Saturday, October 8, 2016

Dead Air Redux - A Word, and the Table of Contents



A WORD (from my forthcoming B-sides compilation Dead Air.)

The stories in this book were written between 2004 and 2009, approximately. Some of the poems were written as early as 1990, slightly modified in 2016. I started writing the stories on my Livejournal page in 2004. Some of them have since been modified or blown apart, and have appeared in similar or very different contexts in my books Gateways to Abomination and Creeping Waves. My vision for what Leeds is has changed since these early years, so some of what you see here is not really part of the whole Leeds/WXXT mythos (if you will), not anymore. I include it for the interest of those who might want to know how I fumbled around the ideas and concepts when I began. I hope you find it to be of some value. Thank you for reading. There is a lot more for me to tell. I hope you’ll stick with me on this bloody and disquieting journey.
There are many more broadcasts to come.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
“BLACK MAGIC,” HE TOLD ME: 13 WAYS TO BEGIN AN ESSAY ABOUT WXXT, THE LAST STATION ON EARTH
THE LAST OUTPOST
STEPHEN AND MARY PART 1
I WAS ACQUITTED OF KILLING MY FIRST WIFE IN 1936
MY MOTHER, LUCILLE AXTON
MORE ABOUT WXXT
I WAS A SCRAPPER
KNIVES
THE MANY STUDIOS, PART 6
(PHOTOGRAPH MISSING)
THE BROADCASTS. TRASMISSION 99.
INTOLERANCE, OR FCC COMMISSIONERS I HAVE KNOWN
EVIL IS UNSPECTACULAR AND ALWAYS HUMAN AND SHARES OUR BED AND EATS AT OUR TABLE
IN OUR EFFORT TO BECAOME A VIABLE PRESENCE IN THE PIONEER VALLEY
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT HE WAS GOOD AT THE BEGINNING BUT HE JUST WENT TOO FAR
THE GAPS BETWEEN THE BARS ARE THE SUTURES OF ONE’S OWN SKULL
WXXT’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM
WHAT TOM BROUGHT TO SHOW AND TELL
INTERSTATES
AS TIME IS ENDLESSLY SHOVELED ON MY GRAVE FROM SOMEWHERE MILES ABOVE ME
WE DEARLY NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE
MY BROTHER EARL
APPLE PIE, PART 1
OUR NEW HOME
FCC CHAIRMAN MANGROVE O’HARE GOT OFF EASY
UNCLE ROTTFIELD’S BLACK GLOVES
something large and grey
SUCCUBUS, BY JAMES PEMHIGUS MORPHEW
THE BALLAD OF DONALD BELSON SKRATTE
THE DISQUIETING LEGEND OF JOHNNYPANTS WOLFGANG GORSTED
SOME NIGHTS IT’S BLOODLUST
please stand by
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
THE MIGHTY WALK ON FIELDS STAINED WITH DASHED BRAINS
SITHYL
UNCLE DIGGLE READS TO-DAY’S NEWS
DEAREST MICHELLE
ON A CRISP OCTOBER DAY
DEAD MAN IN MY BED: STEPHEN AND MARY PART 2
MY HALLOWEEN IN 2005
WXXT GOSSIP
SOUP IN WINTER
TUGGING ON YOUR SEAWEED SLEEVES
WXXT ARE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
GOODNIGHT, NURSE
POSTSCRIPT
A WORD