My Writing Influences --

Got David Foster Wallace's book Oblivion: Stories from the library today, and it's super great. I love him, and I got to thinking about my writing influences and who they are. Maybe they don't want to be associated with this jelly, but I'll take that chance, just in case they Google themselves and happen across this blog and then compliment me on it and in so doing make my year.

Now you should know that I basically learned to read using Peanuts comic strip books when I was 5 or 6. My mom and dad can confirm this. Later on I graduated to more wordy strips -- Doonesbury and Bloom County were my favorites. Bloom County (and later Calvin & Hobbes) had timing to them, man -- comedic timing. It was my first exposure to this concept, and I still love getting out the old Tales Too Ticklish To Tell and reminiscing.

In High School I learned to love Douglas Adams, and later Dave Barry, and they remain 2 pantheonic figures in my mental word-composing. Finally, I read Infinite Jest and was wowed by Wallace and his intelligence and wit, and voice. The only other influences I can think of right now are Bill Simmons from espn.com and Gregg Easterbrook, who writes Tuesday Morning QB for nfl.com. Oh, and Jesus, of course. Can't forget Him.

In other news, Google advertising banned my friend Tony's website, www.sntjohnny.com, because of "hate speech". This, my friends, is what Absolute Tolerance has begat. Go to that website and try to find the hate speech. I dare you. You can't because it's not there. It's a sad sad day when speaking your mind gets you banned by Google.

Tolerance = intolerance. Freedom is an illusion. Don't believe the Hype!