Word Incident

Bruce Springsteen: Going On Tour

Tom Schabarum — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:33:50 +0000

At the Wrecking Ball, Giant's Stadium - NJ, September 2009, with a new found friend, Paul Harrison (center) from London, England.

Ok, so you’re tired of hearing about Bruce Springsteen from me. I get it. But here’s the deal. Thirty-three years is a long time. It’s a long time to be a true fan of a musician, and a band. Think of all those one-hit wonders out there who never stood the test of time. Think of KC and the Sunshine Band, Toto, Styx, Men At Work! All bands that have come and gone and you have no idea where they went off to and you ask yourself – why aren’t they still around? Then you think of Bruce Springsteen, who is 62, who is still embarking on major tours with a band that has lost key players, but still plays every concert as if it’s their last. And it’s meaningful music. Particularly now. Particularly when things have been tough for so many people, and people have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their self-esteem. And while Bruce is a kabillionaire now, he still roots for the common man, and hopes for common decency, and that everyone gets a fair shake, even though many of his songs sing of those who’ve missed out on the American dream. Young bands like Arcade Fire and The Gaslight Anthem embrace the sounds of the E Street Band while giving their own, fresh takes on music. Bruce remarked about Arcade Fire’s live performances and how “there’s a whole town up on stage, and that is quite lovely.”

Mr. Springsteen is heading out on the road, and around the world, with a community of his own on his upcoming tour. While we’ll miss Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons, we can rejoice in the fact that Bruce is happy to keep the family together, incorporate nephews and sons into the live act, and continue to play to millions of people. I, for one, love the community of people that come to his shows. I’ve met a lot of great people attending all the ones I’ve gone to. Particularly those on his last tour, people who felt that an end of an era was upon us, and it was. Losing Clarence Clemons was like ripping out the heart of a live animal while it was still clinging to a grand life.

Here we are, on the cusp of a new tour, a new “town” on stage with new inhabitants, but with the same mayor. I’m looking forward to going out on tour again, meeting more people at tailgate parties, or sitting next to me in the bleachers, or standing shoulder to shoulder to what is as close to going to church as I’m ever gonna get. And I will be a chocolate mess at the tour opener. Guaranteed. I’m glad my partner will be there, and glad for a community to come together once again holding me, and all of us, up.

Love is Making Its Way Back Home – Josh Ritter

Tom Schabarum — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:21 +0000

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Josh Ritter, so it was exciting to discover his new video. It’s one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen, and I can’t imagine how long it took to create! Unbelievable. Utilizing over 12,000 pieces of paper in stop-motion animation, the creators worked for days to bring this 4-minute video to reality. Check out the video here: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/josh-ritters-love-is-making-its-way-back-home/

The video was produced by Erez Horovitz and the photo is from Prominent Figures

The Palisades receives another 5 star review

Tom Schabarum — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:22:14 +0000

As a writer, it’s always amazing to receive great reviews from readers far away that you don’t know, but who take the time to comment on a book on Amazon. So wonderful!

“If you want to read a story well told and extremely well written, this is it. Tom Schabarum opens the family dynamics in this story in a way that draws one in. His ability to give one a beautiful vision of the area and still make you focus on the details of the story are extremely well written. This is a book that digs deep into family conflict, love, disappointment, and compassion. A must read.” Charlene Haugen, MN

Download a copy of The Palisades for yourself here! http://www.amazon.com/The-Palisades-ebook/product-reviews/B0033PSLB4/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?

Delivering Tutta Bella Pizza to Airforce One and President Obama

Tom Schabarum — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:34:32 +0000

Yesterday was an exciting day and one for the memory book. In a flurry of activity, we delivered over 40 pizzas to President Obama and everyone on Air Force One for their flight back to Washington DC from Seattle. With just over a day to prep, the amazing people of Tutta Bella created an outside kitchen at Boeing’s Paine Field in North Seattle. There, in the driving rain, 45 Neapolitan style pizzas were hand-crafted and baked in a wood-fired Woodstone pizza oven. We then got to drive three Mini Coopers loaned to us by the Lake City Dealership right up to Air Force One and deliver them to the crew and Secret Service. Unbelievable, and definitely a thrill. My thanks to the crew at Tutta Bella, particularly Joe Fugere, who is a friend and owner of the restaurant. I had great fun.

A special pizza, in President Obama’s honor called the Il Presidente, was created just for the day and is now a featured pizza at all of the restaurants.

I was able to document the lead up and day of the event with my Canon 7D. Take a look at some of the photographs here! http://goo.gl/eY68d

What I Do For a Living

Tom Schabarum — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:18:07 +0000

What I do for a living and what I love to do as a writer sometimes merge. Telling stories is what I love to do. And putting that in some sort of design context or video, or written down as a proposal lets me do what I think I do best. Eugene (pictured here) has been with The Westin nearly 50 years, and all of his adult working life. His story of compassion and longevity was a wonder to listen to.

This fall and winter I’ve been working on videos for The Westin, Seattle that has allowed me to work with everyday people, who are Associates there, telling extraordinary stories of their lives, and why they love doing what they do. These videos are being put up one by one as webisodes on The Westin website for the next several months, which is exciting, and a uniquely different way of celebrating the renewal that is taking place at the hotel. I’ve worked with wonderful people in front of, and behind the camera, and have been able to sit and craft the stories into 2-minute arcs that have brought tears to the eyes of many of the people working at The Westin.

That is most satisfying to me.

Take a look here! http://www.westinseattle.com/stories

2,000 Views

Tom Schabarum — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:52:47 +0000

Word Incident hit 2,000 views today! Thanks to all who’ve taken a look. It took me awhile to figure out how to do things with WordPress, but it’s moving along pretty well at this point. Check it out, follow it, and like it on FB for literary news, music, photography and artistic adventures!

Thanks, all!

Airstreaming

Tom Schabarum — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:01:07 +0000

We used this Airstream out in the woods to create the book trailer. It’s buried in the snow at this point out by Mt. Rainier. Very cool story on this particular Airstream. It’s a 68 and is being restored into another bedroom for the house.

That’s John’s hand in the video: http://youtu.be/iFsBOqdCXpc

The novel is now available on Amazon Kindle and the paperback is coming shortly.

Every Love

Tom Schabarum — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:47:04 +0000

I have a thing for trains. This much is true. I love the romance of them, the way they lumber through the world’s countrysides, towns and cities. I’d like to believe that our country could build high speed rail lines from one end to the next, up and down our coasts. But I’m sure it won’t happen in my lifetime the way things are going. Our country is too reliant on cars, wasting energy, and not thinking ahead. Once, my friend Drake and I rode a train in Taiwan, our feet dangling from the open cargo door, tickets already sold for all of the regular seats. It was an extraordinary journey thirty years ago. I was a little in love.

Every Love

Under every light and banner of night,

trains thrum, sound rises to

meet the day, bouncing back and forth

from earth to sky until it reaches

an ear trained for something else altogether.

Absence makes the now palpable, unforgiving.

Tracks wind into distance; a boy sure of his love

jumps the car to find it. Sharp pangs

drive him toward the one thing he needs.

And every folk song ever written,

guitar strum and wailing voice,

reaches back in time through the night.

Whistles for loved ones the train’s iron knows nothing of.

Nothing but steel wheels, locomotion,

steam rising in clouds.

Going forward is it’s own reward.

The leap, the air, the heart.

AIRSTREAMING now available on Amazon Kindle

Tom Schabarum — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:07:37 +0000

Airstreaming is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle here.

http://www.amazon.com/Airstreaming-ebook/dp/B0074V5XBY/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1

Watch the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/36236576

Read a synopsis at www.tschabarum.com

528 Downloads – The Narrows, Miles Deep

Tom Schabarum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:48:13 +0000

I took advantage of KDP’s free 5 days of advertising (only used 3 days) and within that time, 528 readers downloaded The Narrows, Miles Deep. Interesting. I’m not sure how they got the word out as I searched far and wide for where they advertised the book. But they must have reached a lot of people to have that kind of response. Did I make a ton of money? No. Did I increase my readership by 500%? Yes! Amazing, really. Hopefully, this will translate over to my other books as they come online. It already has for The Palisades. I just need to figure out how to gain that sort of readership through social media. I’m working several angles as I look to release AIRSTREAMING in the next few weeks. Take a moment to download it for your Kindle, and or buy the paperback. Given that Mormons are much in the news today, it might strike a chord with you.