Comments on: Brandon Scott Gorrell Goes to Oakland

By: drew

drew — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:02:01 +0000

i really didn’t like these comments. i just browsed, though, so i don’t have constructive comments about them.

By: PHM

PHM — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:41:15 +0000

Way lame you guys asking for your money back. Six bucks is nothing. If you’d mentioned all the times you probably told bums you didn’t have any spare change your article might have been rejected, I suppose, but that was a shitty thing to do. I feel like you are an undeserving person based on that. Chelsea too. I kind of want to paypal you six dollars to vent my irrational judgment on it. I guess because I never would have done, suggested doing, or condoned doing that, I feel I have a place to say something about it. Which I don’t. I don’t think you spent a lot of time writing the article, either. The best thing about it are the pictures of you smiling. I feel like the pictures of you smiling and the parts where you show yourself as more than a detached brat are the only thing this article has to offer. Also I’m glad you were punched the face.

I don’t hate you, Brandon, I guess I’m just too far removed from your world to ever feel like I’d want to be part of it. Maybe I’ll never make it on the west coast or something.

Anyway, congratulations on having a decent time in California.

I’m probably creepy after saying all these things. I don’t think I care.

P. H. Madore

By: David Miller

David Miller — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:35:25 +0000

@ Scott, that’s cool. I wasn’t singling you out; I just read your comment first, and I agree that saying “good job” doesn’t really say anything. It sounds like a parent faking enthusiasm to a toddler.

Mainly I was interested in seeing if you could articulate what made you feel the substance was poor.

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:10:10 +0000

@David Why not ask Zachary and Audrey why they thought Brandon did a good job? Am I being singled out for a contrary opinion?

Please do not think that since I thought the article was poor, that I somehow, by extension, find your skills as an editor at Matador lacking as well.

If you are looking for some kind of constructive answer as to why I didn’t like it:

I thought that the style and substance of the article was poor compared to other great articles that I’ve read on Matador and therefore felt that this was one of the worst articles I have read on this site.

By: brandon

brandon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:35:06 +0000

thanks guys

By: Hal

Hal — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:12:04 +0000

I say, what an odd comment!

By: Audrey Allendale

Audrey Allendale — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:13:58 +0000

Good job Brandon.

By: David Miller

David Miller — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:17:18 +0000

why was it “one of the worst” in your opinion?

By: Zachary German

Zachary German — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:52:06 +0000

great job brandon

can’t wait to see you july 2nd through 8th

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:40:32 +0000

This is one of the worst articles I have read on Matador.

By: TimR

TimR — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:23:20 +0000

It’s great to learn about a poet with a book out, doing book tours.

Story holds everything together and keeps it all moving forward, but the words are what we read. An uninspired, reserved style causes me to loose interest as much as bad story structure does. If I like the style, I may even keep reading just because I like the sound of the words (probably not a whole novel though).

The sights and sounds and smells of travel writing can only benefit from a poetic sensitivity. I’ll think I’ll check out Brandon’s book.