Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Future

...or I suppose this can be called, "It's been a while: Part II". Okay, here's the skinny on what is going on with this ongoing project called Fictions. So far, Volume 1 has received a fairly good critical reception by people whose literary credentials I respect.

Of course my friend, K-ram, outright told me it was crap but then confessed that he didn't actually read the book...so he can go suck on a cartload of gangrenous, syphilitic donkey-balls until he does. There is one great fear that is taking hold of me as I get feedback on the book or fail to, something K-ram alluded to as the Emperor's New Clothes syndrome. Maybe I've hyped this book up so much on this blog, hype ably aided by the local media, that people may be afraid to point out that I'm writing shit after all.

Which I am not...but I need the harshest criticisms of Fictions as possible so that I can see the areas in which I can improve. I am confident and cocky when it comes to my writing but I reserve a great deal of room for humility, even if only because it may be indicative of the fact that as good as I am, I have the capacity to be so much damn better.

What I am undertaking in the overall productions of this book has evolved over the following months to be a wonderful experiment and the more I [re-]enter the literary life I rejected for the past six years, the more I experience one pleasurable surprise after another.

For those of who haven't read Fictions, it is available at both locations of the Oasis Cafe, Austin's Book Store and the Michael Forde Book shop (don't fucking ask how) so please pick up a copy so (a) you can read a good book and (b) I don't have to resort to cooking curry curry ever again...until my next book.

Coming up next, my [non]-encounters with Derek Walcott and how I need to keep my fucking ego from outright exploding after correcting the man whose work first inspired me to take this writing shit seriously.

PS. Just to celebrate my return...fuck, skunt, pokeyhole, shit, ass and tits. There.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i wrote an essay about guyana and about you and.......i've found now this blog!!!! the deadline is on monday, it's too late to ask you anything.

anyway, i'll search on this blog, i think i'll find something useful for my research :)) thanks
(sorry for my english, i'm from italy)
bye
ah, and good luck with your job
daniela

Anonymous said...

Come on Ruel. "Your book is shit and you're a fraud" is constructive criticism. A preliminary reading led me to that conclusion.

You expect me to read it out entirely to tell you the colour, texture and consistency of the shit and the exact nature of your fraudulence, man?

Alright, alright. Since it's you, I'll read it out carefully and then lie to you as skillfully as I can. Just like everyone else will.

Ruel Johnson said...

Dear Kram,
Please see the comment posted just above yours...lol.
Yours truly,
Ruel

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I ain't know about no emperor and his missing clothes, I don't follow crowd, when I say the book is thought provoking, I mean it. It's made me think. Lots.

Still thinking.

But I can't let grannies read it, too much cussing.

Hm. Can't wait to see if your thoughts of Walcott match mine...

Bear in mind, he's an old man now and old men can be quite...fractious...cranky...

Anonymous said...

Awww, Ruel, somebody who doesn't know English is reading your blog about the famous fiction(s) and you're parading that fact. "Look, momma, even the English speaking people write English as badly as we do".

Anonymous said...

Ruel, Kram is an alcoholic wanker. Don't speak to him.