Today, dear readers, we are in for quite an honor. I have with me today one of my favorite Dark Legends, GrandaddyBonegrinder .
Join me as I attempt to explore this man's fascinating and insightful world.
DD: I want to know more about the man that has created such intelligently crafted masterpieces as you have, over at Dark Poetry.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
GB: My name is Michael Brown. I'm a 60-year-old, iconoclast, happily married to my soul mate Lingaz for 28 years. I've lived most of my life in rural, western New York. I have four wonderful children who are my best friends. Adam is the Chair of Education Department at St Bonaventure University and teaches Evolutionary Psychology. Kristian is a supervisor in a local mail order shop, Kenton teaches English at SUNY, Fredonia, NY and Nicole works as a suicide prevention counselor at the University of Buffalo. I own and operate Chainbiters Disc Golf Course, just outside of South Dayton, New York. A disc golf addict, I tour from May through Oct following the Can Am Disc Golf Series. I was the New York State Advanced Masters champion in 2008.
I earned my Masters in Metaphysical Science from the University of Metaphysics in Los Angeles, California and my BA from SUNY at Fredonia in Sociology with a minor in History. A certified hypnotherapist, I specialize in erotic fantasy for women and couples. I'm a graduate of Programming and Systems Institute proficient in COBAL, Basic, C+ and NWScript. I have over 30 years experience as a D&D Dungeon Master creating scenarios for my loyal followers. I still host a weekly PnP game for several local college professors during the winter months. Lingaz and I began computer gaming on the Commodore 128 with Pool of Radiance and The Bards Tale (1,2,3). I created my first hack and slash adventure programming in 128 BASIC w/ sound. It was a lot of fund at the time. LOL! Since then we've played them all. We both consider the Wizardry series the best of the lot until Neverwinter Nights appeared on the scene. I guess you could call me a "world builder"; I now work 6-8 hours per day in the NWN Toolset creating MMORPGs for a fantastic online Persistent World called Eternal Destiny As you might expect, Lingaz is my devoted game tester, allowing me to spend more time building and creating my modules. I write satire, parody and poetry in the irreverent tradition of social observers like Mark Twain. My hobbies include metal art, web-site design, and computer graphic art.
DD: So many of your works seem like they could have directly influenced many other themes found in movies and other forms of artistic expression. Even some that have been as recent as a movie like "Surrogates", with Bruce Willis. "Filename: Michael L Brown" is one of the most astoundingly brilliant short stories I have ever read.
Would it be out of line for me to ask you, even BEG you, to PLEASE, (PLEEEASE)continue this storyline?
GB: Yea? this probably ain't goona happen, LOL, but thanks for the kind words.
DD: In, " the marketplace - 2022" you paint a pretty intriguing glimpse in to what the future of our species may look like. I read this piece before I ever watched the movie "Repo: The Genetic Opera". The first thing that came to mind, when I read the back of the DVD at the video store, was this work.
Is this just a coincidence? Or, are my suspicions, that in "meat space" you are somebody famous, true?
GB: Indeed this is pure coincidence, as I do not watch movies at all. IMHO, sitting watching a movie when I could be building, writing, putting or doing anything else productive, is wasting my time. I would estimate the number of complete movies I"ve seen in my life, could be counted on two hands; much of my work is influenced by my background in Sociology and the problems I perceive within our culture.
DD: In my opinion, it's obvious why someone with your caliber of ability would be a member of The Dark Poetry Council.
Can you tell my readers a little about what Dark Poetry means to you and what it means to be among the ranks of the DP elite?
GB: Dark Poetry.com is far more than just a website on which to post your dark poetry. I believe the words of sites founder, DarkPoet ,describes the community perfectly: "The psychological benefits of writing Dark Poetry are substantial. The fact that you can share a little piece of your soul with another person just by writing is miraculous. Even the simple act of describing something that is bothering you in a new way can give you a whole new perspective, and help you find new ways to handle it. Above all, having someone else actually understand you at such a deep level makes you realize you're not so alone in the world after all." "Using this community for the sharing of your poetry can help connect you to other people in new ways. In fact, thousands of friendships, hundreds of romantic relationships, and even a number of marriages have resulted from the meeting of poets on DarkPoetry! These connections didn't happen entirely by fate: the members sought out those who they really could understand, and worked to create these new, deep relationships.?" The Captain of the Starship DarkPoetry does not give out titles lightly; one earns their position here by hard work and dedication. I'm happy and proud that in some small way I have been able to help with the sites growth and enrichment. And as for being an elite, naw, I'm just one of the DP family.
DD: Some people are either uncomfortable with or have no opinion on matters outside of poetry and the arts. After viewing some of the thought provoking graphical art on your DP works list like, "The fundamental nature of Democracy" , I get a sense that you, like me, are not among those ranks.
Given the recent uncertainty facing our world, at the dawn of a second decade of the new millennium, what are your thoughts on the current state of government in the U.S.?
GB: Like all failed democracies down through history, the US has slowly evolved into a Bread and Circus Empire. Controlled by a massive corporate/media/military complex, perhaps the most appropriate word to describe current US leadership is Plutocracy. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth, "a fusion of money and government". For the USA, World War 11 was the final set of nails in the coffin of the American Republic. Since that time there has been no "Government of the people, by the people, or for the people," in any meaningful sense of the phrase. Today, we cling only to the illusion of democracy, in the wake of 9/11, the veil becoming transparent, the US Empire so expansive and powerful, it is no longer possible to hide behind the Matrix of democracy. Yet still, most Americans embrace the illusion that we live in a democracy, simply because we have the right to vote. Voting only matters where real choices are allowed. The present U.S. political system has been carefully crafted to ensure that no one who questions the military/industrial/corporate power structure will be allowed entrance into positions of authority. The voting process is the ultimate charade, yet the illusion that every vote counts is very important because it allows the average citizens to become willing participants in the two-party, corporate sham.
DD: And lastly, what advice would you give the next person, who clicks a link on my blog to go over to DarkPoetry.com
and sign up for a Free Memebership, to get to the level of recognition and understanding of self that it appears you have achieved, by expressing yourself on a website such as DarkPoetry?
GB: Becoming part of the DarkPoetry community allows one a unique opportunity to rub elbows with a wide variety of talented personalities, providing a chance to converse with members who have multitude different values, attitudes, ideals and opinions. One excellent to learn about yourself is to explain your beliefs to others and in turn, learn from what others believe.
Words can not express my gratitude at being allowed the honor of sharing your time, to entertain me and my little hobby of satisfying my curiosity about the wonderful authors that can be found among the denizens of the DarkPoetry world. Be well, GranDadday and, as always, keep scribbling! (Especially about Michael L Brown) =)--Draven
