BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE MAGAZINE LITERARY
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THEY CALL IT THE CITY OF ANGELS
The Original Fiction Series: " THEY CALL IT THE CITY OF ANGELS," began two years ago with Season One. An interesting experiment that originally introduced five fictional families, through dozens of characters that came to life before our readers eyes, when Editor Joshua Triliegi, improvised an entire novel on a daily basis and publicly published each chapter on-line. Season Two was an entire smash hit with readers in Los Angeles, where the novel is set and quickly spread to communities around the world through google translations and word of mouth. Season Three began in August 2015 and the same rules applied. The entire Project was improvised and Season Three was posted publicly on a weekly basis beginning, Friday August the 7th 2015 and continued each Friday to the stories final completion of Book One. "Improvised," in this instance, means: The writer starts and finishes each section without taking any prior notes whatsoever and published the completed episode on all Community Sites. Season III is The Finale'. The Final Chapter will appear in The FALL Electronic Edition of The BUREAU of Arts and Culture Magazine.
NEW FICTION PROJECT 2015 Season Three
Episode FOUR Chapters 50 / 51 / 52 / 53 / 54
By Author Joshua Triliegi . An Improvised Novel
MYSTIFIED
Chapter 50 / Season Three / Episode Four
Six months had passed since the chief of police of the City of Angels sat idle while a small group of protesters swelled from less than a hundred to several thousands. Since that time, Officer Chuck had been arrested for possessing, on his property, one of the largest finds of heavy drugs and currency in the past year. Daniel, who had diligently and voluntarily taken on his defense, visited with Celia within days of Chuck's arrest. The first thing he did was ask her to describe everything she knew and anything she could think of that would be of interest to Chuck's defense. She started with her brother Junior's history, his time in prison, the incident with he and Chuck and the recording device as well as her brothers subsequent reported death. The first thing Celia showed Daniel, was the envelope she had received, a week after Chuck's arrest. It contained the keys to her brother, Junior's car and an address to a local storage yard. The she gave Daniel the obituary that described Juniors death as one in which he had been crushed in his vehicle. When they drove over to the yard, the automobile sat under a tarp and except for the lock on the trunk, it was unscratched. Daniel asked each neighbor, within sight of the alley, if they had seen anybody exit or enter the garage, and a man across the way, said he remembered seeing the top of a car from his kitchen window, drive up, stop for about a minute and drive off, at the early morning hours. Because Chuck had been working from a home office in preparation to become a detective, while he had still been a street cop, Daniel had access to many of the files and cases that had been of interest to Chuck, and one of them in particular caught his eye. Chuck had called, on more than one occasion, a reporter for the San Jose Star, who had been writing a series of articles that connected government agencies with a drug ring in Southern California. The articles led to the publishing of a book which was no less than revelatory. Daniel then called each ex cop that had been referred by Dora. He secured a statement by a retired officer, who had been fired by the department in connection with his investigations that were directly connected with the articles in the San Jose Star. The cop had been hassled, fired and even explained in detail, how his life had been threatened. The ex officer had followed those same original newspaper reports and found the evidence accurate. He had made an independent investigation, which then linked upper level government official to a drug cartel that had been raising money for ammunitions and other guerrilla warfare tools in countries across the world. These connections went as far back as the early nineteen - eighties, and a senate hearing and inquiry, that had included questions regarding wether the president knew or did not know, about army officials having direct involvement in various covert operations overseas.
Daniel realized he might have a case that went from the very top to the very bottom, a rare spectrum, in the world of law. Street level drug dealers and upper level government officials, on the same page, connected through funds, ammunition and political agenda. Although all of this was interesting, his immediate job was to get his client out of jail and prepare a case in the event that he would face an actual trial and or a prosecution. The first goal had been met within a few weeks and since then, he had begun to prepare a defense. Chuck was back at home and on temporary leave, pending an internal investigation, which had gotten the attention of the FBI and The Drug Enforcement Agency. Daniel and Celia had been the only two civilians, besides Junior, who was now a non citizen, that were aware of the his vehicle being stored, under wraps, in the Harbor. The official story had pronounced Junior dead at the scene and his car had been reported totaled, beyond comprehension, the reports in the paper described the machine as a solid block of metal. For those who had attempted to mislead Junior, to use him as a mule, to set him up as delivery boy, drug smuggler and scape goat, the search for the crushed vehicle became an obsession. More than one faction had concerns in this regard, underground elements as well as above ground parties wanted what had been inside that vehicle, unbeknownst to Junior. Who had assumed he was simply carrying a religious artifact of cultural significance. During the twelve day period that Chuck had been in lock up, the search for the missing vehicle, had allowed the Drug Enforcement Agency to trace a group of men who had utilized lower level dealers and their connections with higher level members of military related means to the contents which were found in Chucks garage. When Chuck was released, Daniel and Celia had shared with him the secret that Junior's car had been sitting in the harbor, in storage, ever since the day that Chuck had been apprehended. When Daniel and Chuck drove over to the storage space, the car was gone. When they inquired, the man who ran the lot simply said that the vehicle had recently been picked up by the owner. Someone was cleaning up the traces of a situation that Daniel knew was getting close to dangerous for his client.
The presidential election had taken the public's attention in a heated battle between a current conservative president, who had once been vice president to the previous administration, and had deep ties with the Central Intelligence Agency, where for years, he had led private wars and more covert assassinations to foreign powers and rebel uprisings in the entire history of that particular branch of the government. Politically aware individuals understood very well that the attempted assassination of the previous president, as well as the scandal that had marred his presidency, were most likely connected to underlings and that the actor turned president had been a stooge for a much more powerful family in America. What did all of this have to do with Chuck ? More than anyone would ever realize. Within days of election, which was won by a new, liberally minded president, from Arkansas, the case against Chuck was dropped. Politically motivated investigations all across the United States, that had attempted to cover up, clean up and rewrite wrongs were immediately pushed to the wayside. There were people within those agencies who knew very well that orders from the top had now changed and they wanted nothing to do with the puppet strings of the old regime. From the very top, the orders trickled down to mid-level and then secondary and then tertiary and finally to FBI, to CIA, to DEA and eventually to senator, to governor, to congressperson, to city council, to mayor, to local police departments, sheriffs department and highway patrol across America. The man who had not inhaled was now the President of the United States and there was a new agenda. Diversity, opportunity and the economy were the new catch phrases and covert wars, connections between military advisors and drug smugglers was old hat. Chuck was promoted to lieutenant detective and lauded as a heroic individual who had been falsely accused. He had held his ground through scrutiny and accusation and had been admonished of all previous charges. The entire debacle had been tied to a brother in law, who had done time, been previously connected with street level crimes, had paid his price to society and since that time, died. Celia and Chuck and the girls put the entire event behind them, they had become stronger as a family because of it. Now, everyone in the house had a better idea of what it was that Chuck did for a living. Whenever he walked in the door, the girls had a tendency to look at the man differently. What had seemed to them as a soft, happy, even gregarious man, now had a mystery, a dark side, an edge. Their father was someone who fought people, investigated people, arrested people and they had experienced first hand what the consequences of those arrests and fights and investigations felt like. Chuck was a different man after the event. Celia was a different woman. The girls had lost a few drops of innocence, but, they were still a family. Now, they had gone to war and come back together with the knowledge that all soldiers find out one way or another, it was almost a cliche, but the fact of the matter was, is and will always be, that : War is Hell.
Louis stayed on at the Ranch throughout the last six months had been heartbroken by his son, Junior's reported death. He lit a candle in the bear bowl that belonged to Junior and to the original native before that, looking out over the ranch, thinking about what his son had done for him. With Chucks arrest and the accusations, there had been no time to properly honor Junior. Now that the case had been dismissed and Celia, the girls and Chuck's life had found some normalcy, Louis decided that he wanted to have a memorial service. He pictured his son, the last time he saw him, riding a horse, high atop the Mesa Mountain at sunset. He had no idea that would be the last time he would ever see the boy. Louis got into the jeep and drove it towards the mountain, in search of something, he did not know what, exactly. When he got to the top, Louis looked out over the property, the fields, the trees, the silos, the water tanks, the animals and he could not accept that Junior was gone. As he looked in the opposite direction, toward the North, he saw a small gathering of individuals just on the other side of the property, where the original native had once lived. He waved in their direction and a young boy, waved back. Louis drove the jeep back down the mountain and walked toward the small gathering. He asked if the original family that had once owned this property were still around and the young boy said, "Si. Esta Familia es los originales." Then Louis asked to speak with the eldest member of the tribe. The young boy ran toward an old adobe, a few minutes later, an ancient man appeared in the doorway and walked toward Louis. His face was lined like the rivers of the earth itself. His eyes sparkled and glistened, as if they were stars in the night sky, as he slowly strolled forward. His forehead separated into eight different sections, each with a darker gradation of deep red, sienna, dark brown and black. His hair was long with streaks of black and grey and white. His hands were large, fingers long, extending toward Louis. He reached over the wooden fence that had once kept cows from grazing too far off and grabbed Louis' hands. The two men stared at one another. Louis wanted to explain, that his son, who had once studied with the old man, had recently passed away. He found it hard to speak. He looked into the old man's eyes and felt at peace. The young boy came walking up from behind. Louis asked the boy to explain to the old man that his medicine was needed in a ceremony of remembrance to a former student, who had passed away. When the young boy translated Louis' spanish into a colloquial tribal language, the old man, shook his head back and forth, expressing in a universal language, 'no'. Louis was confused. The boy asked again and the man spoke several sentences that Louis did not understand. Then, the boy, who could have been no more than five years old, stared up at Louis and explained, "He says that you will have a ceremony and he will be there, but it will not be what you now have in your mind." Louis was confused. The old man looked into his eye's one last time, nodded his head, then turned around and walked back toward the adobe. He raised his hand as he walked and the children began to chant, another banged a drum, another whistled on a flute. Louis stood there, time stopped, the sky seemed to open, and as he looked up, two giant hawks circled high over head. One of the birds let out an ear-piercing screech, it plummeted to the ground, in the direction of Louis, who stammered to the floor as the bird dropped from the sky, picked up a snake at Louis' feet and thrust it upward into the air. The bird's beak split the snake in two and the rattle descended downward toward the ground and landed at the young interpreter's bare feet. Louis stared at the rattle, which was still clicking, even though it had no head. Suddenly, intuitively and rather naturally, the young boy lifted the tail of the snake high over his head, the snake wrapped it's newly severed body around the boys arm, he smiled a giant grin, holding the tail in mid air while it rattled. Blood dripped down the boys arm and then he began to dance. The other children continue to circle the fire, burning sage, chanting and playing the instruments, while Louis watched, as if in a daze : mystified.
THE WORDS
Chapter 51 / Season Three / Episode Four
Seven Months had passed since television cameras in the City of Angels had telecast a live event that had been interpreted by millions of people around the world. Moon and Mickey had been spending less personal time together, due to the return of Charles, the death of grandma and now, Moon was starting to drift. She recently told Mickey that she might want to return to her parents home town, take stock for a bit. It was early December, Mickey suggested they take a trip up north together, for a week or so, just to get away for a while. They hung around San Francisco for a few days. Then Mickey explained that he had something he wanted her to see, needed her opinion. They drove up into Oakland. Mickey pulled up to a quiet street with a row of stores to the left and right, a boutique, a coffee shop, a record store and a local organic grocery mart. Strolling hand in hand, like a boy and girl walking home from grade school, they came upon an empty storefront. It had big windows on either side of a large wood door with a plate glass window at its center, wood floors and a small parking lot in the rear. Mickey asked Moon what she thought of this location ? She looked around the street and said, "It would make a great little motorcycle shop," assuming that Mick and Charles were thinking about expanding their business. Then Mickey said, "What about a book store ?" Moon got a little nervous, "A book store. Here in Oakland ?" He countered, "People need books everywhere. Don't they?" She was catching up, slowly but surely. Mickey had never been the kind of guy who spoke loosely about plans, unless some tracks had already been laid. "Who would run it," She asked ? He looked at her, his face opened, widened a bit, as it often did, whenever he wanted to surprise her with something. "That depends, I guess ..." They continued around the corner and down a wide tree lined street. It smelled of freshly burned chimney smoke and wet leaves. When they came to a large green house, Mickey said, "This is a nice little street isn't it ?" Moon was starting to get suspicious, even a little irritated. "What are you up to Stone ?" Whenever she got perturbed, she called him by his last name. "What do you think of this house ?" Now she was really scared, "Don't fuck with with me Mickey," she punched him in the arm. He pulled out a single key and Moon started to cry. "What are you doing," he asked ? Then he handed her the key ring "Mickey, you bastard." He walked her up to the front porch, leading with his hand behind her lower back. He grabbed the key, put it in the lock, opened the door and turned on the lights. Moon was devastated. It had everything she had always spoke about whenever describing a home. She looked around and said, "So, what are you saying here ?" Mickey just smiled and said, "I think its time we had a place of our own," then he added, "and maybe its time we settled down." Moon was now streaming tears. "It took you long enough," she replied, grabbing him by the jacket lapel and kissing him. Then she asked, "Can we afford the rent here ?" Mickey replied that the house was theirs and that if they wanted the store, he could get a ten year lease. "We already order books from the beach store, now we can double our order and have half of them sent here." Then she asked, "When you say, settle down, what do you mean, settle down?" Then Mickey said, "You know, settle down." She looked at him again, and again, she was perturbed. "Are you saying that you and I should move to Oakland, live in this house, run a bookstore and settle down ? Or are you saying something else here?" "Damn it lady," he shook his head, "I'm saying that you and me, we've been running partners for a very long time, you're my lover, you're my family and I think that you and me should go all the way with this thing." She dryly replied, "Then say the words f*cker." Micky shook his head and paced around, "Your insane, ya know that ? Your nuts." "Say the words punk." She pushed him, "Say the words," she shoved him this time. "You, Say - the - Words or I'm walking out of here." Mickey started to bust, he broke out in a sweat, got choked up, tried to speak but couldn't. "Listen Mister," she shoved him so hard he hit the cabinet, "You want me? You want this House? You want Oakland? You want a bookstore? You want me to have your babies ? Then you say those f*cking words and you know what ?" She kissed his tears, kissed his beard, kissed his nose, his lips, and then, she stated, "You got a deal pal." For an entire minute, he sat there silent. Then two minutes led to three minutes, turned into five and then he got to his feet and walked out the door. She hoped he was getting a minute on the porch, but when she looked out again, he was gone.
Charles had accepted an invitation to display a series of early works in a pinnacle museum exhibition that set out to define Los Angeles. It was a populist show that included high brow as well as low brow artworks. Iconic and pop objects on display included early neon signs from the golden years of Hollywood Boulevard, a billboard with a sprawling image of Angeline, surf boards from the film set of Endless Summer, early and recent photography of the city, custom cars designed by Barris, a giant Beach Boys album cover and the original hot dog stand, in the actual shape of a giant hot dog, called Tail of The Pup. Classic posters for films that had defined the character of Los Angeles, from Mildred Pierce to Chinatown. Charles offered to display three motorcycles and an entire wall of early drawings, sketches and doodles that had eventually become album covers, logos and counter culture imagery, which had been aligned with the music scene of the 1970s. The entire Stone family was in attendance at the opening night gala, and it wasn't until then that everyone was alerted to the fact that Mickey and Moon were no longer a couple. The news eclipsed the actual event for everyone but Mickey, who had quietly and stubbornly kept his mouth shut, as he had that same evening when he and Moon had discussed their future. What was there to say ? They couldn't see eye to eye and had been at odds when it came to dealing with each others feeling for years. Mickey was in deep denial and most of the ladies, including his mother were well aware of a future fallout of some sort, a binge, a fight, something was bound to occur and they banded together in hopes that it would not be too damaging to him or anyone involved. Charles took a different approach altogether, he simply told Mickey, "Don't let her drift for more than a season." Coming from a man who had been gone for a decade, this advice seemed trivial. Mickey, in his pain, simply dismissed the old man's comments in this regard. Moon was still working at the bookstore part time and had also neglected to share the bad news with anyone. Maybe they were both hoping that it would somehow work out before anyone found out. Now that the word was out, it seemed more real than not and Mickey felt worse for the wear because of it. He skipped out early.
Cally and Jezz dropped a bomb on Charles and Maggie. They wanted to get married. Jezz'a father was a minister of a non denominational church and decided to side with his daughter, when it came to the rights of people to live, love and marry. Though, to avoid any objections, they planned to have the wedding at home and wanted Cally's parents to host the event. It was an obvious choice, since the Stones residence had always been a place of celebration or so it seemed. Both Charles and Maggie had grown to respect Jezz, and although it seemed a little early in the game to tie the knot, they knew that any objection, would only inspire motivation, so they went along for the ride. Charles thought he knew everything there was to know about Jezz, until, one day, he noticed a small tattoo, on her lower back, it stated quite simply : Semper Fi. Later that night, he asked Cally if Jezz had been in the military ? "She did four years Dad," then with a sideways glance, "does that surprise you?" Charles smiled. His usual, slow to react, habit, of not entirely expressing what was going on inside, was not working, and he gave it all away. "So, will she be wearing a uniform for the ceremony," he teased ? Cally had forgotten what a smart ass Charles could be. "I don't know, maybe," then she added, "did you wear one when you married mom?" The question went unanswered. "Are you sure this is the right time for all of this," he asked ? "I'm the one who initiated the idea," Cally responded. "and yes, I am sure." Then he simply said, "Good. I want you to be as sure as you can be." Then he remarked, matter of fact, "Just because you're not with some guy, doesn't mean I don't worry about you," and added, "things can be challenging in any relationship and sometimes, more so, than others." Cally looked at him and then stared toward the kitchen, where Maggie was sitting. Charles smiled again, "Yes, thats exactly what I'm referring to," he continued, "we've been through a lot together and we had you and Mick to hold it together." Cally responded, "Well, we have the salon, and maybe, someday, we might adopt kids. But for now, we just want to live our lives. We want to be free. We want to be honest. We want to be proud of who we are," then she tested him, "Are you proud, of who we are ?" He stared at her a long time, the longer he stared, the more she knew what she had actually known all along." Charles shouted to Maggie, "Your daughter wants to know if we are proud of her ?" Maggie walked in from the kitchen, "Cally dear, did I ever tell you about the time that I left Charles for another woman, back in the early seventies ?" He laughed at that one. Then added, "I hardly think a week and a half at the Chelsea hotel with an all girl band constitutes a real challenge to this relationship, but if you say so, fine." Then he simply stated, "Yes, I am damn proud of you and your partner. As for your Mother's venture into curiosity, have her tell the part where she came back to the house unsatisfied and bent on waking me up at some ungodly hour like a ship in need of a port..." Then he kissed them both on the forehead and headed out the back porch for a little afternoon sun. Cally looked at Maggie, who raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, as if to say, in so many gestures, that Charles' recent evaluation of the event was not entirely incorrect. Then, Cally looked at her mother, who had always been full of surprises, and gave her a big hug. Jezz walked in carrying an armful of groceries and everyone stared at her. After a second or two, she simply asked, "What ?" "Nothing," Cally remarked, "we were just discussing the wedding and my parents were saying how glad they were that I was marrying a soldier." The girls all laughed.
OF COLOR
Chapter 52 / Season Three / Episode Four
Eight months had passed since a group of immigrant shop owners in the City of Angels had protected their own neighborhood from an angry mob of looters. Fred and Ta had attended the peace concert and seen Ryan's little brother and his girlfriend perform live. They had never been aware of politics nor the issues that had been pervading their community, as much as they did on that day. Each time someone got up to make a speech, they were enlightened. Fred had been providing a service to his community for over a decade and realized that he really did not entirely understand the deeply painful history that had damaged relations between authority and those of color. Now, he came to the understand, that, his community, was also considered, a part of the basic definition, in America, as, "... Of Color." Maybe that color was not black or brown or red, but it was clearly not white. Ta was amazed at how many intelligent, outspoken and defiant people took the stage that day. She and Fred had both rose to the occasion, days after the riot, when Fred's lawyer had suggested they do so. Now, they came to an understanding that, although it was accidental, and even an unconscious move, apparently, they had become activists. The reward for such a move was almost invisible, but it existed. There was a silent respect for their outspoken bravery. Neither had an interest in politics, so it did not garner votes. Both already had a strong customer base, so it did not equal income. But, as they drove home that night, through the still devastated city, past the burnt out buildings, down the ash laden avenues and eyed the wreckage, they knew that somehow: they had made a difference. Then Ta said, 'This young partner of yours, he's tapped into something that seems to be important." Fred silently agreed, then she added, "I'm not talking about the financial aspects of your association. He's obviously bright. But, It seems to me, that he has a view on the future that I was unsure existed for the next generation. These kids know America in a way that I don't understand." Fred again, silently agreed, then added, "Let me tell you something about Alex. A year ago, I thought that kid was insane and maybe he was, a little bit. But after the past few months, I think that kid is amazing."
Alex met with Maggie a few weeks after the concert. She had, by then, heard the various remixes by, He Said/She Said and had gotten permission by the other artists labels to sample the versions that had been created. The good news was that their had been interest in signing the band by two competing major record labels, the bad news was that Alex had the crazy idea that he wanted to start a label of his own. His contract included a clause that stated, 'distribution rights.' Which meant, if he wanted, he could independently distribute any contents created by him, which included the single and the remixes which were currently being played on local radio stations. Maggie and he both knew that the real money was with a major label, which would lead to national radio and maybe a world tour opening for a headliner. Alex suggested that he and Maggie start a small label of their own and sign the band to a major label, in a rare, non exclusive contract deal. He explained, "I have a friend, who has a friend, who can get us a machine from overseas that produces compact discs. We can produce our own records." Although Maggie liked Alex, she was unsure if he was thinking too big, too soon. Then he explained, "I just remixed a version with the chorus in my original language. This band could crossover to a whole other marketplace." Maggie liked the idea and wanted to think about it, but there was no time to waste. She agreed and they consolidated a small specialty label, signed the band to several singles as well as a three album deal with the major label that put up a large amount of funds to produce the first album and a clause that allowed for Maggie and Alex to own the original single and several others between albums. Suddenly, billboards went up, they appeared on morning music shows, radio interviews and they began to plot out an entire album. The original song entitled, 'We All Get Along,' skyrocketed the charts. Alex took his advancement and handed it directly to Fred, signed it over immediately. When the single crossed over from local to national, he and Maggie took the second check, purchased the machine, they mass produced the remixed singles, a special holiday edition and it became the song of the season. From coast to coast. It put Maggie back on the map and thanks to an overly zealous partner, she now had her own label.
Ta had begun to speak with her father, first by writing and eventually by telephone. She had few memories, but he, surprisingly, had many. He remembered her feistiness, her stubbornness and her beauty. Ta, he explained, was the loveliest of children. Her mother had paraded her around like a trophy. Her Aunt adored her. It was this same aunt who had gotten her out of the North and ultimately why she was now living in America. He described to her, the day she was born and the year that led up to her birth. Her mother's favorite songs, her favorite color, foods and styles of dress. In the beginning, these were painful memories. But as the days passed, they became valuable and even sacred. Fred suggested that Ta would eventually need to meet the man and that, maybe it would be best, if he came to America for a visit. Fred felt that Ta would be able to handle the experience, here at home better and she agreed. The feisty and stubborn little girl, in the hands of Fred, was now quite agreeable. He knew her father would find her just as beautiful as he. For any man could see, that Ta, was what some might call, a creature of beauty. The porcelain skin, thick, dark hair, small and pointed features, she was, at first glance, petite and even gentle. But Fred soon found out that she was a dynamo. Having owned her own business, carried objects to and fro and protected herself, through the years, Ta had a tough edge that no man had been able to break. When Fred and Ta invited her father, he was hesitant. Having heard so many strange things through the years about America had unsettled the man. Eventually, they had convinced him and a trip was planned.
HEAVY
Chapter 53 / Season Three / Episode Four
Nine months had past since the populist of the City of Angels burst into a frenzy, taking the power, the law and the place itself, into its own hands. Wanda was about to break water. Jordan had been relatively prepared and considering everything he'd recently experienced, being a father, seemed do-able. It was safe to say, Jordan had lost just a touch of the boyishness that he had once owned, when he and Wanda had first begun dating. Between the riot, his incident with Charles and the bus, the return of his mother, and now, his ongoing effort to get his father out of prison, as well as the neighborhood effort to rebuild what had been badly broken, both physically and spiritually: Jordan had become a grown up. He hadn't played basketball in the park for over a year. Every time he left the house, he was sure to let Wanda know exactly where and for how long, he would be gone. If ever he were on duty or out and about and the child decided it was time to arrive, Jordan would be ready. He wanted to be there, to see his son born, wanted to be in the room, holding her hand. Jordan wanted to be able to tell his son, years from now, that he was there, the day of arrival. They had even learned breathing exercises together and taken a local workshop that assisted in helping couples to understand the process as a family. The doctors had made guesstimates, family members were alerted, alternate drivers were put on call, everyone was ready. Then Jordan got a call from Dora that was unexpected. Cliff had been feverish for more than a few days, he'd been asking for Jordan. Stan and Dora had been worried sick, besides Cliff's usual problems, they had been extremely lucky with his general, everyday health and this was the first time they had actually been scared. Jordan showed up immediately. He had fallen in love with Cliff, like a man might love his own son. In fact, he hadn't recognized that his friendship with Cliff had even become so damn important, until he showed up and saw the kid laying there, sweating it out, half delirious. He tried to act like everything was cool, didn't want to scare either Cliff or his parents, but as soon as he got back out into the hallway, he freaked out. Couldn't stop crying. To think that maybe something could happen to the little dude was too much.
Mac had been given a full briefing on what the score was going to be. They discussed all the details, the possible as well as the probable. He had no allusions nor expectations. He knew that Jordan and his friends had put in place a series of actions that had turned the tables in a direction that was almost a hundred and eighty degrees from its original juncture. Mac had never put much stock in lawyers, but he had to admit, the fifteen minutes he spent with Daniel, were fifteen of the most gratifying minutes he had experienced in several years. The kid was sharp, on his toes, to the point and very aware of not just the legal system, but he had actually researched every person on the parole board and had his friends look into each persons general schedule, admittance and denial rates as well as their dates of birth. When Mac asked why, Daniel explained that he believed in good days and bad days, based on planetary alignments. Mac might have balked at that, had he not been a student of the planetary aspects of fishing. He and his father had always fished to the rhythm of the moon and they had always done well. Mac's father's father had been a farmer and he also used the moon to plant seeds and cultivate crops. All the old school farmers used the natural phases to do their thing and if Daniel wanted to pick the proper day for an evaluation by the parole board, even if it meant waiting an additional three months, than Mac was down for the cause. As it turned out, his next scheduled parole hearing was going to be a perfect chance. Daniel had explained that the new evidence, the recanted testimony on paper as well as the inner political aspects of the turnaround were obviously much more important than any alignments, but it didn't hurt to find out who was making the decision and what kind of mood they might be in. If things didn't go Mac's way, he would have to wait another year. That was going to be a very long year, considering he had put forth so much effort, even sold and finagled properties to make all this happen. Mac stayed clear of the yard. He didn't want anything to get in his way, even kept a distance from his cellmate, whenever possible. Mac felt as if he were holding his breath under water, that a giant wave had toppled his life and now, he was simply waiting to rise to the surface.
Baby was working at the salon, when she got a call from Wanda, explaining that she was on the way to the hospital and had anybody seen or heard from Jordan ? Jezz volunteered to drive Baby over and they put out an all points bulletin for Jordan. They had put in place, three different choices and options ready to assist with the driving, and all three, just happened to be unavailable. Wanda's Father had gone across town to pick up a bunch of french style window covers, at a hardware store that was going out of business. Jordan was at a hospital on the other side of town visiting with Cliff. Their neighbor, Miss Kendrick, was at school. So Wanda shouted across the fence to Old Man Withers, as he had been called by Jordan and the neighbors, they got Wanda in the truck and headed toward the place of Jordan's son's birth. He wasted no time in arriving, as some children often do. Wanda walked in the door, laid down on the table, the nurse prepped the woman, and in what seemed like less than an hour, the little guy came out swinging. Full head of hair, bright eyes, big feet and a healthy, deep cry that sounded like a small patch of thunder, echoing through the trees of a bayou, somewhere in the ancestral lineage between two new rivers, creating a tributary all its own. Wanda was sleeping when Jordan finally walked in the door. He was visibly distraught, swollen - eyed, looked terrible. Wanda, who was not quick to scold, asked, "Have you seen him ?" Jordan assumed she was talking about Cliff and he responded by simply shaking his head, in the affirmative and a teardrop slid down his face.Then a nurse brought out his son, all wrapped in a blanket, like a bundle of power. Jordan's face lit up, he held the boy and then he cried some more. "Damn, this boy's heavy," he said. Just then Wanda's father showed up and one of her girlfriends from work, pretty soon there was a little party going on. There were no complications, Wanda was home in a day and a half, and a new life with her.
HALL OF FAME
Chapter 54 / Season Three / Episode Four
Ten months had passed since the system allowed a small group of men to walk free and shortly thereafter, a very large group of people rose up against the machine. Laws were not perfect. Law makers were not infallible. Law enforcers were sometimes law breakers, and the system itself, was now broken. Stan had been a judge for almost fifteen years. He had always wanted to make a difference in the way the world worked. The man truly believed that one person could do such a thing. Now, he was thinking differently, about just, 'how,' that difference could be made. Was it impossible for a man working within the system to make the world better ? Did being a cop, a fireman, a lawyer or a judge working within a system, that itself could be corrupted, really make life better ? Taking orders from a boss, a superior, a supposedly fair and equal leader meant that an individual, who had something to offer, could always trumped by unfair practices, bad decisions, racist beliefs, false morality, corporate influence, political agendas, controlling egos or simply and overly inquisitive and or overreaching government, that might not know when it was proper to mind it's own business and leave the populist alone. Stan had seen a wave of powers build up, in the past decade, that was disheartening. The deregulation of business practices and a series of anti union campaigns from the highest branch of governments, that, he felt, was going to hurt the fabric of America. An actor, acting as president, had been a pawn for a power hungry family that gobbled up contracts, countries and regulation. A pirated budget from the highest points possible in the Pentagon, which had once scared the living daylights out of an ex army president, almost fifty years ago, had been only the tip of the iceberg. Now, things were happening at such a break neck speed that Stan became disillusioned. Most people working in his field of work hit a water mark and then utilize that bitterness or that original ideal or that cold and hollow feeling to motivate themselves into continuing, and somehow they actually do make the world, a little better, one decision, one action, one day, at a time. But for Stan, after the Riots, after dealing with the beating, the lawyers, the press and the public: He was ready to walk away from it all.
Dora had been sitting with Daniel discussing Mac's situation when he noticed that Cliff was just a little challenged. He asked what year Cliff had been born ? Then he inquired if Cliff had been a part of the large group of children, who had been vaccinated at five years old ? His firm was currently building a case against a company which had gotten the government to allow mandatory vaccines to children, through their public and private schools. Many of the parents had no idea that their children were being injected with substances that could effect, hinder and or stunt their children's ability to have a normal life. It turned out that one out of every eight hundred or so individuals, had suffered under, been allergic to and or were permanently challenged by the vaccines. Cliff was among that age group. Daniel hated to mention it, but recently, out of the several thousand children across the united states that had been effected by the vaccines, over half were now going through a complete wave of issues that included, issues with breathing, the ability to regulate a normal pulse rate and challenges involving the endocrine system within the body. Daniel had mentioned it in passing and had no idea that he was going to freak Dora out, but freak her out he did. She asked what year did the vaccines roll out to the public and in what states ? Then she asked the name of the company ? In less than a couple of months, Cliff began to have the type of problems that Daniel had described. He had gone from a happy, inquisitive kid, with a few learning disabilities to someone who was having trouble with the basics of everyday bodily regulation, including temperature, sleep and even digestion. Dora went into superdrive, she found out everything she possibly could about the vaccines. Because of the case that Daniel's work mates had been preparing, there was much on file and much to learn. She had even asked Daniel over to dinner, so that Stan could hear it direct from someone else.
Dora and Stan decided that they wanted to get involved directly in the case and that maybe more could be done. Maybe there should be a law against mandatory vaccines. This was America after all, we are the public, not a bunch of laboratory animals for the medical industry to experiment with, and profit all the while. Dora began to write a series of articles, that would lead to her becoming the prime educator and watchdog for the medical industry, which had recently and rather slowly creeped its way into the congress and the senate, through thousands of lobbyists, that were now scattered across Washington DC like tumbleweeds in the desert. You couldn't walk down either side of the aisle, without passing one on your way to the podium. It seemed that congress persons and senators, were now on a constant campaign to raise funds, instead of do their jobs, protecting, representing and championing the people of America, who paid their bills, voted for their representation and now, simply drank their poison, as her son had clearly been injected with. Here she was, a damn lawyer, and her husband, a judge and their own son had been given a substance with hundreds of thousand of other children on some half ass mandatory basis through a public school system that had failed her, failed her son, failed the American ideal. Dora was pissed off and if anyone could attest to the wrath of a woman whose child had been unduly harmed, it was her husband Stan. Who had recently quit his job, turned down the television show offer and began to prepare a book that was to be the first of several describing just exactly what was wrong with the justice system. All of this was well and good, but the real fact of the matter was that, their son Cliff, who had been making personal leaps and bounds, was not well. And no amount of change in America meant a goddamn thing, when your own flesh and blood, your own child, your neighbors child, the kid down the street, the unborn baby or anyone, anywhere, anytime, was put in harms way by a corporate system, whose only goal, was to make a buck off of a busy, struggling and hungry populist. Stan had seen it first hand. He'd seen a RIOT, he knew what inverted power looked like and he used it, rhetorically speaking, to explain how things worked in the system. When Stan's book was published, he was immediately put on a list which included American individuals such as: Malcolm X, John Lennon and Cesar Chavez. When Dora got word that Stan had hit the big time, she walked into Cliff's room and stated, "Hey kid, your dad just made the Hall of Fame." Cliff cocked his head, crinkled his eye lids and stared at his mom, "You mean like rock & roll or baseball ?" Then, she thought about it a minute, and eventually responded, "Something like that." Cliff suggested, "Maybe we should celebrate," he continued, "Lets surprise him with a dinner," and so they did.
INTERVIEW: BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE MAGAZINE EDITOR: JOSHUA TRILIEGI
Writer Joshua Triliegi discusses his most recent Fiction Project, "They Call It The City of ANGELS," creating beliEvable characters and the challenges therein. Season One & Season Two are available on line at most of the 10 various BUREAU of Arts and Culture Websites & translatable around the world.
Discuss the process of writing your recent fiction project, " They Call It The City of Angels ."
Joshua Triliegi: I had lived through the riots of 1992, actually had a home not far from the epicenter and experienced the event first hand, I noticed how the riot was being perceived by those outside our community, people began to call me from around the world, my friends in Paris, my relatives in the mid west, childhood pals, school mates, etc... Each person had a different take on why and what was happening, I still have those recordings, this was back in the day of home message recorders with cassettes. So, after 20 years, I began to re listen to the voices and felt like something was missing in the dialogue.
" I noticed how the riot was being perceived by those outside our community ..."
Some of my friends and fellow theater contemporaries such as Anna Deveare Smith and Roger Guenvere Smith had been making bold statements in relation to the riots with their own works and I realized that there was a version of original origin inside of me. I felt the need to represent the community in detail, but with the event in the background. Because, I can tell you from first hand experience that when these events happen, people are still people, and they deal with these types of historical emergencies differently based on their own culture, their own codes, their own needs and everyday happenstances.
You originally published each chapter on a daily basis, explain how and why ?
Joshua Triliegi: I had been editing The BUREAU of Arts and Culture Magazine for a few years, we printed thousands of magazines that were widely distributed throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco and had created an on-line readership.The part of me that had dabbled in fiction through the years with screenplays and short stories had been ignored for those few years. On the one hand, it was simply a challenge to create a novel without notes, improvising on a daily basis, on the other hand, it gave the project a freedom and an urgency that had some connection with the philosophy of Jack Kerouac and his Spontaneous Prose theories. One thing it did, was forced me, as a creator, to make the decisions quickly and it also, at the time, created a daily on line readership, at least with our core readers, that to this day has strengthened our community sites and followers on line. Season One was a series of introductions to each character. Season Two, which happened the following year, was a completely different experience all together.
Describe Season Two of They Call It The City of Angels and those challenges.
Joshua Triliegi: Well first of all, the opening line of Season One is, " Los Angeles is a funny place to live, but those laughing were usually from out of town, " That opener immediately set up an insiders viewpoint that expresses a certain struggle and angst as well as an outsider — looking — in — perception that may be skewed. In introducing characters throughout season one, I was simply creating a cast of characters that I knew somehow would be important to set the tone surrounding the riots of 1992 in Los Angeles. With Season Two, and an entire year of gestation, which was extremely helpful, even if it was entirely on a subconscious level, I had a very real responsibility to be true to my characters and each persons culture. I had chosen an extremely diverse group of people, but had not actually mentioned their nationality, or color in Season One. By the time season Two rolled around, I found it impossible not to mention their differences and went several steps further to actually define those differences and describe how each character was effected by the perception of the events in their life. This is a novel that happens to take place before, during and after the riot. The characters themselves all have lives that are so complete and full and challenged, as real life actually is, that the riot as a backdrop is entirely secondary to the story. I was surprised at how much backstory there actually was. I also think my background in theater, gave me a sense of character development that really kicked my characters lives into extreme detail and gave them a fully realized life.
How do you go about creating a character ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, there is usually a combination of very real respect and curiosity involved. Sometimes, I may have seen that person somewhere in the world and something about them attracted my attention in some way. In the case of They Call It The City of Angels, I knew the people of Los Angeles had all been hurt badly by the riots of 1992, because I am one of those people and it hurt. One minute we were relating between cultures, colors, incomes, the next we were pitted up against one another because some people in power had gotten away with a clear injustice. So with season two, I personally had to delve deeper into each persons life and present a fully realized set of circumstances that would pay off the reader, in terms of entertainment and at the same time be true to the code of each character. Once they were fully realized, the characters themselves would do things that surprised me and that is when something really interesting began to happen.
Could you tell us a bit more about the characters and give us some examples of how they would surprise you as a writer ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, Jordan, who is an African American bus driver and happens to be a Muslim, began to find himself in extremely humorous situations where he is somehow judged by events and circumstances beyond his control. I thought that was interesting because the average person most likely perceives the people of that particular faith as very serious. Jordan has a girlfriend who is not Muslim and when he is confronted by temptation, he is equally as human as any of my readers and so, he gets himself into situations that complicate his experience and a certain amount of folly ensues. Fred, who is an asian shop owner and a Buddhist, has overcome a series of tragedies, yet has somehow retained his dignity with a stoicism that is practically heroic. At one point, in the middle of a living nightmare, he simply goes golfing, alone and gets a hole in one. Junior, who is a Mexican American young man recently released from prison really drives the story as much of his backstory connects us to Fred and his tragedies as well as legal decisions such as the one that caused the city to erupt as it does in the riot.
You talk a lot about Responsibility to Character, what do you mean and how do you conduct research ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, if I make a decision that a character is a Muslim or Asian or Mexican or what have you, if I want the respect of my readers and of those who may actually be Muslim, Asian or Mexican, it behooves me to learn something about that character. As a middle aged man who lives in Los Angeles and has done an extensive amount of travel throughout my life, there is a certain amount of familiarity with certain people. But for instance, with Fred, I watched films on the history of the Korean War and had already respected the Korean Community here in Los Angeles for standing up for themselves the way they did. I witnessed full on attacks and gun fights between some of the toughest gangsters in LA and I think even they gained respect for this community in that regard. Fred is simply one of those shop owners, he is a very humble and unassuming man, in season two, he finds himself entering a whole new life and for me as a writer, that is very gratifying and to be totally honest, writing for Fred was the most bitter sweet experience ever. Here is a man who has lost a daughter, a wife, a business partner and he is about to lose all he has, his shop. Regarding Junior and Jordan, I grew up with these guys, I have met them again and again, on buses, in neighborhoods at school. Jordan has a resilience and a casual humor that has been passed down from generations, a survival skill that includes an ironic outlook at life. He also has that accidental Buster Keaton sort of ability to walk through traffic and come out unscathed. Junior on the other hand is a real heavy, like any number of classic characters in familiar cinema history confronted with the challenges of poverty and tragedy. He is the character that paid the biggest price and in return, we feel that experience. There is a certain amount of mystery and even a pent up sexuality and sometimes a violence that erupts due to his circumstances. In season two, within a single episode, Junior takes his father, who is a busboy at a cafe and repositions him as the Don or boss of their original ranch in Mexico.
There seems to be a lot of religion in They Call it the City of Angels, how did that occur and do you attend church or prescribe to any particular faith ?
I never intended for there to be so much religion in this book. But, if you know Los Angeles like I do, you will realize how important faith is to a good many people and particularly to the characters I chose to represent. With Jordan being Muslim, it allowed me to delve into the challenges a person might have pertaining to that particular faith. Fred's life is so full of tragedy that even a devout buddhist would have trouble accepting and letting go of the events that occur in his life. Junior found god in prison as many people do, upon his release back into the real world, he is forced to make decisions which challenge that belief system and sometimes go against his faith, at the same time, he finds himself physically closer to real life events and objects of religious historical significance than the average believer which brings us into a heightened reality and raises questions in a new way. As for my own belief system, I dabble in a series of exercises and rituals that spring from a wide variety of faiths and practices.
You discussed Jordan, Fred and Junior. Tell us about Cliff and Charles and Chuck.
Joshua Triliegi: I don't really believe in secondary characters, but in writing fiction, certain characters simply emerge more pronounced than others. As this project was a daily serial for the magazine, I did try my best to keep a balance, giving each character a fully realized set of circumstances and history. That said, some characters were related to another through family, incident or history and later, I felt compelled to know more about them and see how they would emerge.
Charles is one of those legendary rock and roll guys who was on tour with music royalty and simply disappeared. He's the missing father we all hear about and wonder what would happen if he were to suddenly return into our lives ? His son Mickey, his wife Maggie, his daughter Cally have all gone on with their lives, when Jordan, accidentally runs him over while driving his bus, Charles returns home and a new chapter in their lives begins again.
Chuck is a cop who just happened to marry Juniors sister and they have several daughters. When Junior returns from prison, he and Chuck clash simply because of their careers and history. I felt it was important to include authority in this story and once I decided to represent a police officer, I wanted him to be as fully realized and interesting as any other character, though, clearly Junior drives much of this section of the novel and Chuck is simply another person that complicates Juniors arrival. I should also explain that the arrival of Junior from years in prison is really the beginning of events that lead up to the basic thrust of the story and somehow almost everyone in the novel has a backstory that connects in some way.
Cliff is absolutely one of my all time favorites. He is a mentally challenged boy whose father happens to be the judge on the case that develops into the unjust legal decision and eventually the actual 1992 riots. I have always felt that challenged individuals deserve much more than the marginalized lifestyles that we as a contemporary society provide. Many ancient societies have relegated what we dismiss as something very special. Cliff is challenged, but also happens to be a very intuitively gifted human being whose drawings portend actual future events. Even though his parents are extremely pragmatic, they are forced to consider his gifts.
Cliff is a young upper middle class white boy who is entirely obsessed with the late great comedian Richard Pryor and at very inopportune times, Cliff will perform entire Richard Pryor comedic routines, including much of the original risqué language. Cliff is an innocent who pushes the societal mores to the edge. I have found through fiction the ability to discuss, develop and delve into ideas that no other medium provided me. And as you may know, I am a painter, film maker, photographer, sculptor, designer, who also edits a magazine reviewing art, film and culture.
As a man, do you find it challenging to write female characters ?
Joshua Triliegi: To some extent, yes. That said, I have spent a good many years with women and have had very close relationships with the female gender, both personally and professionally, so on average, I would say that I am not a total buffoon. In They Call It City of Angels, Jordan's girlfriend Wanda and his mom both appeared and bloomed as fully realized characters that I really enjoyed writing for. Cliffs mother Dora is also a very strong female character that I am very proud to have created. Season two presented a special challenge with dialogue between characters that was new territory for me. I have written screenplays in the past, sometimes with collaborators, once with my brother and more recently with my nephew and in Angels, I found it, for the first time, very easy to imagine the conversations and action in a way that was totally new to my process. I would most likely credit that to my own relationships and possibly to the several recent years of interviewing and writing for the magazine in general.
When will we see another season of They Call It The City of Angels ?
We have set a tradition of it being the Summer Fiction Project at the Magazine and since August is a relatively slow month for advertising and cultural events, we will most likely see a Season Three in the summer of 2015. As you may know, I do not take any written notes at all prior to the day that I actually write the chapter, so the characters simply develop on a subconscious level and then during the one month or two week process, I pretty much do nothing at all, but ponder their existence, day to day. This can sometimes be nerve racking as I do plot things out in my head and sometimes even make extreme mental notes, though even then some ideas simply don't make it on the page. During Season Two, I omitted a section of a chapter and later revealed another chapter into a different sequence of events, but besides that it has been a rather straight ahead chapter a day experience that simply pushed me to invent, develop and complete the work of fiction that might have otherwise never existed or possibly taken much more time. I am curious to see how my next project will develop.
What is your next project ?
Joshua Triliegi; I am working on a couple of things of historic importance. Though I can't say much about them. One is an actual event that I have been given permission to portray by the actual estate and I don't know yet if it will be an ' Inspired by ... ' type of Novel or if it will be creative Non Fiction. The other is a fiction piece I have been developing for sometime now.
" I have been writing consciously since I was fourteen, stories, journals, poetry, lyrics, screenplays, but as far as fiction goes, They Call It The City of Angels is probably my first successful project with a major readership and I am very thankful that it happened. Better late than never. "
After that I have a sort of family opus that is probably the most researched project I have ever undergone. I have been writing consciously since I was fourteen, stories, journals, poetry, lyrics, screenplays, but as far as fiction goes, They Call It The City of Angels is probably my first successful project with a major readership and I am very thankful that it happened.
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The BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE'S EDITOR Joshua TRILIEGI Goes One on One with The BEST In ART . FILM . MUSIC . DESIGN . CULTURE FASHION . ARCHITECTURE . PHOTOGRAPHY . CUISINE . SURFING . DANCE . LITERATURE . BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE: "QUOTE ME"
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thanks for submitting