Unwinnable

In a pinch, sex is the cheapest glue for attaching some kind of thematic authenticity to a work. Sex bridges the gap between otherwise incompatible characters. Sex implies worth and development. Sex makes sure people know your story has all sorts of mature considerations. Look closely and you’ll see poorly applied sex spilling out in globs from around the pasted pieces of many a lazy story. As an audience, we’re often willfully susceptible to sex’s convenience and ubiquity in the things we consume. We ignore the particulars of the act and accept its flimsy symbolism as any number of false qualities and devices. It’s just so damn relatable. (more…)

It’s Andy’s house and Andy’s game, so it’s Andy on the drums.

A year from now he’ll buy a simple array of real drums he’ll never play, but for now he’s seated on the edge of the stout wooden coffee table in front of a new, plastic set. I perch on the arm of the adjacent couch. I’m not yet as skilled a drummer as Andy, but I have long, dexterous fingers and the patience to work with the mushiness of the guitar. Someone on the other end of the couch interns as bassist, and occasionally a fourth finds the courage to sing. (more…)