Writer Seeks Reader

I Don't Make Fun Of

Stephen Evans — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:43:12 GMT

I have fun with.

Writing Commedy

Stephen Evans — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:21:36 GMT

Here is a link to an interview I did with Wordybirds, a weekly radio discussion about books and ideas, hosted by Liz Humes on 97.3 FM in Richmond, VA.

http://wordybirds.org/2008/07/08/stephen-evans/

I was appearing on a panel that night discussing writing comedy (fortunately with thoughtful and very funny people: Kelly Justice of The Fountain Bookstore, Brett Leake and Lord Carette), so some of the interview questions focused on that topic. Her questions were interesting. You'll have to judge my answers for yourself.

Genius

Stephen Evans — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:32:56 GMT

is the inability to not see.

Top Ten Plays Written in English

Stephen Evans — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:49:00 GMT

Here is my list of the top ten plays originally written in English:

A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Tempest
King Lear
Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2)
Our Town

As You Like It

Antony and Cleopatra

Twelfth Night

The Importance of Being Earnest

A Long Days Journey into Night

I was going to put in Waiting for Godot, but I think that was originally written in French.

The Greatest Short Novel Ever Written

Stephen Evans — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:02:22 GMT

I have concluded that my novel The Marriage of True Minds (http://unbridledbooks.com/trueminds.html) is the greatest short novel ever written. To explain my criteria and decision-making process, let's examine some of the other fine contenders:

Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad): I never laughed once.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote): Does not appear to be set in Minneapolis.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (Leo Tolstoy): The letters in this book look funny and I'm not entirely sure it was written in English.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce): Has more than five words in the title.

To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf): Was not written by me.

So, to sum up, The Marriage of True Minds is the greatest short funny novel set in Minneapolis written by me in English with a title of not more than five words.

Directing Shakespeare

Stephen Evans — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:52:02 GMT

There are two keys to directing Shakespeare for a modern audience:

1) Physicalize the transitions
2) Everything works on stage

By physicalize the transitions, I mean identify the emotional and intellectual transitions both within and between the lines, and use a physical change (blocking, business, set, lighting) to emphasize the change. This is the only compromise to you need to make to help the audience comprehend the story. You don’t have to set it in Nazi Germany or the Stone Age or the Far Future, all of which is usually a distraction after the first five minutes anyway.

By everything works on stage, I mean assume that whatever is written will connect with the audience if properly performed. He wasn’t having a bad day or attempting the impossible or trying to solve a theatrical problem. If it’s in the play, it works on stage. If it isn’t working, it’s your problem, not his.

What If

Stephen Evans — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:47 GMT

I became a vegetarian a dozen or more years ago not because it was more healthy or even more ethical, but because I did not want to add to the anguish in the world. I have never regretted that decision, or even seriously questioned it.

But what if every one was a vegetarian? What if overnight some switch was thrown and no one ate eat meat any longer?

Sounds great at first. But what would happen to the billions of animals raised for food around the globe? Would they starve? Would we have massive euthanasia because we couldn't afford to feed them?

And suppose it was a gradual transition, no massive change, just fewer and fewer animals slaughtered. That would certainly mean fewer and fewer animals raised. Is it really better for them never to live than to live a while?

Take away the quality of life issues: if the life was comfortable and the death painless, which would be better-some life, or none? If you had to make that same choice for yourself, or your family, which would you choose?

Animals cannot choose the life we give them. But they can't choose the life we don't give them either.

Oh, Well That Explains It

Stephen Evans — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:12:47 GMT

"Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great and original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In Case You Were Wondering

Stephen Evans — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:03:17 GMT

where the title of my novel comes from:

Sonnet 116

by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

It's Here. And/Or There.

Stephen Evans — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:11:08 GMT

My novel The Marriage of True Minds (http://unbridledbooks.com/trueminds.html) is now available in (I hope) your local bookstore or library, as well as online retailers.

I'd like to thank--

(ORCHESTRA PLAYS LOUDLY AS THE AUTHOR IS CONDUCTED OFF STAGE).

Down with Moonlight: A one minute play

Stephen Evans — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:38:13 GMT

Down with Moonlight

Scene: A wall.

Time: Night.

At Rise: Kay and Zed are sitting in the moonlight.

Kay: I love you madly.

Zed: Is there another way?

Kay: You don't understand.

Zed: You.

Kay: What?

Zed: You.

(Long pause)

Kay: What?

Zed: I don't understand you. I understand a lot of things. Just not you.

Kay: Like what?

Zed: Double entry accounting. Quantum mechanics. The mind of God.

Kay: But not me.

Zed: No.

Kay: Why?

Zed: You love me madly.

Kay: Is there another way?

Zed: Exactly.

Kay: No. I'm asking.

Zed: It's a good question.

(Pause)

Kay: Down with moonlight.

(Long pause)

Zed: Where else would it go?

BLACKOUT

The Summoning of Courage

Stephen Evans — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:35:31 GMT

The summoning of courage is the most dangerous of spells. For you can’t summon courage to do one thing. You must summon courage to do all things.

We need an new word

Stephen Evans — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Humane doesn't mean what it connotes.

Or is that humans don't.

Charitocracy

Stephen Evans — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:50:02 GMT

When we die, after limited provision for spouse and children, I propose that our entire estates go to charity. In a generation, this multi-trillion dollar transfer will transform American society. Maybe even in a good way.

But some things won't change. As a writer, the challenge will be to find someone who wants my estate.

I am not a Writer

Stephen Evans — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:49:04 GMT

I am a Writre.

Or an Authro.

I can't decide.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stephen Evans — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:32:00 GMT

From The Comic (Letters and Social Aims)

When Carlini was convulsing Naples with laughter, a patient waited on a physician in that city, to obtain some remedy for excessive melancholy, which was rapidly consuming his life. The physician endeavored to cheer his spirits, and advised him to go to the theatre and see Carlini. He replied, "I am Carlini."

Sum over Meanings

Stephen Evans — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:07:38 GMT

The true meaning of a fictional text can be determined quantitatively by performing a sum over meanings calculation using the following postulates:

1. Meanings in fiction are probabilistic with predictable probabilities P.

2. The probability P for a meaning to occur is given by the square of the complex magnitude of an amplitude for the meaning, Q. The amplitude Q associated with a meaning is the sum of the amplitudes associated with every interpretation leading to the meaning.

3. The amplitude associated with a given reading is the product of the amplitudes associated with each fundamental reading of the text.

Well, it makes sense to me...

Stephen Evans — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 21:55:39 GMT

Purpose requires meaning. Meaning requires understanding. Understanding requires language. So for now, my purpose is language.

Which for a writer is very convenient.

Thoreau

Stephen Evans — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:24:28 GMT

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Humor vs. Comedy

Stephen Evans — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:01:50 GMT

Humor is surprise minus fear.

Comedy is humor plus meaning.