RIP MCA

I wanna say a little something that's long overdue,
The disrespect to women has got to be through, 
To all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends,
I want to offer my love and respect to the end.

Perfume Genius - "Dark Parts"

I approve of anyone who features their mother and cute dogs in their music video.

Also, I like the song.

 

Jack Kerouac

...the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"


This shit never gets old. 
Suddenly remembered it when thinking of all the mad people I know and love. (Mad literally, not mad-cool.) Haven't read On the Road since I was 15, but it still stays with me. Maybe time to revisit?

the24project: "Milk"

My short story "Milk" is on the24project zine for seven days only. Have a read, if you like.

Toni Morrison

LOVED the Toni Morrison interview in Saturday's Guardian. She is one of my idols. This really struck a chord:

"There were certain things I could do with ease. Teach. And read books. And write them. And that area seems very natural to me. Things outside it, except with very, very, very close friends, are a little bit of an act. I mean, not in a bad way. Social... And I have separated those people. Myself is kind of split. My name is Chloe. And the rest is… that other person. Who is able to feel, or pretends to feel, or maybe really feels..."

The power of introverts

I loved the TED talk by Susan Cain about the power of introverts, as I completely relate to her experience of being introverted as a child. When I was in primary school, my school report always praised my work and gently complained about how quiet I was in class. At secondary school, I got into a bit of a depressive funk and my grades slipped; my reports criticised both my grades and my quietness. One teacher described me as "an enigma" – believe me, it wasn't intended as a compliment.

So I went on a mission to make myself extroverted. This was aided by the welcome arrival of alcohol when I was a teenager. I became a livewire party girl: hyper, manic, talking bullshit all the time. It didn't last long, and anyone I befriended after the age of 20 wouldn't believe that I was ever that sort of person; I certainly wasn't comfortable with it. Luckily, in my early twenties, I settled down with a fellow introvert and settled into myself; well, as much as you can, because it's hard to settle into a character that, as Cain explains, the modern world – especially office work – isn't really built for. (My boyfriend escapes this by working mostly alone, as a film composer in a studio.)

I'm glad that Cain is trying to promote some of the pros of being an introvert, because my career has rarely been helped by it. Extroverts are the people who get noticed, who get the pay rise, who can articulate themselves in front of powerful people and large groups; introverts get by a little more quietly, so no wonder they can slip through the cracks. (For a good description of introversion, watch the video – it's not the same as shyness and I am certainly not shy.)

Growing up, being an introvert often felt like a curse, but perhaps there's a silver lining. Introversion made me a reader, a writer, an editor and – dare I say it without sounding like a pretentious twit – a thinker. I'll just have to cope with not being much of a speaker, charmer and performer.

Watch it. Inspiring stuff.

Write Now: Unpaid journalism - why I'm against it

Should I write for free?

It’s the question all young journalists ask themselves, particularly those who haven’t yet found a satisfying full-time job.

It’s a prerequisite these days, isn’t it? You graduate, get a job in an unrelated field, write for love, not money (for the many magazines and websites that fuel themselves on unpaid writers), and if you’re talented and ambitious enough, you bag yourself a full-time role after a few years. 

Well, that’s the story that so many of these “freegan” publications sell to young people desperate to get into journalism. But journalism is a job, not a hobby – and does a portfolio full of unpaid bylines actually lead to a career? 

It depends on the individual. A trained young journalist, a few years into her career, told me: “I’m still taking on a lot of free work due to the sheer scarcity of opportunity... I do enjoy it, but I think people get past the point of no return with regards to working for little or for free.” Another agreed: “The exciting perks of journalism more than compensated for the lack of payment… After a while, though, it all becomes a bit tiresome. Last weekend I spent my two days off writing nonstop for unpaid deadlines. It’s very demoralising.” 

Read the rest in IdeasMag...

New story - "But I'm an Artist"

Here's a new story, published today in Notes from the Underground. It's about a young couple who dream of becoming artists and moving to Berlin.

Also, after the story, I write a bit about my favourite authors, books, films etc...

Hope you enjoy!

Beautiful blue

Most beautiful magazine cover I've seen in a while. International Klein blue? Such a wonderful colour.

Ira Glass's advice for young creatives

This is lovely.

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.