Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
the mountains & glass holiday jolly playlist
Hopefully it's pretty evident that music is a big part of all of our lives here at mountains & glass. For this month's playlist we decided to devote it to a certain type of music that fits perfect with the holiday season and our musical sensibility; jolly. No holiday-themed selections here, only music that pumps you up and makes you play air drums on your car's steering wheel. Hope y'all enjoy it and happy holidays! Cheers to a great 2012.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Up and Out
Within the next month I continued to stay in touch with many contacts I made down in St John while continuing my comfortable corporate job. It was Friday, October 22nd when I decided to take the plunge into the deep end. I worked up the guts to do it, I accepted a job in St John, put my two weeks’ notice in, and booked a one-way ticket that afternoon. I claimed it was an early birthday gift for myself. (Note to readers: my bday is Oct. 24th).
I took a job working at a newly opened Condo style Resort doing Reservations/Concierge work. After attempting to negotiate for better pay, I was rather unsuccessful, I took a substantial pay cut and agreed to jump into warm, yet shark infested Caribbean waters. I then set up an afternoon meeting with my boss, can you say awkward, but he was very understanding. I really had a pretty great job and when I announced to him that I was leaving he was shocked but supported my decision to live out one of my many dreams.
For the next month or so I started even more intense research and piling clothes all over trying to get an idea what I needed to pack. I also spent a lot of time telling people about my plan. I would say the majority of the people around my age who were also working could not understand why I would give up a good job to move to an Island. On the other end, people say, 15 or more years older congratulated me and said they wished they would have done something like that and now is the only time it is possible. I sided with the older, wiser folk, well at least in my head, but my mind was already made up and there was no turning back. For the next month or so I went around visiting as many people as I could as well as starting my packing.
I moved down Nov. 12th, 2010 with two suitcases full of clothes, a pillow, and sheets. I booked the cheapest one-way ticket I could, meaning I had two terribly long layovers and nearly 11 hours later I made it to St Thomas airport (instead of the usual 6-8 hour trip). Within two days I was up and working and crashing in an out of order room at the resort. I can’t complain seeing I ended up being there nearly a month before I got a place with a friend I had met. Decent income to near poverty in no time, this is the one place I have ever been where you do not make money relative to the cost of living.
The first month my diet really consisted of peanut butter sandwiches, cereal ($7/box and no milk at $8/gallon), microwave chicken pot pies, Ritz crackers, $0.95 microwave burritos and occasionally bar food. The upside, beaches and happy hours whenever I had the chance no matter what ‘season’. Beaches are free and Woody’s Happy hour is $1 well drinks, ahhh heaven.
-Mike
Thursday, December 1, 2011
A Bon Iver Indeed
It’s been quite the bon hiver (good winter in French) for Justin Vernon so far; Paste Magazine picked his band’s latest release Bon Iver as its’ Album of the Year, he recently released a deluxe version of the same album which includes artfully crafted videos made specifically for each song, and now he has been nominated for 4 Grammy’s; Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album.
Quite the few weeks for a relatively unknown singer/songwriter up until a few months ago. I’ve been fortunate to see him twice; once as back-up vocals to Kanye West at Coachella this past year, and as his full-band Bon Iver here in San Diego a few months ago. Not only does his Grammy nods indicate a significant move for independent music, but a well-deserved praise for one of the most talented and beloved musicians around today and a realization to the world that music like this should be honored. With it being my favorite album of 2011 and as a ginormous fan of everything he does, I couldn’t be happier for the dude from Wisconsin. Check out the deluxe version video for “Towers” below and see the rest of the videos HERE
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Love Beyond the City
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| Photo of Andrew Fitzmorris in Kennebunkport, Maine |
Andrew Fitzmorris (aka Fitz) and I go back quite a long time. We grew up in the same suburban town in Connecticut and graduated from the same high school. He comes from a great family and is a person who will take the time to give you advice or listen if you have something to say. It is no surprise to me that he decided to pursue his passion for writing, resulting in his first published book at the young age of 25.
As a friend, I observe a quiet thinker who takes something scattered and organizes it into a story. He uses all that is around him and beautifully connects the dots into all of his work, including his book, "Love Beyond the City". "Fitz" and I have been trying to collaborate on the following interview for quite some time so I hope you all enjoy it!
Dave: What attracted you to writing?
Andy: I was attracted to writing during my junior of college at, Salem State College. I realized that sport management just wasn't for me. I had always been interested in writing, and I figured this was my chance at it. And from that point on, I have been infatuated with it. I love the idea of creating something from my soul and mind.
Dave: I think you and I can agree that passion is important. What inspires you and ultimately, your work?
Andy: Yes, if you aren't passionate about what it is you do you're not as serious as you might think. And with that passion comes my inspiration. It's almost in stages with me, as if building my strength as a writer. When I first started writing, I used to listen to a lot of music while writing. I'd write in notebooks, then type it up. And while in college, I wanted to learn as much as I could from professors. Then once I finished school, I taught myself by reading and learning from some great authors such as, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. My writing took another stage, experimenting with formats and cutting my words up using Burroughs's literary technique, cut ups. I wanted to write beautiful sentences like Kerouac. They inspired me to do great things and work as hard as I could. And now, I am still inspired by what I did, but I have enough confidence in my creativity and observations to think of new ideas.
Dave: What you have laid out will prove that one can begin on a path and have some control as to the location of that fork in the road. We experiment with life to learn who we are as a person, so failure is a requisite to a successful life. How would you define success in your life and what do you aim to accomplish in the long run?
Andy: Very true. Without failure, we don't know the meaning of success. I would define success in my life to being happy with what it is I do. If I am not comfortable or don't like what I am writing, I stop and trash it. With that being said, I don't think I have even reached the peak of my success. I haven't awakened yet. I know I could do so much more, and at the same time, I know I want to learn more. I sometimes overwhelm myself with what it is I want to do. What I'd like to accomplish in the long run is to leave my name on the world. I once told Robert Bohn that I write to leave something, others write to be something. I'm already something, I am me, no one else can be me. I am not only a writer. I am an observer of the world. I am an explorer of my surroundings and internally. And I am a writer, with a mix bag of ideas waiting to be unleashed. So my goal is to leave a legend. I know that seems a bit zealous or egotistical but I know I am a hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes to reach that idea of being a past figure of history.
Dave: I like that you touched upon this idea of exploring your surroundings. Living life in this state gives you the ability to create your life rather than pre-determining who you will be as a person 30 years from now. You become an artist who is designing his own life and in control of his mind. How would you define yourself if you had to choose one word? Why would you choose said word to do so?
Andy: Sneaky. I sometimes surprise myself with some of the ideas I conjure up, as if they snuck up on me, knocking on the back of my mind to come out. There are sentences in my novel, Love Beyond the City, sentences I can tell you 5 years ago I'd never be able to form, but through hard work and determination, it's as if this capability was sneaking up from behind, month after month, year after year. I am still a work in progress and I would say that these flashes of sneakiness will continue and I am fine with that.
Dave: To me it seems like there is this amazing force behind you that is constantly challenging you to take risks with your work. However, sometimes you may challenge the path that you have blazed.
Do you believe in "writers block"? Wouldn't you agree that this is necessary and sometimes, a long break away from writing can give you different ideas to explore? It's almost as if you were going on some type of adventure and you didn't know where to turn, so you stopped for a break...
Andy: I agree because if I keep my mind focused on one style of writing, I actually become bored. I need to explore all avenues, willing to stretch my imagination. I have a literary novel published, but that doesn't make me strictly stuck in that genre. Not too many people know I have written a suspense novel (not published). And only a select few know that I have written a non-fiction book too. So without writer's block, I am nothing but a one hit writer. And I can't have that.
And those stories were paved because I had writers block.
Dave: I like how you want to explore all avenues, using writers block, which a pessimist would refer to as a delta, but you treat it as a catalyst for growth in your work. I have not finished your first published book, Love Beyond The City, but I love what I am seeing so far.
Our Blog, Mountains and Glass, makes use of our common foundation and our current lifestyle. I see a lot of this in your book. Do you ever feel that you are in between two worlds, curious about the opposite extreme of your home and how your work may be different if you change your surroundings?
Dave: What attracted you to writing?
Andy: I was attracted to writing during my junior of college at, Salem State College. I realized that sport management just wasn't for me. I had always been interested in writing, and I figured this was my chance at it. And from that point on, I have been infatuated with it. I love the idea of creating something from my soul and mind.
Dave: I think you and I can agree that passion is important. What inspires you and ultimately, your work?
Andy: Yes, if you aren't passionate about what it is you do you're not as serious as you might think. And with that passion comes my inspiration. It's almost in stages with me, as if building my strength as a writer. When I first started writing, I used to listen to a lot of music while writing. I'd write in notebooks, then type it up. And while in college, I wanted to learn as much as I could from professors. Then once I finished school, I taught myself by reading and learning from some great authors such as, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. My writing took another stage, experimenting with formats and cutting my words up using Burroughs's literary technique, cut ups. I wanted to write beautiful sentences like Kerouac. They inspired me to do great things and work as hard as I could. And now, I am still inspired by what I did, but I have enough confidence in my creativity and observations to think of new ideas.
Dave: What you have laid out will prove that one can begin on a path and have some control as to the location of that fork in the road. We experiment with life to learn who we are as a person, so failure is a requisite to a successful life. How would you define success in your life and what do you aim to accomplish in the long run?
Andy: Very true. Without failure, we don't know the meaning of success. I would define success in my life to being happy with what it is I do. If I am not comfortable or don't like what I am writing, I stop and trash it. With that being said, I don't think I have even reached the peak of my success. I haven't awakened yet. I know I could do so much more, and at the same time, I know I want to learn more. I sometimes overwhelm myself with what it is I want to do. What I'd like to accomplish in the long run is to leave my name on the world. I once told Robert Bohn that I write to leave something, others write to be something. I'm already something, I am me, no one else can be me. I am not only a writer. I am an observer of the world. I am an explorer of my surroundings and internally. And I am a writer, with a mix bag of ideas waiting to be unleashed. So my goal is to leave a legend. I know that seems a bit zealous or egotistical but I know I am a hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes to reach that idea of being a past figure of history.
Dave: I like that you touched upon this idea of exploring your surroundings. Living life in this state gives you the ability to create your life rather than pre-determining who you will be as a person 30 years from now. You become an artist who is designing his own life and in control of his mind. How would you define yourself if you had to choose one word? Why would you choose said word to do so?
Andy: Sneaky. I sometimes surprise myself with some of the ideas I conjure up, as if they snuck up on me, knocking on the back of my mind to come out. There are sentences in my novel, Love Beyond the City, sentences I can tell you 5 years ago I'd never be able to form, but through hard work and determination, it's as if this capability was sneaking up from behind, month after month, year after year. I am still a work in progress and I would say that these flashes of sneakiness will continue and I am fine with that.
Dave: To me it seems like there is this amazing force behind you that is constantly challenging you to take risks with your work. However, sometimes you may challenge the path that you have blazed.
Do you believe in "writers block"? Wouldn't you agree that this is necessary and sometimes, a long break away from writing can give you different ideas to explore? It's almost as if you were going on some type of adventure and you didn't know where to turn, so you stopped for a break...
Andy: I agree because if I keep my mind focused on one style of writing, I actually become bored. I need to explore all avenues, willing to stretch my imagination. I have a literary novel published, but that doesn't make me strictly stuck in that genre. Not too many people know I have written a suspense novel (not published). And only a select few know that I have written a non-fiction book too. So without writer's block, I am nothing but a one hit writer. And I can't have that.
And those stories were paved because I had writers block.
Dave: I like how you want to explore all avenues, using writers block, which a pessimist would refer to as a delta, but you treat it as a catalyst for growth in your work. I have not finished your first published book, Love Beyond The City, but I love what I am seeing so far.
Our Blog, Mountains and Glass, makes use of our common foundation and our current lifestyle. I see a lot of this in your book. Do you ever feel that you are in between two worlds, curious about the opposite extreme of your home and how your work may be different if you change your surroundings?
Andy:Thank you, glad you like it so far! That's what I like about your blog, you have a natural theme of life and foundation. I certainly feel that the environment can help a writer. In my case, living in Kennebunkport, Maine, I experience the ocean. So when I write about it, I bring the reader right there, as if he or she can smell the salty scent straight to his or her nose. You can see a lot of instances in my book, Love Beyond the City, where I have a lot of marine descriptions because I live it everyday. There are also some descriptions of New York City, where my main characters goes back to. After a a few visits, it opened a lot of possibilities for me as a writer, explorer, and observer. There was so much to see. Some day down the road, I would love to live in a city and have more experiences. There is only so much creativity I can bring to the table. I need more experiences and plan on having more down the road.
Dave: Visiting your town was an amazing experience. As a resident of Boston, I have a lot of interaction with a diverse group of people, and a sense of urgency with a lot of it is that I do. Being in Kennebunkport was a peaceful escape to a calm, relaxing town with a tight community. How do you create the characters in your work and develop their personalities?
How does Kennebunkport contribute to them?
Andy: It sure is. When I am creating a character, I think about what my character will be facing (the conflict). I think of him or her as my tree with various branches, branches I give them. One could be they are moody when they leave the house. They don't bother waking up by an alarm, they rather sleep in, and so on. These are merely examples, but once I have the conflict down, it is easy to create the branches for them. I try and keep it as real as possible. And when I create other characters within a story, it is really important to me that they are different from the main. And as far as personalities, those can stem from people I've obeserved in the past. Kennebunkport contributes to my nature/landscape description in, Love Beyond the City.
Dave: In business, thinking creatively and also orbing around a common goal tend to go hand in hand. Most of society looses their creativity when they accept the fact that their childhood dreams will never be achieved.
Pablo Picasso once said, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up." Did you always have such an urge to create, or was this something that has been growing over time?
Andy: I would say I always had a hidden desire to create, but was almost afraid to do it. But once I realized my love for the craft, I didn't care about what it could or couldn't offer me. I knew I was going to love it because of the passion behind my soul. And once I captured my dream, creating ideas and putting together words has become a constant urge every day.
Dave: Very well stated, Fitz! As you may know, I believe that all people, places and things are connected in some way. Do you have any beliefs or common themes that you wish for your readers to take away from your work to apply to their adventure called life?
Andy: Great way of looking at life, as an adventure. One common theme I want my readers to take away from my work is being able to interpret what it is I've written. I write very deep with a wide range of meanings and interpretations. I want the reader to get lost in the words I've put in front of them. I try and dig deep with my ideas about life and its mysteries by exploring all aspects of it. I have a unique way of observing. My hope is they see what I see, feel the words I feel, and learn to appreciate the deeper side of a world that we constantly try to understand.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Happy Birthday, Jeff Buckley
Fourteen years ago, the music world lost a one of a kind and once in a lifetime musician named Jeff Buckley. Shortly after releasing his debut album to worldwide rave, Jeff mysteriously drowned in the Wolf River in Tennessee at 31 years old. Today he would've been 45 years old, and it's anyone guess what incredible music he would have released if he were still here.
I discovered him when I was at the age where music was finally making sense to me, and I always wish that if there was one musician I could see live it'd be Jeff Buckley. If you haven't experienced his music, start off at his fantastic official site and check out a live performance from Chicago in 1995 of his most famous song, his rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" below. If you're already a fan or becoming one, also be sure to pick up his double-disc Live at Sin-e album, one of my most cherished albums.
-Cole
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