Glen: Alright how do we do this?? Haha
Me: Hey man! If it’s all good with you, we just kind of get right into it. A leave formalities at the door kind of thing haha.
Glen: Sounds good, what do I have to do?? I’ve never facetimed on IG before haha. Or do we old skool AIM chat this ??
Me: The fun thing about it is, at least I think it’s fun, is that you have to do nothing at all. We can enjoy a nice, relaxing Spring’s day Jersey chat on here by IM’ing. I can’t say that I’ve seen an interview done before via chat, but the learning experience with Craig’s two weeks ago proved it to be much more thought provoking than I expected.
How’s your Spring Break going, is the time away from school giving you a nice window to dip into any writing WIP’s? Jealous, by the way. Spring break was the midway point to summer back in the public schooling days and I miss that, seeing as now we’re adults and don’t get such things.
Glen: ☀️🌊⚓ right in the nostalgia feels! Alright let’s kick it. I love a good learning experience, Betterism started (and thrives) in that very mindset.
Spring Break!! Yea, it’s been pretty great so far. Didn’t go anywhere, just eNJoying a lil stay-cation by the sea here in Belmar. It’s been SO nice out, so I’ve definitely been working on some of my WIPs, including the new lil one COPING CIRCLES dropping in late May. Buuttttt… I’ve also been distracted by the weather with going up to the beach and getting some things scratched off the yardwork to-do list…
You know it’s funny…
I still have those same spring break / almost-summer vibes as I did when I was a kid… the only difference is now I have responsibilities and goals beyond that as an adult
Me: Betterism is an amazing thing you’ve got going. No matter where a person is in life, career, family mode, friendships, etc., there is always room for improvement. And in the crazy era that we’re all just kind of swirling around in, I feel like your cause helps to drive things forward on an even keel.
Very excited about Coping Circles! From what you’ve told me, this is a bit of a sidestep from your other works and that’s awesome.
I think if I lived in your area, especially with the beach being a sand pebble’s throw from your shore abode, that the distractions would have distractions. I’d be way too caught up in that homely smell of salt and sea air to get much of anything done haha. So props to you on that!
It’s interesting how one day we’re the kid and the next we’re the adults who fondly look back on what it was like to be a kid, while still partly having that youthful whimsy (<—as much as I love this word, I feel it works better as the name of a Pokemon…)
Glen: Yea, Coping Circles has a darker feel to it. Much of my work is fueled by positivity and that’s me normally, but I’m a human like everyone else… I’m not gonna lie and say “ignore the negative.” That’s just not realistic. CC is an exploration of that. I’m both excited for and nervous about it being part of the collective universe.
Dude tell me about it — even when it’s crummy out, I still find myself driving up by Ocean Ave to check out the waves. I don’t surf like I did when I was younger, but I can appreciate some #liveaction waves as much as the next person. It’s distracting, but also meditation. So it balances out.
I like the word ‘whimsy’ but I agree with you about it sounding like a Pokemon. I could see it being like a Mr. Mime…
Me: The realism here lies in not only the poems that will come out of CC, but the fact that it’s exactly what you said. To quote my man Rocky Balboa, “the world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows,” and while people like you and me seem to get lost in something as simple as a breaking wave or pristine sunset, that doesn’t mean that we don’t work hard to shut out that darker side of things. Because it’ll consume anyone it wants, whether for 5 minutes or a lifetime.
Can’t wait to read that side of your writing!
That’s an excellent point, good distractions have the ability to be meditative. It’s why some of those fancy schmancy pants alarm clocks have preloaded sounds of the beach recorded right inside.
Haha, my mental image matches that exactly. Maybe it’s the amazing Ryan Reynolds being signed on as the main character, but Detective Pikachu is on my must see list. Great comedies are in rare form these days, especially ones that harp on nostalgia.
What was the last movie you watched that rocked your cinematic world?
Glen: Thanks man! You’re so right, it takes practice and effort to learn how to cope. I’m still working on that lol.
Oh I’m stoked for Pokemon’s Detective Pikachu. Ryan Reynolds taking a risk there with the voice transition from Deadpool, but it looks like it’ll be good! I trust they’ll pay homage. Last movie that rocked me was Into the Spiderverse. That movie was SO good!! Even Allison, my wife, loved it — and she’s not really a comic book / superhero / sci-fi flick fan.
Me: I imagine we’ll see quite a bit of that in this newest poetry collection, the coping methods of the author himself. Gives the new work a bit of an autobiographical vibe to it, even if that’s not entirely the case. I was skeptical when the Pikachu trailer first popped on but after Deadpool, I’m curious to see what direction his career moves in. And you’re right, the whole voice change is very risky but from what I saw in those trailers the jokes have a solid impact.
No way, we’ve been wanting to see Spiderverse for ages! The reviews (which I generally don’t put a whole lot of stock in) raved about it, claiming it’s one of the franchise’s best. Bumping that one up the queue, thanks for the recommendation!
Do you feel inspired by films that are well written/acted/directed? Do you ever walk away from an epic piece of viewing pleasure and feel like you’re aching to write something just as poignant or flashy, whether novel or screenplay-esque?
Glen: Dude ALL THE TIME. It’s wonderful and it’s a problem. Start with the con: it can be a little distracting when working on a longer piece, like a novel or screenplay. Always trying to rewrite and tie-in new concepts. The pro: nothing is more motivating than seeing a really well-constructed piece of art and saying, “yea, I can do that too!” Straight-up on the inspo-steez after seeing a great flick or reading a good book. I recently re-watched Ex Machina, and that movie gets me right in the creative gut every time. Especially for the novel-in-progress… Head Games.
Me: It’s like a fuel injection to the creative mind, which is always a welcomed jolt for sure. I can see how that would be difficult when you’re already knee-deep in the plot and working towards additions and story manipulation.
Ex Machina! Whoa man, we’ve talked about that one many a time before but yeah, masterpiece of a movie right there. It tanked in the box office, which is nutty and regretfully understandable in these times, and became an instant cult classic.
There will have to be a part duex to this wonderful chat because now I want to hear more about Head Games! Thanks for taking the time to hang out for a bit and shoot the written breeze, Glen. Very much appreciate it and I’m looking forward to Coping Circles which you mentioned is dropping at the end of next month. Let me know when that release date is finalized!
Glen: Makes sense… the last thing Hollywood wants to make us do is think. Can’t make money that way haha.
I look forward to it, Eric! Thank you for having me. I hope I was able to help with the learning curve!! 🙏😂🍻
Me: Anytime brother! We’ll convo it up again soon. Absolutely, you’ve helped that curve smooth out along a different trajectory in order to keep this casual interweb chat thingy moving forward. Thanks again!
Glen is a fantastic Jersey writer who is inspired by the sea, has an admiration for the sea, and loves to write about the sea. This was quite an enjoyable, laidback conversation about the one thing that most of us love to embrace each and every day: writing. Be sure to stop by Amazon to check out his author page, and also find him on Instagram as well!
Searching for new reads?
Poetry about Strange Cars or maybe a fictional novel journal about a Dioramist protagonist who struggles with a passion for writing and a former love? Be sure to check out my published wares on Amazon if you’re interested.
Also, be sure to find me on Instagram @ blankpagesofmine and say hello!
blankpagesofmine 