Tuesday 15 March 2011

Dancing With Myself: JODI MACARTHUR interviews JODI MACARTHUR



Reality is not how an artist sees it. Yet, it isn’t as practical and straight edged as your physics professor insists either. One has to maintain a balance. But that doesn’t mean one mind isn’t allowed to overcome the other and take charge based on the needs of the moment. If I’m writing/creating, the artistic mind rules and the practical mind sits in the background and laughs, I can’t believe the crap you come up with. Who do you think you are? Just like when you were little flapping your arms and jumping off that balcony thinking you are going to fly like a bird, like super woman? And when you fall flat on your face for the 30th time what are you gonna do? Huh?

If my practical mind dodges an oncoming Semi, thereby avoiding being squished, the artistic one sinks back, but whispers, you missed a perfectly beautiful meadow of sunflowers back there. And if you’d paid attention to that trucker’s license plate you would have seen that it read idiot666 and I could have written about that later. That was worth a chance with a bumper thumper, I think. Yes, it was. You wimp! You speak of courage, but where is the courage now?

This may sound a bit crazy, but I have a feeling that every single one of you writers know exactly what I’m talking about, and you readers? Well, you gotta give something for the price of admission. I think this recent interview with practical ol’ Jo and J.Mac explains a lot.

Jo: Hi there.

J.Mac: Hi.

Jo: So wassup?

J.Mac: Suppressing the beast & taming 10,000 monkeys.

Jo: Is that it?

J.Mac: No, I’m also painting my bedroom red.

Jo: Why?

J.Mac: To suppress the beast and tame 10,000 monkeys.

Jo: You already said that.

J.Mac: I know. WTF?

Jo: You tell me.

J.Mac: No, you tell me.

Jo: I’m asking the questions, dammit.

J.Mac: Then ask them.

Jo: Fine. I will.

J.Mac: Fine.

Jo: What else are you doing?

J.Mac: I’m painting a big X on my red bedroom wall.

Jo: Why are you doing that?

J.Mac: To make a spider web.

Jo: A spider web for what?

J.Mac: To catch them.

Jo: Catch what?

J.Mac: The things that crawl through…here. *Taps head*

Jo: Jodi, what do you do with the things you’ll catch in your spider web?

J.Mac: I will consume them.

Jo: You kill them and eat them? That makes you a monster.

J.Mac: No, no, I give them life. A birth. A living breath.

Jo: That’s absurd. You’re not a god. Who gives you the right to give or take a life?

J.Mac: They choose me. I don’t choose them.

Jo: You’re fucking crazy. I think someone needs to call 9-1-1 and take your paint away, what do you think about that?

J.Mac: I think they can take my paint, my pens, my paper, my clothes, my dignity. They can tie me to a cross and burn me in flames, but they can never take what is between my ears and behind my eyes. Never. Only I can suppress or set that free. And that is why I must paint my bedroom red…

Jo: Why?!?

J.Mac: To suppress the beast and tame 10,000 monkeys.

Jo: I give up.

J.Mac: And that’s why I win and you are lame.

Jo: You literary bunch piss me off.

J.Mac: I write for the everyday not for the overlords. I’ll never be hung on a literary noose.

Jo: *Smiles. Nods approvingly.* You still piss me off.

J.Mac: Ditto.


When Jodi MacArthur isn’t suppressing the beast she unleashes it at http://www.jodimacarthur.blogspot.com/

25 comments:

  1. Nice introduction and a completley of the wall, entertaing interview, from one hell of a writer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't the intro great? All by Jodi's own hand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for letting me dance all crazy here, Nigel.X

    Sean~ I like how you say "completely off the wall". Word play is the best. Thanks much, buddy. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now, that young woman can write!But remember, walls have ears.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "I think someone needs to call 9-1-1 and take your paint away"

    This is the funniest thing I've read all day. Good luck with the supressing and taming.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You write from that place in the dark, Jodi, that place where words are hard to find. But them ones you do catch hold of, blimey, they're bloody brilliant.

    Hope you're keeping well.

    Your friend,

    Ian

    ReplyDelete
  7. Paul, the wall also has eyes
    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af276/jessjo33/Cactus%20on%20Roof/Xmarksthespot.jpg

    Laurita~ I know, right? Seriously. Who does that? ;-) Thanks, hon.

    Ian~ Very dark. But the words do come. And there is light. Thank you, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm glad you wrote something nobody else would think to write. It's the kind of gesture that makes life tolerable for a moment or two more.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha ha; lovely bonkersness from Madame Mac. All those arachnids getting caught in the red web of your mind, hanging from the outside and inside walls of your brain. Tickling with spikes. I love these kind of arguments - a great dance.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Chameleon uncanny horror dreamlike disturbing inspired. These are some of the adjectives for Jodi.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jodi, you are sriously "off your rocker" and I love that so much. A great interview of an even greater writer!! Quality entertainment, Jodi!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is, indeed, why you win, Jodi. Well rambled.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I pity that beast & those monkeys ...

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is so much fun Jodi, and yet, there's just enough truth to make me go ... ha ha ha ha ha ha... wait ... I've seen the things between my eyes... so they're monkeys, huh? I'll get 'em. I'll show 'em!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jo, this interview is proof that you and I are related in some way! I interview myself regularly. Unfortunately, my "sensible" interviewer has overcome my wild side. I hope *you* will continue to let the beast loose and let those monkeys swing from the treetops!

    ReplyDelete
  16. AC~ the beast will do that too you
    Lily~Hee, you get the picture. Spiders? I squish spiders! Only spiderwebs allowed.
    Richard~ Are you saying I am a dreamy disturbed horror lizard? I LIKE.
    David~ Entertainment? I was so totally serious. Ask the monkeys.
    Mr. Funk~ We can be heroes for ever and ever (Bowie not Idol)
    Jason~ that's what my mama said right before she belted me
    Chris~ you and me both! (Watch out for the beast behind the bars!)
    Madam Z ~ <3 I adore you with all my heart. You walk the perfect tightrope of madam to beast, pirate queen. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. If you can dance in the light of the fire. If you can laugh in the face of the flame . . . I'll still take Jodi at my back when the punch your way out or go facedown in the alley spittin' blood time comes a'callin'. Tha'ss all. Out.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What zany sanity are the brushstrokes painting walls, rooms, small cities and even monkey zoos a BRILLIANT red by the well read Ms MacArthur? Zounds almighty, did J.Mac deliver a blow to Jo.

    Yet through the web you weave to perceive, I hear the accompaniment of Moody Blues conjuring lyrics and my mind sees more the beauty of the determined dance of you:

    "I write for the everyday not for the overlords. I’ll never be hung on a literary noose."

    Brava J.Mac! Dance on a major tune in Sea Minor
    ~ Absolutely*Kate

    ReplyDelete
  19. Insanity. But good to see that you're reining it in a little ;-)
    Sean

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ha! That's classic. What an original take on the self interview.

    Both Jodi's are rockin writers in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The interviewer was entirely too biased and aggressive. I think she was just trying to get some negative publicity attention from you, Jodi. Don't let it rattle you. We'll find you a more openminded conversationalist next time.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gosh I love John Wiswell so swell.

    You too Jodes -- all of you, monkeys be damned.
    ~ Absolutely*Kate

    ReplyDelete
  23. Aj- I'd put my dukes up with/for you anytime, mister. ;-)

    K*te~ Thank you. Your perception is sharp and keen as always.You nailed the X focus and one of the things that I'd really like people to have taken away from this, which is this: I write for the everyday person, not to be in the elite circle of literary snobs.

    Sean~ It ebbs and flows. ;-)

    Chris~ Both Jo's say thank you and they think you rock too.

    John~ You are probably right. But good ol' Jo deserves alot of credit, despite her stubborn, tunnel vission, biased ways. She has kept J. Mac alive, her soul unbroken and hot as fire. If it wasn't for Jo, there would be no J. Mac. . ;-)

    Julie~ Thanks, Girl!

    ReplyDelete