It's hard to be a Californian in this town for many reasons. One: Your skepticism of others/new people is seen as douchey or cold (even though native Seattleites can be some of the nicest or some of the cruelest people I've ever met, and I grew up in the Pasadena area). Two: The sunshine is ridiculously elusive. Three: You're torn because you know that L.A. is hella liberal, but it's the old folks at the traditional Catholics that make the state sway to the Red every time there's a vote. /rant
The point is, I'm stoked that it's sunny!!!!
I just finished reading Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly's graphic novel 'Local' for the third time. I bought the hardcover collection for myself for my birthday. It was a steal at $30 at this little place on 45th in the U-District.
It continues to inspire me to write about it, confound me, move me to almost tears, make me smile, and make me both love and hate the protagonist every time I read it. And every time I read it I get something new out of it. For example in the beginning I never really understood how "Two Brothers" was a necessary part of breaking Megan apart and helping her realize that she needs to start being decent to people. Sure she goes on a self-destructive, self-loathing bender of emotional breakups with peers for 3 years after, but that's called figuring it out and realizing that you really don't have all the answers. I hated Megan for what she does to Gloria and to her various suitors at first, but then I came to understand that it's all part of her larger growth as a person. Especially since I'm not the same person at 23 as I am now at 25.
Then there's chapter 3, "Theories and Defenses."
I almost always skimmed this chapter and never understood how it remotely relates to Megan's journey, seeing it as merely an indulgent chapter for the writer to get his thoughts about music and being in a band and being an outsider on to paper and not having an appropriate way to do it. But once I forced myself to read it, and to find a voice for the characters in my head, I came to realize that their struggle as a band and as people foreshadows Megan's struggle at the end of the book. Plus, is there a better metaphor for feeling like you're getting too old than being in a band that everyone loves yet nobody gives a damn about? You can't come home again; or maybe home was never meant to be your home in the first place?
P.S., if Theories and Defenses were a real band, I bet they'd sound like Thrushes.
Yaaaaay Baltimore. I love this band right now.
Josh and I saw The Raveonettes the other night. Yeah. It happened. I'll blog about it soooooon. Right now I need to go be out in that sunshine.
"I'm a dead man walking here,
But that's least of all my fears.
Ooh underneath the water.
It's not Alabama clay,
Gives my trembling hands away.
Ooh Please forgive me, father."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Rant, rave, and say hello!