Preface I got into blogging reluctantly. Now that I'm in it, I understand its importance for emerging writers. It's a necessary component in this uber-digital age we find ourselves in. With that said, I'm having a hell of a time blogging about writing, music, and beer. (Especially the beer part.) Six Reasons Why I Blog … Continue reading Advice From a Reluctant Blogger
Writing
The Bachelor Awakens From Its Vapid Sleep For Ten Minutes of Actual Reality TV
Last night I was doing manly activities: lifting heavy weights, drinking (craft) beer, looking at nudy magazines, scratching myself, et cetera, et cetera. In the midst of said manly activities, I heard, from the living room, a sound I ne'er catch on Monday nights while my wife is watching The Bachelor: a female contestant explaining … Continue reading The Bachelor Awakens From Its Vapid Sleep For Ten Minutes of Actual Reality TV
Drink Bissell Brothers The Substance (Now!)
Tim told me it was happening. I was hesitant to believe him. How could it be possible? How could another 18 beer companies be opening up in Maine in 2014? You all know I'm a believer in these lush times of beer opulence, but 18? 18! Tim said, "I had one. It's great." "Great? Like … Continue reading Drink Bissell Brothers The Substance (Now!)
Binge-Watching Made Me a Plot Slut
Right now it's Dexter. A month ago it was Walking Dead. Before that Trailer Park Boys. Before that...well, let's just say I've been with a lot of shows. The list of shows I've binge-watched is so long I almost want to lie to people about my number. I feel like the girl who went hog-wild … Continue reading Binge-Watching Made Me a Plot Slut
Literary Death Match Throws Down in Portland
Portland's art calender is filled with poetry readings. From Port Veritas to Rhythmic Cypher, Portlandites can get their poetry fix a few nights a week. But what about us prose guys? Those of us who write and read in lines that wrap around the far edge of the page? You're right, we have Word Portland. … Continue reading Literary Death Match Throws Down in Portland
The Breaking Bad Finale: 7 Reasons Why It Worked
There's no good way to end a highly acclaimed television series. The viewer's expectations are insurmountable, and most likely contradictory. We want the characters to live forever and get what they want, but if a writer does this, we'll complain that the end was cliche and boring. It's the great human contradiction: we want to … Continue reading The Breaking Bad Finale: 7 Reasons Why It Worked
The Beautifully Drawn Deterioration of Breaking Bad’s Walter White
A meek, yet brilliant high school teacher discovers he has cancer, cooks meth to pay for chemo, becomes intoxicated by the power of being a drug lord, beats cancer, keeps cooking meth, becomes a sociopath. That's a crude exposition of the transformation of Walter White's character in AMC's Breaking Bad over the course of five … Continue reading The Beautifully Drawn Deterioration of Breaking Bad’s Walter White
Rethinking Rolling Stone’s Boston Bomber Cover and the Way We Discuss Ideas in America
My copy of the now infamous Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Rolling Stone cover photo has been on my desk for a week. Living in Maine, it got to me days after it initially hit news stands, so by the time I pulled it from my mailbox, this country was in a full throttle yelling match over the … Continue reading Rethinking Rolling Stone’s Boston Bomber Cover and the Way We Discuss Ideas in America
The Dangers of Being Passive Aggressive: Take Heed Husbands and Writers
I can be passive aggressive with the best of them. I can mope, make snide comments, and indirectly be an ass to someone without ever addressing the real issue. If I'm mad at you, you might not even know it, unless you're tuned into my subtle, ninja-like passive aggressive behavior. I grew up in a … Continue reading The Dangers of Being Passive Aggressive: Take Heed Husbands and Writers
A Philistine Considers the Question: What Makes Something Art?
When I visit art museums, I have to work hard not to be a cynical dick. I mean, real hard. My recent visit to The Museum of Modern Art in NYC was a test of my dickery. If you've been to MoMA, then you've seen some of the garbled junk that passes as capital 'A' … Continue reading A Philistine Considers the Question: What Makes Something Art?
DAVE PATTERSON 