tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21358183935839169592024-02-06T21:38:32.922-05:00A COLD RUSH OF AIRRandom Notes and A Few Words
from Kevin MichaelsKevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-49258566777250411082018-06-12T12:32:00.001-04:002018-06-12T12:32:27.686-04:00Anthony Bourdain<br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"To
know Jersey is to love her."</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Anthony Bourdain</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because Anthony Bourdain was at heart a
"Jersey-guy."</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The greatness of Jersey, to me, is the
indigenous New Jersey food, the tomatoes, the corn in summer, the steamer
clams, the fried blowfish tails that I used to have as a kid down on the shore,
salt water taffy on the boardwalk. I grew up eating not particularly
distinguished red sauce, Italian-American, that in retrospect probably wasn't
that good, but of course it will always have a place in my heart. I grew up
eating crappy fake Cantonese food, gooey, shiny, fake Cantonese food, and
overcooked, over-sauced pasta with giant meatballs, that there's only a
glancing relationship to real Italian. But I have to say that I'm deeply
sentimental about both of those things. That will always be the taste of Jersey
to me."</span></blockquote>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He was a masterful storyteller - an unforgettable
voice, succinct and to the point with his words, cutting to the heart of the
narrative quickly, deftly, and succinctly against the back beat rhythms of
The Ramones or Iggy Pop. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A few years ago Bourdain
filmed "Parts Unknown: New Jersey"...visiting two places I
called home for many years (Asbury Park and Atlantic City). In less than
an hour he captured the nuances of a state that is too often the butt of jokes
from people who don't understand what it's about, or how much it means to those
of us who grew up there - and how much of it we carry with us, no matter where
we go. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;">You can check out Parts Unknown- New Jersey </span><a href="http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2015/05/anthony_bourdain_parts_unknown_new_jersey_atlantic.html" style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a></div>
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<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-30522066494959064692018-05-27T15:27:00.002-04:002018-05-27T15:27:33.964-04:00Writing Naked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKHpRkTVQUS5-xJeIvSf6ApXMyMgzBjM_HDjxaSZqZvCLlck2tu3jesKLZ38R1XONTOfrrOMFRFQsEAUxHxed3OcvBZ5Y09252vv09aVjPdOFlsEQ9sMGIumCe2Q6WhSsbjkyWlOXafkb/s1600/IMG_1093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKHpRkTVQUS5-xJeIvSf6ApXMyMgzBjM_HDjxaSZqZvCLlck2tu3jesKLZ38R1XONTOfrrOMFRFQsEAUxHxed3OcvBZ5Y09252vv09aVjPdOFlsEQ9sMGIumCe2Q6WhSsbjkyWlOXafkb/s320/IMG_1093.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we talk about writing naked,
we’re not discussing another sequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">50
Shades of Grey</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or erotic literature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or if you’re old enough, that
magazine section in the corner store where only adults were allowed to browse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Writing naked is all about risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Risk
is a broad term when applied to writing and writers, and takes on many
forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But writing naked involves going
to the hard places, especially when it relates to the mystery and thriller
categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best kind of writing in
those genres – the kind that is moving and compelling, and stays with us long
after we’ve finished reading that last page and closed the book – is the kind
that lets it all hang out and pushes past our comfort zones. It’s writing that
takes creative risks, changes the narrative structure, voice, or uses
characters to tap into emotions and make hard-hitting social commentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honesty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bleeding on each page and baring emotions without compromising
integrity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All writers carry a fear of failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing is one of those professions filled
with the competing voices of self-doubt and critics who believe they can write
just as well if not better than you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
same critics who expect to see blood, sweat, and angst seeping from every page.
Perhaps the worst thing a mystery or thriller reader can say about something
you’ve written is that it’s “too predictable”, or that they’ve “seen this
before.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the kind of criticism
that cuts with a serrated edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Risk is
the thing that can keep writing fresh and unpredictable, but more importantly,
allow you to write with impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking
risks is how writers become better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking
on risk starts the moment you sit down to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t start off trying to write a book
that will appeal to everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agreeableness is boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
water down your writing to suit everyone’s tastes, you’ll never find the power
of your own voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
didn’t write <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Still Black Remains</i> for
any particular audience or demographic, which might explain why it was
initially difficult to find the right publisher – there might have been more options
if I had chosen a genre like YA or NA with a more specific group of
readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Still Black Remains</i> because it was a story I wanted - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">needed</b> - to tell, even if no one wanted
to read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started out as a simple
crime story but once I pushed past my own comfort zone it evolved into
something more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The central theme in the book is about
the struggle of a different generation trying to realize the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Dream</i> against all odds, and
through any means possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">he
characters have learned that hard work by itself will never help them achieve
what they want - they have to work outside the system to get what they want. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The inner city landscape where they
live is filled with desperation, anger, and a sense of futility and in many
cases violence is both the solution to problems and the result of
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actions – no matter what’s involved
or who gets hurt – are justified as being “part of the game.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I tried shaping the book towards
a particular audience or played it safe, I might have been tempted to change
the voice, minimize some of the violence, or sanitize the language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a gritty story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life in the New Jersey neighborhood where
Still Black Remains takes place is equally gritty, violent, and harsh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no way to soften the writing
without losing the legitimacy of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was a risky path to take because
readers might be offended, but it was absolutely necessary to tap into the
characters’ emotions and maintain the authenticity of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no other way to write it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a writer you need to strip away
the fears and worries that might hold back your story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to go out on a limb to write with
impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to write naked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write without fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t push your limits your writing
won’t take off, and more importantly, it won’t matter to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-12864806474390183852018-05-27T15:24:00.000-04:002018-05-27T15:24:59.366-04:00Writing About Murder...When You've Never Killed Anyone<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People often
advise aspiring fiction writers that the best thing to do is “write what you
know.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing about what you know
conveys authenticity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of the so-called cardinal rules of
writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However well-intentioned, it is
not only misunderstood but has somehow become the standard by which many
stories are too often judged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
belief that real authenticity in writing can only be expressed by someone who
has shared the same experiences as characters in that writer’s story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you’ve never robbed a bank, how do you
write a realistic scene involving a bank robbery without first walking into a
nearby Wells Fargo wearing a mask, carrying a forty-five, and shoving a note
across the counter at the teller demanding all the money in the drawer (except
the dye-packs which can be problematic)?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing
what you know can not only be boring, but creates an impression that readers
should care less about characters and more about their surroundings and the
things that inspired them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story
becomes less about fiction and more about reporting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
writers, we use imagination to create worlds populated by fictional
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us who write crime,
mystery, and suspense have never robbed a bank, spent time in lock-up, or been
involved in any number of the violent crimes committed by characters in our
stories but it doesn’t stop us from writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of us lead boring lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
day looks like all the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
not the kind of realism readers want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The challenge in finding an authentic voice is to be exciting,
interesting, and different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We use
imagination to give voice to characters and create not only the realism but the
authenticity editors, publishers, and most importantly, readers demand.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I faced a
number of challenges with Still Black Remains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One had to do with marketing a book that had no clearly defined genre –
no vampires or zombies or love-struck college sweethearts doomed by a
combination of fate, bad luck, and rare disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was the story I wanted to write, and
that was more important than everything else, no matter what’s popular in
bookstores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the true cardinal
rule of writing: write your story. It doesn’t matter what your friends, your
college professor, or even other writers think you should write – you need to
write the story you want to write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
biggest obstacle had to do with telling a story through the voice of characters
completely unlike me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still Black
Remains is the story of a street kid turned gangster named Twist, his
drug-dealing gang called the Skulls, and an out of control turf war that
escalates with the kidnapping of a mafia capo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kidnapping was supposed to provide a bargaining chip in negotiations
to end the war; it was never intended to be anything more than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like most great ideas, the plan doesn't
turn out as expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the
characters in Still Black Remains are black, and as any number of agents,
publishers, and even other writers pointed out, my characters could not be
authentic because I am not black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to them, I could not write this story because I am nothing
like the characters in the book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if a
writer cannot write about someone who doesn’t resemble themselves in the
mirror.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
implication was that only a black writer can capture the perspective of a main
character who is part of a drug-dealing street gang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A thug. A killer. How could I know anything
about the grittiness of the Skulls’ Newark, New Jersey neighborhood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could anyone like me understand the
nuances of a gangster’s life, capture their voices accurately, know the ins and
outs of street level drug deals, or understand the terror you feel when someone
has a forty-five pointed at your chest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How could a white man write a novel from a black man’s point of view?<o:p></o:p></div>
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That kind of belief not only dismisses creativity but
diminishes the skills and abilities writers need to imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t “write what I know” because I
didn’t know any of the experiences I was writing about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which is bullshit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That would mean that only cowboys can write westerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And only CIA or FBI agents could write
thrillers and espionage. And that any good zombie apocalypse novel can’t be
believable if it hasn’t been created by a zombie writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any of that were true - if authentic
writing is truly defined by writing about what you know - how do you explain
anything written by Stephen King?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good writing pulls you into a world where characters live
and makes them believable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagination
is essential – not experience. Writers bring out the attitudes and feelings of
those characters and give them emotional integrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good writers research locations and ask
questions – not just of themselves but of the characters in their stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ask “what if” questions, developing
their characters realistically and getting them into and out of problems. They
listen because authenticity comes from listening to people and how they talk.
Elmore Leonard’s writing sounds the way people talk and rings true because he
captured the rhythm and cadence of conversations, and I’m reasonably certain he
never did half the shit his characters did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gillian Flynn effectively told “Gone Girl” from both the male and female
point of view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She understood her
characters and knew their emotions, as well as the things that drove them –
being a woman had nothing to do with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Realism is important even in science fiction, which needs
elements of existing life, technology, and culture. But writers can write about
things they don’t know firsthand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Writing requires letting our imagination sprawl into the unknown – not
just staying with what we know. Writers have to be open to what we want to
know, what our characters understand, and their experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re a writer, it’s never about writing what you know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s about writing what you can imagine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally
published at Sirens of Suspense - April 3, 2017<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-76536252254694308112018-05-27T15:19:00.000-04:002018-05-27T15:19:44.751-04:00The Keeper<br />
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You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't
face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Malcolm X<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few years ago in our StoryTellers program I worked with
two twin brothers from Somalia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
lives had been hell, filled with wars, child soldiers, death, abuse, and
domestic violence before they managed to flee with their mother and older
brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They traveled thousands of
miles across deserts, through strange landscapes and foreign countries, most
times in the dark of night with nothing more than the few possessions they
carried on their backs so they could immigrate to America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even here they lived in constant fear that
their father – a government official in Somalia - would someday find them and
return them to the horrors of the world they left behind. During months of
writing sessions they shared stories filled with pain, fear, and distrust, but
also stories deep in excitement about their new lives and happiness at the
chances they had been given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They worked
hard to assimilate, learning a new language and culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They learned to smile and laugh again. They
studied hard, got good grades, and seized every opportunity life in America
provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They worked for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earned it. Nobody gave them anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yes …they were Muslim.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I doubt many Americans – especially those worried about
jihads and radical Islam and the Muslim boogeymen coming to get us – have ever
had any real contact with Muslims (the guy behind the counter at the local
convenience store doesn’t count unless you took the time to talk about
something more substantial than the cost of that bag of Doritos and six-pack of
Bud). Strip away religion. Take away misguided fears about a culture and
misguided ideologies we don’t take time to understand. We are all just people.
Looking for happiness and love and sometimes even acceptance in a country based
on the premise that everyone – no matter where they come from or who they
worship – is welcome here. And that we are all created equal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can learn a little more about StoryTellers <a href="http://storytellersnj.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you're curious about the title, check out this video from
Chris Cornell called <a href="https://youtu.be/4i2ryOiH0rQ" target="_blank">The Keeper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-77810856067195064782018-05-27T15:03:00.001-04:002018-05-27T15:03:51.786-04:00Not Today.... from 1.29.2017 (Sliding Down The Rzor's Edge)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbh9o8QlZxPvw5y9A9_LctUaCRBgFRF7es7ihADv2Z2cgihzgFLp6YucUj8Yt_mJooAUFpM4x9Qabsm7_tV4nu2DlaLFvrPtxhY9YbMWNPY2hd1X8bY9JQ16r9v8y7qB-yrQE8apTjmEf/s1600/IMG_1006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="746" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbh9o8QlZxPvw5y9A9_LctUaCRBgFRF7es7ihADv2Z2cgihzgFLp6YucUj8Yt_mJooAUFpM4x9Qabsm7_tV4nu2DlaLFvrPtxhY9YbMWNPY2hd1X8bY9JQ16r9v8y7qB-yrQE8apTjmEf/s320/IMG_1006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
New Colossus<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-16537936387787029342018-05-27T14:59:00.000-04:002018-05-27T14:59:48.259-04:00A Culture of Swine (from 11.09.2016 - Sliding Down The Razor's Edge)<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
“Buy the ticket. Take
the ride.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
Hunter S. Thompson<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
It is the morning after the nastiest, most divisive
presidential election ever. Not just in our lifetime. EVER. And while banshees
scream about the death of democracy, the dogs of hell are already barking and
howling a victory song marking the beginning of what may very well be a long,
nasty period in American history.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The Trump years will be a horror. Now that the
Republican Party has sunk its talons into the heart and soul of Washington, the
repercussions will be painful and long-lasting. Generations will feel those
effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump-ism will allow the
Republicans to pass massive regressive tax cuts, yank access to medical care
from the poor and sick, deregulate the financial industry, gut the EPA while
looking away as polluters and fossil-fuel emitters rape the environment, and
promote racism disguised as patriotism under the banner “Making America Great
Again”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
What a load of shit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
As if America ever stopped being great.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
And sadly, that is just the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump is a monster. He is an impulsive,
egotistical bully, intolerant of any and all criticism and attracted to power
like a shark to blood (or maybe in his case – a fly to shit).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
HST’s comments about an equally evil individual
once in power (Richard Nixon) are appropriate: Trump represents that “dark,
venal and incurably violent side of the American character that almost every
country in the world has learned to fear and despise. Our… president, with his
Barbie-doll wife and his boxful of Barbie-doll children is also America's
answer to the monstrous Mr. Hyde. He speaks for the Werewolf in us; the bully,
the predatory shyster who turns into something unspeakable, full of claws and
bleeding string-warts on nights when the moon comes too close…” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The fifty-nine million Americans who elected Trump
will not be helped by his agenda nor any of his programs – he avoided policy
specifics in every debate, so it’s difficult to say for sure what those
programs might be, except that they will all be “tremendous”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the people who bought into his bullshit,
Trump-ism represents the opportunity to rebuild our nation and renew the
American dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Tremendous potential.
It’s going to be a beautiful thing. Every single American will have the
opportunity to realize his or her fullest potential.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Except that they won’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not if they are Black. Or Hispanic. Or women.
Or Muslim. Or refugees. Or LGBT. The only people who might be satisfied by a
Trump presidency are the ones who voted for him because of racial and cultural
resentment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The depths of a Trump presidency defy any sane,
rational person’s imagination. Based on the seismic divisions within our
country – race, cultural, religious, and gender<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– that his candidacy preyed upon like a vulture eating road kill, it’s
safe to assume his presidency will not be popular. At least not for long and
not with everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Trump, his
henchmen, and gnarly co-horts will most likely respond with vicious anti-democratic
measures that threaten the basic tenets of our Constitution and the freedoms it
guarantees. But fighting for democracy is part of America’s heritage – it’s
what we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We fight to make things
better and stand up to racism, bigotry, misogyny, discrimination, and
oppression. It may take us a while to get it right, but we stand up for the
rights of others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
No matter who is in the White House, we need to
fight hard for all people of color, LGBT rights, religious freedoms, a woman's
right to choose, medical care for people who cannot afford healthcare, etc. -
maybe now more than ever. We are stronger together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we need to keep fighting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
It is the morning after the nastiest election ever.
The sun still came out. Many of us still woke up next to the person we love,
surrounded by family or friends who matter. Still hopeful for a better future
than the one our parents gave us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
this country. I believe in it. I still believe in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not leaving - I’m going to stay and
defend truth and democracy. There are a lot of people just like me, who feel
the same way I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not going
anywhere. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
We are going to stay and fix this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-51030801987335131932018-05-27T14:54:00.002-04:002018-05-27T14:54:39.838-04:00The Real Issue of Sexual Violence on Campus<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Once again, another
politician has gotten it wrong when it comes to sexual violence on college
campuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Georgia Rep. Earl
Ehrhart, House Bill-51 which he sponsored, will provide greater protection for
the rights of the accused in sexual assault cases. Behind that logic is the
subtle but too often heard implication that women are deceptively “crying rape”,
and that there are large numbers of falsely accused who are being wrongly
prosecuted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Noting can be farther
from the facts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">False allegations of rape
hold a disproportionate place in the public imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>False allegations are nothing but statistical
outliers and the bottom line fact that people not only believe them but continually
dismiss victims is a sad reflection of the prevalence of rape culture in our
society. Overall, 2- 8 % of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reported</i>
rapes are false but over 40 - 60% of all rapes are not even reported.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A DOJ study in 2000 found that fewer than 5%
of completed and attempted rapes of collegiate women are reported to police,
and that figure drops even lower for other forms of sexual violence. According
to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, rape is the </span><a href="http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_factsheet_media-packet_statistics-about-sexual-violence_0.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">most underreported crime</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">, with an estimated 63
percent of sexual assaults never reported to police at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For every 100 incidents
of rape that do get reported, maybe two to eight at most are false accusations,
with possibly another 600 going unreported. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i>
is the problem lawmakers should direct their energies toward solving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One in five young women is
assaulted during their college years. One reason the frequency of sexual
assault on campuses continues to be high is that schools are in denial about
the scope of the problem and too many have fragmented reporting channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unclear and conflicted internal disciplinary
systems can compound victims’ suffering. Women in college have also identified
fear of not being believed, not being sure whether what they experienced was a
sexual assault and not wanting family or other people to know about the
incidents as reasons for not reporting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This bill will increase those fears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Our system too often fails victims of sexual assault – the
campus justice system through Title IX provides a measure of accountability
that would be stripped away under HB-51, and make it harder for victims to get
justice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the <a href="http://endrapeoncampus.org/the-clery-act"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Clery Act</span></a>,
another federal law that intersects with Title IX, a bill of rights for
survivors of campus sexual assault requires colleges and universities to
provide a number of protections such as notification of counseling resources
and offering the option of reporting a case to either the school, law
enforcement, or both. It also provides academic or living accommodations, such
as changing dorms and classes. Schools are discouraged from burdening the survivor,
instead of the perpetrator, with the responsibility to change their
circumstances. Additionally, it requires that survivors be notified of the
final outcome of any disciplinary proceeding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Right now on college
campuses we have literally no idea how many students are being sexually abused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a far bigger problem than a few false
rape allegations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is incredible how much
concern this bill and its sponsors devote to something that is so rare it is
practically irrelevant and inconsequential to any serious discussion of sexual
assault.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Rep. Ehrhart’s concern
for the families of the falsely accused is admirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m not going to sit with any more moms like
that if I can help it. It’s the most wrenching experience I ever had,” he said.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How many victims of
sexual assault and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> mothers has
he ever sat with? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">From; Sliding Down The Razor's Edge (3.29.2017)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-55023632498193733152015-09-10T16:41:00.003-04:002015-09-10T16:41:53.176-04:00Nutshell<br />
For anyone and everyone fighting their own demons-<br /><br />Alice in Chains: Nutshell<br /><br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/rbpS2LfoTKU" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />
We chase misprinted lies<br />
We face the path of time<br />
And yet I fight<br />
And yet I fight<br />
This battle all alone<br />
No one to cry to<br />
No place to call home<br />
<br />My gift of self is raped<br />
My privacy is raked<br />
And yet I find<br />
And yet I find<br />
Repeating in my head<br />
If I can't be my own<br />
I'd feel better dead<br />
<br />
Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-7595364783210291272015-04-21T09:55:00.002-04:002015-04-21T09:55:55.511-04:00I Hung My HeadMy story "I Hung My Head" is at Jeanette Cheezum's cavalcadeofstars (much respect to Jeanette for giving writers a cool place to hang out - one of my favorite places and a great site to find a diverse range of writing).<br />
<br />
If you're interested, you can read the story at:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://cavalcadeofstars.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/kevin-michaels-2/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<br />
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-13987989164870469942015-04-14T16:05:00.002-04:002015-04-14T17:49:16.313-04:00Breaking The Silence A horrific read.<br />
<br />
There are so many things about this story that are terrible and tragic (but all too familiar) - the first of which is the title of the article alluding to some kind of "love story". Jon Koppenhaver's brutal assault tops the list....close behind are those of the neighbors who wouldn't let Christy Mack inside their house as she begged for help (at least they were thoughtful enough to let her hide outside behind a wall while they called the police). And typically, the victim-blaming that follows.<br />
<br />
Much respect to Bellator President Scott Coker ("It was very clear to me that there is no space in our league for somebody like that," Coker said).<br />
<br />
And total admiration for Christy Mack - for telling her story, purposely allowing herself to be named, and publishing graphic photos and a brutal description of the incident. For some, nothing brings home visceral violence of DV like the images she posted. Total admiration for refusing to be a victim. For joining forces with Break The Silence and turning what happened to her into some good for the cause of domestic violence awareness. <br />
<br />
DV and sexual violence can never be tolerated.<br />
<br />
You can read the full story <a href="http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12627754/the-tragic-love-story-christy-mack-mma-fighter-war-machine" target="_blank">here</a> Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-91905931361330200122015-04-13T18:04:00.005-04:002015-04-13T18:05:27.251-04:00THIS HAPPENED TO ME, TOOI'm over at <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwrighterly.com%2F&h=wAQHfFzvv&enc=AZPBxzcGzTD-T6iHhgHguZRIkcanTk1Bpkwq3Eza9LRlCJpO-qf0k-WV8c_r2E_bktl91Wzh8Y2RqoEDQjjJR188ThMgnJiw1I6bU26grzhSw9o5aljvmek8h8XtEBG2ivSnGzj4nklFMK3Rkdysvzb6oVr-6ib-JqXPZtFlzt2HXJdxyXcxwMaqBaw8kp5Y_GE&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wrighterly.com</a>
this week with a guest column entitled, "This Happened To Me, Too". The
column is part of Stephanie Wright's "52 Mondays" - if you care at all
about stopping DV as well as sexual violence, you need to check out her
work EVERY WEEK. Week after week she has consistently raised her voice
and increased the level of dialogue on the subject - Stephanie Wright is
one of those true heroes who makes a difference in her words and
actions. I'm flattered and honored to add my voice to hers'.<br />
<br />
Please take a moment to read "52 Mondays" then take a stand.<br />
<br />
Make a difference at stopping DV and sexual violence.<br />
<br />
You can read "52 Mondays" <a href="http://wrighterly.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a><a href="http://wrighterly.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a>Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-30639455484109175672015-03-06T12:13:00.002-05:002015-03-06T12:14:17.031-05:00Support The Trevor Project<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So it’s put up or shut up time for me:<br /><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now through the end of April, I will be donating
all money earned from sales of LOST EXIT in both ebook and paperback to The
Trevor Project (The Trevor Project is the leading national organization
providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention to the LGBTQ you people
(ages 13-24) community).<br /><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you already bought a copy of LOST EXIT, please
consider making a donation at <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetrevorproject.org%2F&h=XAQFjet6z&enc=AZNMy50fqEVCG5hgDia59RCVyBi9aTLqVv5Uf1s3b5FYDv8KcLE6_q2SekaCInhI8gHLsX_RWiJIkejJyVGSyfcYvkwygM9yLmqDFrtR2xQ28SJQ77MUVm1W4slIqSZ0vLWAtnf4EX1BWTgjoJv-N2F1pcrLSR36z83ztTSMKJmW2w&s=1" target="_blank">http://www.thetrevorproject.org<br /><br /></a></div>
And if you don’t mind, please share this with as many people as you can.<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
You can buy LOST EXIT: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Exit-Kevin-Michaels%E2%80%A6/%E2%80%A6/B004JHZ4JM" target="_blank">HERE</a>Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-81510822011552577602014-10-28T15:38:00.000-04:002014-10-28T15:38:02.662-04:00A DAY IN THE LIFEHere's how it goes if you're a woman just trying to walk down the street.<br /><br />What is truly deplorable (aside from the nasty remarks by racist ass-wipes) is how many of those making comments on the YouTube page (yeah - mostly men) feel that none of what this woman experiences is harassment. Tragic and heart-breaking that intent, admiration, and that it's "our job as a man to do the first move" are used as justification for bad behavior, as well as the inevitable denigration of the woman. Bottom line: it's about respect. A woman's self-esteem doesn't need to be dependent on the affirmation of a stranger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-45085106923860567822014-09-25T09:10:00.000-04:002014-09-25T11:40:15.879-04:00BLURRED LINES<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Elliot
Rodger left little doubt about his motives, intentions, or the source of his
problems when he went on his killing spree a few months ago in Isla Vista,
California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His 141-page manifesto was
filled with hatred towards women and his violent misogyny ignited debates that
brought the term “rape culture” back into mainstream conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, most men have no idea what rape
culture means, including some who argued vehemently against its existence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
you’re a man, the first thing you need to know is that rape culture
exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s as real as the way you suck
in your stomach on the beach and how you pretend to have been a better high
school athlete than you ever really were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can deny its existence all you want – pretend it’s fanaticism or
feminism or anything else you can label with an “ism” that lessens the blow,
but rape culture is real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And if you’re a man, it’s your
fault.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That might hurt, but it’s undeniable
and men have to face that fact.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rape culture exists because men believe
it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does not</i> exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hide behind phrases like “it’s not all
men”or “I’m not that kind of guy”, and make excuses to minimize the things other
men have done and soften the pain their actions create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find explanations and reasons, and point
to dozens of examples that show how we’re not all the same - anything to get us
off the hook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can’t rationalize
it away because facts don’t lie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hard truth is that men are the
primary reason for the existence of rape culture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you ask, most men can’t define
rape culture or put into words what it means in today’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a theory – something imagined by
radical feminists or hysterical left-leaning writers on college campuses and in
Brooklyn coffee houses. It’s not created by socio-economic conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rape culture is about the way we collectively
deal with situations where sexual assault and rape are tolerated, ignored,
trivialized, normalized, or made into jokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not just our actions but our attitudes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rape culture is about exposing women to
unwanted sexual advances and a lack of accountability in the excuses we make
when it happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It means a rape victim
is victimized all over again when she reports the crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about blaming victims for actions
against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most importantly, it is a
conscious decision by some men to commit an unwanted act against another person,
and other men allowing it to happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It happens a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Women get that and understand it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Men still have a lot to learn and a
long way to go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some guys think it’s unfair to
categorize men into one homogenous group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That it’s unfair for the actions of a few to reflect poorly on this
group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That it’s wrong that all men have
to adjust their behavior, and they are right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is unfair and wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s
also unfair that not enough men have been taught <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not to rape</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That not enough
men have learned that “no” means “no” – that grey areas don’t exist between
“yes” and “no” when it comes to consensual sex or even unwanted attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s unfair that women cannot go anywhere
without looking over a shoulder, holding car keys like weapons, or considering
every man she sees as a threat – considerations men rarely think about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you can’t understand how that
works or what it means, think about it this way: there are 470 species of
sharks but only 4 have ever been involved in a significant number of fatal,
unprovoked attacks on humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are
swimming in the ocean and see a dorsal fin pop up between the waves, you don’t
stop to calculate your chances – you turn into Michael Phelps and freestyle
back to the beach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s like that for women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every man is a threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even nice guys can turn out to be someone or
something different, especially since over 70% of all women know their
rapist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like it or not, all men need to
be judged by our worst examples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That is how we have forced women to
live.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rape culture is about vulnerability
and we need to fix it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bad men exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our role is to do something about that and
change the way other men behave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk
about rape prevention but instead of teaching women how not to be raped, we
need to teach men not to rape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to
act in ways that make all women feel comfortable and be considerate of the
space we share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men need to stop
objectifying and degrading women, then blaming victims for things men have done
as a result of that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you’re a man, you need to act as
if every woman is your wife, mother, daughter, or friend and treat them
accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have daughters and
sons – if you care about the women in your life – if you care at all about
ending hatred, violence, and sexism against women, do something.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stop making excuses and start making
changes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On
a Friday night in Southern California a few months ago, Elliot Rodger unleashed
his rage and millions of women again told stories of sexual violence, sexual
harassment, and sexual fears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Painful,
powerful, and brutally honest stories that have been told before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
time, all men need to listen.</span></div>
Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-69572724718384972502014-09-16T18:02:00.001-04:002014-09-16T18:02:40.354-04:00Why I Think The World Should End"More people want 15 seconds of fame<br />
Than a lifetime of meaning and purpose<br />
Because what’s popular is more important than what’s right"<br />
<br />
and<br /><br />"Robert Kennedy once said that<br />
Few will have the greatness to bend history<br />
But each of us can work to change a small portion of events<br />
And in the total of all those act<br />
Will be written in the history of a generation"<br />
<br />
Watch this - memorize it - go out and shout it at everyone you see........<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/itvnQ2QB4yc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-61590512821948815172014-05-13T09:37:00.002-04:002014-05-13T09:37:54.502-04:0010 Things I Wish I Had Been ToldGreat post by Russell Blake on writing - every writer (as well as anyone who wants to be a writer today) needs to take a look at this post.<br />
<br />
You can read it <a href="http://russellblake.com/10-things-i-wish-id-been-told/" target="_blank">here</a>Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-58475087871156503282014-04-21T17:07:00.001-04:002014-04-21T17:07:46.389-04:00SHORT, SHARP INTERVIEWMy short, sharp interview with Paul Brazill - a terrific writer of books and short stories - can be seen <a href="http://pauldbrazill.com/2014/04/21/short-sharp-interview-kevin-michaels/" target="_blank">right here</a><br /><br />Check it out if you have a momentKevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-68229031428848719712014-04-17T12:37:00.000-04:002014-04-17T12:37:23.690-04:00NINE IN THE MORNING - FREE FOR KINDLE ***UPDATE***<span class="fsl">Pick up a free copy of MY new short story
collection NINE IN THE MORNING. Intense, edgy, and explosive, NINE IN
THE MORNING is an engaging collection of stories filled with razor-sharp
dialogue, intense storytelling, and powerful imagery. <br /> <br /> Available FREE for your Kindle through Sunday.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaFK1zPNN6RZ1U5RC3H8LvrxeGMGuqeLf93jZ_qJ3YpOXkh1iVIiGxZ-Gm1YQOkIMkskVS5PaPYVq05-SQg8zvf9YlT6M8HVodg7WdJSTwLiAJ4zjPLyuElePRcZwVzaTeNbdqkbjJ33Y/s1600/NITM+Cover+-ebook+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaFK1zPNN6RZ1U5RC3H8LvrxeGMGuqeLf93jZ_qJ3YpOXkh1iVIiGxZ-Gm1YQOkIMkskVS5PaPYVq05-SQg8zvf9YlT6M8HVodg7WdJSTwLiAJ4zjPLyuElePRcZwVzaTeNbdqkbjJ33Y/s1600/NITM+Cover+-ebook+cover.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<span class="fsl">Pick up a copy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nine-In-The-Morning-Collected-ebook/dp/B00JOQA682" target="_blank">here</a><br /><br /></span>Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-43838429511659997852014-04-15T14:02:00.001-04:002014-04-15T14:02:52.829-04:00RELEASE DAY: NINE IN THE MORNING<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">NINE IN THE MORNING BOOK RELEASE<br /> <br />
My collection of short stories - "Nine In The Morning" - is out today
and available for Amazon Kindle (the paperback version will be out this
weekend). My advice: save those hard-earned dollars and tax refunds,
and pick up your free copy this weekend......my attempt to stimulate
economic recovery and growth.<br /> <br /> Both the Kindle version and
paperback will include a preview of my next book: "Still Black Remains"
which will be out this summer.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">You can check it out: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nine-In-The-Morning-Collected-ebook/dp/B00JOQA682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397584710&sr=8-1&keywords=Nine+in+the+morning+kevin+michaels" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-5685781892755474832014-04-04T15:23:00.003-04:002014-04-04T15:27:58.842-04:00Nine In The Morning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidm4YeHuPV4lEWEpKbGUMthyMwjzIDpPgFogKoZOoe5KLRboKMinxJj1AckuS0HSUuMOmJCnoZat9aZ7vOrh90ykJXf2BFOlXKSukVjez0JrW8u_W7UDnbobJDHFRcCAmc14QVQRRYFQ-e/s1600/NITM+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidm4YeHuPV4lEWEpKbGUMthyMwjzIDpPgFogKoZOoe5KLRboKMinxJj1AckuS0HSUuMOmJCnoZat9aZ7vOrh90ykJXf2BFOlXKSukVjez0JrW8u_W7UDnbobJDHFRcCAmc14QVQRRYFQ-e/s1600/NITM+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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AVAILABLE APRIL 15TH, 2014</div>
Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-68741432979907045442014-04-02T17:04:00.001-04:002014-04-02T17:04:28.359-04:00Coming Soon: "Nine in The Morning"Just confirmed the April 15th release date for "Nine In The Morning". <br /><br />"Nine In The Morning" is a collection of my recent short stories and flash fiction. Filled with thugs, gangsters, addicts, dealers, families on the edge, and characters looking for a better life, the stories explore the dark underbelly of urban America - a place where everyone tries to survive at any price.<br />
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More to follow...... <br />
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Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-23892885034813007812014-02-12T12:32:00.000-05:002014-02-12T12:32:12.297-05:00HOW IT ENDSMy story "How It Ends" originally featured at Jeanette Cheezum's Cavalcade of Stars is up now at fictionaut.com.<br />
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You can check out the original link:<br /><br /><a href="http://cavalcadeofstars.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/kevin-michaels/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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<br />And if you can, please take the time to go through all the stories at Cavalcade - in a short period of time, it has become the go-to place for new and exciting literary voices.Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-38435401246278481762014-01-22T10:11:00.002-05:002014-01-22T10:14:23.723-05:00Writing Program - BBBS<a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Celebrate--.html?soid=1103523275017&aid=eHSkrTj27bI" target="_blank">Celebrate Big Brothers Big Sisters Writing Program</a><br />
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Click on the link above to check out the writing program we run through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth & Middlesex Counties in NJ. "No Rules...Just Writing Part 2" is the second book published by these young authors to showcase their writing. <br />
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Self-esteem through self-expression.<br />
<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-28284370567374494972014-01-02T15:19:00.001-05:002014-01-02T15:20:10.526-05:00Rules For Writing: 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135818393583916959.post-75900505976761294862013-09-27T16:11:00.001-04:002013-09-27T16:11:51.792-04:00CAN'T MISS CONTENDER IN PAPERBACKThis weekend Fight Card: Can't Miss Contender will be released in paperback... for all you traditionalists who haven't yet bought the book, this is your chance to grab a copy. And while you're throwing down the green over at Amazon, pick up the other books in the Fight Card series!<br />Kevin Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00703125974467675009noreply@blogger.com0