tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.comments2024-01-06T06:04:33.867-05:00JASON JACK MILLERJason Jack Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13095882670283762866noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-29478768116650162892017-05-15T00:21:26.296-04:002017-05-15T00:21:26.296-04:00Criticism solely for criticism's sake is a poo...Criticism solely for criticism's sake is a poor attempt of 'the criticizer' to either proselytize or demonize an individual artist and his or her work without drawing meaningful links to progress a creative dialogue either between past works or an artist's contemporaries--meaning it "takes" by a selfish attempt to build their 'professional character'. I agree it is the artist's or writer's who take the real risks (and this pertains to their critical essays, etc.), because they are more prone to work in regard to inner passion and authenticty, rather than sardonic, apocryphal sensationalism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-22792502122261146952017-05-14T09:11:32.041-04:002017-05-14T09:11:32.041-04:00Obviously Mr. Jones is confused by his own definit...Obviously Mr. Jones is confused by his own definition of eloquent in these two examples of his criticism. Loving Vincent was beautiful and heartfelt. The new Louis Vuitton bags are poster art. And, by the way, why are Jeff Koons's initials on the bags when his gazing ball addition has been removed and we're left with only the original artists' works? It makes no sense.Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-16055129214989738942016-08-06T19:46:55.884-04:002016-08-06T19:46:55.884-04:00You rawk. Simple as that! It's great to finall...You rawk. Simple as that! It's great to finally be able to share our original jam session on the new release. Listen closely and you can hear me laughing with glee. -- MikeMike Arnzenhttp://gorelets.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-77735257368119400412015-12-10T08:58:06.456-05:002015-12-10T08:58:06.456-05:00So beautiful and heartfelt, Jason. So beautiful and heartfelt, Jason. Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-77747904647597221052015-09-08T07:47:13.449-04:002015-09-08T07:47:13.449-04:00Love the new look!Love the new look!Fantasy Floozie- Kenya Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231969339092635972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-82294781204720161562015-08-16T00:22:40.140-04:002015-08-16T00:22:40.140-04:00A beautiful tribute, Jason. She was an amazing wo...A beautiful tribute, Jason. She was an amazing woman. We are proud of you.<br />Uncle Mike and Aunt Cherylnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-37445085366117216312015-04-01T12:49:45.497-04:002015-04-01T12:49:45.497-04:00Cool man! I didn't see this when it was posted...Cool man! I didn't see this when it was posted. That's great!Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391867546599335769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-51734444274145247672015-02-10T10:39:39.831-05:002015-02-10T10:39:39.831-05:00And, thank you for the kind words. ;)And, thank you for the kind words. ;)Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-86255140753160335362015-01-27T17:16:55.366-05:002015-01-27T17:16:55.366-05:00Well, I knew she was going to read it...
She'...Well, I knew she was going to read it...<br /><br />She's responsible for a lot of pivotal events in my life: getting me on a plane, getting me to quit smoking, getting me back to college after I dropped out, getting me to move to a tropical paradise... I'm not afraid to give credit where it's due.<br /><br />And thanks for the kind words!Jason Jack Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377023057390296820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-28803144528102652472015-01-27T17:14:19.622-05:002015-01-27T17:14:19.622-05:00I'm thinking about putting a few on t-shirts a...I'm thinking about putting a few on t-shirts as a way to extend my brand. (Thanks for the kind words!)Jason Jack Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377023057390296820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-42431457843728961072015-01-27T17:13:01.539-05:002015-01-27T17:13:01.539-05:00Well, it's how I roll,
Spitting Zen like cher...Well, it's how I roll, <br />Spitting Zen like cherry seeds<br />The sweetest of words. Jason Jack Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377023057390296820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-53887173009762233582015-01-26T12:01:01.942-05:002015-01-26T12:01:01.942-05:00Great quotes from your own works! Love how the mus...Great quotes from your own works! Love how the music works as muse for you. And who could fail to swoon when you say your wife Heidi got you into this?Lana Hechtman Ayershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09270067126857619318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-32314601501433307912015-01-26T09:37:51.265-05:002015-01-26T09:37:51.265-05:00WOW! I love the quotes. I'm going to steal and...WOW! I love the quotes. I'm going to steal and instagram them!Fantasy Floozie- Kenya Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231969339092635972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-45073606069135400232015-01-25T09:39:59.890-05:002015-01-25T09:39:59.890-05:00That haiku made me swoon. You're so cheeky, Mi...That haiku made me swoon. You're so cheeky, Miller. :)Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-73824563278919634332014-09-16T08:08:28.595-04:002014-09-16T08:08:28.595-04:00Kudos on this -- love the mixtape and the news abo...Kudos on this -- love the mixtape and the news about your collab with Heidi, which is sure to pack a wallop! Here's to the next chapter...Mike Arnzenhttp://gorelets.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-19782107038529999342014-09-15T14:10:45.700-04:002014-09-15T14:10:45.700-04:00I am so excited about our collaborative project!! ...I am so excited about our collaborative project!! :D<br /><br />Great post, J.Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-53320169674907654002014-07-29T15:04:03.753-04:002014-07-29T15:04:03.753-04:00Anxiously awaiting All Saints - and will be readin...Anxiously awaiting All Saints - and will be reading Desumpmation tonight. <br /><br />Just the little excerpt you posted here gave me goose bumps... <br /><br />When I was a teenager, something was killing our horses so some friends and I decided we'd sit out at the land with our guns and gin and have a bonfire and take care of that. It was probably well after midnight, many ghost stories, and far too much booze when we heard just that scream you mention. It was so loud it sounded like it came from within us. Makes your blood run cold. When we realized he was in the tree over our heads, and who knows how long he'd been there just watching, our blood ran even colder. Long story short - we lived, as did the horses, and another was never killed after that - for whatever reason. <br /><br />Your writing always draws me in. Takes me places. Makes me remember things I had forgotten. Can't wait to read The Rhythm of War - and All Saints! Crayotic Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480766951670643937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-78736115701273525012014-06-03T16:37:04.062-04:002014-06-03T16:37:04.062-04:00So sorry to hear about your bad news. There seems ...So sorry to hear about your bad news. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately. One of my best friends was killed earlier this year - on Ash Wednesday to be exact - just crossing the street after lunch. Today another dear friend goes in for a bone marrow transplant in the hopes of surviving leukemia. Funny, when I got so sick back in 2010 we all figured they'd outlive me - and here I am four years later going strong while those that held me up fall... Not funny, but you know what I mean. We just never know. My heart goes out to you in that regard. <br /><br />This month it will have taken me 38 years to figure out who I was - or probably more succinctly who I wasn't. I've run the gamut trying to figure it out - and have arrived at a rather happy place. At least I suspect this is what happy is. No, I'll never write that NY Times Bestseller - but I have written several novels. I wrote a play that I was blessed to see produced onstage. And in all that, I realized that I am more of a storyteller than I am an author - and I'm a much better artist than I ever will be a writer. It's all about finding that place that works. Some of us have to do it the hard way (nevermind that I never listen to anyone's well intended advice!) - but other have the opportunity for people like you to come into our lives and offer encouragement at just the right moment. So I am happy to know that you are one of those lighting the way. I like to think I have become one of those people myself. <br /><br />I think I am going to have to post "Roll over and kick your fucking feet" up on my inspiration board. If ever there's a bit of life advice that's worth carrying, that is it. <br /><br />It's so damned true. Crayotic Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480766951670643937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-48403014635389647062014-06-03T13:58:34.385-04:002014-06-03T13:58:34.385-04:00Hey Micael,
Your post came just after I received ...Hey Micael,<br /><br />Your post came just after I received some very bad news about somebody I guided with back in 1993. A legend that I was lucky enough to get to work and hang out with. Bo and a few guys like him helped shape the guy I am today. There were no second chances on the river and the margin of error was slim. I learned about respect and failure and other, far more important lessons from a bunch of guys who never went to college. So many of those intangibles are what carried me through my darkest times as a writer. <br /><br />I ended up working for a whitewater rafting in Ohiopyle after drifting from social group to social group all through high school. Had the guys in my band, but they were all a year younger than me. Had a lot of friends in Art Club, but I couldn't draw and I always known I'd gotten in because they had vouched for me. When I started college I ended up hanging out with a group of guys that were into basketball and sports. And I'd just been dumped by an ex.<br /><br />When I showed up on that first day of Cheat training (Cheat River, Albright, WV) none of that mattered. I was the first one out at the first rapid. When the safety boater paddled up to me, I gave him an 'isn't this great' smile and he said, "Now roll over and kick your fucking feet." <br /><br />Only about 10% of the trainees came back for the second weekend. I was one of them. Felt like I'd won something. A chance to rebuild myself. A chance to earn respect and know exactly what that meant. A chance to shed all of the identity issues I'd had up to that point. A chance to learn who I really was with a whitewater river as my trial by fire. <br /><br />Then I promptly lost my driver's license, got put on academic probation, and kicked out of my house. <br /><br />But I got lucky. Really, really lucky to stumble into that opportunity. <br /><br />Then I got lucky again in 1994 when I met Heidi. We worked together at the mall. She's the one who got us to Florida, who encouraged me to sit down at the typewriter and see what came out, who found Seton Hill. Again--pure luck. The chances of her working at the place I returned to once rafting season was over were paper thin. Seriously. But that's another story. <br /><br />Seton Hill became a home like Ohiopyle did. A place where people accepted me for who I was. I guess I'm telling you this because I want you to know that there are places out there. If you ever wanted to talk about Seton Hill I'd be more than happy to discuss it with you. It's home. <br /><br />Seriously. Email me if you ever want to talk about it. And thank you for the kind words. Sincerely. It took me forty years to figure out who I was. (Kinda.) And I'm getting better at spotting 'my peeps' here at school, and doing everything I can for them. <br /><br />Best,<br />JasonJason Jack Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377023057390296820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-70188086949444515522014-06-03T10:15:45.414-04:002014-06-03T10:15:45.414-04:00I just wanted to say thank you for this. Even thou...I just wanted to say thank you for this. Even though it's not addressed to me, I was one of those students. There was a time when I had the starry-eyed dream of becoming the next great best-selling author. <br /><br />For years I attended such festivals and workshops, determined to make it. Never once did anyone even acknowledge my existence, much less thank me for trying. For an author of your caliber to have even noticed at all would have meant the world to me. <br /><br />Your writing alone makes you one of my favourite authors, but to come to know the kind of person you are behind the words make it all the more inspiring. I don't know if you are even aware of the difference you could be making to one of those kids that were there. <br /><br />So thank you. Crayotic Ramblingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480766951670643937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-29918319549412200742014-03-11T07:42:43.834-04:002014-03-11T07:42:43.834-04:00Thank you for sharing, Jason!Thank you for sharing, Jason!Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-10828209992107075272013-12-31T11:29:30.386-05:002013-12-31T11:29:30.386-05:00It was an incredible year, Miller. So glad I got t...It was an incredible year, Miller. So glad I got to spend it with you. I love you!Heidi Ruby Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02190166838730021237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-78689191787123831042013-12-25T18:10:45.467-05:002013-12-25T18:10:45.467-05:00Thanks so much for spreading the word, Jason Jack....Thanks so much for spreading the word, Jason Jack. I hope you enjoy Only Human and eagerly looking forward to All Saints :-)Mike Mehalekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05492454682658101241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-11041204565962384842013-12-16T17:52:48.060-05:002013-12-16T17:52:48.060-05:00Thanks for the comment, Katy!
It's funny, bec...Thanks for the comment, Katy!<br /><br />It's funny, because I thought long and hard about an "Imagine" cover. Jack Johnson did one too. In the end I figured that was a song I would leave untouched for the time being. <br /><br />You listen to the Lennon BERMUDA stuff yet? Some really nice covers there. Jason Jack Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10377023057390296820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684268458725484615.post-50773417123263814172013-12-16T17:43:29.945-05:002013-12-16T17:43:29.945-05:00These are great. My personal favorite Lennon cover...These are great. My personal favorite Lennon cover is Neil Young's cover of "Imagine" that he did at some 9/11 thing in 2001. Young's vulnerable warble really made the song...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.com