Comments on: Steve Erickson http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/ LitPark Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:30:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Monthly Wrap: You Know I’m Busy When I Can’t Even Come up with a Title http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-13249 Monthly Wrap: You Know I’m Busy When I Can’t Even Come up with a Title Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:52:03 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-13249 [...] wanted to stop in to say thank you to Steve and Anthony for a fascinating discussion on Zeroville and film. If you read and commented on the interview, [...] [...] wanted to stop in to say thank you to Steve and Anthony for a fascinating discussion on Zeroville and film. If you read and commented on the interview, [...]

]]> By: Heather Shimmin http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10020 Heather Shimmin Fri, 09 May 2008 15:38:44 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10020 I stayed up until 1 a.m. last night finishing "Zeroville." Two concepts which struck me the most were, one, that God hates children, and two, that the doorless church is to keep you in, not out. Having grown up in a staunchly Mormon family, even serving a two year mission for my church - at my expense - I especially resonate with these concepts. In all of the religious studying I have done, it has never occurred me that it is always the children that suffer. Isaac at the hand of Abraham, Pharaoh in Egypt's own son and the sons he sent his soldiers to murder, God sending his own son to suffer, and so on. In word, who can possibly believe in a god who demands a father murder his own child. When someone is raised in a particular religion, told repeatedly that it is the only true church (as was my case in Mormonism) , it is almost impossible to get out. Not the organization per se, although that is challenging because they just don't want to let you go, but the idea of God, Heaven and Hell, the years and years of brainwashing that has been drilled into your head since childhood. It takes a long time for the guilt to go away. Not the guilt that now you are doing things that we strictly forbidden by the organization, but the guilt of wondering if you were wrong to leave that organization, if it were right after all. If you have turned your back on god. It's the notion and existence of god that is hard to get out of. I stayed up until 1 a.m. last night finishing “Zeroville.” Two concepts which struck me the most were, one, that God hates children, and two, that the doorless church is to keep you in, not out.

Having grown up in a staunchly Mormon family, even serving a two year mission for my church – at my expense – I especially resonate with these concepts. In all of the religious studying I have done, it has never occurred me that it is always the children that suffer. Isaac at the hand of Abraham, Pharaoh in Egypt’s own son and the sons he sent his soldiers to murder, God sending his own son to suffer, and so on. In word, who can possibly believe in a god who demands a father murder his own child.

When someone is raised in a particular religion, told repeatedly that it is the only true church (as was my case in Mormonism) , it is almost impossible to get out. Not the organization per se, although that is challenging because they just don’t want to let you go, but the idea of God, Heaven and Hell, the years and years of brainwashing that has been drilled into your head since childhood. It takes a long time for the guilt to go away. Not the guilt that now you are doing things that we strictly forbidden by the organization, but the guilt of wondering if you were wrong to leave that organization, if it were right after all. If you have turned your back on god. It’s the notion and existence of god that is hard to get out of.

]]> By: HNTW Roundup - April 11 | How Not To Write http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-4513 HNTW Roundup - April 11 | How Not To Write Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:08:20 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-4513 [...] Over on Susan Henderson's LitPark, Anthony Miller went crazy and posted a massive interview with Steve Erickson. [...] [...] Over on Susan Henderson’s LitPark, Anthony Miller went crazy and posted a massive interview with Steve Erickson. [...]

]]> By: litpark » Monthly Wrap: You Know I'm Busy When I Can't Even Come up with a Title http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-4512 litpark » Monthly Wrap: You Know I'm Busy When I Can't Even Come up with a Title Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:03:35 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-4512 [...] where writers come to play « Steve Erickson [...] [...] where writers come to play « Steve Erickson [...]

]]> By: Nathalie http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10019 Nathalie Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:59:09 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10019 Wow. Thanks, both of you, for this extensive interview. It almost feels as if I have read the book already. Which seems amazing, so I'll definitively have a look for it. Loads of very interesting things in there and having been for a while already a regular reader of <a href="http://eddiecampbell.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Eddie Campbell's Blog</a> - and getting hooked on it by his retelling of how he and Alan Moore constructed "From Hell", I was particularly interested about the part regarding comics adaptation into movies. I have been always wondering how much the original authors visuals are helping or impairing the work of the people who try to make movies out of their stuff. Wow. Thanks, both of you, for this extensive interview. It almost feels as if I have read the book already.
Which seems amazing, so I’ll definitively have a look for it.
Loads of very interesting things in there and having been for a while already a regular reader of Eddie Campbell’s Blog – and getting hooked on it by his retelling of how he and Alan Moore constructed “From Hell”, I was particularly interested about the part regarding comics adaptation into movies. I have been always wondering how much the original authors visuals are helping or impairing the work of the people who try to make movies out of their stuff.

]]> By: kaytie http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10018 kaytie Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:44:02 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10018 I enjoyed The Sea Came in at Midnight and I always enjoy Mr. Erickson's appearances at the LA Times Festival of Books. Looking forward to the moment I can dive into Zeroville. Thanks for this extensive interview! I enjoyed The Sea Came in at Midnight and I always enjoy Mr. Erickson’s appearances at the LA Times Festival of Books. Looking forward to the moment I can dive into Zeroville.

Thanks for this extensive interview!

]]> By: Aurelio http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10017 Aurelio Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:11:18 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10017 Wow, this is a dense interview - I'm only part way through it but I'm loving it, and will probably comment again when I finish. I was intrigued by your description of Vikar as the Starchild from 2001, hurtling from NY to LA, which represents the end of the universe, and it struck me how many people come out here to become someone new, to be reborn. The hope of being discovered becomes an inverted form of self-discovery. The imagined becoming real and the real imaginary. No wonder there are so many nuts in Hollywood. The insanity of it is the only thing that makes sense to them. Wow, this is a dense interview – I’m only part way through it but I’m loving it, and will probably comment again when I finish.

I was intrigued by your description of Vikar as the Starchild from 2001, hurtling from NY to LA, which represents the end of the universe, and it struck me how many people come out here to become someone new, to be reborn. The hope of being discovered becomes an inverted form of self-discovery. The imagined becoming real and the real imaginary.

No wonder there are so many nuts in Hollywood. The insanity of it is the only thing that makes sense to them.

]]> By: Juliet http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10016 Juliet Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:57:32 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10016 Scrolling here was a strange sort of homecoming‚ Films which have cut into the fabric of who I am. The reminder that a story teller's life and legacy goes on and on. "I went through periods where music meant more to me than anything..." that statement in itself leaves room for words and words and more words. Looking forward to picking up Zeroville. Scrolling here was a strange sort of homecoming‚ Films which have cut into the fabric of who I am. The reminder that a story teller’s life and legacy goes on and on.

“I went through periods where music meant more to me than anything…” that statement in itself leaves room for words and words and more words.

Looking forward to picking up Zeroville.

]]> By: claire http://www.litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10015 claire Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:29:51 +0000 http://litpark.com/2008/04/02/steve-erickson/#comment-10015 Zeroville is one of the best books of the year. Thank you for giving it the space it deserves. Zeroville is one of the best books of the year. Thank you for giving it the space it deserves.

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