It's Never Too Late to Say Goodbye - Is It? (Part 19)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

You know the drill by now.



kittenboo (Week 26) - *smile* kittenboo. One part kitten and one part Chickenboo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kur4Qo-Fxa0

What do you mean that's not what she's about?? Everything she writes is a metaphor for how she is a giant chicken that. . . oh wait, sorry, that's someone else!!!

She's THIS person: http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/tag/lj%20idol%203 and this one http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/tag/lj%20idol%202 and this
http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/tag/lj%20idol - she is also http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/298577.html and of course a lot more that she hasn't shared with you yet.

When I read this one http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/330496.html I thought "Yeah, that pretty much explains her" (at least her in regards to Idol) which as she says, is just a slice of her that she chooses to show.

Which DOES mean, in theory, she COULD be a giant chicken and you just don't know it yet!! Damn it, I'm going to get my giant chicken conspiracy off the ground one way or another!!

Things *did* feel uneven this time around with her and part of that is due the season in general - I think ultimately though the entries that she was able to get out turned out really well. There was some going back over old territory, but honestly, let's face it - she does it SO WELL and finds new nuggets in those feelings and situations to bring out. It's something that she said http://kittenboo.livejournal.com/313746.html - "I have said many times I have no stories left to tell, but yet I keep writing. Writing things I didn't think I'd ever tell. Writing things I didn't think I knew how to tell. Not stories of things, but moments of life."

Her abilities to bring out those moments, those nuggets of something real, is extraordinary and honestly I don't think she gets nearly enough praise for it, nor how far she has come. Because she has managed to keep that raw edge to her voice, while at the same time focusing in on her technique and really coming at you with that one-two punch, with a sweep the legs that you weren't expecting!

One of the things that I love about her entries is that she seems to very much to writing for herself, examining those little moments that make her life special, or frustrating, or just plain confusing. It's something that she is amazing at, regardless of if she realizes it/acknowledges it or not.


supremegoddess1 (Week 23) - Unfortunately the last in the series of filtered entries. Although obviously her work tends to be the sort that stands out, so I'm sure other people will have plenty of memories about it!

(Was the entry about sex offenders this season?? I want to say it was because it dovetailed into things that I was reading about the horrifying situation in Miami where they were releasing people from prison, but the only place they could live was under a bridge.)

As many things as she is good at, the one thing she didn't seem to quite get right this season was "Idol suicide". :P Most of the pieces were really well done though, so I wasn't expecting her to go out on them. But I think there were more "Idol suicide attempts" this season from contestants than in any other. Which is cool. It means people are willing to stretch what their definitions and expectations are from "a good entry". Pushing that envelope and surviving makes it easier for the next person to do it.

Envelopes. Buttons. Emotions. People who are standing in the doorways of airplanes. You can be pretty sure that *something* is going to end up being pushed.

Especially coming in reluctantly, and being talked into it, I was nervous when she showed up this season. I was glad to see her, because I tend to enjoy her writing. But I've also seen some people blow a gasket or two when they come in and they don't honestly *want* to participate, they just do it anyway. Did that play into the suicide attempts? Or was she just trying to make it as fun for herself as possible? A little of both? Neither? I don't know. In retrospect, now that the headaches have died down, it did make things interesting.

We agree on some stuff, and we disagree on others - but there is one thing that I want her critics to know that I don't feel they fully appreciate. During her time on the jury she was almost always the very first person to turn in votes, and one of the people who most consistently posted a recommendation list over the course of the season. For me that tells a far bigger part of the story than a few comments here or there. She disagrees with something, makes her points and then moves on knowing that she has said her peace. Well, OK, maybe not always "moving on" but definitely continues on with everything else. :)

I can definitely respect that.

As for her writing - I don't have specific examples, obviously, but I think that most people probably know that's it's good. Even the poetry was well crafted. I'd actually love to see more of her poetry and more experimental formats. Of all the people who try to do it, I think she manages to pull it off in a way that they can't quite capture, and that intrigues me to see where she is going next with her work.


pricelessone (Week 25) - It's funny how it works out sometimes. Home Gamer from last season, so I already knew who you were - and I knew you were going to be in Idol Musings - before you signed up for this season.

So there was a sense of you being a veteran and established in the community without ever having been in a single poll! There are always Home Gamers who show up late in the season to get ready for the next one and I'm never quite sure what to make of them. Will they *actually* come back? Will they exhaust material on the Home Game, or get bored and wander off? Some of them do.

You didn't. Which I was happy to see when you signed up for your first actual go-around. Hopefully it was better on *this* side of things.

You said from the beginning that you were more comfortable with fiction - but really, moments like these http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/588376.html and http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/514334.html or even http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/561976.html and http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/544543.html where you seem pretty darn comfortable with your voice or just plain having fun http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/577616.html

http://pricelessone.livejournal.com/536551.html makes me wonder how you could have possibly have not been writing non fiction the entire time? I'm glad that you decided to spend more time on it this season, because there really is something there. It would be a shame to just go back to fiction or poetry and not do some more work under the hood to see what you can discover.


tamaraland (Week 26) - Another personal favorite who went out earlier than expected. I'm beginning to take this personally universe!! :)

To make up for it, she decided not to tag anything.

Well played.

http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/757825.html and http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/761183.html come from two very different emotional places. although both do involve the power of language and how it is applied. Or a third way http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/776660.html now that I remembered that one!

Sometimes she is just plain informative and insightful http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/766540.html , http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/770220.html and http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/790787.html or even "insightful" http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/767730.html and http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/793212.html

Usually though she's just plain fun. Even when she's being serious, there is a sense of whimsy to her voice when she talks about things like http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/768725.html or http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/771775.html or even http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/775300.html or for that matterhttp://tamaraland.livejournal.com/785310.html although that one is more straight forward funny.

She's certainly not the Underdog http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/788174.html and is even willing to go completely vulnerable http://tamaraland.livejournal.com/793383.html

Given (compared to other pregnancies) the lack of heralding - I completely missed the birth announcement, but I am thrilled to know of the latest in the line of Baby Idols, and the first Swiss one. They are spreading across the world one at a time to ready it for the coming days!! bwahahahah

Oh wait, sorry, I was talking about her writing wasn't I? (even though I said that I wasn't going to write much about anyone. Arggh!!)

She has an amazing eye for detail and a really clean style that really draws you in. The stuff is just so darn cool, her attitude is amazing and the combination is the reason she usually ended up on the "top of my re-reading list" every week.


walkertxkitty (Week 14- sacrifice) - If I were going to rank sacrifices on the "that made total sense scale", hers would be the highest. Not just taking the bow for health reasons, but bringing back in her diagenou who had previously been eliminated with his own health reasons playing a major factor. it was a classy thing to do.

All of the sacrifices were. But this one was obviously such a personal and heartfelt decision that in my book it does set it apart from the others. If it doesn't in yours, I suggest that you stop holding your book upside down! Geez, no one is going to believe that you are reading that!!!

Most of what you need to know about her is in that decision. From how stubborn she had been to even hold on as long as she did to how she deals with the people she loves. Most of what you need is in the decision, and some more of it is in her entries themselves http://walkertxkitty.livejournal.com/tag/lj%20idol%20topic and the fact that she continues to not only live her life but BE ALIVE which isn't always a given.

If adversity makes you stronger, than she's probably one of the strongest people around.

Go to that thread I just tagged, and read the entries. There are only 14 of them after all. Besides - I'm posting this ON HER BIRTHDAY. That's a pretty big deal.

It won't take you that long, and then come back here and talk about your favorites. Because you are going to have them. Picking them is what is going to be problem.


Miss one?
Part 1: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/330062.html
Part 2: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/347182.html
Part 3: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/348753.html
Part 4: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/351336.html
Part 5: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/355319.html
Part 6: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/357155.html
Part 7: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/358961.html
Part 8: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/361618.html
Part 9: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/363128.html
Part 10: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/363838.html
Part 11: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/366595.html
Part 12: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/367714.html
Part Luna: http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/367945.html
Part 14 - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/370040.html
Part 15 - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/370191.html
Part 16 - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/371123.html
Part 17 - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/376180.html
Part 18 - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/376367.html

Comments

[supremegoddess1.livejournal.com]

Not bad, considering I didn't give ya much to work with. ;)

And yes, the sex offender entry was this season.

[tamaraland.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I promise I'll tag next season!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I love how he still linked a bazillion of your entries even though you didn't tag. ;) And I agree with Gary - you deserved to stay longer. Loved your entries!

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Thank you for those words. I was only too happy to do that because I knew Dee had writing talent. LJ Idol convinced him and we'll both be back next season, health permitting (his is getting better, slowly; mine remains stable in its present position). I don't know what you'll get out of him, as moving here seems to have taken a bit of that bitter edge off and let him be a bit more...human, I guess.

It was a good birthday, too. Almost pain free and lots of goodies.

Thanks for thinking of me.

[pricelessone.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much, Gary! It was a lot of fun!