(Gmail Chat) Interview with DJ Berndt

DJ Berndt has a blog here. He runs Pangur Ban Party (which is soon releasing a print). He has super powers that allow him to melt things with heat vision, as well as, become invisible. Maybe he likes other things, too.




1:30 PM me: What brought you to the world of blogging?
DJ: A friend told me "EEE" and I really liked it. Then I found Tao's blog and it all kind of spilled from there.
1:31 PM me: How did you get into writing?
1:32 PM DJ: I don't even consider myself "into writing". It's more like a casual hobby or something. I've always been interested in poetry, and I think everyone who reads poetry just kind of happens to write a little, too.
me: What do you then consider yourself?
1:33 PM DJ: A guy who kind of likes to read and sometimes writes
1:34 PM me: Do you ever think about your future? What do you want to be - career-wise?
DJ: I already have a career. I work in an office building in the IT department. I try not to think too much about my future because it never looks good.
1:35 PM me: Do you hate it or love it?
DJ: Love it
1:36 PM me: That's good. What influenced you to start Pangur Ban Party?
1:38 PM DJ: bear parade and bearcreekfeed. I thought it was really cool that those sites existed. Then I thought about how I know of some blogs run by people who I think are good writers but probably aren't popular enough to be on bear parade or bearcreekfeed. Then I thought about how I know enough HTML to run a similar site.
1:39 PM me: Do you think about PBP's future? What are your plans for it? How do you see it unfolding?
1:40 PM DJ: I want PBP to be as big as possible. If it were one day as big as bearcreekfeed or bear parade, that would be amazing. I will just keep doing whatever I can to promote it and see where it goes.
1:41 PM me: Excellent. What is your favorite band?
1:42 PM DJ: I don't know. Maybe Radiohead.
1:43 PM me: Good choice. What about your favorite book and/or author?
1:44 PM DJ: Favorite book is Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Favorite author is tough. Sam Pink could very well become my favorite author once he has more out there.
1:46 PM me: Do you ever see yourself around the age of 45, married, with children thinking about how you only have half of your life left to live?
1:47 PM DJ: I can't imagine I'll live to see 45.
me: How do you think you're going to die?
1:48 PM DJ: Doing something stupid while drunk, liver disease or suicide.
me: That made me sad. Let's not think about death. If you were any color in the known world, what color would you be?
1:49 PM DJ: I like dark violet, I think.

Print up those blogs

So I googled my name and found this. It's a blog entry by someone I don't know talking about The Printed Blog. TPB is a relatively new printed newspaper that simply takes interesting things, or 'articles' as the random blogger calls them, from blogs across the nation. It is a neat concept but the random blogger has a point - who is going to pay for a compliation of things you can find on the internet for free.

I can't tell but I think he/she is talking shit about The Printed Blog. I mean, as I said, he/she has some valid points. But that doesn't mean it isn't a cool idea. I think I would pay for an issue or two. In my head, at least, its like a mixtape. Kind of like the NOW series.

But that isn't really what got me all BLAH. Like I said, I googled my name and this entry came up. The last paragraph of the entry has my story from 72words (which TPB somehow managaed to obtain without my knowledge - not that it matters, I like having more readers, I just wish I knew people in Chicago were possibly paying for the 2nd issue of TPB and reading my story) and I think he/she is insulting it? I could be wrong but I sense a hint of sarcasm in his/her statement; "Hey, hats off to The Printed Blog, this is the stuff Pulitzers are made of."

Obviously, I'm submitting to an online publication. I don't expect to be the next Pulitzer. Its not my fault you interpreted the concept of TPB wrong. But thanks for reading my flash fiction and thinking of it as an 'article' because that makes sense. Good work.

To oppose this random blogger, I will tip my hat to The Printed Blog. I think it's a cool idea and I hope its successful. (Next time you take my work though, please tell me so I can get excited. haha)

I suggest you check out The Printed Blog. They do have PDFs on their site you can read for free.

eNJoy.

Not Having A Computer Sucks

So I wrote a lil' sumtin sumtin for one of my last Writer's Block meetings last Thursday. It goes like this:

---
Worms

Barefoot in a patch of naked grass, I could feel the worms burrowing into my skin. They were timid worms, worms like the kind you see dried up on the sidewalk the day after a long rain. I thought to myself about squishing them between my toes, but I didn’t. I let them dig. Once they were consumed by my callused bald feet they swam. And they swam through my bloodstream until reaching my brain, tickling my senses, causing me to sneeze.
---

I might fool around with it some more and make it a story or something. The exercise was "just write six sentences about anything." So I just started writing whatever popped into my head. I thought it was pretty neat.

Anyway, check out PangurBanParty's new release "Go Ninja Go Ninja Go" - Crispin Best. It has all of your favorite TMNT characters in REAL LIFE situations. You're bound to think about how most of your life is made up of uneventful things. It's delightful.

Also - email me if you'd like to read a 3/4 finished edition of The Definition. I need some feedback.

And I almost forgot - DJ has recent poetry published. Check it out over at Read Some Words.

Like a boss

Remember how I said I was in a short film my buddy was doing? Well he posted it on YouTube.

Check it out.

I'm the boss in blue. But remember, in reality I'm not an asshole. I swear. Leave some kind words, too because I'm sure my buddy, Niko, would appreciate it.



Nothing too new in my writing. Very busy. Novella deadline is coming up. That's about it.

Tiger Style

I was accepted into the Fall 09 issue of Venture. Look for my story, "Road Trip." I'll post a link when available. I'll also explain it more so when its ready.

Today I was in my friend, Niko's, film that he is making for his film class. If he posts it on Youtube in the future, I'll link you.

I started listening to Citizen Cope and Shwayze more while writing The Definition. I wonder if it'll show.

Pangur Ban Party has a new short fiction series up. Go check out Chris East's All In Together Now. Wu Tang, Wu Tang. Tiger Style. Wu Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck wit. Submit to PBP - print issue is in the works.