Greetings, dear readers, and welcome back – seven months later – to A Day With J.
Before I go any further, I should probably mention something about that. The title of this blog might soon be changing from “A Day with J” to “A Day with Lord J.” That’s because my dear twin Crystalynn really stepped up and redeemed my otherwise unremarkable birthday this year. Just when I thought it had gone largely unnoticed, she gifted me with a small (1×5 feet) plot of land in Scotland, thus officially making me Lord Jason Michael Wiltz. It’s not narcissism; it’s just a fact. 
Having said that, Lord J – like a lot of teachers – has been out of public circulation since the school year ended back in May (the last day of school actually fell on my birthday this year – how nice was that?). Since then, I’ve been spending most of my time taking naps, trying my best to decompress, and giving serious thought to joining a monastery. That last part might sound like a joke, but it’s not. A year spent among third graders is enough to make anyone contemplate the Carthusian life.
Now that I’m starting to come around, I’ve begun putting time and effort into a novella and a couple of short stories I’ve had lying around for far too long. I finished a major chapter yesterday, so today I thought I’d take a break and update ye olde blog. I can’t promise anything Earth-shattering, but at least I won’t go to bed thinking I didn’t write anything today. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Speaking of Diving…
I’ll start things off with a few thoughts about the Titan submersible tragedy that occurred back in June. I have to admit, I would have lost money on this one. With all the talk about how badly things are going these days – slumping economy, culture wars, government corruption, wars and rumors of war, etc. – I thought for certain this was just a planted news story that would end with a triumphant last-minute rescue. A badly-needed win for a country in the grip of low morale. (Think Apollo 13 or the Miracle on Ice.) Sadly, it didn’t turn out that way.
Usually I’m all for dark humor, but I couldn’t go along with all the jokes a lot of people were making about the Titan when the story was still fresh. I honestly feel a very real sympathy for the five people onboard, mainly because going down to see the Titanic wreckage is exactly the kind of thing I would do if I had the resources and opportunity (see also: “a quarter-million dollars to spend on a submarine tour”). I’m a big believer in making the dash on your headstone count, and it’s sad to think that these adventurers lost their lives while attempting to live them to the fullest.
While I’m still thinking about this – I remember seeing an interview with James Cameron around the time Titanic came out where he described the experience of diving down to see and film the actual shipwreck. It goes without saying that the ocean floor is unimaginably dark, and on one occasion Cameron and his crew came perilously close to crashing into the Titanic because they didn’t see it in time. That story has always stuck with me, because I just can’t think of a more preventable way to die. A submarine implosion is one thing. Crashing into a sunken ocean liner that’s been minding its own business since 1912 is quite another.
It sure would have made an interesting footnote in his biography, though.
James Cameron (1954-1996). Innovative and respected filmmaker. Director of Aliens, Terminator, and Terminator 2. Died crashing into the Titanic.
By Starlite
On a much much lighter note, I’ve been doing a lot of writing this summer, and I’m happy to report that one of my short stories was recently selected for publication in an anthology from Starlite Pulp.
I’m especially happy about this, because the story they selected – “Things are Different in Dallas” – is one of the 12 stories I’m planning to include in my upcoming collection. This makes me feel like I’m on the right track.
To hear more about “Things are Different in Dallas” and the awesome anthology it’s included in, check out the Starlite roundtable where I appeared as a guest along with most of the other authors. (My segment is rated B for Bad Camera Angle.)
To order your copy of Starlite Review #2, click here.
And if you’re wanting to ask me when my full collection will be available – I get that question a lot – the honest answer is that I’m still working on it.
My Time in the Desert (Almost)
Another question I get asked a lot is whether I’m ever going back to teach in Korea. As of now, the answer to that question is probably not. I loved my time in Seoul and will undoubtedly go back to visit at some point, but unless I’m hired for a university position, I can’t imagine going back to work.
I did, however, come extremely close to accepting a job in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of summer.
My old friend Brent has been working there for almost a decade now, and he reached out to me about an open training position with his company. I had two successful interviews, filled out all the paperwork, and was expecting a contract at any minute. But, in the end I had to decline due to a few family and personal reasons. It just wasn’t the right time.
I still find myself thinking about it from time to time, though. From what I understand, there are a lot of positive changes going on in the Kingdom. I’d love to see it someday. For now I’ll be returning to my old school (sixth grade this time) in the fall.
The Birthday Season
My decision to remain in the States has led to a lot of nice opportunities to reconnect with my family. A few weeks ago, most of us got together to celebrate my grandmother’s 91st birthday in style.
More recently, I traveled up to Memphis for my godson Henry’s FIRST birthday. It turned into a comedy of errors, because his party was scheduled at the same time as the Starlite roundtable I posted above. While I was in my cousin’s room doing my interview via Zoom, everyone else was in the living room singing “Happy Birthday,” eating cake, and opening presents. By the time I wrapped things up, the party was basically over. I went all the way to Memphis and still missed Henry’s birthday. Talk about the worst godfather ever.
But, at least I got a chance to do this:
If this aggravation/raspberry combo seems familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen the original.
Rounding out our trilogy of birthdays was Josie. Josie is my cousin Jessica’s daughter, which makes her (I think) my first cousin once removed.
I couldn’t make it back to Memphis for Josie’s party, unfortunately, but I hear it was a great time, and I got a lot of good pictures on the family group chat. Happy birthday, Josie! I’ll be there next year for sure.
The Concert Season
Birthdays aren’t the only thing I’ve been up to lately. Near the end of June I actually got to see one of the Dresden Dolls reunion shows in New Orleans.
The Dresden Dolls – for the uninitiated – are the world’s premier cabaret-punk band. Imagine goth-style Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls coming to life and making a lot of noise in an early 20th century playroom and you’ll have the basic idea. One minute they might perform a Spanish-style guitar ballad. The next minute, they’re cranking out a cover of “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys.
I’ve been listening to the Dolls since sometime around 2005 or so. Glad I finally got to see them.
Back in April, I also had a chance to see Postmodern Jukebox. If you spend any amount of time online, you’ve probably seen at least one of their videos by now. They’re the group that takes popular rock, rap, country, and pop songs and remixes them as jazz, blues, lounge, and Old Hollywood numbers.
Here are their takes on “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Seven Nation Army.”
Their performance was a lot like an old-fashioned variety show, with a lot of dancing and audience banter in-between the songs. I know I’ll sound like a little kid saying this, but it was really just a lot of fun to be there.
From what I understand, they perform at the Hard Rock Biloxi almost annually, so hit me up if you wanna go next year. I will definitely be there.
Closing Notes
That’s pretty much what I’ve got for now, kids. Oppenheimer is only 10 days away, so I’ve got to get back to reading the book if I want to finish it before the movie comes out.
In the meantime, make sure you see Sound of Freedom, preferably in a theater. It’s a movie that needs and deserves to be seen.
Also, I’m gonna start vlogging again soon, so let me know if you have any questions for the Q&A.
Thanks for making it to the end, dear reader. ‘Til next time…
Lord J. Wiltz
July 11, 2023
jwiltz.com
j@jwiltz.com
A Day With J. 