|
 About
RARWRITER.COM
RARWRITER.com
was launched in early 2006 as a personal website, designed to showcase the
creative outputs of yours truly, Rick Alan Rice (RAR). Initially if
people found this site, it was likely due to investigations into my
alt-existence as a San Francisco Bay Area-based technical writer. They were often following a link from my site at RickARice.com,
where my professional background and experience is covered in great
detail.
I
introduced my "other" self to these accidental tourists by writing
"If you somehow stumbled
upon this site directly, I'm still a technical writer and editor in the
Bay Area but I'm also a songwriter, novelist and host to an Internet-based
creative community (see Links below), and that may be why you are
here." None of that has changed.
RARWRITER
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
I
wrote - "This
site is a mainline injection of the stuff that seeps from my pores. It is a public repository for that which is mine and
has not been surrendered to publishers, agents, A&R people, or any of the
gatekeepers of the commercial public domain. I make that distinction
because, for a while at least, the domains of the Internet are all equal and
expressions can be delivered in pure form.
"This site is devoted to passion.
There are original compositions in music
and literature, opinion and insight, and herein you will find a personal
philosophy.
"My unabashed belief is that we should all strive for a kind of
self-defined greatness free of obeisance to changing popular
conventions. I am a big believer in the
"inner life" thing; nurture it and let it flow naturally outward until
it is elevated and generous.
"It -
my
internal pursuit is in music and words -
sort of takes the edge off a
humdrum day.
"As a writer, I am a prolific polymath. I have never drawn much distinction
between my various writing interests, though legion are those who have suggested
I should. (We often encourage others to limit themselves.) The arc of my
creative life has been that I started writing in grade school, first with short
stories and fictional narratives, then as a songwriter after becoming a
musician, then as a journalist, a novelist, a critic, a writer of non-fiction, a
playwright. There have been crossovers from avocation to vocation, but more
often than not I have found that the re-gearing required to turn inspiration
into filthy lucre just hasn’t been worth it. One finds oneself making
compromises, trying to squeeze into molds to fit current styles, regurgitating
the ideas of others. The people I admire – Faulkner, Poe, Kerouac, Vonnegut,
Dylan Thomas, Thomas Wolfe, Thomas Pynchon, Sam Shepherd, Robert Altman, Bob
Dylan, John Lennon, and others – didn’t do that, and they created works of
lasting value. Besides, the world has changed. As markets have become more
segmented and niche-oriented big returns on compromise just aren’t there – so
let’s not do it! Rather, let us look within, find and trust in ourselves."
As the site has evolved, that spirit of independence has become its organizing
concept, most typified by "The Links at RARWRITER," the part of the site that
has become popular for its artists profiles.
This site has always been about the individual pursuit of artistry that has a
capacity to effect positive change in the world. All of the artists profiled on
The Links are emissaries to this higher calling.
The creative people profiled on this site have grown from a community of friends
and associates, with a shared history, to become a confederation of like-minded
spirits from all over the planet who are trying to give voice to this brave new
technological world we have made for ourselves - the world of the Internet,
which at least for now re-levels the creative playing field and gives talented
people of every stripe an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution for the
betterment of us all. This is the purpose of The Links.
VISIT RAR'S PERSONAL PAGES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON YOUR HOST
Amid all of this altruism you may still find information on your humble host.
While the site has been reorganized time and again, the original pages are still
here. Click on the links below for the information provided.
BIO
A brief biography of RAR's early years is provided.
MUSIC
On this page are demo versions of original music compositions. They are provided
in their complete versions and while they are subject to all appropriate
copyright protections you are welcome to download them for your own enjoyment
and share them with others. The vocals, guitar performances, arrangements,
production, engineering, and notations for midi instrumentation
are my own. This page is updated regularly to feature new material, or new
recordings of old original material.
LITERATURE
This page provides an overview of the long and short fiction, screenplays, and
non-fiction that I have written, and provides links to excerpts for some works.
Again, all material on this site is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without
my written consent.
VERSE
This page offers stuff that rhymes -- original poetry and lyrics. The material
is copyrighted.
ESSAY
I have never been short on opinions and this page is dedicated to ruminations
and viewpoints on politics, social issues, life, and popular culture.
PROJECTS
I am always working on publishing projects of one kind or another, and on this
page is information on what is currently in the works.
LINKS
What started out to be a standard listing of Links to the websites of friends
and associates has become a "virtual" magazine. Over 140 artists from across the
nation are profiled on separate pages dedicated to the Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Nashville, Austin, Colorado, Louisiana and "at large" creative
communities. There are special features, great photographs and many of the
"linked" offer MP3s of their work for on line streaming. All the people
presented share personal experiences in their creative communities, which
include music, literature and fine art. It is "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"
played audio-visually. The Links at RARWRITER re-defines the standard links page
and takes it to a whole other level.
|
