Strangelove Redux

Washington (CNN) -- In an unprecedented action, an Air Force commander has stripped 17 of his officers of their authority to control and launch nuclear missiles.

The 17 are being sent to undergo 60 to 90 days of intensive refresher training on how to do their jobs. The action comes after their unit performed poorly on an inspection and one officer was investigated for potential compromise of nuclear launch codes, according to Lt. Col. John Dorrian, an Air Force spokesman.

The story was first reported by The Associated Press.

The action was taken by the deputy commander of the 91st Operations Group, Lt. Col. Jay Folds, whose officers run launch control centers for the Minuteman III nuclear missiles from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

What, Me Worried?

Read HOT HEART OF BOAR before it’s too late.

MY NEXT BIG THING…

The lovely writer Samantha Memi invited me to participate in a blog-chain project called “The Next Big Thing.” Thus, I’m required to interview myself and ask myself a series of predetermined questions. I’ve been told I need not take this exercise seriously, but I am still forced to spend time with myself when I could be out skipping stones in the Bay.

Oh well, here we go…

 

1. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE BOOK?

SNOWDROP IN AFRICA.

2. WHERE DO YOU GET THE IDEAS FOR YOUR STORIES?

That’s always a tough one. I buy some of my ideas over the counter at Walmart. Others I find in various dumpsters throughout the Bay Area. While others arrive at my door completely unannounced; then force their way inside and squat. The good ones tend to stick around despite my repeated threats to call the cops. Of course they realize I would never do that since I can’t stomach authority figures.

Professor Snowdrop appeared as a character in several stories I wrote. I wanted to expand on these. As a devotee of Oulipo, I decided to subject the professor to several sadistic constraints.

3. WHAT'S THE GENRE FOR THE BOOK?

Metafiction. Dada-noir.

4. IF YOU HAD TO PICK ACTORS TO PLAY THE LEAD IN ONE OF YOUR STORIES, WHOM WOULD YOU PICK?

Groucho Marx. Robert Redford. Orson Wells. Anyone but Brad Pitt.

5. HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BOOK IN ONE SENTENCE?

A film noir starring Groucho Marx, with a screenplay by Raymond Roussel, and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

6. HOW WILL YOUR BOOK BE PUBLISHED OR WILL YOU BE HANDLING IT YOURSELF?

The book has been published in the Absurdist Texts & Documents series from Black Scat Books (www.blackscatbooks.com) . And since I’m the Président-Fondateur of the press, I guess you could say I handled it myself.

7. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT?

3 weeks to produce a rough draft of 30-pages. Additional time for the illustrations which accompany the text.

8. WHAT OTHER BOOKS WITHIN YOUR GENRE ARE SIMILAR TO YOURS?

On the surface, perhaps… Walter Abish’s  ALPHABETICAL AFRICA (a brilliant book, by the way) , but In terms of plot…I can’t think of any off-hand.

9. WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?

The Oulipo.

10. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BOOK WILL PIQUE THE READER'S INTEREST?

It’s an odd little tale with several twists & surprises.

Snowdrop in Africa is available here:

 

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Acknowledgements

Frances Leftkowitz www.franceslefkowitz.net/

Carla Sarett www.facebook.com/cjsarett