemption. Like, I want to see if I can get out around one.

[00:05:49] So this is the first I'm telling you this since our text message conversation yesterday.

[00:05:54] Have you thought about it anymore? Like, what are your feelings?

[00:05:57] I haven't really thought about it much more. No.

[00:06:00] But I mean, I'm not opposed to doing it again.

[00:06:03] I'm not like super excited to do it again.

[00:06:06] Um, but I said that I think the last time around that when we decided to do 250, cause I, I sort of had a sour taste in my mouth from the, the, the thousand word challenge that we did.

[00:06:18] Sure. And that's how I'm feeling now.

[00:06:20] Yeah. Yeah. I thought my, my stories were stronger than what they had been, um, scored, you know, especially compared with the other submissions that I'd read, but it's all subjective.

[00:06:30] Sure. And you know, every, every time we've done this, you know, I like to give the judges shit and everything, you know, but at the same time, like if somebody presented a 250 word short story to me and you that we've never read before and we were to judge it, there's a very good chance that I could like it and you could, you could not like it or vice versa.

[00:06:50] Sure. You know, so it's just like, I have to view this as more of a, like a personal challenge. Like I'm not looking to win. Like at, at no point when I enter this challenge, am I, am I be like, I'm going to win this damn thing. It's not like, you know, like major league, like we're going to win the whole goddamn thing. I just, it's a challenge. Right. And like last year I, I didn't like my genre.

[00:07:20] And I did it anyways. And it's just like, I think that's the crapshoot because like we, we, we could say right now we're going to do it. And I'm actually thinking like, I'm probably going to do it. But like, if I end up with romance or something, I'm right back to where I was last year. You know what I mean?

[00:07:37] Right. So it's, it's all just a giant crapshoot and it's just like, I just need to look at it as like, yeah, this is something fun. And I'll end up with a, a neat little story that I might share and I might not, you know? So, uh, that being said, I'm just going to say it. I'm going to do it. I don't know if you want to do it, but I think I'm going to do it.

[00:07:55] Jeez. If you're going to do it, I feel like I have to do it.

[00:07:56] Thank you.

[00:07:57] It's just, I want that redemption. Like the, the round one exit. Cause like when we did the thousand word one, we both made it to the second round.

[00:08:06] Well, so.

[00:08:08] Didn't we?

[00:08:08] There was two store, there was two stories in the first round.

[00:08:11] Okay. But we both got to write two stories.

[00:08:13] Correct.

[00:08:14] So last year for this one, I only got to write one story and you got to write two stories.

[00:08:20] Right.

[00:08:21] So I'm still a little salty. Like I really am. Like, and, um, I just think I need a shot at redemption. And I was looking at the dates, like the first, let me pull it up here. I think the first round is November 8th.

[00:08:36] So about a month from this weekend, you know, we'll be.

[00:08:40] I'll be here before you know it.

[00:08:41] Yeah. So, and that works. And then round two isn't until January 17th. So the, I think my biggest frustration with that first round is it's like November 8th through 10th. The results are delivered by January 15th. So you got to wait like two months to find out if the people thought your story sucked.

[00:09:01] It's like a long time. So it's almost like you have to write it and forget about it. And then you get that email one day and then you either get really happy or really mad at somebody you don't know.

[00:09:10] That's just identifiable as a number.

[00:09:13] But, um, yeah, I think I'm going to do it.

[00:09:16] You're going to do it?

[00:09:17] Did you go on record saying you're going to do it?

[00:09:19] I'll do it. I said I'd do it.

[00:09:20] Hell yeah.

[00:09:21] Yeah. All right. Cool. So we're both in. Um, we'll be talking more about that. Like as we record next month, we'll be getting ready to do it.

[00:09:30] So, um, I did notice on the, um, on the NYC Midnight page and I'll put a link to it in the show notes for the 250.

[00:09:39] But at the bottom, there are a couple of blogs, like how to do plot twists in short stories, writing a beginning, middle and end in microfiction, writing a character arc in microfiction.

[00:09:51] Like I might just read a couple of these just to, just to see what kind of tips they have.

[00:09:56] Like it might be stuff that, do they have one how to write romance?

[00:10:01] There is not. So there's four here.

[00:10:03] There's an interview with a winner from 2022.

[00:10:08] And there's one called plot twists in short stories, one called writing a beginning, middle and end in microfiction and writing a character arc in microfiction.

[00:10:16] But I think I'm just going to read them just to see if there's anything like it's probably going to be your, your standard, typical writing tips that you've heard before.

[00:10:26] But, um, there might be a little nugget for how to do something in, in such a short amount of space.

[00:10:32] It might be worth it.

[00:10:33] Yeah, maybe.

[00:10:34] Because who knows?

[00:10:35] One of the judges might have wrote one of those.

[00:10:37] That's entirely possible.

[00:10:39] So yeah, I will put the link to this in the show notes and we'll get going.

[00:10:44] One. So that being said, uh, we had discussed in the, um, in the past couple episodes about do we, like, uh, the first time we did the thousand word short story, we, we ended up doing a bonus episode here and sharing them with all of you.

[00:10:59] And we had talked to, I think like maybe a month or two ago about maybe try to do another bonus episode where we did this.

[00:11:06] And I was like thinking about it after we started talking about it yesterday.

[00:11:09] I was like, you know what?

[00:11:10] Like these are so short.

[00:11:12] Why don't we just do them today?

[00:11:14] It's just three, 250 word stories.

[00:11:16] Super short.

[00:11:17] Super short.

[00:11:17] So I think we should just go through them and we can, um, we can just go through them real quick.

[00:11:22] We could talk about the things we like.

[00:11:24] And I did, um, go back and, and, and find the feedback that I got from the judges.

[00:11:30] And there's just a little nitpicking I want to do with one of these guys.

[00:11:33] But, um, but yeah.

[00:11:35] So, um, I was thinking because you have two and I only have one, we could start with you, come to me and then go back to you.

[00:11:44] Okay.

[00:11:45] Does that work?

[00:11:46] Let's do it.

[00:11:46] Yeah, it works.

[00:11:47] All right.

[00:11:47] So this was the NYC Midnight 250 word microfiction challenge in 2023 round one.

[00:11:54] Why don't we start off by telling everybody what you, um, what your prompts were.

[00:11:59] So for this particular challenge, they give you a genre, an action and a word.

[00:12:05] Yeah.

[00:12:05] So my genre was comedy, which the only genre they could give me worse would have been romance.

[00:12:11] Um, the action was watching a training video.

[00:12:15] And the word I had to incorporate was solid.

[00:12:18] So I came up with, um, story that I titled a complete and utter lack of awareness.

[00:12:26] And here we go.

[00:12:27] All right.

[00:12:29] Corporate gathered everyone in a conference center for annual training.

[00:12:32] It was a day of videos, conversations led by HR and swaths of beige walls and carpeting.

[00:12:39] The anti-harassment video was just wrapping up.

[00:12:42] A voiceover summarized what we'd reviewed.

[00:12:45] Then Samantha, the VP of HR gave remarks before dismissing us for a break.

[00:12:51] Employees filed into the atrium where tables were set up with coffee and tea, juice, mini pastries, muffins, and fresh fruit.

[00:12:59] Happy to mingle.

[00:13:00] I helped myself to refreshments and sought out people I knew.

[00:13:04] Tyler from the West Coast office.

[00:13:06] Julie from accounts.

[00:13:07] We considered ourselves model employees and thought the training was superfluous.

[00:13:12] Soon my plastic plate was full of crumbs and paper muffin liners.

[00:13:16] And while engaged in conversation, I proceeded to throw it into the wastebasket behind me.

[00:13:21] I did so without much care.

[00:13:23] And so I was startled when my hand made a solid smack upon something.

[00:13:26] Or someone.

[00:13:28] I turned to find Samantha.

[00:13:30] She was bent over, picking up a napkin she dropped.

[00:13:33] And apparently, I just whacked my hand against her rump.

[00:13:36] No clue and no class.

[00:13:38] Just me smacking the VP of HR on the backside.

[00:13:42] I was mortified.

[00:13:44] I thought for sure I was toast.

[00:13:46] One doesn't make inappropriate contact with the VP of HR and remain employed.

[00:13:50] But I managed a sincere apology, smoothing over any questions of impropriety.

[00:13:55] And we parted ways.

[00:13:57] Just not before she winked at me.

[00:13:59] The end.

[00:14:04] So, the first thing I want to say is like,

[00:14:08] I promise you people,

[00:14:09] it is so hard to cram a story into 250 words.

[00:14:13] I don't know if you remember how your first draft went,

[00:14:17] but I think when I wrote the first draft of my story,

[00:14:20] it was like 500.

[00:14:22] I had to bring it back down.

[00:14:23] I wasn't that long.

[00:14:24] But what I really love is

[00:14:27] the words you used

[00:14:29] instead of having to say like ass.

[00:14:32] Like you used rump

[00:14:33] and backside.

[00:14:34] I didn't want it to be crass.

[00:14:36] I wanted it to be...

[00:14:36] Okay, so the line where you said backside,

[00:14:39] like, can you read the line before that?

[00:14:42] Did you use the word crass in there maybe?

[00:14:45] No clue and no class.

[00:14:46] No clue and no class.

[00:14:48] You totally could have rhymed

[00:14:50] and threw ass in there.

[00:14:52] Like no clue and no class.

[00:14:54] I smacked the VP of HR in the ass.

[00:14:59] Yeah, that wouldn't have fit the tone I was going for.

[00:15:02] No, it wouldn't have.

[00:15:03] But like, it was just like right there.

[00:15:04] And like when you said rump,

[00:15:06] it was just...

[00:15:06] Well, so...

[00:15:07] I was loving it.

[00:15:09] So two things.

[00:15:09] So one, like the...

[00:15:11] What I thought the humor in the story

[00:15:14] was from the irony

[00:15:16] that is in the fact that you've got...

[00:15:19] You know, the narrator implies

[00:15:23] that he's a model employee.

[00:15:25] Sure.

[00:15:25] Which may not be true.

[00:15:27] He could be an unreliable narrator.

[00:15:28] But for all intents and purposes,

[00:15:29] he's like above board,

[00:15:31] like, you know, above reproach.

[00:15:33] Like this isn't the type of behavior

[00:15:34] he engages in.

[00:15:36] And so to me,

[00:15:38] just the irony of him being in this scenario

[00:15:41] was what was really funny.

[00:15:43] But when you had read my story the first time,

[00:15:46] you had kind of wanted more of a punchline

[00:15:48] at the end.

[00:15:49] And so you had suggested

[00:15:50] putting the winking part in there,

[00:15:51] which was not in the original draft.

[00:15:53] And I think it was good that you did that

[00:15:56] because I think that's what

[00:15:58] kind of sealed the deal for the judges.

[00:16:00] It kind of clinched it.

[00:16:02] I mean, do you remember them saying that?

[00:16:05] Because I appreciate the...

[00:16:06] Yeah, the feedback I pulled up,

[00:16:10] something...

[00:16:10] Let me find it again.

[00:16:12] They said something about

[00:16:14] the wink was...

[00:16:17] I actually laughed out loud

[00:16:19] when she winked.

[00:16:20] Ha ha ha.

[00:16:20] Was one of the pieces of feedback.

[00:16:23] Very nice.

[00:16:24] Yeah, so...

[00:16:25] Yeah, no, I mean,

[00:16:26] I think you delivered.

[00:16:28] I think there was a beginning,

[00:16:31] middle, and end.

[00:16:31] You know,

[00:16:32] the character definitely changed throughout.

[00:16:34] Like, not like changed forever,

[00:16:38] but there was definitely a change

[00:16:39] in him over those 250 words

[00:16:43] from, you know,

[00:16:44] just kind of being a normal guy

[00:16:46] to, oh my God, what I do,

[00:16:47] to, oh my God,

[00:16:47] I think I got away with it.

[00:16:49] Like, you know what I mean?

[00:16:50] Right, yeah.

[00:16:51] So I think that, like,

[00:16:53] for...

[00:16:53] To do all that in 250 words,

[00:16:55] I think it was really well done.

[00:16:57] And I think you deserved

[00:16:58] to move to the second round.

[00:17:00] Thank you.

[00:17:00] Yeah.

[00:17:01] So I guess we'll move on

[00:17:03] to mine.

[00:17:04] So what I got

[00:17:07] was I got sci-fi

[00:17:09] for my genre.

[00:17:12] And I don't really read sci-fi.

[00:17:15] And due to the fact

[00:17:16] that I don't read sci-fi,

[00:17:18] I really don't write it either

[00:17:19] because I don't know how.

[00:17:21] So, like,

[00:17:22] I remember seeing sci-fi

[00:17:23] and it felt like somebody

[00:17:25] just, like,

[00:17:26] punched me in the gut.

[00:17:27] Like,

[00:17:27] I was like,

[00:17:28] this is...

[00:17:29] I think the only thing

[00:17:30] that would have been worse

[00:17:31] is romance for me.

[00:17:33] But then

[00:17:34] they gave me...

[00:17:35] For action,

[00:17:36] they gave me

[00:17:37] taking a deep breath.

[00:17:38] And the word I needed to use

[00:17:40] was special.

[00:17:41] So I thought that both of those

[00:17:43] were relatively easy.

[00:17:45] Taking a deep breath

[00:17:46] and special,

[00:17:47] you know,

[00:17:47] there's nothing crazy about that.

[00:17:49] So

[00:17:50] I went with it.

[00:17:51] And I came up with...

[00:17:53] It was 248 words

[00:17:57] as turned in.

[00:17:58] And it's called

[00:17:59] The Greater Good.

[00:18:00] So here we go.

[00:18:03] Beep.

[00:18:04] I'm trying,

[00:18:05] dammit!

[00:18:07] Beep.

[00:18:08] I don't think we can stop it.

[00:18:11] I longed to cry out.

[00:18:13] To let them know I was there.

[00:18:15] To tell them I wouldn't give up

[00:18:17] for as long as they were willing to try.

[00:18:19] But everything was frozen.

[00:18:22] Beep.

[00:18:24] He'd be honored

[00:18:25] if he only knew.

[00:18:27] Oh, shit.

[00:18:29] Beep.

[00:18:30] The airlock doors

[00:18:31] leading into the infirmary hissed.

[00:18:34] We need to tell him.

[00:18:37] The black veil

[00:18:37] shrouding my consciousness

[00:18:38] began to lift

[00:18:39] and members of my team

[00:18:41] appeared hovering above me,

[00:18:42] each represented

[00:18:43] by a dull red orb.

[00:18:45] I wish I could tell

[00:18:46] who was who

[00:18:46] just to get one last glimpse of her.

[00:18:50] Johnson,

[00:18:51] it's Baxter.

[00:18:52] If you can hear me,

[00:18:54] squeeze your right hand.

[00:18:56] A collective sigh rang out

[00:18:57] as he confirmed my response

[00:18:59] to the room.

[00:19:01] The heart rate monitor

[00:19:02] increased in tempo.

[00:19:03] There was shuffling to my left,

[00:19:05] followed by sounds of commands

[00:19:07] being typed into the anesthesia terminal.

[00:19:09] My chest tightened,

[00:19:11] arching my back off the table.

[00:19:13] Johnson,

[00:19:14] I need you to remain

[00:19:15] as calm as possible

[00:19:16] while we figure this out.

[00:19:17] Deep,

[00:19:18] concentrated breaths.

[00:19:20] Find your happy place.

[00:19:22] I did as I was told.

[00:19:24] As I recalled her image,

[00:19:26] I felt a soft,

[00:19:27] delicate hand slip into mine.

[00:19:30] Darla,

[00:19:32] it's okay, babe.

[00:19:33] This is everything

[00:19:34] we've worked for.

[00:19:35] The result of generations

[00:19:37] of research.

[00:19:38] It's all for the greater good.

[00:19:41] I love you.

[00:19:43] As my final breath

[00:19:44] left my body,

[00:19:46] I couldn't help but feel

[00:19:47] special.

[00:19:50] And that's it.

[00:19:52] Okay.

[00:19:53] So you had something

[00:19:54] that I thought was very experimental here.

[00:19:56] Okay.

[00:19:56] And I think

[00:19:59] it comes through better

[00:20:01] with your performance reading it.

[00:20:02] Ooh, performance.

[00:20:03] I like that.

[00:20:04] I think.

[00:20:05] Because there's different

[00:20:07] perspectives going on.

[00:20:08] You know what I mean?

[00:20:09] Mm-hmm.

[00:20:09] For sure.

[00:20:10] You know,

[00:20:10] I wonder if like

[00:20:11] when someone was reading it,

[00:20:13] if they wouldn't get that nuance,

[00:20:15] if they weren't reading it carefully.

[00:20:16] You know what I mean?

[00:20:17] So for those of you

[00:20:19] who obviously can't see this

[00:20:20] because you're listening to it,

[00:20:22] the thoughts in the protagonist's head

[00:20:25] are italicized.

[00:20:27] So I did try to

[00:20:29] call attention to them.

[00:20:32] You know,

[00:20:33] it's really all you can do

[00:20:34] to try to,

[00:20:35] you know,

[00:20:36] I was limited by words

[00:20:37] so I couldn't put names in there

[00:20:38] as much as I wanted to.

[00:20:39] So I tried to make it visually,

[00:20:43] you know,

[00:20:43] as readable as I could.

[00:20:48] So when I went back to the judges,

[00:20:51] a lot of them,

[00:20:52] like the first one said

[00:20:54] there's a lot of love

[00:20:54] in this story.

[00:20:56] They liked some of the description I did.

[00:20:59] In fact,

[00:20:59] I'm going to call this one out real quick.

[00:21:00] This is a different judge

[00:21:01] than one I'm about to bitch about severely.

[00:21:03] But this is Judge 1751.

[00:21:05] He said,

[00:21:06] he or she said,

[00:21:07] this in particular

[00:21:09] was a great description.

[00:21:10] The black veil

[00:21:11] shrouding my consciousness

[00:21:12] began to lift

[00:21:13] and members of my team

[00:21:14] appeared hovering above me,

[00:21:16] each represented

[00:21:17] by a dull red orb.

[00:21:19] It's just an evocative image.

[00:21:21] Great job.

[00:21:22] And I want to thank you,

[00:21:23] 1751,

[00:21:24] because I was really proud of that.

[00:21:27] So,

[00:21:28] now I'm going to go down

[00:21:29] to reviewer,

[00:21:32] hold on,

[00:21:33] I want to make sure,

[00:21:34] oh,

[00:21:34] yeah,

[00:21:35] here we go.

[00:21:35] Reviewer number 2263.

[00:21:37] I hope you're listening,

[00:21:39] reviewer number 2263.

[00:21:41] Especially after you heard

[00:21:42] what reviewer number 1751 just said.

[00:21:45] This person said,

[00:21:46] I barely understand

[00:21:47] what is going on.

[00:21:48] Okay,

[00:21:49] fair.

[00:21:49] But we're going to keep going.

[00:21:51] Since the narrator is in the dark,

[00:21:53] that leaves us also in the dark

[00:21:55] without any answers,

[00:21:56] so we can't make out

[00:21:57] what the orbs

[00:21:57] or anything else

[00:21:58] is supposed to be.

[00:22:00] Are you fucking kidding me?

[00:22:01] I literally fucking told you

[00:22:03] what the orbs were.

[00:22:05] Like,

[00:22:05] you're going to come back

[00:22:06] and tell me that

[00:22:07] you don't know

[00:22:07] what the orbs

[00:22:08] are supposed to be.

[00:22:09] Where the line is,

[00:22:12] members of my team

[00:22:13] appeared hovering above me,

[00:22:15] each represented

[00:22:15] by a dull red orb.

[00:22:17] Is that not clear?

[00:22:19] Am I losing my mind?

[00:22:22] Like,

[00:22:22] is that not fucking clear?

[00:22:24] No,

[00:22:24] I mean,

[00:22:25] I,

[00:22:26] the words you used

[00:22:28] were clear.

[00:22:28] I think they were

[00:22:29] trying to,

[00:22:29] trying to understand

[00:22:30] what that represented.

[00:22:31] I told them.

[00:22:33] I literally said

[00:22:34] each one of them

[00:22:34] was represented

[00:22:35] by a dull red orb.

[00:22:37] And to me,

[00:22:38] that's like,

[00:22:39] say,

[00:22:40] and obviously,

[00:22:41] I didn't have enough words

[00:22:42] to do this,

[00:22:42] but I'm expecting

[00:22:44] that these people

[00:22:46] who were reviewing

[00:22:47] these fucking stories

[00:22:48] to be humans

[00:22:49] who have had

[00:22:50] human-like experiences

[00:22:51] that they can pull from,

[00:22:52] so I don't need

[00:22:53] to fucking hand spoon-feed

[00:22:55] them this bullshit.

[00:22:57] So,

[00:22:57] if you don't understand

[00:22:59] what I'm talking about

[00:23:00] by these dull red orbs,

[00:23:01] dear listeners,

[00:23:02] and I don't mean to get,

[00:23:03] I'm just riled up.

[00:23:05] I'm not angry

[00:23:05] with the listeners.

[00:23:06] Like,

[00:23:06] I'm just riled up.

[00:23:08] But if,

[00:23:08] like,

[00:23:09] just look at a light.

[00:23:10] Look at any light

[00:23:11] that is around your room

[00:23:13] right now.

[00:23:13] If you're driving,

[00:23:14] don't do this,

[00:23:15] okay?

[00:23:15] If you're driving,

[00:23:17] don't do this.

[00:23:18] If you're at home,

[00:23:20] please continue.

[00:23:20] I want you to look

[00:23:21] at a light

[00:23:22] directly into a light source.

[00:23:24] And then I want you

[00:23:25] to close your eyes,

[00:23:26] and now,

[00:23:27] that light bulb

[00:23:28] or light source

[00:23:29] looks kind of red

[00:23:31] when you have

[00:23:32] your eyes closed.

[00:23:34] That's what I was

[00:23:35] trying to get across.

[00:23:36] Anybody who has ever

[00:23:37] closed their fucking eyes

[00:23:39] after looking

[00:23:40] at a bare light bulb

[00:23:41] knows what this

[00:23:42] red orb is.

[00:23:43] And then I tell them

[00:23:45] that each one

[00:23:46] was represented

[00:23:46] by a dull red orb,

[00:23:47] and you have the audacity,

[00:23:49] number 2263,

[00:23:51] to tell me

[00:23:52] that you can't make out

[00:23:53] what the orbs

[00:23:53] or anything else

[00:23:54] is supposed to be.

[00:23:56] How in the fuck?

[00:23:58] How?

[00:23:58] If I can offer

[00:24:00] one piece of

[00:24:01] maybe quasi-defense

[00:24:03] for this reviewer.

[00:24:04] Let me ask my

[00:24:04] one last question.

[00:24:05] How in the fuck

[00:24:07] do you get off

[00:24:08] judging fiction?

[00:24:12] Okay, I'm done.

[00:24:14] I'm done.

[00:24:15] Now go ahead.

[00:24:16] You can offer your defense

[00:24:19] of reviewer number 2263.

[00:24:21] So the only thing

[00:24:22] that I could say

[00:24:24] in defense maybe

[00:24:24] is that

[00:24:26] because we know

[00:24:27] it's a science fiction story,

[00:24:29] right?

[00:24:29] Yeah.

[00:24:30] There's going to be

[00:24:30] potentially future tech

[00:24:32] or technology

[00:24:33] of some kind.

[00:24:34] When you say

[00:24:36] represented by,

[00:24:38] to me,

[00:24:39] that sounds more

[00:24:39] of like an intentional

[00:24:41] state of affairs.

[00:24:42] Like,

[00:24:43] oh,

[00:24:44] like,

[00:24:44] you know,

[00:24:45] there's,

[00:24:46] you know,

[00:24:46] maybe in the future,

[00:24:48] you know,

[00:24:49] people can

[00:24:50] travel by way

[00:24:51] of these little orbs

[00:24:52] into different rooms

[00:24:52] or something,

[00:24:53] right?

[00:24:53] I didn't,

[00:24:54] I didn't say anything

[00:24:55] about the future,

[00:24:55] but no,

[00:24:55] this is fair.

[00:24:56] This is fair.

[00:24:57] I'm going to.

[00:24:57] Whereas if you had said,

[00:24:58] you know,

[00:24:59] because represented by,

[00:24:59] like I said,

[00:25:00] is a,

[00:25:00] is an,

[00:25:01] is an intentional word.

[00:25:02] It's like,

[00:25:03] it's,

[00:25:04] it's an intentional state.

[00:25:05] Whereas if you said

[00:25:07] appeared as

[00:25:07] or looked like,

[00:25:09] not that that's a strong

[00:25:10] of a word per se,

[00:25:11] but like that,

[00:25:11] that would be like,

[00:25:12] oh,

[00:25:12] like maybe that's not

[00:25:13] what they're supposed

[00:25:13] to look like,

[00:25:14] but that's how they

[00:25:14] appear to this person

[00:25:15] that's like sick

[00:25:16] or something.

[00:25:16] You know what I mean?

[00:25:17] You know,

[00:25:17] and see,

[00:25:18] and this is where like,

[00:25:19] it's hair splitting,

[00:25:20] but like that's the only

[00:25:21] thing I can say.

[00:25:22] It is,

[00:25:22] but this is something

[00:25:22] that I actually talk to

[00:25:24] a lot with my students.

[00:25:26] And even though my students

[00:25:27] aren't writing fiction,

[00:25:28] they're writing college

[00:25:29] academic essays,

[00:25:30] right?

[00:25:32] Often,

[00:25:32] very often,

[00:25:33] beginning writers

[00:25:35] have,

[00:25:36] um,

[00:25:37] they're inclined

[00:25:38] to want to

[00:25:40] spoon feed

[00:25:40] the reader everything.

[00:25:41] They feel like

[00:25:42] they need to explain

[00:25:43] everything to everybody

[00:25:45] and everything

[00:25:46] needs to be defined.

[00:25:47] And when you do that,

[00:25:48] you end up going

[00:25:49] off course

[00:25:50] and you lose sense

[00:25:52] of what the overall

[00:25:53] like theme

[00:25:54] of your essay

[00:25:55] or paper

[00:25:55] or whatever you're writing

[00:25:56] is supposed to be.

[00:25:57] You have to accept

[00:25:59] the fact

[00:26:00] or you have to

[00:26:00] acknowledge the fact.

[00:26:01] Okay,

[00:26:01] so like in my,

[00:26:03] in my college

[00:26:05] composition class,

[00:26:06] the audience

[00:26:07] for their papers

[00:26:09] are very often

[00:26:09] other academics.

[00:26:11] or intellectuals,

[00:26:12] you have to assume

[00:26:14] that they have

[00:26:15] some knowledge

[00:26:17] of the paper

[00:26:18] that they're writing about.

[00:26:19] You give them details

[00:26:20] but like,

[00:26:21] it's like you cannot

[00:26:22] give them every little bit

[00:26:24] because if,

[00:26:24] if doing so,

[00:26:25] they might as well go

[00:26:26] just read what you're

[00:26:28] writing about.

[00:26:28] You know what I mean?

[00:26:30] Like,

[00:26:30] so,

[00:26:31] same thing goes in fiction.

[00:26:33] Like,

[00:26:33] I went through this

[00:26:33] in my writing workshops.

[00:26:34] I went through this.

[00:26:35] I got this all the time

[00:26:36] when I was first starting out.

[00:26:38] They're like,

[00:26:38] you're giving,

[00:26:39] you're not trusting,

[00:26:40] you're not giving

[00:26:41] your reader

[00:26:42] enough credit.

[00:26:44] Like,

[00:26:44] you have to view

[00:26:45] your reader

[00:26:46] as an intelligent person.

[00:26:48] You know what I mean?

[00:26:49] If you're creating

[00:26:51] something

[00:26:51] in your fiction,

[00:26:53] like,

[00:26:54] if,

[00:26:54] if,

[00:26:55] like,

[00:26:55] you know,

[00:26:56] Star Wars,

[00:26:57] was it completely,

[00:26:59] like,

[00:26:59] none of that is real.

[00:27:00] To this day,

[00:27:01] it is 2024.

[00:27:03] I'm not aware

[00:27:03] of any lightsaber.

[00:27:05] I feel like

[00:27:06] that should be easy

[00:27:06] by now.

[00:27:07] Like,

[00:27:08] in the 70s,

[00:27:09] been like,

[00:27:10] oh shit,

[00:27:10] in the 2000s,

[00:27:11] people are gonna have

[00:27:12] lightsabers for days.

[00:27:13] You know,

[00:27:13] everybody's gonna be

[00:27:14] walking around

[00:27:14] with a lightsaber.

[00:27:15] Who doesn't want

[00:27:16] a fucking laser sword?

[00:27:17] But it's just not possible.

[00:27:19] Like,

[00:27:19] so you have to tell people

[00:27:21] that it's literally

[00:27:21] a fucking laser sword.

[00:27:23] Here,

[00:27:24] I'm expecting

[00:27:26] that the person

[00:27:27] who is reviewing

[00:27:28] my fiction

[00:27:29] has had some

[00:27:30] basic human experiences

[00:27:31] before.

[00:27:31] That's all.

[00:27:32] That's all.

[00:27:33] Okay,

[00:27:33] I'm done.

[00:27:34] I'm done.

[00:27:34] I said that I wasn't

[00:27:35] gonna get all riled up again

[00:27:36] and here I am.

[00:27:37] So,

[00:27:37] what I would like to do

[00:27:38] is step back.

[00:27:39] I will want to take

[00:27:40] one more opportunity

[00:27:41] to tell reviewer number

[00:27:43] 2263

[00:27:43] to go fuck themselves

[00:27:45] and

[00:27:46] we're back in business.

[00:27:47] Okay,

[00:27:48] maybe that was a little harsh.

[00:27:49] Maybe that was a little harsh.

[00:27:51] A little?

[00:27:52] But here's,

[00:27:53] ugh.

[00:27:54] Okay.

[00:27:55] Mm.

[00:27:56] Mm.

[00:27:57] Mm.

[00:27:57] Okay.

[00:27:58] Reviewer number 2263.

[00:28:00] I appreciate the fact

[00:28:01] that you probably

[00:28:02] had to read

[00:28:03] many stories

[00:28:04] and give

[00:28:05] your opinion

[00:28:06] about Mary's stories.

[00:28:07] But in the future,

[00:28:09] if you are gonna make

[00:28:10] a comment

[00:28:11] that is

[00:28:12] as

[00:28:14] ridiculous

[00:28:14] as the one

[00:28:15] that you gave me,

[00:28:16] I would urge you,

[00:28:18] these stories

[00:28:19] are only 250 words,

[00:28:20] man.

[00:28:20] 250 words.

[00:28:22] Go read the fucking thing again.

[00:28:24] Give it another shot.

[00:28:25] That's all I'm saying.

[00:28:26] That's all I'm saying.

[00:28:27] Reviewer number 2263.

[00:28:29] Son of a bitch.

[00:28:31] All right.

[00:28:32] Anyways,

[00:28:32] go ahead.

[00:28:33] So we're gonna move on

[00:28:34] to probably

[00:28:34] something a lot happier

[00:28:36] and I'm gonna hopefully

[00:28:37] calm down here

[00:28:38] because I keep spiking

[00:28:39] my audio levels

[00:28:41] over here.

[00:28:41] I'm getting

[00:28:42] riled up.

[00:28:43] Deep breaths.

[00:28:45] All right.

[00:28:45] So what'd you get

[00:28:46] the second time?

[00:28:47] Well,

[00:28:48] I got to do drama,

[00:28:49] which I felt much more

[00:28:50] comfortable with,

[00:28:51] although I don't know

[00:28:52] that I nailed drama per se,

[00:28:54] but I was close.

[00:28:55] My action was

[00:28:57] overlooking

[00:28:58] and my word

[00:28:59] was motor.

[00:29:01] Okay.

[00:29:01] The title of my story

[00:29:02] is The Choke of Indecision.

[00:29:06] The smell of wet earth

[00:29:07] is in my nostrils.

[00:29:09] That and something acrid.

[00:29:11] Something left over

[00:29:12] from him.

[00:29:13] His sweat?

[00:29:14] I wonder if he's still here.

[00:29:16] I don't know.

[00:29:17] I can hardly breathe.

[00:29:19] Are his hands

[00:29:20] still around my neck?

[00:29:21] Are they still squeezing?

[00:29:23] The cold and damp

[00:29:24] and halo of leaves

[00:29:25] and the steamy puffs

[00:29:26] of my choked breath

[00:29:27] are all I know for certain.

[00:29:29] Now I hear a motor.

[00:29:31] Its moan is far off

[00:29:32] and down below.

[00:29:34] Lying on a hill

[00:29:35] overlooking a hollow.

[00:29:36] Do I dare call out?

[00:29:38] Can I even do so?

[00:29:40] Are my vocal cords broken?

[00:29:42] I swear I see flashlights.

[00:29:44] Are they searching for me?

[00:29:46] What will I say

[00:29:47] if they find me?

[00:29:48] How will I explain it?

[00:29:51] Whether or not

[00:29:52] he's still here

[00:29:52] I can see him.

[00:29:54] I feel the warmth

[00:29:55] of his skin

[00:29:56] and strength of his arms

[00:29:57] once so loving.

[00:29:58] But I'm his mistake

[00:29:59] to fix now.

[00:30:01] If I call out

[00:30:02] will I undo that?

[00:30:03] Will I dismantle

[00:30:04] his reputation and mine?

[00:30:06] Destroy my family

[00:30:07] with the truth?

[00:30:08] My children and husband

[00:30:10] will they hate me?

[00:30:12] I consider remaining silent.

[00:30:14] Giving up

[00:30:15] is just as easy

[00:30:16] as giving in

[00:30:16] that first time

[00:30:17] and all the times

[00:30:18] after that.

[00:30:20] Maybe I want

[00:30:21] whatever it is

[00:30:21] I deserve.

[00:30:22] I certainly don't

[00:30:23] deserve what I want.

[00:30:25] But there are voices

[00:30:26] now getting closer

[00:30:27] and with them

[00:30:29] something I can't deny

[00:30:31] hope.

[00:30:32] And so

[00:30:33] I shut my eyes

[00:30:34] and try to scream.

[00:30:36] The end.

[00:30:38] Did you say

[00:30:38] before you read that

[00:30:40] that you weren't sure

[00:30:40] if you hit drama?

[00:30:42] Because I would say

[00:30:42] that that was like

[00:30:44] I feel

[00:30:45] it felt maybe

[00:30:46] more thriller-ish

[00:30:47] to me.

[00:30:48] I don't know.

[00:30:48] Yeah but I feel like

[00:30:49] I mean we

[00:30:51] It was definitely

[00:30:52] dramatic but like

[00:30:53] This might be

[00:30:53] splitting hairs

[00:30:54] but like

[00:30:54] I feel like

[00:30:55] thriller is just

[00:30:56] a sub-genre

[00:30:57] of drama.

[00:30:58] I mean

[00:30:59] kind of

[00:30:59] You know what I mean?

[00:31:00] Like I mean

[00:31:01] There's some overlap.

[00:31:01] Of course I guess

[00:31:03] everything is kind of

[00:31:04] a sub-genre

[00:31:05] of genre

[00:31:05] if you think about it

[00:31:06] because without

[00:31:07] you know

[00:31:08] creating these emotions

[00:31:09] what do you really have?

[00:31:12] No but that was

[00:31:13] I was definitely

[00:31:13] going to say

[00:31:14] that that felt

[00:31:14] more thriller-ish.

[00:31:16] Yeah it did.

[00:31:17] I mean I was happy

[00:31:18] with it overall

[00:31:19] like I was really happy.

[00:31:20] Now the competition

[00:31:21] as you can imagine

[00:31:22] was much stiffer

[00:31:23] in round two.

[00:31:26] Again not everyone

[00:31:27] is obligated

[00:31:28] to post their story

[00:31:29] in the forums

[00:31:29] but a lot of people do

[00:31:30] and so you can read

[00:31:31] who's in your group

[00:31:33] that you're being judged against

[00:31:34] and

[00:31:35] you know

[00:31:36] I

[00:31:36] I didn't

[00:31:39] necessarily think

[00:31:40] that I was going to get

[00:31:40] past round two

[00:31:41] but I

[00:31:42] you know

[00:31:43] I thought I fared well

[00:31:45] against my competition

[00:31:46] but you know

[00:31:47] it was

[00:31:47] it was

[00:31:48] much stiffer

[00:31:49] than round one

[00:31:49] for sure.

[00:31:50] Do you remember

[00:31:51] how many people

[00:31:52] we were judged

[00:31:53] at

[00:31:54] in like

[00:31:55] against

[00:31:56] versus one and two?

[00:31:57] Was it still ten

[00:31:57] in the second round?

[00:31:59] I thought it was more

[00:32:00] than ten in the first round.

[00:32:01] Was it?

[00:32:02] Oh you know what

[00:32:02] I think it was

[00:32:03] I think it was like thirty.

[00:32:04] I think it was like thirty

[00:32:06] and then

[00:32:08] second round

[00:32:09] might have been ten.

[00:32:10] I'm going to do

[00:32:11] I don't

[00:32:11] I don't

[00:32:12] I'm going to do

[00:32:12] some real life

[00:32:13] thinking here

[00:32:14] so let's see

[00:32:15] did I say real life thinking?

[00:32:17] No I'm actually doing research.

[00:32:18] Um

[00:32:19] I don't think you're going to

[00:32:20] find the number on there

[00:32:21] because

[00:32:22] it doesn't tell you?

[00:32:24] Well I don't think

[00:32:25] it tells you what

[00:32:25] you start out with.

[00:32:27] I think you get the top ten

[00:32:28] out of first round

[00:32:29] going to round two

[00:32:31] and then I think you get

[00:32:32] the top five

[00:32:33] out of round two

[00:32:34] going to the finals

[00:32:35] but I don't think

[00:32:36] it tells you how many

[00:32:37] are in that first round

[00:32:39] because it depends on

[00:32:40] who signs up.

[00:32:40] Yeah so you're right

[00:32:41] so they choose a top ten

[00:32:43] in each group to advance

[00:32:45] is what it says here

[00:32:46] and then in the second round

[00:32:48] they pick

[00:32:49] the top five writers

[00:32:50] in each group

[00:32:51] to advance

[00:32:52] so

[00:32:54] it doesn't really say

[00:32:55] how big the groups are

[00:32:56] so whatever.

[00:32:57] All I can say

[00:32:58] is that

[00:33:00] reviewer number 2263

[00:33:02] better watch himself

[00:33:03] this year.

[00:33:04] That's all I gotta say.

[00:33:06] How funny would it be

[00:33:07] like

[00:33:07] the chances of this

[00:33:08] happening are

[00:33:09] like nil

[00:33:10] but like how

[00:33:11] fucking funny would it be

[00:33:12] if we just got like

[00:33:13] a random email

[00:33:14] and be like hey

[00:33:14] I'm reviewer number 2263.

[00:33:18] Yeah and you are

[00:33:19] disqualified from

[00:33:20] entering this year's

[00:33:20] competition.

[00:33:21] And they're like

[00:33:22] you know what

[00:33:23] fuck you

[00:33:24] Matt Shigaric.

[00:33:27] And I'd be like

[00:33:28] touche.

[00:33:29] Your podcast sucks.

[00:33:30] Yeah your podcast

[00:33:31] sucks ass.

[00:33:34] Like well

[00:33:35] let's see your podcast

[00:33:37] and then he'd be like

[00:33:38] oh well here's mine

[00:33:39] and I have all these

[00:33:40] listeners and sponsors

[00:33:41] and shit

[00:33:41] and I'd be like

[00:33:41] okay fine

[00:33:42] I still know

[00:33:44] what it looks like

[00:33:45] when you can't see.

[00:33:48] Dick.

[00:33:50] And you know what

[00:33:50] I keep saying

[00:33:51] he or she

[00:33:52] like I kept saying

[00:33:53] he or she earlier

[00:33:54] this is definitely a guy.

[00:33:55] No woman is this stupid.

[00:33:58] It's okay.

[00:33:59] There's plenty of stupid people

[00:34:01] you know

[00:34:01] I don't think

[00:34:02] I don't think

[00:34:02] uh

[00:34:04] link gender factors

[00:34:05] into it.

[00:34:07] I just think in general

[00:34:08] and this might be

[00:34:09] just like

[00:34:10] I don't know

[00:34:10] I think there's more

[00:34:11] stupid men than women

[00:34:12] but I don't know

[00:34:13] it's a different

[00:34:14] conversation

[00:34:15] for a different day.

[00:34:17] All right

[00:34:18] so

[00:34:18] that was

[00:34:20] that was

[00:34:21] NYC Midnight

[00:34:22] 2023

[00:34:22] Do you have any

[00:34:25] final words

[00:34:25] to kick that off

[00:34:26] or do you think

[00:34:27] we should just move on

[00:34:28] before I get all pissed again?

[00:34:30] No now I'm

[00:34:30] second guessing

[00:34:31] signing up for this year.

[00:34:33] No I'm ready to go

[00:34:34] I'm like

[00:34:34] I'm like ready

[00:34:35] I'm like

[00:34:35] I'm gonna

[00:34:36] I'm gonna write

[00:34:36] with fire

[00:34:37] like

[00:34:38] like there's

[00:34:38] daggers

[00:34:39] like

[00:34:39] what cartoon was it

[00:34:41] where like the daggers

[00:34:41] would come out of the eyes

[00:34:42] because that's gonna be me

[00:34:43] while I'm writing this

[00:34:44] probably like Looney Tunes

[00:34:45] or something like that

[00:34:46] something like that

[00:34:47] like I'm literally

[00:34:48] I'm gonna be so dialed in

[00:34:50] that weekend

[00:34:51] they're gonna be 250

[00:34:52] of the best damn words

[00:34:54] that have ever been

[00:34:55] assembled into one

[00:34:56] thing

[00:34:58] I hope so

[00:35:00] me too

[00:35:00] and it'd be

[00:35:02] it'd be awesome

[00:35:02] and like

[00:35:03] we'll get all these

[00:35:04] reviews

[00:35:05] this is the best

[00:35:05] fucking thing

[00:35:06] I've ever written

[00:35:06] and then you go

[00:35:07] to round two

[00:35:08] and then you're like

[00:35:08] you suck

[00:35:12] oh man

[00:35:12] these challenges

[00:35:13] I love it

[00:35:14] I can't wait

[00:35:14] now I'm excited now

[00:35:16] yeah I mean

[00:35:17] with the weekend

[00:35:17] of it'll be

[00:35:18] it'll be exciting

[00:35:19] yeah no it'll be fun

[00:35:20] like cause

[00:35:20] how does it work

[00:35:21] we end up getting it

[00:35:22] at like midnight

[00:35:23] on Friday

[00:35:23] right

[00:35:24] yeah

[00:35:25] yep

[00:35:25] and then we have to

[00:35:26] have it turned in

[00:35:27] by midnight on Sunday

[00:35:29] so yeah

[00:35:31] midnight that night

[00:35:32] like I'll be

[00:35:32] shit in my pants

[00:35:33] and be like

[00:35:33] just don't

[00:35:34] give me romance

[00:35:36] because what were

[00:35:37] the genres

[00:35:38] genre definitions

[00:35:40] here we go

[00:35:41] we have

[00:35:42] action adventure

[00:35:43] comedy

[00:35:44] crime caper

[00:35:45] drama

[00:35:46] fairy tale

[00:35:47] fantasy

[00:35:48] ghost story

[00:35:50] historical fiction

[00:35:51] horror

[00:35:52] mystery

[00:35:53] political satire

[00:35:55] romance

[00:35:56] romantic comedy

[00:35:57] political satire

[00:35:58] that wasn't in there

[00:35:59] last year

[00:35:59] sci-fi

[00:36:00] spy

[00:36:00] suspense

[00:36:02] thriller

[00:36:03] now I think

[00:36:04] these are all

[00:36:05] all of the genres

[00:36:07] they use

[00:36:08] oh okay

[00:36:09] but I'm not sure

[00:36:10] if they necessarily

[00:36:10] use all of them

[00:36:12] in

[00:36:12] each challenge

[00:36:16] so I guess

[00:36:17] we're just gonna

[00:36:17] have to wait

[00:36:18] and find out

[00:36:19] if I get romantic

[00:36:20] comedy

[00:36:21] I'm gonna cry

[00:36:21] yeah that's rough

[00:36:23] that's a double whammy

[00:36:24] I will also cry

[00:36:26] if I get political

[00:36:27] satire

[00:36:27] and tears

[00:36:29] may fall

[00:36:29] if I get

[00:36:29] historical fiction

[00:36:30] because I don't

[00:36:31] know what I would

[00:36:31] do with that

[00:36:31] to be honest

[00:36:32] that wouldn't

[00:36:33] be hard

[00:36:34] you take any

[00:36:35] person in history

[00:36:35] and write a

[00:36:36] made up story

[00:36:36] about them

[00:36:36] yeah

[00:36:37] I guess

[00:36:37] but like

[00:36:39] like come on

[00:36:40] Abraham Lincoln

[00:36:41] vampire hunter

[00:36:42] it's so easy

[00:36:43] it would be so easy

[00:36:44] for you

[00:36:44] that's kind of

[00:36:45] fun

[00:36:45] but I wonder

[00:36:46] who

[00:36:47] that would

[00:36:47] be kind

[00:36:48] of fun

[00:36:48] because I

[00:36:48] could put

[00:36:49] somebody

[00:36:49] really

[00:36:50] like weird

[00:36:51] into like

[00:36:52] some

[00:36:53] hijinks

[00:36:54] ooh

[00:36:54] that's a word

[00:36:55] I need to

[00:36:55] write down

[00:36:56] hijinks

[00:36:56] that needs

[00:36:57] to work

[00:36:57] its way

[00:36:57] into a story

[00:36:57] that's a

[00:36:58] great word

[00:36:59] alright

[00:36:59] anyways

[00:37:01] I'm losing

[00:37:01] focus here

[00:37:03] let's

[00:37:03] I guess

[00:37:04] it's time

[00:37:04] to move

[00:37:04] on to

[00:37:05] this month's

[00:37:06] stories

[00:37:06] right

[00:37:07] yes

[00:37:07] it is

[00:37:08] time

[00:37:08] okay

[00:37:08] so

[00:37:09] you know

[00:37:10] what

[00:37:10] I'm gonna

[00:37:10] go ahead

[00:37:11] and introduce

[00:37:11] this month's

[00:37:12] prompt

[00:37:12] and you'll

[00:37:13] find out

[00:37:13] why in a

[00:37:13] second

[00:37:13] so this

[00:37:14] month's

[00:37:14] prompt

[00:37:14] was

[00:37:15] live long

[00:37:16] and prosper

[00:37:17] and it

[00:37:18] was submitted

[00:37:18] by

[00:37:20] Ian Lewis

[00:37:20] himself

[00:37:21] so

[00:37:22] this was

[00:37:23] one of

[00:37:23] the times

[00:37:23] where

[00:37:25] we put

[00:37:25] a starter

[00:37:26] prompt

[00:37:26] out there

[00:37:26] and it

[00:37:27] backfires

[00:37:27] and people

[00:37:28] pick the

[00:37:28] starter

[00:37:28] prompt

[00:37:29] and don't

[00:37:30] vote for

[00:37:30] the other

[00:37:30] ones

[00:37:31] but you know

[00:37:31] it is what

[00:37:32] it is

[00:37:33] and that's

[00:37:33] what I

[00:37:33] like about

[00:37:33] the group

[00:37:34] but

[00:37:36] I was a

[00:37:36] little

[00:37:37] irritated

[00:37:37] because

[00:37:37] I

[00:37:38] don't

[00:37:38] know

[00:37:38] one

[00:37:39] damn

[00:37:39] thing

[00:37:39] about

[00:37:39] Star

[00:37:40] Trek

[00:37:40] like

[00:37:41] at all

[00:37:44] I

[00:37:44] don't

[00:37:45] know

[00:37:45] much

[00:37:45] myself

[00:37:45] and I

[00:37:46] mean

[00:37:46] I guess

[00:37:47] like

[00:37:47] live long

[00:37:48] and prosper

[00:37:48] goes beyond

[00:37:49] Star Trek

[00:37:50] but like

[00:37:51] I mean

[00:37:52] let's be

[00:37:52] serious

[00:37:52] like

[00:37:53] you don't

[00:37:53] just

[00:37:53] that's not

[00:37:54] just

[00:37:54] like

[00:37:55] it's

[00:37:55] just

[00:37:55] I don't

[00:37:56] know

[00:37:56] where it

[00:37:56] came

[00:37:56] from

[00:37:56] it's

[00:37:56] not

[00:37:57] like

[00:37:57] a

[00:37:57] like

[00:37:58] a

[00:37:58] goodbye

[00:37:58] that

[00:38:12] I'm

[00:38:13] so

[00:38:13] sorry

[00:38:14] I got

[00:38:15] all

[00:38:15] riled

[00:38:15] up

[00:38:15] and

[00:38:16] now

[00:38:16] I'm

[00:38:16] in a

[00:38:16] really

[00:38:16] weird

[00:38:16] mood

[00:38:19] okay

[00:38:20] so

[00:38:21] it was

[00:38:22] live long

[00:38:22] and prosper

[00:38:23] thank you

[00:38:23] Ian

[00:38:23] for your

[00:38:25] contribution

[00:38:25] to the

[00:38:26] project

[00:38:27] maybe we

[00:38:27] should record

[00:38:28] these at

[00:38:28] like 2am

[00:38:29] and see

[00:38:29] how

[00:38:30] how weird

[00:38:31] we are

[00:38:31] then

[00:38:33] oh god

[00:38:35] oh man

[00:38:36] this is gonna

[00:38:37] suck editing

[00:38:37] because I hate

[00:38:38] listening to

[00:38:39] myself laugh

[00:38:40] oh man

[00:38:41] okay

[00:38:42] so

[00:38:43] live long

[00:38:43] and prosper

[00:38:44] what do

[00:38:44] you have

[00:38:45] for us

[00:38:45] this month

[00:38:46] or actually

[00:38:47] before we

[00:38:47] get into

[00:38:48] this

[00:38:48] did you

[00:38:49] like

[00:38:49] when you

[00:38:50] prompt

[00:38:50] like

[00:38:50] when you

[00:38:51] wrote that

[00:38:51] like

[00:38:52] when you

[00:38:52] just

[00:38:52] typed it

[00:38:53] in

[00:38:53] was it

[00:38:53] just

[00:38:53] kind of

[00:38:53] like

[00:38:53] a

[00:38:54] throwaway

[00:38:54] thing

[00:38:54] or were

[00:38:54] you

[00:38:54] like

[00:38:55] I

[00:38:55] could

[00:38:55] do

[00:38:55] something

[00:38:55] with

[00:38:55] this

[00:38:55] oh yeah

[00:38:56] no

[00:38:57] no

[00:38:57] it was

[00:38:57] throwaway

[00:38:57] I had

[00:38:57] no plans

[00:38:58] for it

[00:38:59] I was

[00:38:59] not

[00:39:00] trying to

[00:39:00] game

[00:39:00] it

[00:39:00] okay

[00:39:01] yeah

[00:39:02] so I've

[00:39:03] got

[00:39:04] 2600

[00:39:04] words

[00:39:06] and the

[00:39:06] title of my

[00:39:07] story is

[00:39:08] the truth

[00:39:08] about

[00:39:09] film

[00:39:09] and I

[00:39:10] say who

[00:39:10] like that

[00:39:11] only because

[00:39:12] like I feel

[00:39:13] like that's

[00:39:13] long for

[00:39:14] you

[00:39:15] or at

[00:39:15] least

[00:39:16] as of

[00:39:17] late

[00:39:17] yeah

[00:39:18] I don't

[00:39:19] I went

[00:39:20] through a

[00:39:20] spate of

[00:39:22] longer

[00:39:22] stories but

[00:39:23] yeah

[00:39:24] lately I've

[00:39:25] not been

[00:39:25] this long

[00:39:25] well I

[00:39:27] think I

[00:39:27] speak for

[00:39:28] everybody

[00:39:28] listening

[00:39:29] when I

[00:39:29] say

[00:39:29] we're

[00:39:30] ready

[00:39:32] alrighty

[00:39:34] my

[00:39:34] grandfather

[00:39:35] told me

[00:39:35] the truth

[00:39:36] about

[00:39:36] flies

[00:39:36] once

[00:39:37] not the

[00:39:38] literal

[00:39:38] truth

[00:39:38] but

[00:39:39] something

[00:39:39] true

[00:39:39] anyway

[00:39:40] he said

[00:39:41] that when

[00:39:41] you

[00:39:41] found

[00:39:41] a

[00:39:42] fly

[00:39:42] in

[00:39:42] the

[00:39:42] house

[00:39:42] that

[00:39:43] you

[00:39:43] should

[00:39:43] try

[00:39:43] to

[00:39:43] trap

[00:39:43] it

[00:39:44] in

[00:39:44] a

[00:39:44] window

[00:39:45] stuck

[00:39:45] between

[00:39:45] the

[00:39:46] glass

[00:39:46] and

[00:39:46] the

[00:39:46] screen

[00:39:47] the

[00:39:47] fly

[00:39:48] would

[00:39:48] eventually

[00:39:48] go

[00:39:48] insane

[00:39:49] and

[00:39:49] die

[00:39:50] now

[00:39:51] I'm

[00:39:51] not

[00:39:51] certain

[00:39:51] whether

[00:39:52] that's

[00:39:52] actually

[00:39:52] true

[00:39:53] I

[00:39:53] certainly

[00:39:54] never

[00:39:54] proved

[00:39:54] it

[00:39:54] out

[00:39:55] even

[00:39:56] if

[00:39:56] I

[00:39:56] took

[00:39:56] him

[00:39:56] at

[00:39:56] his

[00:39:56] word

[00:39:57] as

[00:39:57] a

[00:39:57] child

[00:39:58] but

[00:39:58] what

[00:39:58] I

[00:39:58] did

[00:39:58] learn

[00:39:59] the

[00:39:59] real

[00:39:59] truth

[00:40:00] was

[00:40:01] how

[00:40:01] to

[00:40:01] handle

[00:40:01] flies

[00:40:02] that

[00:40:02] get

[00:40:02] inside

[00:40:02] your

[00:40:02] house

[00:40:03] once

[00:40:04] trapped

[00:40:04] in

[00:40:04] the

[00:40:04] manner

[00:40:04] described

[00:40:05] it's

[00:40:06] so

[00:40:06] very

[00:40:06] easy

[00:40:06] to

[00:40:06] go

[00:40:06] outside

[00:40:07] the

[00:40:07] window

[00:40:07] and

[00:40:07] slide

[00:40:08] the

[00:40:08] screen

[00:40:08] up

[00:40:08] its

[00:40:08] track

[00:40:09] to

[00:40:09] release

[00:40:09] the

[00:40:09] fly

[00:40:10] into

[00:40:10] the

[00:40:10] open

[00:40:10] air

[00:40:11] at

[00:40:11] bare

[00:40:11] minimum

[00:40:12] your

[00:40:13] own

[00:40:13] sanity

[00:40:13] is

[00:40:13] saved

[00:40:14] if

[00:40:14] not

[00:40:14] the

[00:40:14] flies

[00:40:15] as

[00:40:15] well

[00:40:17] you

[00:40:17] see

[00:40:17] how

[00:40:17] truth

[00:40:18] is

[00:40:18] passed

[00:40:18] along

[00:40:18] though

[00:40:19] right

[00:40:20] it's

[00:40:20] a

[00:40:20] dynamic

[00:40:21] nuanced

[00:40:21] thing

[00:40:21] not

[00:40:22] always

[00:40:22] literal

[00:40:22] the

[00:40:23] ritual

[00:40:24] is

[00:40:24] dressed

[00:40:24] up

[00:40:24] maybe

[00:40:25] even

[00:40:25] disguised

[00:40:26] but

[00:40:26] the

[00:40:26] function

[00:40:27] is

[00:40:27] apparent

[00:40:28] that's

[00:40:29] also

[00:40:29] the

[00:40:29] nature

[00:40:29] of

[00:40:29] filmmaking

[00:40:30] the

[00:40:31] medium

[00:40:31] of

[00:40:31] film

[00:40:32] transmits

[00:40:32] communicates

[00:40:33] and

[00:40:33] relates

[00:40:34] it

[00:40:34] transforms

[00:40:35] and

[00:40:35] entertains

[00:40:37] especially

[00:40:37] Brian

[00:40:38] Fairboss

[00:40:38] filmmaking

[00:40:40] I was

[00:40:41] the

[00:40:41] modern

[00:40:41] version

[00:40:41] of a

[00:40:42] beat

[00:40:42] reporter

[00:40:42] following

[00:40:43] all the

[00:40:44] entertainment

[00:40:44] news

[00:40:44] I

[00:40:45] kept

[00:40:45] a pulse

[00:40:46] on

[00:40:46] celebrity

[00:40:46] gossip

[00:40:47] in order

[00:40:47] to

[00:40:47] pad

[00:40:47] a

[00:40:48] blog

[00:40:48] post

[00:40:48] here

[00:40:48] or

[00:40:48] there

[00:40:49] but

[00:40:49] my

[00:40:50] primary

[00:40:50] concern

[00:40:50] was

[00:40:50] film

[00:40:51] and

[00:40:52] I'd

[00:40:52] followed

[00:40:52] Fairboss

[00:40:53] with

[00:40:53] some

[00:40:53] interest

[00:40:54] taking

[00:40:55] note

[00:40:55] of him

[00:40:55] at

[00:40:55] the

[00:40:55] start

[00:40:55] of

[00:40:56] his

[00:40:56] rural

[00:40:56] period

[00:40:57] a

[00:40:57] phase

[00:40:58] of

[00:40:58] his

[00:40:58] career

[00:40:58] that

[00:40:58] started

[00:40:59] with

[00:40:59] the

[00:40:59] film

[00:40:59] Monster

[00:41:00] Coon

[00:41:02] Monster

[00:41:02] Coon

[00:41:03] was

[00:41:03] an

[00:41:03] absurd

[00:41:03] comedy

[00:41:04] horror

[00:41:04] mashup

[00:41:05] a

[00:41:05] niche

[00:41:06] genre

[00:41:06] that

[00:41:06] was

[00:41:06] popular

[00:41:07] at

[00:41:07] the

[00:41:07] time

[00:41:08] it

[00:41:08] followed

[00:41:09] the

[00:41:09] plight

[00:41:09] of

[00:41:09] a

[00:41:09] Mississippi

[00:41:09] family

[00:41:10] terrorized

[00:41:11] by

[00:41:11] a

[00:41:11] mutant

[00:41:11] raccoon

[00:41:12] that

[00:41:12] started

[00:41:13] by

[00:41:13] destroying

[00:41:13] their

[00:41:21] trash

[00:41:22] heated

[00:41:22] conversation

[00:41:23] between

[00:41:23] husband

[00:41:23] and

[00:41:23] wife

[00:41:24] when

[00:41:25] she

[00:41:25] suggested

[00:41:25] they

[00:41:26] just

[00:41:26] leave

[00:41:26] the

[00:41:26] raccoon

[00:41:26] alone

[00:41:27] he

[00:41:28] responded

[00:41:28] with

[00:41:29] Darlene

[00:41:29] you want

[00:41:30] me to

[00:41:30] just

[00:41:30] give

[00:41:30] that

[00:41:31] sumbitch a

[00:41:31] nod

[00:41:31] and tell

[00:41:32] him to

[00:41:32] live

[00:41:32] long

[00:41:32] and prosper

[00:41:34] the scene

[00:41:35] continued

[00:41:35] with the

[00:41:36] husband

[00:41:36] going off

[00:41:36] to find

[00:41:37] a

[00:41:37] shotgun

[00:41:38] full of

[00:41:39] physical

[00:41:39] comedy

[00:41:39] to

[00:41:39] accentuate

[00:41:40] the

[00:41:40] over

[00:41:40] the

[00:41:40] top

[00:41:41] nature

[00:41:41] of

[00:41:41] what

[00:41:41] was

[00:41:41] to

[00:41:41] come

[00:41:42] next

[00:41:43] but

[00:41:43] it

[00:41:43] was

[00:41:44] the

[00:41:44] line

[00:41:44] that

[00:41:44] drew

[00:41:44] the

[00:41:44] most

[00:41:44] authentic

[00:41:45] laughs

[00:41:45] it

[00:41:46] exemplified

[00:41:47] the

[00:41:47] subtle

[00:41:47] type

[00:41:47] of

[00:41:47] wit

[00:41:48] Brian

[00:41:48] Faribault

[00:41:48] was

[00:41:49] known

[00:41:49] for

[00:41:49] a

[00:41:50] Star

[00:41:50] Trek

[00:41:50] reference

[00:41:51] wasn't

[00:41:51] the

[00:41:51] expected

[00:41:52] turn

[00:41:52] of

[00:41:52] phrase

[00:41:52] for

[00:41:52] a

[00:41:52] character

[00:41:53] richly

[00:41:53] drawn

[00:41:53] with

[00:41:54] backwoods

[00:41:54] ambitions

[00:41:55] nor

[00:41:56] was

[00:41:56] it

[00:41:56] one

[00:41:56] that

[00:41:57] in

[00:41:57] some

[00:41:57] convenient

[00:41:57] way

[00:41:58] felt

[00:41:58] applicable

[00:41:58] to

[00:41:58] the

[00:41:59] situation

[00:41:59] at

[00:41:59] hand

[00:42:01] the

[00:42:01] bucolic

[00:42:02] leanings

[00:42:02] of

[00:42:02] that

[00:42:02] film

[00:42:03] captured

[00:42:04] so

[00:42:04] expertly

[00:42:04] continued

[00:42:05] in

[00:42:05] Faribault's

[00:42:06] next

[00:42:06] effort

[00:42:07] one

[00:42:08] might

[00:42:08] say

[00:42:08] they

[00:42:08] inspired

[00:42:09] him

[00:42:09] that

[00:42:10] he

[00:42:10] inspired

[00:42:10] himself

[00:42:10] to

[00:42:11] lean

[00:42:11] more

[00:42:11] heavily

[00:42:11] on

[00:42:11] them

[00:42:12] to

[00:42:12] delve

[00:42:13] deeper

[00:42:13] into

[00:42:13] the

[00:42:13] stylings

[00:42:14] of

[00:42:14] that

[00:42:14] world

[00:42:15] Pogue

[00:42:16] was

[00:42:16] an

[00:42:16] austere

[00:42:17] project

[00:42:17] despite

[00:42:18] this

[00:42:18] attention

[00:42:18] to

[00:42:19] detail

[00:42:20] the

[00:42:20] plot

[00:42:20] was

[00:42:20] very

[00:42:21] simple

[00:42:21] featuring

[00:42:22] a

[00:42:22] young

[00:42:22] teenage

[00:42:23] boy

[00:42:23] named

[00:42:23] Eli

[00:42:23] Pogue

[00:42:24] who

[00:42:24] lived

[00:42:24] a

[00:42:24] secluded

[00:42:25] and

[00:42:31] Eli

[00:42:40] was

[00:42:40] further

[00:42:40] complicated

[00:42:41] by the

[00:42:41] fact

[00:42:41] that

[00:42:41] he

[00:42:42] was

[00:42:42] quite

[00:42:42] possibly

[00:42:42] mentally

[00:42:43] handicapped

[00:42:44] I say

[00:42:44] possibly

[00:42:45] because

[00:42:45] the

[00:42:45] fact

[00:42:46] was

[00:42:46] never

[00:42:46] explicitly

[00:42:46] established

[00:42:47] in

[00:42:47] the

[00:42:47] film

[00:42:49] Eli's

[00:42:49] mannerisms

[00:42:49] and

[00:42:50] speech

[00:42:50] impediments

[00:42:50] may well

[00:42:51] have been

[00:42:51] due to

[00:42:51] his

[00:42:51] lack

[00:42:52] of

[00:42:52] socialization

[00:42:54] this

[00:42:54] quandary

[00:42:54] was

[00:42:55] further

[00:42:55] exacerbated

[00:42:56] by

[00:42:59] this

[00:43:02] was

[00:43:02] also

[00:43:03] never

[00:43:03] confirmed

[00:43:03] but

[00:43:04] the

[00:43:04] press

[00:43:04] had

[00:43:05] a

[00:43:05] field

[00:43:05] day

[00:43:05] with

[00:43:05] it

[00:43:06] was

[00:43:06] it

[00:43:07] wrong

[00:43:07] to

[00:43:07] take

[00:43:07] advantage

[00:43:07] of

[00:43:08] someone

[00:43:08] with

[00:43:08] a

[00:43:08] mental

[00:43:08] disability

[00:43:10] to

[00:43:10] portray

[00:43:10] them

[00:43:10] in

[00:43:11] a

[00:43:11] role

[00:43:11] that

[00:43:11] could

[00:43:11] be

[00:43:11] deemed

[00:43:11] humiliating

[00:43:13] yes

[00:43:14] but

[00:43:15] was

[00:43:15] it

[00:43:15] noble

[00:43:15] to

[00:43:15] give

[00:43:16] someone

[00:43:16] with

[00:43:16] a

[00:43:16] mental

[00:43:16] disability

[00:43:17] something

[00:43:17] constructive

[00:43:18] to

[00:43:18] do

[00:43:19] something

[00:43:19] that

[00:43:19] recognized

[00:43:20] their

[00:43:20] self-worth

[00:43:21] also

[00:43:22] yes

[00:43:23] you

[00:43:23] can

[00:43:23] see

[00:43:23] the

[00:43:24] truth

[00:43:24] can

[00:43:24] be

[00:43:24] a

[00:43:24] wily

[00:43:24] thing

[00:43:26] so

[00:43:26] what

[00:43:26] did

[00:43:26] Brian

[00:43:26] Faribault

[00:43:27] done

[00:43:27] in

[00:43:27] this

[00:43:27] case

[00:43:29] well

[00:43:30] he

[00:43:30] portrayed

[00:43:30] a

[00:43:30] full-on

[00:43:31] character

[00:43:31] study

[00:43:31] of

[00:43:31] Eli

[00:43:32] there

[00:43:33] were

[00:43:33] many

[00:43:33] focused

[00:43:33] concentrated

[00:43:34] shots

[00:43:34] establishing

[00:43:35] Eli's

[00:43:35] isolation

[00:43:36] most

[00:43:37] of

[00:43:37] them

[00:43:37] pedestrian

[00:43:38] in

[00:43:38] nature

[00:43:40] they

[00:43:40] would

[00:43:40] have

[00:43:41] been

[00:43:41] bored

[00:43:42] to

[00:43:42] the

[00:43:42] viewer

[00:43:42] except

[00:43:42] for

[00:43:43] the

[00:43:43] strange

[00:43:43] beauty

[00:43:43] of

[00:43:44] which

[00:43:44] they

[00:43:44] were

[00:43:44] crafted

[00:43:45] only

[00:43:46] Faribault

[00:43:46] could

[00:43:46] extract

[00:43:47] profundity

[00:43:47] from

[00:43:47] a

[00:43:47] 13

[00:43:48] year old

[00:43:48] boy

[00:43:48] chasing

[00:43:49] after

[00:43:49] butterflies

[00:43:51] all

[00:43:51] this

[00:43:51] was

[00:43:51] set

[00:43:51] up

[00:43:52] for

[00:43:52] when

[00:43:52] Eli's

[00:43:52] cousin

[00:43:53] Jennifer

[00:43:53] came

[00:43:53] to

[00:43:53] visit

[00:43:53] for

[00:43:54] the

[00:43:54] summer

[00:43:55] the

[00:43:55] viewer

[00:43:55] could

[00:43:56] plainly

[00:43:56] see

[00:43:56] that

[00:43:56] she

[00:43:56] was

[00:43:57] an

[00:43:57] ordinary

[00:43:57] girl

[00:43:58] somewhat

[00:43:58] homely

[00:43:59] but

[00:43:59] cast in

[00:44:00] the light

[00:44:00] of

[00:44:00] Eli's

[00:44:01] world

[00:44:01] she

[00:44:01] was

[00:44:01] lively

[00:44:02] vivacious

[00:44:02] and

[00:44:03] completely

[00:44:03] magnetic

[00:44:04] Eli

[00:44:05] was

[00:44:05] enamored

[00:44:06] running

[00:44:07] after her

[00:44:07] with a

[00:44:07] hopeless

[00:44:08] dumbstruck

[00:44:08] grin

[00:44:08] as she

[00:44:09] rode his

[00:44:09] bicycle

[00:44:09] across the

[00:44:10] property

[00:44:12] now here

[00:44:13] was the

[00:44:13] deafness

[00:44:13] with which

[00:44:14] Faribault handled

[00:44:14] his subjects

[00:44:15] he composed

[00:44:16] pointed

[00:44:17] sometimes

[00:44:17] awkward

[00:44:18] interactions

[00:44:18] between

[00:44:18] Eli

[00:44:19] and

[00:44:19] Jennifer

[00:44:19] such

[00:44:20] that

[00:44:20] one

[00:44:21] thought

[00:44:21] Eli

[00:44:21] was

[00:44:21] falling

[00:44:21] in

[00:44:22] love

[00:44:22] with

[00:44:22] her

[00:44:23] at

[00:44:23] the

[00:44:23] same

[00:44:23] time

[00:44:24] there

[00:44:24] was

[00:44:24] an

[00:44:25] ambiguity

[00:44:25] to

[00:44:25] it

[00:44:25] even

[00:44:26] Eli

[00:44:27] didn't

[00:44:27] seem

[00:44:27] to

[00:44:27] be

[00:44:27] completely

[00:44:28] aware

[00:44:28] of

[00:44:28] what

[00:44:28] might

[00:44:28] have

[00:44:28] been

[00:44:29] unfolding

[00:44:29] plot

[00:44:29] wise

[00:44:30] and

[00:44:30] the

[00:44:31] audience

[00:44:31] was

[00:44:31] compelled

[00:44:32] to

[00:44:32] shame

[00:44:32] for

[00:44:32] even

[00:44:32] considering

[00:44:33] it

[00:44:34] was

[00:44:35] Eli

[00:44:35] a

[00:44:35] sad

[00:44:35] pathetic

[00:44:36] boy

[00:44:36] desperate

[00:44:36] for

[00:44:37] companionship

[00:44:38] was he

[00:44:39] imbalanced

[00:44:39] given to

[00:44:40] unhealthy

[00:44:40] obsessions

[00:44:42] did he

[00:44:42] genuinely

[00:44:43] care for

[00:44:43] Jennifer

[00:44:44] yes

[00:44:45] Faribault

[00:44:46] made all

[00:44:46] these things

[00:44:47] true

[00:44:47] the viewer

[00:44:48] could walk

[00:44:48] away with

[00:44:49] any number

[00:44:49] of valid

[00:44:50] interpretations

[00:44:50] because

[00:44:51] the film

[00:44:51] was crafted

[00:44:52] with that

[00:44:52] intent

[00:44:52] in mind

[00:44:53] the

[00:44:55] ballad

[00:44:56] of

[00:44:56] John

[00:44:56] crane

[00:44:56] followed

[00:44:57] and like

[00:44:57] Pogue

[00:44:58] debuted

[00:44:59] at

[00:44:59] Cannes

[00:45:00] it

[00:45:00] was a

[00:45:01] morose

[00:45:01] romp

[00:45:01] through

[00:45:01] the

[00:45:01] west

[00:45:02] something

[00:45:02] like

[00:45:03] vanishing

[00:45:03] point

[00:45:03] meets

[00:45:04] the

[00:45:04] road

[00:45:04] there

[00:45:05] were

[00:45:05] esoteric

[00:45:06] themes

[00:45:06] that

[00:45:06] always

[00:45:06] seemed

[00:45:07] out

[00:45:07] of

[00:45:07] reach

[00:45:07] as

[00:45:08] the

[00:45:08] titular

[00:45:09] wandered

[00:45:09] in a

[00:45:10] last-ditch

[00:45:10] effort

[00:45:10] to find

[00:45:11] the

[00:45:11] elusive

[00:45:11] grand

[00:45:12] spangler

[00:45:12] caravan

[00:45:13] a brood

[00:45:14] of

[00:45:14] communal

[00:45:14] intellectuals

[00:45:15] and sages

[00:45:15] equipped

[00:45:16] with

[00:45:16] nothing

[00:45:17] but

[00:45:17] an

[00:45:17] old

[00:45:17] atlas

[00:45:18] and

[00:45:18] a

[00:45:18] texas

[00:45:18] catheter

[00:45:20] viewers

[00:45:20] were

[00:45:20] split

[00:45:21] on whether

[00:45:21] John

[00:45:21] crane

[00:45:22] was

[00:45:22] a

[00:45:22] sympathetic

[00:45:22] character

[00:45:23] some

[00:45:24] saw

[00:45:24] mindless

[00:45:25] hedonism

[00:45:25] where

[00:45:26] others

[00:45:26] identified

[00:45:26] an

[00:45:27] indefatigable

[00:45:27] persistence

[00:45:28] that if

[00:45:28] nothing

[00:45:29] else

[00:45:29] was

[00:45:29] admirable

[00:45:30] the man

[00:45:31] seemed

[00:45:31] to be

[00:45:31] searching

[00:45:32] for

[00:45:32] meaning

[00:45:32] after all

[00:45:33] and

[00:45:33] those

[00:45:34] who

[00:45:34] detected

[00:45:34] that

[00:45:34] saw

[00:45:35] a

[00:45:35] reflection

[00:45:35] of

[00:45:35] the

[00:45:35] world

[00:45:36] and

[00:45:36] the

[00:45:36] way

[00:45:36] however

[00:45:37] misguided

[00:45:37] it may

[00:45:38] have been

[00:45:38] John

[00:45:39] crane

[00:45:39] degenerated

[00:45:40] into

[00:45:40] looser

[00:45:40] and looser

[00:45:41] compositions

[00:45:41] of

[00:45:41] himself

[00:45:43] it just

[00:45:43] seemed to

[00:45:43] resonate

[00:45:44] with one's

[00:45:44] own

[00:45:44] admission

[00:45:45] that

[00:45:45] falling

[00:45:45] into

[00:45:45] the

[00:45:46] deep

[00:45:46] end

[00:45:46] was

[00:45:47] always

[00:45:47] the

[00:45:47] risk

[00:45:47] of

[00:45:47] sailing

[00:45:48] uncharted

[00:45:48] waters

[00:45:49] and

[00:45:49] that

[00:45:49] the

[00:45:50] journey

[00:45:50] was

[00:45:50] only

[00:45:50] as

[00:45:50] good

[00:45:50] as

[00:45:51] the

[00:45:51] map

[00:45:52] of

[00:45:52] course

[00:45:53] there

[00:45:53] were

[00:45:53] deeper

[00:45:53] inferences

[00:45:54] to be

[00:45:54] made

[00:45:55] the value

[00:45:55] of right

[00:45:56] aim

[00:45:56] and maintaining

[00:45:57] a grasp

[00:45:57] on objective

[00:45:58] reality

[00:45:58] seemed to

[00:45:58] be low-hanging

[00:45:59] fruit if one

[00:46:00] cared to study

[00:46:00] it

[00:46:01] but many

[00:46:02] didn't

[00:46:02] bother

[00:46:03] instead

[00:46:03] remaining

[00:46:04] content

[00:46:04] with consuming

[00:46:04] Pharebaugh's

[00:46:05] incredibly stark

[00:46:06] visuals

[00:46:06] interlaced

[00:46:07] with otherworldly

[00:46:07] uncanniness

[00:46:09] and that

[00:46:10] was the

[00:46:10] meta-truth

[00:46:11] of the

[00:46:11] film

[00:46:11] those

[00:46:12] not

[00:46:12] willing

[00:46:12] to

[00:46:13] contemplate

[00:46:13] it

[00:46:13] were

[00:46:13] an

[00:46:14] analog

[00:46:14] to

[00:46:14] John

[00:46:14] Crane

[00:46:15] who

[00:46:15] was

[00:46:15] only

[00:46:16] concerned

[00:46:16] with

[00:46:16] chasing

[00:46:16] after

[00:46:17] the

[00:46:17] ephemeral

[00:46:17] caravan

[00:46:18] which

[00:46:19] ultimately

[00:46:19] not only

[00:46:20] lacked

[00:46:20] meaning

[00:46:20] but may

[00:46:21] have been

[00:46:21] a figment

[00:46:22] of his

[00:46:22] own

[00:46:22] imagination

[00:46:24] likewise

[00:46:25] the inverse

[00:46:25] was also

[00:46:26] true

[00:46:26] where

[00:46:27] those

[00:46:27] not

[00:46:27] willing

[00:46:27] to

[00:46:27] dare

[00:46:28] adventure

[00:46:28] would

[00:46:28] stagnate

[00:46:29] and never

[00:46:29] find out

[00:46:29] true

[00:46:30] things

[00:46:30] about

[00:46:30] themselves

[00:46:30] which

[00:46:31] is

[00:46:31] some

[00:46:32] type

[00:46:32] of

[00:46:32] barometer

[00:46:32] of

[00:46:33] meaning

[00:46:33] all

[00:46:33] things

[00:46:33] considered

[00:46:35] Pharebaugh's

[00:46:36] films

[00:46:36] after

[00:46:36] that

[00:46:37] became

[00:46:37] much

[00:46:37] more

[00:46:37] abstract

[00:46:39] never

[00:46:39] one

[00:46:39] to

[00:46:39] be

[00:46:39] pinned

[00:46:40] down

[00:46:40] pigeonholed

[00:46:41] or put

[00:46:41] into

[00:46:41] a box

[00:46:41] he

[00:46:42] strove

[00:46:42] to

[00:46:43] distance

[00:46:43] himself

[00:46:43] from

[00:46:43] the

[00:46:44] likes

[00:46:44] of

[00:46:44] monster

[00:46:44] coon

[00:46:45] it

[00:46:46] was

[00:46:46] as if

[00:46:46] he

[00:46:46] needed

[00:46:46] to

[00:46:47] prove

[00:46:47] to

[00:46:47] himself

[00:46:47] if

[00:46:48] not

[00:46:48] everyone

[00:46:48] else

[00:46:48] what

[00:46:49] artistry

[00:46:49] he

[00:46:49] could

[00:46:49] create

[00:46:50] and the

[00:46:51] more

[00:46:51] abstract

[00:46:52] the

[00:46:52] films

[00:46:52] the

[00:46:53] more

[00:46:53] difficult

[00:46:53] it

[00:46:53] became

[00:46:54] to

[00:46:54] tease

[00:46:54] out

[00:46:54] the

[00:46:54] truth

[00:46:55] woven

[00:46:55] within

[00:46:56] take

[00:46:57] Sonny

[00:46:57] bros

[00:46:58] for

[00:46:58] instance

[00:46:59] critics

[00:46:59] repeatedly

[00:47:00] called

[00:47:00] out

[00:47:01] the

[00:47:01] insouciance

[00:47:01] with regard

[00:47:02] to

[00:47:02] camera

[00:47:02] angles

[00:47:02] the

[00:47:03] lighting

[00:47:03] the

[00:47:04] way

[00:47:04] entire

[00:47:04] scenes

[00:47:05] were

[00:47:05] composed

[00:47:06] one

[00:47:06] particularly

[00:47:07] nasty

[00:47:07] reviewer

[00:47:08] suggested

[00:47:08] Eli

[00:47:09] Pogue

[00:47:09] must have

[00:47:09] directed

[00:47:10] it

[00:47:10] but of

[00:47:11] course

[00:47:11] the

[00:47:11] substandard

[00:47:12] filmmaking

[00:47:12] techniques

[00:47:13] were

[00:47:13] intentional

[00:47:13] they

[00:47:14] were

[00:47:14] meant

[00:47:15] to

[00:47:15] reflect

[00:47:15] how

[00:47:15] much

[00:47:15] the

[00:47:16] main

[00:47:16] character

[00:47:16] slacker

[00:47:17] mentality

[00:47:17] has

[00:47:18] fused

[00:47:18] everything

[00:47:18] around

[00:47:19] them

[00:47:19] including

[00:47:20] the

[00:47:20] filmmaker's

[00:47:21] vision

[00:47:22] even

[00:47:22] understood

[00:47:23] in that

[00:47:23] way

[00:47:23] many

[00:47:24] still

[00:47:24] dismissed

[00:47:24] it

[00:47:25] as

[00:47:25] a

[00:47:25] misconceived

[00:47:25] effort

[00:47:27] Jaders

[00:47:28] suffered

[00:47:28] a

[00:47:28] similar

[00:47:28] tepid

[00:47:29] reception

[00:47:30] alternatively

[00:47:31] titled

[00:47:31] in European

[00:47:31] markets

[00:47:32] as

[00:47:32] The

[00:47:33] Flower's

[00:47:33] Sin

[00:47:33] in the

[00:47:34] Sun

[00:47:34] Jaders

[00:47:35] was

[00:47:35] meant

[00:47:35] to be

[00:47:36] the

[00:47:36] female

[00:47:36] companion

[00:47:36] to

[00:47:37] the

[00:47:37] male

[00:47:37] centric

[00:47:37] Sonny

[00:47:38] Bros

[00:47:39] but

[00:47:40] most

[00:47:40] audiences

[00:47:40] failed

[00:47:41] to

[00:47:41] understand

[00:47:41] the

[00:47:41] commentary

[00:47:42] on

[00:47:42] monstrous

[00:47:43] beauty

[00:47:43] and

[00:47:44] the

[00:47:44] catastrophic

[00:47:44] damage

[00:47:45] it

[00:47:45] can

[00:47:45] inflict

[00:47:45] and

[00:47:46] instead

[00:47:46] only

[00:47:47] perceived

[00:47:47] as

[00:47:47] sober

[00:47:47] if

[00:47:48] not

[00:47:48] insidiously

[00:47:49] wicked

[00:47:49] take

[00:47:53] on

[00:47:53] the

[00:47:54] said

[00:47:55] but

[00:47:56] the

[00:47:56] simplicity

[00:47:57] the

[00:47:58] skin

[00:47:58] deep

[00:47:58] artificiality

[00:47:59] was

[00:47:59] the

[00:47:59] point

[00:48:00] everything

[00:48:01] was

[00:48:01] framed

[00:48:01] exactly

[00:48:02] how

[00:48:02] Faribaut

[00:48:02] intended

[00:48:03] every

[00:48:04] extreme

[00:48:04] close-up

[00:48:05] every

[00:48:05] low

[00:48:06] angle

[00:48:06] shot

[00:48:06] every

[00:48:07] establishing

[00:48:08] shot

[00:48:08] none

[00:48:09] of it

[00:48:09] was

[00:48:09] meant

[00:48:09] to be

[00:48:10] titillating

[00:48:10] or gratuitous

[00:48:11] or cheaply

[00:48:11] contemplated

[00:48:12] it was

[00:48:13] all

[00:48:13] intended

[00:48:13] to be

[00:48:14] grotesque

[00:48:15] perhaps

[00:48:16] Faribaut

[00:48:16] had

[00:48:17] his

[00:48:25] I

[00:48:25] still

[00:48:25] otherwise

[00:48:26] believed

[00:48:26] in

[00:48:26] Faribaut's

[00:48:27] genius

[00:48:27] I

[00:48:28] still

[00:48:28] believed

[00:48:28] there

[00:48:28] were

[00:48:29] great

[00:48:29] works

[00:48:29] yet

[00:48:29] to

[00:48:29] be

[00:48:29] wrought

[00:48:31] Be Gone

[00:48:32] With You

[00:48:32] came next

[00:48:33] a truly

[00:48:34] unexpected

[00:48:35] entry

[00:48:35] in

[00:48:35] Faribaut's

[00:48:36] catalog

[00:48:36] it

[00:48:37] was

[00:48:37] stylistically

[00:48:38] anachronistic

[00:48:39] and its

[00:48:39] setting

[00:48:40] could hardly

[00:48:40] be surmised

[00:48:41] much like

[00:48:42] Willy Wonka

[00:48:42] in the

[00:48:43] Chaka

[00:48:43] factory

[00:48:44] to

[00:48:44] this

[00:48:45] day

[00:48:45] I

[00:48:45] still

[00:48:45] cannot

[00:48:45] tell

[00:48:46] you

[00:48:46] where

[00:48:46] Charlie

[00:48:46] lived

[00:48:47] at

[00:48:48] any

[00:48:48] rate

[00:48:48] coupled

[00:48:49] with

[00:48:49] a

[00:48:49] quirky

[00:48:49] folky

[00:48:50] soundtrack

[00:48:50] Be Gone

[00:48:51] With You

[00:48:52] was something

[00:48:52] of a

[00:48:52] middle finger

[00:48:53] to film

[00:48:53] critics

[00:48:53] seeing as

[00:48:54] it

[00:48:54] was

[00:48:54] just

[00:48:54] so

[00:48:55] eccentric

[00:48:55] so

[00:48:56] completely

[00:48:56] unorthodox

[00:48:58] its

[00:48:59] simultaneous

[00:48:59] protagonist

[00:49:00] antagonist

[00:49:01] Harvey

[00:49:02] Little

[00:49:02] was a

[00:49:03] serial

[00:49:03] husband

[00:49:04] he

[00:49:05] would

[00:49:05] marry

[00:49:05] a

[00:49:05] woman

[00:49:05] for

[00:49:05] whatever

[00:49:06] charms

[00:49:06] or fancy

[00:49:06] he

[00:49:07] found

[00:49:07] in

[00:49:07] them

[00:49:08] and

[00:49:08] then

[00:49:08] once

[00:49:08] he

[00:49:08] grew

[00:49:09] tired

[00:49:09] of

[00:49:09] them

[00:49:09] he

[00:49:10] would

[00:49:10] begin

[00:49:10] to

[00:49:10] exude

[00:49:11] a

[00:49:11] poisonous

[00:49:11] aura

[00:49:12] irradiation

[00:49:13] if you

[00:49:13] will

[00:49:13] that

[00:49:14] was

[00:49:14] part

[00:49:14] and

[00:49:14] parcel

[00:49:15] of

[00:49:15] his

[00:49:15] time

[00:49:15] spent

[00:49:15] as

[00:49:16] a

[00:49:16] trona

[00:49:16] miner

[00:49:17] it

[00:49:17] was

[00:49:18] a

[00:49:18] strange

[00:49:18] sickness

[00:49:18] that

[00:49:19] all

[00:49:19] he

[00:49:19] and

[00:49:19] his

[00:49:19] fellow

[00:49:20] miners

[00:49:20] had

[00:49:20] contracted

[00:49:21] before

[00:49:21] going

[00:49:21] on

[00:49:21] disability

[00:49:22] never

[00:49:22] to

[00:49:23] be

[00:49:23] explained

[00:49:24] and

[00:49:24] each

[00:49:25] time

[00:49:25] he

[00:49:25] thought

[00:49:25] he

[00:49:25] had

[00:49:25] the

[00:49:26] sickness

[00:49:35] they

[00:49:35] contract

[00:49:36] the

[00:49:36] illness

[00:49:36] and

[00:49:36] die

[00:49:36] themselves

[00:49:38] Harvey

[00:49:38] of

[00:49:39] course

[00:49:39] found

[00:49:39] himself

[00:49:40] a

[00:49:40] new

[00:49:40] life

[00:49:40] in

[00:49:40] due

[00:49:40] time

[00:49:41] and

[00:49:41] he

[00:49:41] went

[00:49:42] on

[00:49:42] like

[00:49:42] this

[00:49:42] quite

[00:49:42] happily

[00:49:43] for

[00:49:43] many

[00:49:43] years

[00:49:44] until

[00:49:44] he

[00:49:44] met

[00:49:45] a

[00:49:45] woman

[00:49:45] named

[00:49:45] Bertha

[00:50:00] who

[00:50:05] a

[00:50:05] whimsical

[00:50:06] morality

[00:50:06] lesson

[00:50:07] a

[00:50:07] modern

[00:50:07] fairy

[00:50:08] tale

[00:50:08] a

[00:50:09] dark

[00:50:09] comedy

[00:50:09] no

[00:50:10] one

[00:50:10] knew

[00:50:11] it

[00:50:12] was

[00:50:12] uncategorizable

[00:50:13] no

[00:50:14] one

[00:50:14] knew

[00:50:14] what

[00:50:14] to

[00:50:14] do

[00:50:14] with

[00:50:15] it

[00:50:15] and

[00:50:15] consequently

[00:50:16] no

[00:50:17] one

[00:50:17] knew

[00:50:17] what

[00:50:17] to

[00:50:17] do

[00:50:17] with

[00:50:17] Brian

[00:50:17] Faribault

[00:50:18] they

[00:50:19] realized

[00:50:19] that

[00:50:20] within

[00:50:20] his

[00:50:20] body

[00:50:20] of

[00:50:20] work

[00:50:21] there

[00:50:21] was

[00:50:21] no

[00:50:21] central

[00:50:21] aspect

[00:50:22] by

[00:50:22] which

[00:50:22] they

[00:50:22] could

[00:50:23] summarize

[00:50:23] it

[00:50:24] he

[00:50:24] was

[00:50:24] mercurial

[00:50:25] he

[00:50:26] was

[00:50:26] a

[00:50:26] chameleon

[00:50:27] the

[00:50:28] bolder

[00:50:28] and

[00:50:28] perhaps

[00:50:29] crasser

[00:50:29] commentators

[00:50:30] wondered

[00:50:30] whether

[00:50:30] Faribault

[00:50:31] wasn't

[00:50:31] a

[00:50:31] hack

[00:50:31] and

[00:50:32] that

[00:50:32] we

[00:50:32] were

[00:50:32] just

[00:50:33] now

[00:50:33] ready

[00:50:33] to

[00:50:33] admit

[00:50:33] it

[00:50:34] some

[00:50:35] opined

[00:50:35] that

[00:50:35] Faribault

[00:50:36] was

[00:50:36] simply

[00:50:36] misunderstood

[00:50:37] perhaps

[00:50:38] we

[00:50:38] hadn't

[00:50:38] yet

[00:50:38] figured

[00:50:38] him

[00:50:39] out

[00:50:40] others

[00:50:40] were

[00:50:40] happy

[00:50:40] to

[00:50:40] relegate

[00:50:41] him

[00:50:41] to

[00:50:41] the

[00:50:41] status

[00:50:41] of

[00:50:42] a

[00:50:42] flash

[00:50:42] in

[00:50:42] the

[00:50:42] pan

[00:50:43] whatever

[00:50:44] one

[00:50:44] might

[00:50:44] have

[00:50:44] thought

[00:50:45] Faribault

[00:50:46] was a

[00:50:46] visionary

[00:50:46] filmmaker

[00:50:47] who made

[00:50:47] movies

[00:50:48] that

[00:50:48] were at

[00:50:48] the

[00:50:48] worth

[00:50:48] talking

[00:50:49] about

[00:50:50] but

[00:50:50] the

[00:50:50] man

[00:50:51] himself

[00:50:51] was

[00:50:51] still

[00:50:51] a

[00:50:51] question

[00:50:52] mark

[00:50:52] people

[00:50:53] started

[00:50:53] to

[00:50:53] realize

[00:50:54] they

[00:50:54] knew

[00:50:54] almost

[00:50:54] nothing

[00:50:55] about

[00:50:55] him

[00:50:56] he

[00:50:56] had

[00:50:56] always

[00:50:56] been

[00:50:57] deflective

[00:50:57] in

[00:50:57] interviews

[00:50:58] such

[00:50:58] that

[00:50:58] no

[00:50:58] substantive

[00:50:59] question

[00:50:59] had

[00:50:59] ever

[00:51:00] been

[00:51:00] answered

[00:51:00] his

[00:51:01] private

[00:51:01] life

[00:51:01] was

[00:51:02] just

[00:51:02] that

[00:51:02] private

[00:51:03] as

[00:51:04] someone

[00:51:04] who's

[00:51:04] familiar

[00:51:05] with

[00:51:05] digging

[00:51:05] for

[00:51:05] dirt

[00:51:06] I

[00:51:06] contemplated

[00:51:07] setting

[00:51:07] out

[00:51:08] on

[00:51:08] a

[00:51:08] fact

[00:51:08] finding

[00:51:08] mission

[00:51:09] but

[00:51:09] I

[00:51:10] respected

[00:51:10] Faribault

[00:51:10] too

[00:51:10] much

[00:51:11] to

[00:51:11] follow

[00:51:11] through

[00:51:11] on

[00:51:11] that

[00:51:12] he

[00:51:13] wasn't

[00:51:13] your

[00:51:13] typical

[00:51:13] Hollywood

[00:51:14] fixture

[00:51:15] someone

[00:51:15] who'd

[00:51:15] sold

[00:51:16] their

[00:51:16] soul

[00:51:16] to

[00:51:16] the

[00:51:16] god

[00:51:16] of

[00:51:16] celebrity

[00:51:17] he

[00:51:18] was

[00:51:18] an

[00:51:18] artist

[00:51:18] in

[00:51:18] the

[00:51:19] true

[00:51:19] sense

[00:51:19] of

[00:51:19] the

[00:51:19] word

[00:51:19] and

[00:51:20] I

[00:51:20] wouldn't

[00:51:20] subject

[00:51:21] him

[00:51:21] to

[00:51:21] that

[00:51:21] ordeal

[00:51:23] not

[00:51:23] everyone

[00:51:23] else

[00:51:24] had

[00:51:24] such

[00:51:24] tact

[00:51:24] however

[00:51:25] the

[00:51:26] media

[00:51:26] pried

[00:51:27] and

[00:51:27] poked

[00:51:27] and

[00:51:27] prodded

[00:51:28] until

[00:51:28] Faribault

[00:51:28] had

[00:51:29] had

[00:51:29] enough

[00:51:30] he

[00:51:30] quietly

[00:51:30] disappeared

[00:51:31] from

[00:51:31] public

[00:51:31] view

[00:51:32] leaving

[00:51:33] everyone

[00:51:33] to

[00:51:33] speculate

[00:51:33] what

[00:51:34] had

[00:51:34] happened

[00:51:34] to

[00:51:34] the

[00:51:34] man

[00:51:34] once

[00:51:35] hailed

[00:51:35] as

[00:51:35] a

[00:51:43] something

[00:51:43] like

[00:51:43] that

[00:51:44] something

[00:51:45] contemplative

[00:51:45] and

[00:51:45] productive

[00:51:47] many

[00:51:48] years

[00:51:48] passed

[00:51:48] and

[00:51:48] Brian

[00:51:48] Faribault

[00:51:49] receded

[00:51:49] from

[00:51:49] memory

[00:51:50] until

[00:51:50] he

[00:51:51] was

[00:51:51] only

[00:51:51] an

[00:51:51] interesting

[00:51:51] footnote

[00:51:52] in

[00:51:52] the

[00:51:52] history

[00:51:52] of

[00:51:52] cinema

[00:51:54] well

[00:51:54] perhaps

[00:51:55] that

[00:51:55] is

[00:51:55] an

[00:51:55] overstatement

[00:51:56] but

[00:51:56] to

[00:51:56] me

[00:51:56] it

[00:51:56] felt

[00:51:56] like

[00:51:57] that

[00:51:57] was

[00:51:57] the

[00:51:57] case

[00:51:58] I

[00:51:58] held

[00:51:58] out

[00:51:59] hope

[00:51:59] longer

[00:51:59] than

[00:51:59] most

[00:51:59] that

[00:52:00] he

[00:52:00] might

[00:52:00] re-emerge

[00:52:00] one

[00:52:00] day

[00:52:01] but

[00:52:01] I

[00:52:02] finally

[00:52:02] let

[00:52:02] it

[00:52:02] go

[00:52:03] I

[00:52:03] even

[00:52:04] got

[00:52:04] out

[00:52:04] of

[00:52:04] the

[00:52:04] reporting

[00:52:04] game

[00:52:05] and

[00:52:05] instead

[00:52:05] took

[00:52:05] to

[00:52:05] writing

[00:52:06] books

[00:52:07] I

[00:52:07] traveled

[00:52:07] and

[00:52:08] captured

[00:52:08] my

[00:52:08] experiences

[00:52:08] on

[00:52:09] the

[00:52:09] page

[00:52:10] it

[00:52:11] was

[00:52:11] on

[00:52:11] a

[00:52:11] trip

[00:52:11] near

[00:52:11] the

[00:52:11] Mexico

[00:52:12] border

[00:52:12] that

[00:52:12] I

[00:52:12] saw

[00:52:13] him

[00:52:13] it

[00:52:14] was

[00:52:14] a

[00:52:14] dive

[00:52:14] bar

[00:52:15] quiet

[00:52:15] and

[00:52:16] dusty

[00:52:16] with

[00:52:16] a

[00:52:16] run

[00:52:16] down

[00:52:17] motel

[00:52:17] across

[00:52:17] the

[00:52:17] way

[00:52:18] but

[00:52:19] it

[00:52:19] was

[00:52:19] Brian

[00:52:19] Faribault

[00:52:19] sitting

[00:52:20] there

[00:52:20] hunched

[00:52:20] over

[00:52:21] a

[00:52:21] Pacifico

[00:52:22] I

[00:52:22] took

[00:52:23] a

[00:52:23] seat

[00:52:23] next

[00:52:23] to

[00:52:23] him

[00:52:24] it

[00:52:24] was

[00:52:25] warm

[00:52:25] with

[00:52:25] a

[00:52:25] tint

[00:52:25] of

[00:52:25] red

[00:52:26] light

[00:52:26] over

[00:52:26] the

[00:52:26] bar

[00:52:27] he

[00:52:28] aged

[00:52:28] grayer

[00:52:29] and

[00:52:29] lines

[00:52:29] around

[00:52:29] his

[00:52:29] eyes

[00:52:30] but

[00:52:31] it

[00:52:31] was

[00:52:31] him

[00:52:32] I

[00:52:32] bought

[00:52:32] his

[00:52:32] next

[00:52:33] round

[00:52:33] and

[00:52:33] struck

[00:52:33] up

[00:52:33] a

[00:52:33] conversation

[00:52:35] apparently

[00:52:35] he

[00:52:35] was

[00:52:36] living

[00:52:36] at

[00:52:36] the

[00:52:36] motel

[00:52:36] with

[00:52:37] a

[00:52:37] friend

[00:52:38] that

[00:52:38] friend

[00:52:38] turned

[00:52:38] out

[00:52:38] to

[00:52:39] be

[00:52:39] the

[00:52:39] girl

[00:52:39] who

[00:52:39] played

[00:52:40] Eli

[00:52:40] Pogue's

[00:52:40] cousin

[00:52:41] she

[00:52:42] made

[00:52:42] an

[00:52:42] appearance

[00:52:42] before

[00:52:43] our

[00:52:43] conversation

[00:52:43] was

[00:52:43] through

[00:52:44] she

[00:52:45] was

[00:52:45] quiet

[00:52:45] and

[00:52:45] seemed

[00:52:45] a

[00:52:46] bit

[00:52:46] nervous

[00:52:46] but

[00:52:46] she

[00:52:46] let

[00:52:46] us

[00:52:47] talk

[00:52:52] I

[00:52:55] asked

[00:52:56] how

[00:52:56] to

[00:52:56] articulate

[00:52:56] it

[00:52:57] I

[00:52:58] needed

[00:52:58] to

[00:52:58] know

[00:52:58] how

[00:52:58] he

[00:52:59] had

[00:52:59] differentiated

[00:52:59] himself

[00:53:00] from

[00:53:00] lesser

[00:53:00] artists

[00:53:01] I

[00:53:02] just

[00:53:02] told

[00:53:02] the

[00:53:02] truth

[00:53:03] he

[00:53:03] said

[00:53:04] the

[00:53:04] truth

[00:53:05] I

[00:53:05] asked

[00:53:06] he

[00:53:07] only

[00:53:07] shrugged

[00:53:07] at

[00:53:26] the

[00:53:26] humor

[00:53:28] and

[00:53:28] the

[00:53:28] connective

[00:53:29] tissue

[00:53:29] of

[00:53:29] strange

[00:53:30] things

[00:53:30] that

[00:53:30] strangely

[00:53:30] fit

[00:53:31] together

[00:53:32] you

[00:53:32] reflect

[00:53:32] it

[00:53:33] find

[00:53:33] it

[00:53:33] search

[00:53:34] for

[00:53:34] it

[00:53:34] speculate

[00:53:35] on

[00:53:35] what

[00:53:36] it

[00:53:36] might

[00:53:36] be

[00:53:36] based

[00:53:36] on

[00:53:36] what

[00:53:37] you

[00:53:37] know

[00:53:37] and

[00:53:38] then

[00:53:38] you

[00:53:38] craft a

[00:53:38] narrative

[00:53:39] around

[00:53:39] it

[00:53:40] I

[00:53:41] wanted to

[00:53:41] press him

[00:53:41] more

[00:53:42] about

[00:53:42] it

[00:53:42] I

[00:53:43] had

[00:53:43] so

[00:53:43] many

[00:53:43] more

[00:53:43] questions

[00:53:44] but

[00:53:44] I

[00:53:44] didn't

[00:53:45] want

[00:53:45] to

[00:53:45] bother

[00:53:45] him

[00:53:45] and

[00:53:46] so

[00:53:46] I

[00:53:46] only

[00:53:47] inquired

[00:53:47] if

[00:53:47] he

[00:53:47] would

[00:53:48] ever

[00:53:48] make

[00:53:48] another

[00:53:48] film

[00:53:55] I'm

[00:53:55] back

[00:53:56] I

[00:53:56] started

[00:53:56] for

[00:53:56] a

[00:53:56] moment

[00:53:57] excitement

[00:53:58] burbling

[00:53:58] inside

[00:53:58] me

[00:53:58] you

[00:53:59] are

[00:53:59] well

[00:54:00] what's

[00:54:00] it

[00:54:00] about

[00:54:01] do

[00:54:01] you

[00:54:01] have

[00:54:01] a

[00:54:01] cast

[00:54:03] it's

[00:54:03] a

[00:54:04] cast

[00:54:04] of

[00:54:04] one

[00:54:04] it's

[00:54:05] a

[00:54:05] story

[00:54:05] about

[00:54:06] a

[00:54:06] writer's

[00:54:06] love

[00:54:06] of

[00:54:06] film

[00:54:08] I

[00:54:08] nearly

[00:54:08] choked

[00:54:09] on

[00:54:09] a

[00:54:09] laugh

[00:54:09] I'm

[00:54:10] a

[00:54:10] writer

[00:54:10] I

[00:54:11] started

[00:54:11] to

[00:54:11] say

[00:54:13] Faribault

[00:54:13] only

[00:54:13] looked

[00:54:14] at

[00:54:14] me

[00:54:14] deadpan

[00:54:15] it

[00:54:16] was

[00:54:16] then

[00:54:16] that

[00:54:16] the

[00:54:16] bar

[00:54:17] took

[00:54:17] on

[00:54:17] a

[00:54:17] different

[00:54:17] feel

[00:54:18] it

[00:54:18] was

[00:54:18] so

[00:54:19] strange

[00:54:19] it

[00:54:20] was

[00:54:20] almost

[00:54:20] as if

[00:54:20] it

[00:54:20] had

[00:54:21] been

[00:54:21] that

[00:54:21] way

[00:54:21] all

[00:54:21] along

[00:54:22] the

[00:54:22] lighting

[00:54:23] was

[00:54:23] less

[00:54:23] natural

[00:54:23] and it

[00:54:24] seemed

[00:54:24] there

[00:54:24] were only

[00:54:25] three

[00:54:48] like

[00:54:49] everything

[00:54:50] about

[00:54:50] this

[00:54:51] story

[00:54:52] was

[00:54:52] absolutely

[00:54:53] fantastic

[00:54:53] like

[00:54:54] I'm

[00:54:54] just

[00:54:54] going

[00:54:55] to

[00:54:55] get

[00:54:55] that

[00:54:55] out

[00:54:55] of

[00:54:55] the

[00:54:55] way

[00:54:55] right

[00:54:56] now

[00:54:56] like

[00:54:56] I

[00:54:56] loved

[00:54:57] every

[00:54:57] bit

[00:54:57] of

[00:54:58] this

[00:54:58] and

[00:54:59] I

[00:54:59] mean

[00:54:59] it

[00:54:59] even

[00:55:00] started

[00:55:00] with

[00:55:01] just

[00:55:01] the

[00:55:03] little

[00:55:03] nugget

[00:55:04] about

[00:55:04] the

[00:55:04] fly

[00:55:05] at

[00:55:06] the

[00:55:06] beginning

[00:55:06] you

[00:55:07] know

[00:55:08] like

[00:55:08] it

[00:55:08] was

[00:55:18] I

[00:55:18] felt

[00:55:19] like

[00:55:19] we

[00:55:19] were

[00:55:19] supposed

[00:55:19] to

[00:55:19] like

[00:55:20] it

[00:55:20] just

[00:55:20] felt

[00:55:20] like

[00:55:21] honest

[00:55:21] and

[00:55:21] true

[00:55:22] and

[00:55:22] then

[00:55:23] like

[00:55:23] as you

[00:55:24] as you

[00:55:24] were

[00:55:24] reading

[00:55:25] it

[00:55:26] just

[00:55:26] kind

[00:55:27] of

[00:55:27] blew

[00:55:28] my

[00:55:28] mind

[00:55:29] how

[00:55:31] how

[00:55:31] much

[00:55:32] like

[00:55:32] character

[00:55:33] and story

[00:55:34] you

[00:55:34] developed

[00:55:34] here

[00:55:35] I mean

[00:55:36] not only

[00:55:36] did you

[00:55:37] have

[00:55:37] the

[00:55:37] writer

[00:55:38] who

[00:55:38] I

[00:55:38] don't

[00:55:39] believe

[00:55:39] was

[00:55:39] named

[00:55:39] was he

[00:55:40] no

[00:55:41] okay

[00:55:41] then

[00:55:42] you

[00:55:43] had

[00:55:43] the

[00:55:43] filmmaker

[00:55:44] right

[00:55:45] yep

[00:55:46] so

[00:55:47] you

[00:55:47] create

[00:55:47] these

[00:55:48] two

[00:55:48] characters

[00:55:48] and

[00:55:49] you

[00:55:49] don't

[00:55:50] only

[00:55:50] just

[00:55:50] create

[00:55:50] the

[00:55:51] characters

[00:55:52] you

[00:55:52] created

[00:55:53] this

[00:55:53] guy's

[00:55:54] entire

[00:55:55] filmography

[00:55:56] so

[00:55:57] there

[00:55:57] I

[00:55:57] kind

[00:55:58] of

[00:55:58] lost

[00:55:59] count

[00:55:59] because

[00:55:59] I

[00:55:59] was

[00:55:59] like

[00:55:59] taking

[00:56:00] notes

[00:56:00] but

[00:56:00] then

[00:56:00] I

[00:56:01] stopped

[00:56:01] taking

[00:56:01] notes

[00:56:01] because

[00:56:02] I

[00:56:02] just

[00:56:02] wanted

[00:56:02] to

[00:56:02] listen

[00:56:03] there

[00:56:03] was

[00:56:03] at

[00:56:03] least

[00:56:04] five

[00:56:04] movies

[00:56:06] that

[00:56:06] you

[00:56:06] came

[00:56:06] up

[00:56:07] with

[00:56:07] if

[00:56:08] not

[00:56:08] six

[00:56:09] if

[00:56:09] you

[00:56:10] include

[00:56:10] the

[00:56:11] one

[00:56:11] at

[00:56:11] the

[00:56:11] end

[00:56:12] that

[00:56:13] he

[00:56:13] was

[00:56:13] making

[00:56:13] so

[00:56:14] like

[00:56:16] was

[00:56:16] this

[00:56:16] something

[00:56:17] that was

[00:56:17] already

[00:56:17] in

[00:56:18] your

[00:56:18] head

[00:56:18] that

[00:56:19] you

[00:56:19] kind