n.b. Welcome to all those new individuals that have tuned into White Noise since last week. If you’re reading this, but have yet to subscribe, join hundreds of fellow thoughtful, inquisitive folks by subscribing below.
Above: Again, a far cry from my recording setup.
Your wish is my command, dear reader.
Due to overwhelming popular demand, I give you more auditory White Noise!
If you have been with White Noise from the beginning, you will know that I enjoy dabbling in experimental formats, media, and schema. A perennial favorite of mine and of yours (per Substack analytics) is the Verbal Portrait:
From vivid descriptions of my most minute observations, I attempted to create a coherent verbal “image.” Like the pointillistic brushstrokes of Seurat, my words would obfuscate if read individually, but render clarity when taken as a whole. Hence, the idea of verbal portraiture was born.
A Verbal Portrait is a specific, hyper-detailed description of the reality an individual sees in front of him/her.
⬆️ I invite you to scroll back up, close your eyes, and visualize the portrait the spoken words paint for you. ⬆️
Verbal Portrait of a Writer in a Bar
The midday light wove through the whirling, dust-filled air and glanced against the waxed wood. The man ran his hands over the uneven counter: a scarred battlefield, its foxholes carved by an artillery of restless glasses and its surface washed by stank overpours. He fingered every last pockmark and massaged the wood as though it were his partner. Though he had no partner but the bottle.
His eyes fell upon a denim-coated, scruffy type suckling from his beer bottle as he would a teat. Though blue-collar, that color indicated neither his political leanings nor his attitude towards everyday life.
At least probably not right now.
Such was the mental lacquer of alcohol. It pulled down shades to counteract reality’s bright lights, darkening the willful imperfections held in each one’s own heart.
With that he silently lauded himself,
“What a description! What a marvelous description! Indeed you are a writer, fella!”
He then downed the sticky, frothy, non-refreshing drink they called beer in front of him. Indeed, he hoped that the sloshing liquid would ignite a chaotic maelstrom within him. A frenetic creativity that would help him unlock that universally-accessible language he could set down on paper. A language that would evoke tears, laughs, smiles, and hate.
But first, a second drink.
The Best of the Rest
Shia LaBeouf is pure cinematic delight. Whenever he appears on-screen, I unwittingly lean in and hang with bated breath on his every word and action.
To me, no actor so bares his soul with such devastating honesty and deep, genuine feeling. His unique gift is our sublime viewing pleasure.
Per Shia’s insistence, I present three recent LaBeouf films that ought to be required watching.
Honey Boy serves as an act of cinematic therapy for its screenwriter and subject (LaBeouf). His unique perspective strikes a resonant chord with audiences from all backgrounds.
Fury is a raw depiction of the horrors of war. It offers insight into the internal and external battles each soldier must wage to make it out alive.
🥜 The Peanut Butter Falcon | (2019)
A 21st century Of Mice and Men, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a jubilant, feel-good adventure brought to life by outstanding performances.
After three visceral displays of emotion, you may require something a tad more soothing.
Fear not, I know just the thing!
Below, enjoy the mesmerizing auditory backdrop to which I listened while penning this piece:
Per my about page, White Noise is a work of experimentation. I view it as a sort of thinking aloud, a stress testing of my nascent ideas. Through it, I hope to sharpen my opinions against the whetstone of other people’s feedback, commentary, and input.
If you want to discuss any of the ideas or musings mentioned above or have any books, papers, or links that you think would be interesting to share on a future edition of White Noise, please reach out to me by replying to this email.
With sincere gratitude,
Tom
🎧 Verbal Portrait No. 2 (Audio)