I wrote my column this week about a scene I witnessed before hitting the Greensboro Coliseum to catch Van Halen — a group of fans, all about my age, getting together to see their dream come true.
But I took tons of notes throughout the show...
The writer Susan Orleans says she uses about 20 percent of what she gathers for her pieces, and I probably used about 10 percent of what I got that night.
Anyway, I kind of glossed over the show itself and I ended it with a kicker that came straight from my notebook: "This is the best fucking show I've ever seen."
Although in the cold light of day I might add the corollary "probably," I still stand by the sentiment, including my somewhat gratuitous use of the F word — I mean, we're talking about Van Halen, right?
But I did get a comment from a reader saying that my choice of words sort of ruined the rest of the piece for her. "Why did you have to do that?" she asked.
All I can say is, that's how I felt in the moment.
Did (or does) anyone else object to my foul, foul mouth? Anyone understand why I did it?
3 comments:
I thought the use appropriate.
I was aghast, disturbed and highly
offended. There is no room for
such filth in literature. Please
cancel my subscription post haste.
Hyram D. Rothmueller, M.C.L.
Sure I understand why you might want to use the "F" word...people frequently use words of this type to make their statement seem stronger, more colorful, more expressive, and after all it was Van Halen...right?
Oops. Sorry...if I was your boss, I'd have given you a couple of days out of work with out pay. This is a hometown publication read by children and adults alike. If my child had read that before I saw it...I'd be really upset!! There's a time and a place for everything. This wasn't it. Not in a public publication. Mind your manners next time!
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