The Good Shtuff

I like Social Media. Facebook. Twitter. Why? Because I get to find the coolest things. And when I find cool things, I like to talk about them.

"What cool things?" you ask. Here's a few:

1. Entertainer Aindrias de Staic

2. Blogger Daithi O'Connor

3. Writer Eddie Stack

and my newest cool find is:

4. Poet Brian O'Driscoll

Why do I like Brian's writing style?

a) He makes you think without spoon feeding you the same old lines we've all heard or read.
b) He displays courage in doing what fulfills him, what he's passionate about.
c) He expresses raw, outlandish, vivid, soft and hard emotions and curious thoughts.
d) He is contemporary, fresh, and interesting.

His website says, "...anything goes...," and "A poem with the absolute right kind of magic running right through it really can mean the world to someone if appreciated to the fullest extent." If you're so inclined, I encourage you to visit www.poetart.ie and who knows what you may find to appreciate.

Recently, I made the above short clip of random phrases I picked from his website. Don't go through your life with your head buried in the sand. Open your eyes to something different, something eccentric, something new.

Open your eyes to the good shtuff!

The Eddie Stack Book Club

 Don't panic!

 There's no Eddie Stack Book Club, I just made that up!

However, there are those of us who really enjoy his work. So, for this St. Patrick's Day, we would like to share with you a few things about his books, his characters, and his stories. Hope you enjoy, and maybe you'll become an Eddie Stack Book Club Member, too. Just to clarify...there IS NO book club, so don't be sending me any money to join!! Wait...on the other hand, just meet me around back. (*wink*)

Some are answering questions about his books, some are commenting on the free stories via his website at www.eddiestack.com and other comments, well... you'll have to see for yourself! It's all about appreciation and support on this St. Paddy's Day 2014. Put on the kettle 'cause you never know who will stop by!

BOOKS Q&A

1. Where is your favorite location Eddie Stack writes about?

Terri Taylor Tattan

Remote, sparsely populated areas, like in "For the Record." (The West)

Sherry Perkins 

Rossmount House in "Simple Twist of Fate" (The Irish) and Pat Patrick's cottage in "Flowers of the Sky." (The West)

2. Who is your favorite female character?

Terri

Constable Stella Blute in "Carnival Cop." (Borderlines)

Sherry

Mabel Downwave in "Revolution" (The West) because she is loyal, quiet, and somewhat withdrawn and defeated in the beginning of the story. In the end, she finds herself and her strength and I love that about her. Ooh, and because I'm a hopeless romantic, I must include Ellie Lazurino from "Ellie" (Out of the Blue).

Can this be the lake where John and Marty fish in "Blue Money" (Quare Hawks)?

3. Who is your favorite male character?

Terri

Guy from "Bonzo." (Borderlines)

Sherry

Paddy Petty in "When Everyone in Ballyjames Had Helicopters" (Quare Hawks), because he's hilarious, silly, stubborn, nervous, mean sometimes, and so animated. And Bonzo in "Bonzo" (Borderlines) is so James Dean cool and smooth. He's one of those guys you just want to hang out with.

4. Which character would you run from, if you saw heading your way?

Terri

Gerard Downwave and his talk of revolution! "Revolution" (The West)

Sherry

I'd run from Faruda in "The Poet, The Psychic and The Knave" (The Irish). She's clingy, neurotic, and just crazy!

 

Look! It's the donkey from "Jackass Blues" in Out of the Blue.

5. Which character would you LOVE to kill? (It's not a homicide if they can't find the body!)

Terri

Finbar Lyons - because he's a pig! (I don't really want to kill him, though.) "Bonzo" (Borderlines)

Sherry

Toss up between Gerard Downwave in "Revolution" (The West), because he just sucks the life right out of his wife, and he did it on purpose; and Mona in "Morning Tea" (Quare Hawks), because she's stubborn, cold, resents herself, is very unhappy and takes it out on Jack.

6. Which character do you wish you were more like?

Terri

Sam's mother from "Simple Twist of Fate" (The Irish). Although she has characteristics I would not want to take on, I do admire her strength and determination.

Sherry

I wish I were more like Sam in "Simple Twist of Fate" (The Irish), because he has the wonder, curiosity, softness, simplicity, and joy of a child. [And no...Terri and I DID NOT share and compare answers! Ha!]

This is what I imagine Pat Patrick's cottage to resemble, but a bit larger to hold everyone!

7. Which character would you marry?

Terri

None.

Sherry

I'd marry Bonzo. He's just that super cool. But since he smokes dope, I'm going with Paddy Petty because I'd always be laughing (...or fighting - and as a Southern Gal, I don't back down!)

The colorful vibe of this picture is synonymous with the crazy vividness of Eddie Stack's stories.

8. Which character would you want to befriend?

Terri

Sunny from "One for the Rover." (Borderlines)

Sherry

Bonzo (Borderlines), the Moore Family in "For the Record" (The West), Sam in "Simple Twist of Fate" (The Irish), Tommy in "The Book" (The Irish), and Todd in "Carnival Cop" (Borderlines).

9. If you had to sum up Eddie Stack's writing in one or two words, what would you say?

Terri

Incredibly entertaining!

Sherry

Powerful, poignant.

10. If you could transport yourself into only one story, which story would it be?

Terri

"Back in the Days of Corncrakes" (Out of the Blue)

Sherry

"The Book" (The Irish)

I can imagine this scene as Tommy watches and writes in "The Book" from The Irish.

11. Which ending was the coolest and most surprising?

Terri

"Bonzo" (Borderlines)

Sherry

"Bonzo" (Borderlines) & "Ellie" (Out of the Blue)

Hey look, it's Bonzo! He's just hangin' out. If he had a website, am sure it would be www.GoWithIt.com

 

12. What are some of your favorite Irish words / phrases?

Terri

"Great steam," "you're a legend," "cracked as a brush," "mighty," "you know, yourself," "come here ta me"

Sherry

"Jaysus," "stone cracked," "lambaste," "nicked," "different kettle of fish," "on the steers again," "put the chat on him," "gone from the wire," "Irish nirvana," "on the pull," "batshit crazy," "bigamy sirens," "cratur"

Maybe from Megga Moore's home, she saw this from atop her bicycle on her travels into town.

13. Has any story made you cry?

Terri

"The Warrior Carty" (The West) gets me everytime.

Sherry

"Time Passes" and "The Warrior Carty" (both from The West), "Morning Tea" (Quare Hawks), "Simple Twist of Fate" (The Irish), and "Ellie" (Out of the Blue).

14. What character did you secretly hate?

Terri

Mariah "One for the Rover" (Borderlines)

Sherry

Peter Berry and Coyne in "Waiting For a Fare" because they stereotyped and judged Manji because he was different, AND Senator Patrick Kelly in "Ellie" because he's just an arse!! (both from Out of the Blue)

15. Any words for Eddie Stack? 

Terri

Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world! You're a legend!!

Sherry

I'm so happy to have discovered your stories! Thank you for your words!

~~~Other Comments~~~

Debby J. Bruce

Tell Mr. Eddie I said, "Hello!"

Kerry Burak

Eddie, Happy St Patricks Day to you. I'm so excited to say your writing is highly recommended. My first read is "Heads." I bought it the other day and began reading. It's exciting, charming, and a bit humorous. I've already formed pictures of what the characters look like - that I believe takes genuine talent. I want to know exactly what Jazz did to tick the priest off - it's going to be a fun ride discovering that. I'm looking forward to reading your other works as well, especially Borderlines. I promise to leave reviews for all. Wishing you all the best. Much love and respect, Kerry.

Janet Burke

Eddie Stack is a modern Irish storyteller, brilliant at creating colorful, unusual characters that are both endearing and exasperating, with engaging plots that make his books hard to put down. His stories are character driven and filled with quirky people who are often self-destructive and, if not already steeped in the darker side of life, they are teetering on the brink. Rarely is a character all good or all bad – with the exception I think, of Basil in “A Simple Twist of Fate” who was a crass opportunist epitomizing the Celtic Tiger era. There was nothing good about him! Through Eddie's work I feel like I'm getting a glimpse of an element of modern Ireland not often seen by outsiders. And although the stories are contemporary, there is a thread of the druid throughout, as if magic is at work moving the plot along and leading the characters to their fate – a fate that is always very satisfying. The lives depicted in Eddie Stack’s stories are often gloomy but his underlying optimism shines through and keeps bringing me back for more!

 Emma Heatherington

Irish Author

 www.amazon.com/Crazy-For-You-HarperImpulse-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00HY5ZCS4/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

Eddie Stack's stories are like a warm hug that take you back in time. I can't help but smile at their familiarity and the satisfaction that comes with each conclusion. A true delight.

Michelle Henman

The best authors are able to draw you into a story; Eddie Stack does that and more. The stories build around you, the characters are real and relatable, and you ALWAYS walk away wanting a little bit more. 

Pat Carroll Marcantel

I thoroughly enjoyed Eddie Stack's story "Bonzo," even though my delicate 81-year-old eyes had to flutter across all the F-bombs, etc. The characterizations are wonderful and the story line kept me glued to it all the way through. Way to go Bonzo AND Eddie Stack!

 Jim McKee

Irish Artist & Musician

 www.facebook.com/jim.m.kee?fref=ts

Eddie Stack writes from a place that has been lived and seen, an Ireland that is leaving us. His stories carry so much humour, charm, honesty, truth, sorrow, punch, and real Irish dialect. Pagan and Celtic, pre-Christian and the secret truth that was kept hush in Ireland makes for not just good reading but interesting and educational as well. He captures an era soon gone. After reading his short stories I want to read his books. They're preserved photoshots of something priceless and magical...now I know where the deep well is, where his son Aindrias de Staic drinks from, he doesn't lick it off the ground...pure magic. At the turn of a sentence Eddie can stop you in your tracks or make you laugh. He doesn't waste a word...long live Eddie Stack. These words n stories are old souls alive. Jim McKee

Karla Mohtashemi-Reese

www.facebook.com/coachkarlareese

"Granda and Me": I was drawn to this story because of my own personal relationship with my Grandpa. My own Grandfather was such a colorful character, and told me stories of his experiences as a youth that flew me away to days gone by. I was delighted by this author's writing style and how he easily introduced me to the characters of his own youth. The information about St. Patrick's day customs in Ireland was retold in such a brilliant manner! I actually felt I was there as the story unfolded. The ending made me smile. What a wonderful writing style this author has! I cannot wait to read more! Recommend him HIGHLY!

Jayne Henry Owens
www.ataglancemag.com 

Recently I had opportunity to read each of the free stories available on Eddie’s webpage. I thoroughly enjoyed them and was very happy to be introduced to this lovely writer. Eddie’s ease of approach to his stories instantly draws the reader into a comfortable cadence, even in an uncomfortable story line. His narrative voice is earthy and natural as he shares his first hand view of everyday Irish life. The pictures drawn are filled with relatable characters that seem very at home in their surroundings. I was easily swept away, falling quickly into the world he created, even though I have no knowledge of Irish life. Significant things, Irish-centric, were shared in a relevant way so as to imply that it was integral to the story, even as it was commonplace. This style allowed me to feel fluent in what was being shared. There I found humor, truth, conviction, liberation and so much more. A quaint look at life through Irish eyes.

Sean Sheerins

(Sean's answer to question #1 is): Doolin!

Patrick Talty

Eddie is an authentic Irish voice in fact and fiction. I marvel at his power of recall when writing about conditions in Ireland from his youth in stories like, "Time Passes." I also enjoy his blogs with a mix of fiction and documentary. Beir beo, Eddie.

Elizabeth Teese

...I found the story ["Bonzo"] funny and captivating from the get go. The characters were easy to envision and absolutely delightful. They were fleshed out so well I found myself longing to meet them. I can't wait for another chance to get lost in one of his stories.

~~~Special Guests ~~~
 (Look who stopped by!!)

Bonzo

We're on the bus, man!
[By the way, Bonzo tweets and you can follow him on Twitter @BonzoInfo]
 

Aindrias
www.aindrias.com 

Eddie's writing is both insightful and inspirational. Its gives us a chance to see with rare humour the Ireland that lives within us all.

A Fan For Life

When someone enriches your mind, it’s very overwhelming and amazing and can’t be put into words. However, this is my feeble attempt to do just that – pay homage to a fabulous and wonderful writer. I hope to do him justice, without causing embarrassment.

     We all have our favorite writers. When I was a kid, Laura Ingalls Wilder dragged me along the prairie. I gathered eggs and firewood with her, froze with her in the meager cabins that sheltered them from bitter and harsh winters, and cried when her sister Mary went blind. As an adult, Rick Bragg makes me laugh at the impoverished rural people of the South and the situations which befall them (simply because I can relate), and I even cry at their heartache, grit, and loneliness. Now, I found another author who affects me just as much but in different ways.

      Eddie Stack takes me on magnificent journeys to far away places, journeys which always include cast after cast of humorous, flawed, and down-right crazy characters full of the quirks we all possess (some to a larger degree than others). Borderlines is the title of his latest work. In addition to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rick Bragg, Eddie Stack is now in my category of favorite writers.

      Places I’ve visited include: a classroom inside a monastery, a psychiatrist’s office, Irish pubs and streets, a train station, a living room of a downtrodden wife, a bedroom of a confused wife, a wild and wet carnival, an Irish cottage, a riverbank where boys fish, a dole office, and so many more places; places which may remain physically foreign to me, but not foreign in my mind. Not anymore. Not only do I get to go to wonderful and exotic new places via this writer, my emotions tag along on a roller-coaster of experiences. I love the characters, hate the characters, both empathize AND sympathize with them. I laugh with them, cry with them, get mad with them, cuss with them, and find myself saying aloud, “Oh no you didn’t,” when a character surprises me!

      All writers have his or her voice, that “something special,” that specific and personal creativity, that “way with words” which no one else can claim. Stephen King. James Lee Burke. Nicholas Sparks. I could list many more. If you’re a reader, then you have your favorite authors. As a fan of each of these writers, I love their individual styles. Yet, I don’t wish to write like they do. I treasure my own voice, my own writing style. Whatever it is, it’s mine and belongs to no one else. In the thousands, and I do mean thousands, of books I’ve read in my life, only three writers have ever made me think, “Man, I wish I could write like that.” One I won’t reveal (it’s my secret), the others are Sam Shepard (yes, THAT Sam Shepard - the one from The Right Stuff) and Eddie Stack.

     The rhythm of sentences flows like subtle poetry, the kind of poetry you don’t even realize IS poetry until someone tells you. The diversity of sentence lengths keeps your attention. Some are long. Some are short. The vivid, spot-on descriptions – never too much, never too little - are always perfect. Action comes from all over in his stories. Funny action. Silly action. Romantic action. Mean action. It’s all there. The masterful use of alliteration, similes, and metaphors are as soothing as a hot bath. The foreign word choices from a different culture pulls me in like a magnet drawn to metal. I cannot get enough of the humor, the dark situations, the crazy chaos, the surprises, the realness, the fresh takes on ordinary circumstances, the twists, or especially the Irish jargon. Yes, sometimes it confuses me, but I figure it out. It’s so awesome! (Wait...I’m wondering if I should use words like mighty or brilliant here, instead of awesome?)

      Sometimes I read so fast (and don’t absorb the material, the situation, the conversation, the “whatever the hell is going on”), just to get to the end of the page and turn and see what happens next that I’m lost because I don’t understand what I just read. Who said what? What did they do? Wait? What’s happening? My eyes simply skim to get to the end. It’s ridiculous! The writing is so good and smooth, that my eyes and brain unconsciously trick me. But I don’t mind having to go back and reread. By this time, I’m a kid in a candy store trying to decide if I want a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or a Three Musketeers (and both are my favorite!). In other words, it’s ALL good.

      The way Eddie Stack writes about the Irish, in no way demeans or belittles. A quiet pride smiles between the words and peeks out in his prose. The way Laura Ingalls Wilder shares being poor, and the way Rick Bragg discusses southern living, neither writer ever offends because you can relate if you’ve ever been in similar circumstances. Eddie Stack does the same thing. Although I can’t relate to Irish living, I get the same easy and comfortable feelings from his work. To remember people, to talk about them, to write about them is the best homage one can pay, and as bizarre as the stories are, I’m sure his fiction is rooted in at least a little bit of reality, which is why the stories are so golden.

      So, if you are inclined to be carried away to funny lives, fanatical pubs, desperate people doing desperate things, sadness, elation, wild and real characters, or even if you wish for a new and colorful vocabulary, I encourage you – no I beg you – to read Eddie Stack’s work. He offers free stories on his website if you would like to sample the fabric first before buying yards of it. I am beyond thrilled to both endorse and support his work and consider myself a fan for life.

      Visit his website at www.eddiestack.com where you can find links to all his work. Plus, not only does he cater to paperback readers, he offers ebooks and spoken word stories as well.

Photos snatched from his website! But I snagged the picture of Borderlines off the Internet! :)

Banjaxed, Bogman, Bedraggled, and then some...

Can't believe it's been months since I've posted. How time gets away from me. What I would like to share is a brand new writer I recently discovered. Well...HE'S not brand new at all, just brand new to me. The ironic part is I discovered him while crushing on my new favorite band http://www.thelatchikos.com but oh my, that's another post so won't get into that now. The pic below is of them, courtesy of their facebook page!

Originally from Ireland, Eddie Stack makes his home in San Francisco. Winner of numerous awards, his writing is so witty and genuine that it envelopes all of my senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, in such a way I feel compelled to share with you.

Eddie shares free stories on his website http://www.eddiestack.com and it's these stories I want to elaborate on to give you a taste of his style. His word choices are out-of-this-world. The Irish phrases, though sometimes hard to get at first, are refreshing to those of us who may have heard, "I've got to take a leak" many different ways; yet, I bet you never heard it Eddie's way.

With his permission and blessing, I share these bits and pieces from the noted free stories on his site. (Really hope I can add his books to my library soon.) I know we are taught that each of us has our own voice, our own style. Which we do and should embrace! Don't get me wrong, I embrace my weirdness. It's just...well, I want more of Eddie Stack. I want to read it, absorb it, assimilate some of his wit, rawness, and humor into my style. Maybe, by reading more of his work, it will make me a better writer. Sure hope so. Please enjoy...

 

photo courtesy of www.eddiestack.com

1. Granda and Me
"...wild head of wild white hair..."
"...shouting and cheering like a crowd of jail breakers..."
"...they were cockeyed with drink and anarchy."
"...kept out of my space."
"He belted me until I cried, not with hurt but with rage."
"...as if they'd been branded with a red-hot cattle iron..."

Words I like from this piece: bedraggled, druids, propoganda, and Granda.

2. Limbo
"...ye're as lazy as Sin."
"...we were the flotsam left behind by the tide."
"...becoming more demonic with every stroke."
"...and don't always be looking like a moon calf."
"...sleaze and slaughter."
"Mention of drink, Rasputin and red Russia in the same page was the height of treason."

Words I like from this piece: lout, bards, Jaysuz, sty, drivel, sutach, bogman.

3. Back in the Days of Corncrakes
"...soft scents of summer..."
"...press ganged..."
"...lounged in the caravan like the Rolling Stones before a gig."
"...my feet go rubbery."
"Fullbright didn't own a blade of grass."
"...just shook like a statue in an earthquake."
"I'm bursting to make a lake." (Yeah, guessing from reading the context this means, 'I gotta pee.')

Words I like from this piece: jerkins, arsing, banjaxed

4. Finito
"The Irish had very fertile imaginations."
"...pathetic clothes hanger in a crumpled suit."
"Freud would say she was shooting Larry by proxy."
"Subversive ballerinas, Buddhist butchers, film star typists, lesbian nuns and gay jockeys."

The word I like here is shag! (Yes, it means what you think it means.)

5. The Power of Prayer
"Cop cars cruised swift as sharks..."
"Virgins and villians,..."
"...the broken veins that came from long nights of lonesome drinking..."
"...an exotic fish in these warm seas..."
"Somehow in those twelve peals, God got a foothold."

Words I like from this piece: flummoxed and half-eleven (meaning 11:30)

Hope these tid bits raise your interest enough to visit his site and read for yourself about internet dating from a man's point of view, an uninterested therapist, young lads being in a commercial, a female cop undercover as a prostitute, and a stern Granda. Who knows what words will jump out at you!

Comments are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for taking the time to read, and thank you Mr. Eddie Stack for your encouragment and blessing on this piece.