June 7

Today's another discovery for me: Harry Crews. He's a writer in the Southern Gothic style, and the impression I receive of him is that he is at least as interesting as his own characters. He has an e.e.cummings quote tattooed on his right arm; probably the most effective testimony of his literary roots. I'm hunting up his books now (half of them are out of print since the 70's, and only one of them so far is a movie: The Hawk is Dying.) I'm also hunting up Flannery O'Conner, who he frequently cites, and who may be responsible for the way I write as well (another story for another time.)
I wouldn't post a writer here unless I had some visual aid to attest: here's the first part of 'The Rough South of Harry Crews', a documentary about the man and the world his stories come from.

It's an interesting watch in general, and as an aspiring writer ('aspiring' seems more descriptive than 'struggling' or 'unpaid'), I find his story particularly stirring.
I have a feeling I will learn a lot by reading him.