KZ, Author at Prosaic Shades of Gray

The Stranger Inside (Reposted)

Posted on February 6, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 6: “Scatterbrained”
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The connection between the brain, consciousness, and human identity is really a bizarre thing. The brain is this squishy, unassuming organ that resides in the head, and it processes countless actions per second. It is the source of conscious and unconscious thought. It dutifully delegates commands to regulate respiration, digestion, muscle control, and immune system defense. It performs all of these actions in perfect concert with each other, and yet it perplexingly remains a mystery to itself. If it weren’t for the benefit of research and education, a person’s brain could potentially remain unconscious of itself throughout an entire lifetime. The thought of that is strange and unsettling to me.

Musings of a Sentimental Drunk

Posted on February 5, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 5: “The empty bottle”
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I was struggling with today’s writing prompt, so I decided to mine my old writing journal for something worthwhile. I came across something that I had drunkenly jotted down nearly ten years ago back when I was kid in my early twenties. I wrote it when I was at a party at a friend’s house where there were lots of people, plenty of beer, three guitars, and a joyful consensus of enthusiasm for group singing. I tend to get sentimental when I drink — and during those moments of shared joy, something moved me to commemorate the moment in the only way I knew how to.

Long Live Queen Nicky

Posted on February 4, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 4: “When hell freezes over”
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Hey, how’s it going? This is Diana, KZ’s wife. My stupid husband got the story entirely wrong with that atrocity of a poem, “A Song of Goudas and Grays“. This is the real story of the Queen of Cheeses.

Sympathy for the Sinners

Posted on February 4, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 4: “When hell freezes over”
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I find the Christian concept of Hell as a place for eternal damnation a strange idea. If Hell is the domain of the fallen angel, Satan, who was banished from Heaven for defying God’s will, then what is Satan’s motivation in his capacity as “The Devil” to carry out the will of God by punishing sinners for eternity? It really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

How Bert and Ernie Let Big Bird Down

Posted on February 3, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 3: “Temporary insanity”
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My childhood has long since passed, but I’m still carrying around a burden of anger and frustration that I’ve never taken the time to fully articulate. Yet despite all of those years of repression, my silence can no longer be contained. You see, I recently rediscovered the source of these negative feelings when I decided to re-watch the 1985 cinematic classic, Follow that Bird.

The Semantics of Bear Attacks

Posted on February 2, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 2: “It was no accident”
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What does it mean to be “eaten by a bear”? That seems like a relatively straightforward question at first glance, but there is a lot of nuance underlying the deceptive simplicity.

A Song of Goudas and Grays

Posted on February 1, 2014October 15, 2022 by KZ

30 Minus 2 Days of Writing (2014)

Day 1: “Gouda”
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This is Day 1 of the new “30 Minus 2 Days of Writing” challenge for FY14. The first writing prompt is Gouda. Frankly, this prompt annoyed me, because what the hell can you do with “Gouda”? Well, I figured something out in the end.

Who is Mouthy?

Posted on September 26, 2013October 15, 2022 by KZ

So, what’s the deal with that paper mouth, anyway? People have been asking me this question a lot lately. For those of you not in the know, Mouthy is a hexagonal paper hand puppet traditionally fashioned out of the protective chopstick sleeves found at numerous Asian restaurants. Mouthy is smart, quick witted, smooth as hell,…

A Weekend of Love

Posted on September 22, 2013October 14, 2022 by KZ

On September 21, 2013, I married Diana, the love of my life. Thank you so much to everybody who could be in attendance that night. And even if you couldn’t be there, thank you just the same for your support and well wishes. My one regret of the night is that I didn’t get a…

The Constant of Human Savagery

Posted on September 4, 2013October 14, 2022 by KZ

Image Source: Reuters It’s difficult to be frivolous in writing some days when there are so many reminders that the world is rife with cruelty and relentless suffering. Most recently, my thoughts have turned to Syria. I feel a need to acknowledge this most recent chapter of human tragedy, but I have no greater aspirations…