Blue Lines Blog – #PhotoADayJuly – Day 30 – Calm

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#PhotoADayJuly, Beach, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Calm, Day 30, Hawaii, Instagram, Key Yemaya Walker, Pacific Ocean, Peace, Photo Challenge

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.

Blue Lines Blog #22 The Artist Interview David Peterson of Revel The Masses

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Alice in Chains, Blue Lines Blog, Book of Life, Chapman, Chicago, David Peterson, Duke Blue Devils, Eddie Vedder, Gabe Peterson, Gandhi, golf, Jesus, Kalispell, Modest Mouse, MT, Pearl Jam, Revel The Masses, UNC Chapel Hill

This week, the Blue Lines Blog interviews currently in Atlanta, writer, singer, and great performer, a friend I made dating back to a tornado hiting my house in 2005 who I reconnected to a year later.  David Peterson of Revel The Masses (http://www.myspace.com/revelthemasses). Headlining February 13th in Purgatory at The Masquerade in Atlanta!!!

I: When did you first realize you wanted to be a singer/song writer?
A: When I was around 12 I decided that I wanted to take a lot of my poetry and turn them into songs.

I: How long does it take you to write a song?
A: It differs. Usually if I’m inspired I can write one in as little as 30 minutes. Some have taken years though. If it’s not perfect in my eyes, I’ll walk away and come back later to finish.

I: What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
A: I try to be with somebody usually. I like to surround myself with critical thinkers and people of a fairly intelligent nature so that I can get good direction.

I: What would you say is your interesting song writing quirk?
A: I try to use words that are dead to most people at times. I also try not to rhyme too much. If the words fit, they just fit.

I: Where do you get your information or ideas for your songs?
A: From personal experiences. I have never wrote a song that I didn’t connect with on a personal level. I believe that music is the key to the soul, and it’s the soul I love the most.

I: When did you write your first song and how old were you?
A: I was 14 when I wrote, “Book of Life”. I wrote it while sitting at my house thinking about how awesome it would be to stand before the Creator and (have) Him call my name.

I: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
A: I enjoy golfing and spending time with my family. The occasional night on the town isn’t out of the question.

Blue Lines Blog #21 The Artist Interview Julie Gribble

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Blue Lines, Hudson Grille, Julie Gribble

This week, the Blue Lines Blog interviews currently in Atlanta, writer, performer singer extraordinaire, my friend dating back to our acting days in high school, Julie Gribble (www.juliegribble.net). Performing February 10th and 19th in Atlanta at the Hudson Grille Brookhaven!!!

I: When did you first realize you wanted to be a singer/song writer?
A: about 7 years ago i really started to put my writing to music and
learn how to really do it. When I was in high school I always was at coffee shops watching singer/songwriters and wishing i could do the same but never thought that I could.

I: How long does it take you to write a song?
A: it’s always soo different. Sometimes it’s within an hour sometimes weeks

Blue Lines Blog – Issue #16 Partial Character Study (Blue Hurt)

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Atlanta, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, California, Cuban, Joi Gilliam, KLW, manuscript, North Carolina, NYU, Sacramento, UNC Chapel Hill, Wu-Tang Clan

Character Development Exercise…

The following are partial (censored) excerpts of Blue Lines antagonist Blue Hurt’s character Development Worksheet(s).

Basic Attributes
* Given Name:
Blue Hurt de Gonzales
* Nickname(s):
Blue
* Appearance: 
–  gender Male
–  age 20 years old
–  height  5”10’
–  weight 180lbs
–  hair color/style long braids, either in corn rows or long braids
–  eye color            Brown
–  clothing style usually sweats, since he is at school, or a hoodie and jeans and a hat.
* Race/ethnicity: Black/Cuban American

Make sure to keep in mind:
–  How did your character get here from there? He transferred from NYU.

–  What was their life like before the story began? He was a junior at NYU, but after the passing of his maternal Grandfather, he focused most of his attention on providing mental and moral support to his family, almost learning how not to feel.  That time and effort spent tending to his family negatively affected his junior year, and the subsequent year he transferred to UNC Chapel Hill, to begin his junior year again.  His best friend Renee Turner also transferred to UNC that year.

Blue Lines Blog #12 The Artist Interview Kat Goduco pt 2

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adidas, interview, Kat Goduco, Kenneth Suffern Jr, Nikki Giovanni, Photography, Rise Sushi & Lounge, Sense[Ability]

This week, the Blue Lines Blog has interviewed currently in Atlanta, photographer, poet, jack of many trades extraordinaire, my Pinoy sister Kat Goduco (www.KatGoduco.com).

KS: Describe your current showcase to the fans
KG: Sense[Ability] is a showcase depicts the 5 senses illustrated through photography. Touch, See, Smell, Hear, Taste. There will be some It was a collection done for Rise Sushi & Lounge, and is currently being displayed in the restaurant.

KS: Do you like to talk about yourself or your pictures? If yes, about what aspects of photography? If no, why?
KG:I don’t mind talking about my body of work. I’m not much for attention, but I seem to get a lot of it. When I do speak about my work, I like to talk about the concept and behind the scenes aspect of it all.

KS: How would you describe your attention span?
KG: I have a decent attention span. Enough to get the work done 

KS: When did you decide to become a photographer?
KG: The moment I realized that photography was a tool to inspire others.

Blue Lines Blog #11 The Artist Interview Kat Goduco pt 1

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Atlanta, Blue Lines, D.C., Josh Smith, Kat Goduco, Kenneth A Suffern Jr, Marcus Fizer, New York, Nikki Giovanni, Photography, poetry, Rise Sushi & Lounge, Sense[Ability], Sonia Sanchez, Venice, Washington Redskins

This week, the Blue Lines Blog has interviewed currently in Atlanta, photographer, poet, jack of many trades extraordinaire, my Pinoy sister Kat Goduco (www.KatGoduco.com).

Q: Describe your current showcase to the fans
KG: Sense[Ability] is a showcase depicts the 5 senses illustrated through photography. It was a collection done for Rise Sushi & Lounge, and is currently being displayed in the restaurant.

Q: Do you ever have photographer’s block and if yes how do you deal with it?
KG: No, there is always an image to be taken.

Q: What types of assignments are you attracted most?
KG: People.

Q: Describe what black and white photography means to you?
KG: Black and white photography captures a real image. It brings out the strengths and you cannot hide the flaws.

Q: Do you think of yourself as an artist and what do you think of the word artist?
KG: Everybody’s an artist, information is displayed differently through each person. And artists is someone with something to say. “I live not to exist, but to express.” That’s also what I want as my first tattoo.

Q: How do you describe your photographic style?
KG: -after a brief pause, Kat’s answer was “lifestyle photojournalist.”

Blue Lines Blog – Issue #8 The Interview part 2

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Arthur Golden, Atlanta, Atlanta Braves, ATLiens, Blue Lines, California, Chicago, Christina Milian, interview, Joy Bryant, Jr., Kenneth Suffern, Lauren London, Memoirs Of A Geisha, North Carolina, OutKast, Paolo Coehlo, Sacramento, Starbucks, The Alchemist, UNC Chapel Hill, Zoë Kravitz, Zoe Saldana

Alright, to switch it up…something different, the continuation of the interview with Blue Lines author Kenneth A. Suffern, Jr.

I: What inspires you?

KS: Life and experiences. Not mine, per se, but life and living in general.

I: Every writer has a method to his or her writing. On a typical writing day, how would you spend your time?

KS: In the beginning, my writing consisted of specific items. My (or borrowed) computer, my disks set out, I file of pictures relating to the story opened on the machine, some paper and music, whether playing on the computer (now iPod, or whatever).

I: How long does it take for you to complete a book you would allow someone to read?

KS: I would say that if I am focused on one piece of work, possibly about a year and a half to two years.

I: Do you write right through or do you revise as you go along?

KS: With Blue Lines I wrote the manuscript all the way through, and then I returned to the work to revise.

Blue Lines Blog – Issue #7 The Interview part 1

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A Wrinkle In Time, Author, Blue Lines, book, Coffee, interview, Kenneth Suffern, Madeleine L’Engle, manuscript, reader reviews, Starbucks, The Alchemist

Alright, to switch it up…something different, an interview of the Blue Lines author Kenneth A. Suffern, Jr.

I: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KS: I am not sure if it was my knowing that I wanted to be a writer, but in the mid eighties, while in parochial school. A student wrote a science fiction story that incorporated all of the students within our 7th grade class. I was amazed at the project, not by the product of his work, but the ability to weave a story and incorporate students, teachers, and faculty into a cohesive story. Within the same year, I tried to resurrect his story in a creative writing piece, but failed miserably. After that, I was not sure that I necessarily wanted to write, but slowly transitioned into writing prose.

I: How long does it take you to write a book?

KS: Blue Lines took about 2 years to write, around 1998 – 2000, but being my first work, and also a cathartic release I have recently began the process of trying to shop it.