Bleak before bleak was cool

Lords and Ladies of the Court,

The following is a list of words which I could go decades without hearing. Please adhere to these rules and refrain from usage of these terms until this decree has been lifted:
“economic downturn”, “financial crisis”, “bailout”, “stimulus package”*, “layoffs”**,”foreign dependency” and “recession”.

*(including all emails about male enhancement and discount adult DVDs)
**(unless in the context of the Good Times theme song….R.I.P. Esther Rolle)

I’ve heard them all, and I’ve heard them enough. Including these terms in every conversation does nothing to promote positive thinking, and keeps everyone miserable. So, that’s it. They’re gone from my vocabulary until I’m talking to my grandkids about the horrors of the early 21st Century.

I like bleak. I like dark. I like ominous. (I also like spicy tuna rolls, but I digress). I was fortunate enough to receive a pre-release copy of Jack Kilborn’s novel, “Afraid”. It is all these things in abundance. I’ll get my horror and suspense from great writing and great music. That’s enough for me. Besides, the characters in “Afraid” are much more likeable than talking heads like Wolf “Show me the burning bodies” Blitzer.

Horror has played a large influence on my writing, both as a novelist and as a lyricist. As we continue the vocal sessions on the upcoming Division CD, “Control Issues”, I’m delighted to dig into the macabre and sadistic. This CD is largely a compilation of stories, each of which has its origins in something dark and frightening. Some folks use music to help them write (myself included). In this case, I’ve used books and movies to help me write the music that inspires books and movies. Art comes full circle, and in this case, that circle has burning candles and chants to evil spirits involved.

I hope to have some great new tidbits of information to you this month about music, writing, writers and some special announcements. “Control Issues” is still being created. If you’d like to hear some of the songs performed live, check out the Division site for show details.

In the meantime, stay so black that people may ask “how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black. ” as Nigel would say.

One love,
nK