I’m here in the beautiful city of Hot Springs, but so far it’s been almost totally work.  The pace rages from pitifully slow with nothing to do at my table to a mad, frantic pace, talking constantly to those who pass by my table.  I’ll post some photos of my trip soon.

Here are the lyrics for a new song I’ve written. They were inspired by the books I read about Townes Van Zandt, To Live’s to Fly and A Deeper Blue.

“Where Are the Songs?”  by Rickey Pittman

Where are the minstrels,
The Masters of pain and rhyme,
Who created poems of magic
For the memories of time?

The ghosts of the Old Quarter
Now gather somewhere I know,
To drink and joke and cut up some,
When did they decide to go?

Singing for the sake of the song,
For the women who broke their hearts,
For the darkness they felt inside,
Breaking them apart.

It wasn’t about the money,
Certainly not the fame,
Only the highs and the music,
Dreams others called insane.

The songs of Americana
May have to start over again
With new places and new crowds,
New melodies and plans.

The road may lead to Nashville,
Or to Houston or LA
But it will start with the songs inside,
And will always be that way.

Where are the songs I want to write?
What muse will send them in the night?
Where are the songs that I need to sing,
Where are the songs?
They’re living in my dreams.

I just finished my read of Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris. This was #5 in the Sookie Stackhouse series, featured in the HBO series, Trueblood. There have been very few series I’ve enjoyed in the years of my reading, but Harris’ books have definitely been one of them.  The series goes to 8 and 9, and those I intend to get on audio books to listen to while I drive this fall, when I have an intensive schedule building. Already I have 30 book signings set up. I’m going to fill in with schools, libraries, and other events, and I expect this to be the busiest fall of my career. Back to Harris: This read focuses on the shifters and their killers, lots of action taking place to the general population of “normal” people, but for the vampires, weres, fairies and others of the unseen realms, a very real problem.  A great read if you’re into vampires and the unseen realms.  Here are a few of the many quotations I underlined in my read:

“Only willful ignorance could ignore the charge of magic in the air. Only a group lack of imagination could account for people not wondering what went on in the dark around them” (11).

“Most peoples’ minds don’t bear reading. Their thoughts are boring, disgusting, disillusioning, but very seldom amusing” (11).

“I knew so many secrets, but almost none of them were my own” (54).

About vampires: “Or maybe it was centuries of conditioning that made the difference, decades of disposing of people as they cose, taking what they wanted, enduring the dichotomy of being the most powerful beings on earth in the darkness, and yet completely helpless and vulnerable during the hours of light” ( 227).

Once again, I find myself staying at my parents’ house in Kemp, OK and writing in the Sherman Panera’s. I am attending the 30th Anniversary Season of the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival. This is the 4th season I’ve been able to attend.  Friday night, I saw Shakespeare’s 12th Night. I found it to be a very good interpretation of the play. Directed by Aaron Adair, the setting was South Louisiana and surprisingly, the setting worked and flowed with the language of the play. Every time I see a Shakespeare play, I’m reminded of how many common quotations come his plays. I also come away with quotations to look up. For example, I had not realized that the famous quote “Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them” came from this play.  I also noticed some quotations regarding Puritans that I intend to study further. (ominous, considering what the Puritans did to theatre in those days).

Last night, I saw Honky Tonk Angels, directed by Paul B. Crook, a theatre instructor at LA TECH.  This is a play by playwright Ted Swindley, who also gave the world, Always . . . Patsy Cline.   The three-woman cast was well chosen, and like Always . . . Patsy Cline, the music was woven into the theme of the dreams and lives of women as affected by Nashville, an influence underated and underestimated by anyone who doesn’t understand the women of the South.  The cast was comprimsed of Natalie Weaver (as Angela), Anastasia Trammell (also from LA TECH as DArlene) and Tiffany Craig (as Sue Ellen).  I felt the songlist and cast to be well chosen and this was a play that I greatly enjoyed.  The Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival site is here:

The weekend of Sept. 18-19 2009 will be a busy one for me in Sherman, Texas. Not only will I be signing books for Waldenbooks, Sam’s Club, and Books-a-Million there, I will be performing music at the Java Stop Coffee House. Here is my schedule:

Sherman, TX Poster

Last night at our SCV meeting, I met Jared Reeves, who is quite a collector of Confederate items.  Now, anyone who knows anything about the Civil War at all know that Confederate relics are much more sought after than Union relics and are also almost always far more expensive.  Jared had two extremely rare items that he showed us last night.

The first was a Dance Brothers revolver. You can read about the Dance brothers here and here.  This is a .44 caliber and the rarest model of Confederate pistol. Reeves said that only 10 in any condition are known to exist. I don’t know many who have even seen a photograph of the pistol. Along with the pistol is a bullet mold, said to be as rare if not more rare than the pistol itself. I believe Reeves said that the Dance Brothers revolver competed with the Walker Colt (made for Texas Rangers)  in market value. That pistol is another story you should look up.

Dance Brothers Revolver

The second item he showed was a sword, made in Nashville by the College Hill Sword Works.   This company and Nashville Plow Works (Sharp & Hamilton) swords and other edged weapons. Both were only in existence for only a few months before Nashville fell. You can read about these companies and other Confederate manufacturers here: When I looked closely at the blade, I could see the First National Confederate flag engraved there. Here is a photo of the sword, the hilt, and a shot of CSA from a top angle. A very rare and expensive piece.

College Hill Sword Works

When Lisa Stock agreed to be interviewed for my blog, A Southern Missive, I was ecstatic, and I have to say that she provided a superior in-depth interview. This talented and beautiful lady is a filmmaker, writer and actress working in the mythic arts.  She pulls her stories from a varied background of theater, film, and anthropology. She is the author of the novella The Sun, and the online Victorian allegory Through the Cobweb Forest with artist Connie Toebe.  Her films include: The Medisaga Trilogy, The Silent Nick and Nora, and Brother and Sister.  When not writing or making films she loves to bake and dance flamenco.  She lives online at http://www.inbytheeye.com/ and lives offline in New York City.  Here are my questions and her responses.

1) When in your life did you know you would be a filmmaker?

I was about four!  Watching the Wizard of Oz every year on television captured my imagination.  And I remember asking once when I was very young, what it was – this colorful, musical, frightening tale come to life in a little box in my living room?  My dad told me it was a movie – that they made them in Hollywood and I could do that too.  I never looked backed.

So, your love of film has been lifelong?

Pretty much.  Especially the fantasy and mythic films.  Anything Jim Henson did, I wanted to be a part of.  I love the scope, the movement, and being visually swept away.

2) Your site describes you as a filmmaker in the mythic arts. Describe what is meant by  “mythic arts.”

All of my work is heavily influenced by fairy tales and mythology.  Not only that I use the characters from these famous tales – but also the themes.  Take for instance, the classic Hero’s journey of “separation, initiation and return” – in The Medisaga Trilogy I’ve given that journey to a heroine, Titania, and it will take her through many of the archetypes and lessons that the great classic heroes of mythology went through, such as a trip to the Underworld, a rebirth, and healing.

3) You have several films to your credit. Tell me a little about the films you’ve completed and are working on now.

1. TITANIA – Part 1 of The Medisaga Trilogy, a tale of healing and forgiveness. The trilogy is a retelling of the fairy tale of the Armless Maiden through Shakespeare’s timeless queen, as well as other characters from Midsummer and Greek mythology.  This is my first feature.  Although we’ve shot one scene already, the film is technically in pre-production.  We’ll be shooting again this Fall with production going through next year.  There are several Titania videos to view on the official site at: http://www.titaniafilm.com/

2. Brother & Sister – A tale of transformation.  This is a short film adaptation of both the traditional fairy tale and Terri Windling’s poem of the same name.  This film will be posted to the internet by end of July.  Trailer is available to view on the website at: http://www.inbytheeye.com/BrotherandSister.html

3. The Silent Nick and Nora – A short film noir set in a magic realist world that reimagines detectives Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man) in a city of tattoos, compulsions and crimes of the heart.  We’re hoping this film will air on cable in the NY area soon, and will be posted to the internet probably by year’s end.  Both trailers are available to view on the official website at: http://www.silentnickandnora.com/

4. The Sunflower and the Sun God – The myth of Clytie and Apollo told in a mixed media short film.  Entire film available to view on IMDB at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1366957/

4) What advice would you give those thinking of making films? Is there a certain progression/order of steps to follow?

I think of myself as a storyteller first with film being my medium of choice.  I’m a visual storyteller.  I would ask anyone who is thinking of making a film – Why choose film?  Is it the only way to tell your story, is the best way to tell your story, is it the way in your heart to tell your story?  If they say yes – then wonderful!  Stay true to yourself – you’ll find your audience.  That’s one of the best things about the internet – those who share your love of a particular genre, style, or story can find you even if they’re halfway around the world.

What jobs have you had in the film business that helped you gain skills or understand your craft? Is there a book you’d recommend?

I graduated from the Hunter College (CUNY) film program at a time when we were still cutting and splicing film negative (ha!).  But I’ve had an education in the digital age through working in an editing dept at an events company, and on the edit system I have on my computer at home.  A lot of it has been trial and error.  But I’d really recommend an internship, or a P.A. job for those just starting out  – you learn so much outside the classroom and on an actual set.  Go make a movie!

Rather than a book to recommend, I would tell those interested to watch the behind the scenes features on their dvds.  I shoot everything outdoors. I love to shoot in nature!  Three behind the scenes features that have taught me a lot are from: a Brazilian film called The House of Sand, a Russian film called Russian Ark, and any of the commentaries on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Filmmaking is a team effort – truly.  You must be able to work with other people.  If you’re outdoors in 25 degree January weather with three script pages to shoot before you lose your light at 4pm, you’ve got to be able to work together to get it done!

5) Where can my readers find some reviews of your films?

Faezine – http://faezine.com – The Titania Journals
Dantes Heart Journal of Myth – http://dantesheart.blogspot.com/2008/12/titania-first-scene.html

My work will also be featured in the Fall ‘09 issue of Faerie Magazine.  Do check out the website press page for more articles coming out later in the year!

6) What schools would you recommend for filmmakers?  What regular college classes are good for those interested in filmmaking?

Other than the practical courses in filmmaking – I really loved my film history and theory classes.  These gave me a whole new perspective on story telling through film, and what you can accomplish narratively and visually with film.  It’s a relatively young art form when placed next to, say, theater.  The earliest filmmakers grabbed a hold of this medium and experimented in so many ways.  I think that spirit is wonderful and contagious and probably why film has advanced so far in just a little over a hundred years, and who knows where it will go in the next hundred…

7) Tell me about your creative process?

I never know where my inspiration will come from, but once it does, I dive into the deep end.  I have a tendency to work “backward” from most filmmakers.  I will bring my cast on very early and cater rewrites to them.  (My cast for The Medisaga Trilogy has been with me since 2006.)  Scenes will play out in my head, I’ll scribble down lines of dialogue, and collect images that inspire me.  I put them all in a folder, do a lot of brainstorming, carry it around in my head and heart for a year or so and then one weekend I’ll sit down at the computer and it will all come spilling out of me into a script.  That script will, without doubt , go through several revisions – but I don’t count my drafts like some writers do.  Sometimes I’ll just change one line, sometimes I’ll change 20 pages, or cut a character out entirely.  When it’s done, I’ll know.  But things will also change during rehearsals, shooting, and editing.  A film has many “lives.”

For me, actors and crew are also storytellers.  As a director, I know exactly what I want – but I like to give cast/crew room to breath – be artists and have some freedom when bringing a role to life, or shooting a scene.   Otherwise, if I had only let them do it as I saw fit, I may have missed out on a brilliant spark of inspiration on their part.  My job as a director is bringing them to a place where they feel confident and comfortable with the material, with me, and each other to let their own creative ideas come through.  All of my stories are deeply personal, but I also hope each cast member, crew member, and audience member will find their own story in my films too.

On the Titania film page there’s a behind the scenes documentary which gives you a glimpse of our creative process.

8. Please tell me all about your acting experience and thoughts on acting in films like yours as well.

I’ve been an actress for over 30 years.  I sometimes write a small role for myself in my films too.  It’s just too much fun!  (That’s me playing Nora in The Silent Nick and Nora, and I’ll also be in The Medisaga Trilogy).

But I’m glad you asked this question – particularly in relation to the fantasy genre.  When casting – I always call those in for auditions who have had the strongest theater training.  Film and theater acting are entirely different – but I look for those who are comfortable with formal language and body movement, and find theater trained actors to have the broadest imaginations.  They have to – they have little extemporaneously to work with on a stage.  So, although they will pull in their voices, and restrain their movements a bit for a camera close-up – story wise, theater experience gives them an ability to make fantasy very real.  I like to rehearse a lot  before going on set too.  I want the actors to be as comfortable as possible with their character’s extraordinary situations, and play them real.  When you have a story that is so “fantastic”, if your actors overplay it, the audience won’t believe it.  Fantasy film lovers are sophisticated people, yet willing to suspend their disbelief and walk into the world you’ve created without question.  But they still look for integrity and sincerity.  And those are the two things I put at the top of my filmmaking list no matter how far away from reality the story drifts.

Here is a shot of Lisa Stock in the new beautiful Greek & Roman art hall at the Metropolitan Museum Art. April 2009.

Lisa Stock at MMA April 2009

The CD of original songs is progressing. My friend and co-founding member of Angus Dubhghall, Tom McCandlish, is going beyond the call of duty to help me get this done. Not only is he recording me playing guitar (and some bass) and singing my songs, he has graciously consented to sing some of my songs himself. As Tom is the best vocalist I’ve ever worked with in the many bands I’ve been a member of, I was flattered that he would help me out. His will be the voice you’ll hear on what will likely be my first song on Youtube and iTunes: The 6th Street Blues.  Here are the lyrics:

6th Street Blues by Rickey E. Pittman

I’ll tell you a story
About a man you might know,
Lost in the city,
And lost in the cold,
Hangover misery,
Whiskey and gin,
Left-over heartbreaks
And memories and sins.

CHORUS 1
He sang Blues,
Please don’t leave me,
I can’t be alone tonight.
Blues,
Please don’t leave me,
You said you’d be there till I died.

I once met a woman,
Out late one night,
6th Street in Austin,
In dim neon light,
Heart-aching lonely
Sad music that they played,
She pulled me closer
And this is what she said,

CHORUS 2
She said, Please,
Please don’t leave me,
I can’t be alone tonight.
Please,
Please don’t leave me,
Stay until the morning light.

He might be a legend,
He might be a ghost,
He might be homeless,
But he paid the blues the most.
He’ll wake in some alley,
Behind some dark bar,
Broken and broken,
With too many scars.

CHORUS 3
He’ll sing Blues,
Please don’t leave me,
I can’t be alone tonight.
He’ll sing, Blues,
Please don’t leave me,
You said you’d be there till I died.

This afternoon, I was watching Bolt with my grandson. Bolt tells the story of the canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show.  The dog (whose voice is John Travolta) believes his powers are real and he embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star (Penny) from a threat he believes is just as real as the show he stars in and the character he portrays. This song by Jenny Lewis is part of the sound track and I was so impressed with the song that I decided to try to add this upbeat song to my children’s programs somehow. Lewis is an actress and musician. Her website is here:

From Bolt Lyrics for “Barking at the Moon”(There Is No Home Like the One You Got) by Jenny Lewis

I have got so much to give,
I swear I do,
I may not have nine lives,
But this one feels brand new.

Yes, I’ve lived a good one
I have tried to be true
There are some things
I never realized,
Till I met you.

How the wind feels on my cheeks,
When I’m barking at the moon,
There is no home like the one you’ve got
Cause that home belongs to you.

Woo woo, here I come,
Woo woo, back to you,
There is no home like the one you’ve got
Cause that home belongs to you.

Well, I was in the trouble bad,
I was so confused,
I may not see in color, babe,
But I sure can feel blue.

I have been a lot of things,
They may not all be true.
My experience was so mysterious
Till I met you.

Now the sun will rise in the east,
But I’m barking at the moon,
There is no home like the one you’ve got
Cause that home belongs to you.

Woo woo, here I come,
Woo woo, back to you,
There is no home like the one you’ve got
Cause that home belongs to you.

There is no home like the one you’ve got
Cause that home belongs to you. (Repeat again slowly)

To Live’s to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt by John Kruth A Review by Rickey Pittman

This is the second biography I’ve read of Townes Van Zandt. And though I found many points that overlapped with the previous biography I reviewed (A Deeper Blue), I found To Live’s to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt by John Kruth (Da Capo 2007) an interesting and illuminating read.

The book contains a great section of photos, and the biography is carefully researched.  With 27 chapters and a Postscript, the book has a good structure and if you’re a fan of Townes, the book is a page-turner that is not easy to put down.  The last hours of my day were spent reading it, and the past few nights, I found myself dreaming about Townes Van Zandt and scenes in this book.

The author works hard, and I think successfully, to let us gaze into the life, mind, and heart of the Texas Troubadour. His songs are worked in chronologically and in a way that provide insights not only into Townes, but also into the lives of those who surrounded him.  After reading this book, I realized how little I really knew about the folk singers of Texas and Nashville.

Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine says of this biography: “Townes Van Zandt was an ornery, unpredictable genius, a songwriter whose gift offered him salvation and damnation in equal doses.  In John Kruth he has found a biographer well-suited to his eccentricities and rough edges, a man who understand him and who brings light into his dark places.”

I think this is a good summary of this biography. If you’re a Townes fan, you need to read Kruth’s book. I liked the book so much that I ordered the two CD copy of Live at the Quarter. It will be interesting to see how this book and CD change my own Americana show.

Advice for Writers from an Award Winning Author

There’s a New York Times Bestseller entitled, Still Alice, a novel by Lisa Genova (Simon & Schuster). For anyone with a parent suffering from Alzheimer’s, this is a must read. Though there are many things I could say about this novel, I chose to do an entry for my blog about her writing this book and the advice she has for aspiring writers. Here is the quote from the Discussion Question section.  She says:

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I know so many aspiring writers whoa re sitting in a holding pattern, with a work completed, waiting to find a literary agent.  They’re stuck, unable to give themselves permission to write the next book because they’re waiting to find out if their work is “good enough,” waiting to find out if they’re a ‘real writer.”  This state of waiting, of not writing and self-doubt, is the worst state any writer can be in.  My advice is this:  If you don’t find a literary agent falling into your lap quickly enough, if you feel like your work is done and is ready to be shared with the world, self-publish. Give your work to the world. Let it go. And keep writing. Freedom! I was recently in my car listening to Diablo Cody, who wrote the  screenplay for Juno, on NPR and when asked what advice she had for aspiring screenwriters, she said, “Self-publish.”  I yelled alone in my car, “Woohoo! See? Diablo Cody agrees with me, and she’s just been nominated for an Academy Award!”

Explain Your Writing Schedule

I have a newborn baby boy, so these days it’s catch as you can.  But for Still Alice, I wrote in Starbucks every day while my then six-year-old daughter was in school.   I found writing from home too difficult. There were too many distractions—phone calls to return, food to eat in the fridge, laundry to do, bills to pay.  You know you’re procrastinating when you’re paying bills instead of writing the next scene!  At Starbucks,  there were no excuses. Nothing else to do but write. You can’t even daydream there for long without looking crazy.  So you just put your head down and do it . . . My time to write was my time to write . . . I think having a limited number of hours each day to write kept me hungry to get back to it.  I never dreaded it or experienced writer’s block.  Every day, I couldn’t wait to get back to Starbucks, drink chai tea lattes, and write.