The hard times have arrived, and like the most obnoxious in-laws, are most unwelcome. James has told of censorship of the print version of his “Autumn in a Dying City” (which I will review with much joy). Then there are the issues of surviving in Baltimore re finances and wildlife. What a plethora of fucking problems!
It has been suggested that he leaves Baltimore, and live in another shithole. Now, I know that living on the edge is good for war zone writing, but do it long enough and some piece of filth is bound to nail you. A good writer who has experienced the journey into the heart of darkness, should be able to pour it out wherever he is … so that clunks the “move deeper into enemy territory” argument.
I think that James could find some beaten up small warehouse, clean it up, and start a martial arts academy. I did exactly that in the late 1970s early 1980s, and it was the best time of my life. Live in the school, eat there, train and teach there. One could have “indoor” and “outdoor students”; the inner circle could train for free if you wished and the rest pay the way. Every martial artist master/sifu I have ever met, both in the West and in China and South East Asia operated like this and got by. I have never met anyone giving it away for free, even the super spiritual chi types. “Sifu must eat.”
Above all a great man, producing the last worthy literature of mankind, must survive long enough to finish the quest.
Turd America
Trumpapocalypse Now: The Advent of an American Usurper at the fall of Western Civilization
Own the collected works of John Saxon, Professor X, Eirik Blood Axe, William Rapier and other counter culture critics, on Kindle, via the link below. Amazon:
The Great Train Wreck of the West
There's just one problem with your suggestion Professor X, James has said on more than one occasion that he does not want to coach boxing or teach martial arts anymore. Perhaps he had an unsatisfactory and unrewarding experience with coaching and teaching in the past that soured him on the whole business. Also, in case you haven't noticed James is somewhat of a contrarian. He doesn't want to do what people tell him he ought to do. He tends to want to do the opposite. He's kind of uncompromising when he believes a course of action would conflict with his principles in any regard. Conflict in ways that the rest of us often don't quite get too. As you say even 'Sifu' has to eat. Now Dr. X I personally think your suggestion has merit. There is a big demand for boxing coaching as well as reality-based street self-defense training these days. Is there not? However staring a storefront Shaolin Temple may not be as simple and straightforward as it sounds in our current overregulated society. There may be more overhead and more licensing requirements than one might think possible and this can vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It has become much worse in the past 20 years as the socialist deep state has endeavored to get its fingers deeper into everyone's pocket, both rich and poor. Even in the putatively capitalist U.S. of A. For example in Milwaukee one must have a city issued permit to braid hair. So you either pay for the permit or you move out of Milwaukee (which many entrepreneurs do, but of course this can take you away from your clientele base in many instances). This situation shouldn't necessarily discourage one from embarking on a new enterprise, but it does require that you do research before starting one and be prepared to render onto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Regardless of those indignities an entrepreneur is someone who would rather work 50 hours a week for himself than 40 hours for someone else. So being his own man and being in control of his own destiny makes it worth it for him to negotiate the bureaucratic rocks and shoals. So what do you think James? I'm sure among your current associations you can find a pilot to guide you through these treacherous waters to a safe port from which to continue your writing.
I'm not a good first man, not a natural. Playing the role exhausts me and leaves nothing for writing. So, sensible though it is, I won't be operating a school. Local people have offered to sponsor me...but someone once called me a contrarian and might have had a point there.
Look, the only reason why I didn't shank those construction worker rednecks this morning was writing. Writing is the only reason I'm staying on the planet. I will stay at Sensei Steve's until May, maybe June, giving away my stuff in stages until then. I'll leave half my books to him and store the rest with relatives. Then I will take up a nomadic lifestyle, alternating between bus trips and renting rooms. I won't be able to afford both at the same time. So when I take a trip I'll be checking out of a room rental for good.
The censorship thing with amazon reminded me that my writing income is on too fragile grounds to be able to maintain a long term rental commitment and kind of woke me up to my own unsustainability as a writer.
I definitely plan on checking out Detroit—such a famous shithole should prove hard to resist.
Hi James. I can volunteer to guide you in NJs best shitholes. Camden, Newark, Paterson, Trenton. Best regards, Manny.
Yes!
Yes!!
Yes!!!