Okay—I admit to a mild case of neglect. However … as a student, and a recently “self-employed” freelancer, I feel entitled to that. All the same, this is my blog and I ought to be more attentive to it. Especially considering the guidelines I set out for myself. So, yeah. Updates are incoming. New fiction, for one, a story I’ve been meaning to post for a while now but needed to draft a bit more. Despite better judgment, I’ve decided to withhold from posting it until I’ve gotten some feedback from my upcoming workshop. The story is probably the most well drafted “writing prompt” I’ve ever churned out, but all the same, it’s little more than a writing prompt, despite the intimacy of the story itself.

I do have a fairly stable WIP of “Nazca City Blues,” but I don’t think I ought to post that in its entirety, especially as a WIP. So perhaps a snippet in the near future? No promises. Have to play some cards close to the chest. I’m sure you understand.

In the meanwhile, I s’pose this is good as any time to flex teacherly—to begin to embrace the reality that I am not your average student, that I am, in fact, on the  verge of making the transition from student to teacher, and as such, ought to start posting more pedagogically—that is to say, start teachin’ what I’m preachin’. So for a debut? A short sermon on the importance of proofreading, editing, drafting, and preparing a piece for workshop (read: preparing a piece for publication).

The short and the skinny is: If you’re a creative writer, or writing minor, or anyone who takes their writing remotely serious, please, please, please treat the item you are submitting as if it were being submitted to a publisher. Show it to friends, family, whomever—just make sure it has been looked at by eyes other than your own, and please draft it a minimum of three times. The grammatical side of writing is a lot like clothing—it is the superficial layer upon which we judge others. The more chaotic and messy your grammar is, the less likely your readership is to become engrossed in your story. By no means am I prescriptivist. I simply believe that in order to break the rules, as creative writers are wont to do, myself included, you must first have a firm grasp of the rules. So do yourself a favor and pick up any of the countless grammar books that exist out there (except Strunk & White, whom oppose to “they/their” as a singular pronoun in favor if “he/him/his”—fuck their archaic sexism) or take Doctor Epstein’s Modern American-English Grammar course.

Also? Writing is revision. “The first draft of anything is shit” (according to Ernest Hemingway). Hence: My three-draft minimum.

“Like when these niggas call me ‘faggot’ and ‘we homies now’ / But we are not homies, I just keep you around” (“Be Alone”)

“I’m dominant, niggas call me faggot ‘cause they closeted” (“Freaks and Geeks”)

“Callin’ me a faggot when I’m rappin’, that’s hatin’” (“Not Going Back”)

“Black dudes assume I’m closeted or kinda gay” (“Not Going Back”)

“You want a dude who keep it real and stay hood / I’m sorry, babe, but I act me / I don’t act black, what ever that be” (“Not Going Back,” thought continued)

~

This bothers me. Deeply. Not the language, not hardly. Childish Gambino, AKA Donald Glover (the real Spider-Man, former writer for “30 Rock,” star of “Community,” and one of the more noteworthy characters in “Bro Rape“) has the racial right to sling about the N-word as much as he chooses. And, honestly, given the context, I don’t care that he’s dropping the gay F-bomb. It’s that it’s a persistent theme in his EP (3 out of 5 of the tracks contain mention of his being called a “faggot” by, as he puts it and I’m inclined to agree, haters) that gets under my skin.

What we’re basically seeing here, exhaustingly so, is the continued use of the word “faggot” as a demeaning insult for “others.” Based on the lyrics, it seems that Glover was never “black” or “hood” enough, or too “geeky” (he drops ee cummings references along with Dragon Ball Z references, which is about as geekily disparate as it comes) and–of course–middle class (or so I surmise, based on his lyrics. Further investigation may be needed for this). He champions education and wants to be a role model to other young middle-class people of color. He doesn’t front, and he doesn’t put on an air of fabricated coolness. As he says, “IAmDonald is a full-time job.” In other words, being one’s self is a full-time job alone.

Perhaps this is late night, tumbler o’ rum kvetching. If so, I apologize. But I think it’s utterly exhausting that even the most minute meanderings from hardline “masculinity” are grounds to label someone a “fairy” or “queer” or “faggot.” Once again, based on his lyrics, Glover seems to like pussy–quite a bit. What evidence more does one need for heterosexuality than that? Furthermore, this nonsense still indirectly puts women down. If a “faggot” is someone who isn’t masculine, but rather exhibits feminine traits, or is completely effeminate, or is, in actuality queer (gay), this makes them womanly. And it ain’t cool to be a woman. They are, after all, the inferior sex. It troubles me how damaging this one little world is and the multitudinous layers of insult and male chauvinism it contains. I mean, it clearly left a profound impact on Glover’s psyche to be such a reoccurring theme. And all over what? Warped perceptions of race roles, gender roles, and homophobia on the scale of a religious crusade (and backed by Catholic zealots and zealots of other organized religions, no less)? Let’s try to advance, society. It ain’t much. And if it is, then I’m inclined to agree with Gambino–niggas call me faggot ’cause they closeted. If so, then learn to love yourselves, brosephs. And learn to love other people or at least leave them be, bullies.

<3 Childish Gambino. Keep up the great work, homeslice.