Showing posts with label Jack Savage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Savage. Show all posts

Friday, November 10, 2023

Jack Savage Shares Memories With Readers - Sometimes I Respond! It's Good to Have Online Friends, Isn't It?!

As a boy, I used to stay up late and watch Jack Paar, when I could and on Friday nights "The Best of Paar." He was very witty and just an interesting guy. He also was not afraid to talk about his fears, "I'm no fighter" he would say. I had plenty of fears growing up but often I was fascinated with them and it would seem that I ran toward them sometimes rather than away.

I spent two years in a tropical setting as a young man and though snakes terrified me usually, I lived among them to the point where we sort of coexisted peacefully. The sight of a snake didn't give me a start like it always had. I wondered about this and finally realized that I didn't because there was no music to tell me to be afraid.

It began with the famous composer Wagner. He noticed some people falling asleep during his compositions, especially when his story would present a villain or a dangerous situation presented itself. So he created a Leitmotif. It is a break in the music that tells the audience to be afraid in the story. Growing up in St. Paul, watching our black and white Muntz TV, whenever a snake came crawling around, dramatic music would play and I would become scared. But living in or near the jungle where I was, there was no music so I learned not to be afraid. Aware, yes, but not afraid. These snakes I speak of were all poisonous but usually just minded their own business.

Achieving that understanding, of not being afraid of something was empowering in some ways. One less reason to be afraid. Besides, where I was and what I was doing there were plenty of other things to be afraid of. Snakes fell lower and lower on the list.

~~~


Three Was No Accident!

When I first saw Jack's reference to Wagner, I knew I wanted to read and respond, together with one of his paintings. I picked the above to share--"Three Was No Accident..."

I first became enthralled with classical music when I visited my favorite aunt and uncle, who had cared for me so often while my mother was working. There was a complete set of all of the major classical composers. Wagner was one of them... I found that of all the genres of music, my most preferred for "listening times" was classical. And, so I was intrigued by Jack's early response and obvious later thought and appreciation, when he acknowledged that Wagner was a "trigger" of fear for him.. 

How sad I thought. For me, I always reveled when the more dramatic portions of a symphony started. Still, in deference to Jack, I chose a set of overtures and preludes, which are normally more sedate... While beginning my response of my choice, "Ride of the Valkyries," which never could bring fear to me, rather, anticipation and excitement. On the other hand, although I may not fear them (unless poisonous), I am quite willing to not see big crawly spiders and snakes...and rats... and...

Then I picked up on the ending of Jack's article. Sadly, I realized that where he was, during a war that should never have happened, that he had learned that there was much, in that place, to fear. My heart was greatly saddened... 

Facing fear, for me, was never really an issue. Real fear has only come to me when something suddenly happens; for instance, having a near accident when driving, which is normally an instinctual response rather than learned. Instead, my triggers are based upon seeing "wrong" in business, politics...the world. Going into Job Burnout, after trying to solve all the problems being thrown at me, even if, perhaps, unintentionally has then and thereafter, caused me to go "on alert." Now, normally, my level of faith also brought a calm through music which was, and is,  often deliberately chosen in times of trouble and concern... I wonder, how does music affect you?

Here are a few of my favorites during those times:





I chose "Three Is Not An Accident" for it makes me realize that there is so very much evil in the world these days, (or maybe it is just more visible) much based upon religious fervor as opposed to Truth, including common sense, logic and reasoning... It is purposely being used by those seeking power, attempting to use fear, lies, and disinformation to result in many individuals who have "fallen over the waterfall" into a den full of snakes and spiders, figuratively, that could lead to even worse violence, mass murders, and hatred toward those who speak out against political extremists who continue to force their will on America. 

While blaming others for fascists' actions while the instigator(s), himself, is already projecting planned Fascist actions... Read the definition. Do you not see that what is happening is not within the realm of a Democratic nation?
Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/ FASH-iz-əm) is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived .



Fear comes when politicians plans an insurrection
that still is supported by one major party for re-election.
According to yesterday's election results...
MAGA is losing.
Fear means that more violence will occur...

We must fight before our Democracy is lost!
It seems to me we have no option...

Fear, Self-pride, and Selfishness has Erupted Across the World - 
Use Logic, Reasoning to Find Truth!



Gabbie Wonders...

Do You know God is Truth!

Stop and Listen to your Own Mind! 
Is this what is supposed to be happening in a Democracy?
~~~

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Title Story Ready for Screenwriting For Great Crime Drama Movie!

HomelessImage by Niklas via Flickr
"I'm Arthur Petorik, homeless person deluxe,
and any identification I might make of your
suspects will be of no use to you. Someone
like me as a material witness will be as
unreliable as if I had merely phoned in
anonymously, the information that I told you
five times now. For the sake of argument though,
I strongly suspect you have someone in mind
for this crime. I didn't get much of a look at the
guys who killed the officer...
The Petorik Thesis and


Tales of the Global West


By W. Jack Savage




In just 80 pages, Jack Savage, jams more into a short story, The Petorik Thesis, than many do in a lengthy novel! In fact, it is a complex, intricate drama that is weaved together so tightly that it must be closely followed to believe...and one that is worthy of a TV or movie presentation....


What do you do if you are not sure whether a character is good or bad? We all know the potential risks for police and other individuals who deal daily with those involved in crime and political corruption. Do good guys some time get caught up into something unplanned and, perhaps, go astray? Well, for Savage, he provides us with a couple who you may question but who are "not so bad" to root for! And the male lead character is a homeless man by the name of Arthur Petorik.


Only he's not Arthur Petorik...


Petorik had been trespassing on the grounds of an Industrial Center and had witnessed a man being beaten. He had pulled the man into his sheltered area when the men had left the scene, though they had also later returned to get rid of the body. The man was still alive when rescued but later then died. It was discovered he was an undercover cop--a cop had been killed!


"Normally" when a cop is murdered, it results in a major hunt for the killer! With Petorik's description, the hunt was on... Detective Gloria Hernandez began by grilling and investigating Petorik's background as well as his story...and that's when readers get pulled into a tale of corruption that is so compelling and unbelievable that you begin to...believe it!


I think what most attracts me about Savage's work is his creation of characters that are so life-like and, seemingly, like the "man on the street." And yet, they get into such strange conversations or situations!


Take the man who had somewhat of a traumatic experience in grade school--a little girl in his class threw up and the boy was so disgusted by seeing vomit for the first time that he was, thereafter, unable to eat any food that was yellow... Funny how childhood experiences can affect us for the rest of our lives--I think you'll enjoy the first story in the book, "Yellow Food"!

Life experience was also featured in another story, Sally's,  which I particularly enjoyed when a man, who had been in the service, visits a hometown restaurant of his close buddy who had been killed, and winds up sharing the "real story" of his death to not only his father but the entire town!

Scenes where two or three characters talking comprises the entire story is another skill of Jack's that I finding amazing. He creates insightful contemporary fables, with people you seem to know or have heard about. Consider, "Howie and Katherine" with the intriguing line: "Howie, Pull the f..... nails out of your hands and feet long enough to say goodbye at...Apartment 14."

"I miss her more than I thought I would,
you know," he said. "I didn't think I
would. I mean it was just f.......
'Tupperware,' after all. But I guess, after
your experience, maybe it was more
than that. You know it's kind of funny.
I still use the 'Tupperware," It, ah, it
doesn't seem like a big deal any more.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Tupperware_Ultraplus.JPG
Or...consider "Tupperware" that pulls readers into the world of male-female live-in relationships when the men who become involved with a certain woman decides whether it is possible to live with her and her little...issues...

The last story, "Awards" was personally a revelation to me since I found, perhaps, that I could have been the main character who is an author and finds that getting recognition makes him realize that "life would never be as good for him as in the stories he created." Of course, as a reader, all I had to do was replace "stories he created" with "stories I read..." LOL

My favorite story was "Christmas at Fort Leonard Wood" which tells about a young man who is still in basic training and who innocently asks his sergeant what options he had, since, as an orphan, he had no home to go to... This heartwarming tale shows that the celebration of His love can be found anywhere!

When you can find yourself in a short story, or perhaps see your friends or life situations you have experienced, most with a hidden moral, then, you realize that you have found a rare gift given by that author. I commend W. Jack Savage to you. He keeps getting better and better and his stories more creative and insightful. If you haven't read any of Savage's work and enjoy crime fiction, I suggest you try this book as your first--a highly recommended read!
 

GABixlerReviews





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