41 Comments

Hesitant to click like, sure didn't like it, not in any sense near to the word like. I have to remind myself it is fiction. This kind of realism is too heavy on my constellation. A lot of people seem to really 'enjoy' this though. Big admiration for the craft at the same time. What powerful imagery and style, Troy. I can't write like this without feeling every blow, I can hardly read it without being there, becoming that guy.

But enough about me, back to Lamb....more chapters ahead.

Expand full comment

Thanks for hanging in, Bertus - it was grim, but based on a real life account of the last night of GG Allen's life, and sadly, the part about his doomsday Christian father was true too.

Expand full comment

As others have said, you make a brilliant switch to another voice here, Troy. I feel there's a lot of texture being added.

Expand full comment

Thanks Jeffrey - more to come - life can fluctuate wildly, especially sometimes for people with mental health/substance abuse issues. It's a balancing act to deal with their behavior and love them, too... :)

Expand full comment

Holy cow, I just caught up (I think this is the most recent?). Good stuff!! What a really interesting voice you’re developing for the narrator (probably your voice, I get it). I really like what you’re holding back, the sense of suspense that you’re developing. I’m hooked in, I wanna know what’s next. Great work Troy; I’m really enjoying it.

Expand full comment

I'm so glad, thanks Tom!! Yes, most recent. It's funny, actually - I've been salvaging some scenes and text from an abandoned project for Lamb, and my usual fiction voice is seriously different from the narrator of this project actually, very NOT me. ;) New episode this Friday ::))

Expand full comment

Intense Lamb, lots of flavour, all the grizzle. Trippy to the last. Fear and Loathing sprang to mind reading those staccato lines of aborted thoughts. Great stuff, Troy.

Expand full comment

Thanks Alexander - I should read FaLinLV at some point (or at least watch the movie :)

Expand full comment

Alexander’s right, there are touches of Fear and Loathing in here. That’s high praise.

Expand full comment

VERY high praise! 🤗 Nathan Slake mentioned The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis, I picked up a copy to see what's what, should also grab FaLiLV.

Expand full comment

I think Terry Gilliam did a fantastic job, then again I am biased :) Brazil is my favourite of his.

Expand full comment

Did TG direct FaL? Did not know, Brazil also in my top 10...

Expand full comment

Directed and Co-written ;)

Expand full comment

Fancy!

Expand full comment

This does not disappoint, Troy! So poetic and powerful. I can see this as a filmic montage.

Expand full comment

Ooo, that would be something :) Thanks Kate - enjoy your holidays!

Expand full comment

Damn! Lamb's voice at last. And you've rendered it so well. I'm impressed.

Expand full comment

Thanks Holly - one of his voices, anyway - I think you'll see softer versions too as we get a couple other stories and actual journal entries at some point. :) 🤍

Expand full comment

Oh I can't wait. So many sides to Lamb.

Expand full comment

Wow, you really managed to convey so much chaos and intensity in so few words, I think my heartbeat increased considerably reading this. I vaguely remember reading about GG Allin, chaos and intensity indeed! I feel like every time I read Lamb I forget a) who is writing, and b) whether or not this is fiction, so 👏 bravo, my dear.

Expand full comment

Thank you my dear, realism and voice are my two projects this time around, so I'm pleased to hear I'm on target. GG Allin. Oy. I only heard about him for the first time a few years ago, but his backstory seemed so damned tragic I couldn't help but feel a small pang of sympathy for him despite the hair-raising escapades.

Expand full comment

Absolutely nailing your projects. And yes, if ever there was a person clearly in pain...🤍

Expand full comment

Another great chapter, Troy.

I really enjoyed the noticeable difference between Lamb’s voice in his short story and his friend’s writing at the beginning of the piece. I think it takes real skill to write in different voices and you do it well. :)

Expand full comment

Thank you Michael! Learning about "voice" in the process of writing this was fun, glad you enjoyed! Just in case: Happy Holidays to you and yours -T. ⭐💛⭐

Expand full comment

Happy holidays to you and yours as well, brother ❤️

Expand full comment

Wow! I love this! You did so good with Lamb's story. Well done!

Expand full comment

Oh good, thank you Jenna, glad you enjoyed! 🤍

Expand full comment

"What was birth but a flame blown into life, and death but that flame snuffed out." - If that's not the truth. What a piercing continuation!

Expand full comment

Thank you Nadia, there were a few lines that peeked over the edge of the mayhem, that was one... 🤍

Expand full comment

🙌🫶

Expand full comment

Jesus. This was chapter was a bare-knuckled brawl. You did an amazing job of dressing up in Lamb's voice. You can feel his posturing and trying so hard to be punk as he tells this story that he seems enamored by. Bravo, Troy. So good.

Expand full comment

Thanks Ben - looking forward to trying out Lamb's voice in some other contexts, they won't all be so rough. ;)

Expand full comment

Wow, Troy, amazing work on capturing that drug-fuelled night in Lamb's own story about GG (and an excellent framing of it by reading about the notes found among Lamb's papers).

A shift in style, a blazing craze of events that feels relentless and dizzying. 👏

Expand full comment

Relentless and dizzying - that was the brief! :D Thanks Nathan!! (p.s. I'm not rereading Dune as I just did a year or so ago, but enjoying the commentary with you, Alexander et al. I'm with you, I found it a bit plodding. And the first sequel almost unreadable.)

Expand full comment

Brief succeeded! 🙌

No worries re: Dune, and yeah, I'm not going to touch the sequel I don't think!

Expand full comment

Wow, I felt the onslaught on the senses and really liked the story from Lamb's viewpoint!

Expand full comment

I'm glad, Mya - I'm hoping that some of the sad/tragic elements he tried to capture in his story might find a gentler context in future episodes in his voice. :)

Expand full comment

Well done on the "other" style for the inserted story!

Expand full comment

Thanks Martine! Mission accomplished.

Expand full comment

You killed me!

Expand full comment

Stations...

Expand full comment