Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Me Too!


One of the books I am reading (or looking/reading) is AGAINST THE GRAIN: MAD ARTIST Wallace Wood edited by Bhob Stewart.

I have mentioned this publications before – at least once, maybe more. It is an excellent publication that goes in details of the art and the complex personality of one of the original four MAD artists, Wallace Wood. Bhob did an excellent job of compiling and throwing in his 2¢.

The reason I am bringing it up again is yesterdday I started the Wallace Posts section, in the book, which samples of his constant correspondence. In the introduction of this section in the first sentence Bhob states that Wood was a prolific letter writer.

Well me too!!!

In school, grammar and high school when of my friends moved or joined the service I self-appointed myself a constant letter writer to the recently departed (departed – map wise), to keep them up to date on what was happening in their old home town. But after a while they made new friends in their new area and their correspondence would grow thin…then whimper, and a final poof.

And when I went into the Navy I would write my friends daily prodding them information on the home front. And I also wrote my family daily for the same reason.

Then after my service time, I corresponded with about three or four Navy buddies for years and years.

Then there was a gap of a couple of years.

Then researching for genealogy came along and swapping information, which meant a lot of letters back and force with fellow researchers.

Then email came into existence. I was already trained for it.

A friend I have known since the first grade and I started emailing daily, sometimes twice a day, playing sort of trivia game of Marietta and a long running continuously conversation that lasted about 5 or 6 years. It finally ran its course because of our political difference.

Now it is blogs. What’s next?

As I have told my correspondents I just don’t know how to write a short letter. Once I start typing on the keyboard I don’t know when to stop. I go on and on… constant clatter of the keyboard.

Wally Wood and I have another similarity. We try to put appropriate art with the text. And sometimes another similarity – Wallace Wood art! The difference is that his is original and mine is swiped.

6 comments:

Michael Bains said...

Once I start typing on the keyboard I don’t know when to stop.

I can totally relate to that! All too often, that's what keeps me from clicking "publish" on a post. I just don't feel like it's done, even though it's already rambled on and on (and sometimes, on and on and on!) It's just that there's always so much background to any topic on which I feel an urge to write. There are always Pros as well as Cons, and I get all hung up on feelin' the need to give both sides equal time, even if I'm emphatically in favor of one side or t'other.

My comments follow a similar... Hmmm... I think you get the picture... lol!

I'm also like you in teh pics department. Both of us will occasionally slip in an original of sorts, but "swiping" is so often so much more fun.

L8!

Eddie said...

Michael,
I know what you mean. Sometimes when I type ignorant of the background and feel the need to educate the reader, or catch him up to date before I can continue and before long the whole posting is tangled in words, or my point is lost in the forest of explanations.... which is sort of like right now.

Jean Campbell said...

I enjoy reading long, rambling posts and emails. I've learned that some of my readers only get the first sentence before their eyes glaze over.

I write long rambling notes to myself and then edit, edit, edit, especially if there's a photo.

Eddie said...

Jean,
If I write a long note for my eyes only - I might as well not have written it, because it will never be read again..... which I am always doing. I hate to read my own writing, I always see an error right off the bat, then I see things I would have worded differently. So, my fuzz up my tender brain?

Jean Campbell said...

My short notes lack clarity. What I meant to say was, I write a long version in notepad and then pare it down for the audience.

Eddie said...

Jean,
That is a good idea. It works for you I noticed.
You have some good postings on all your blogs.