As to fiction, I'm not really that interested in novels. I just do not have the patience even to read them. I'd be much more interested in writing screenplays. I was concocting little four- or five-page screenplays in sixth grade. I'd dig writing low-budget genre comedy movies. I'd especially love to write a Cheech and Chong movie. I could really do something with that.
You love to describe yourself as a simple hillbilly, which seems a bit disingenous given the underlying sophistication of some of your writing. Who is the real Al Barger?
Who is Al Barger? Al Barger is a complex personality, as are most of the small breed of modern day renaissance millionaires. No, wait — that's not Al Barger, that's that jerk, Navin R. Johnson. Typical bastard.
I don't think I've really got an answer as to the "real" Al Barger. That's perhaps more a philosophical than a biographical question.
Let me address the usage of "hillbilly" though. For starters, you're making a false dichotomy of "simple" vs "sophisticated." There's no reason a hillbilly from the piney woods wouldn't be as smart and thoughtful as his big city cousin. I'd say that the hillbilly idea works about three ways with me, as a description of my actual personality, somewhat differently as a minor aspect of literary personae, and finally as a technique of argument.
For one thing, it is my top point of pride in my personal lineage that both of my grandfathers ran bootleg liquor in Kentucky during the Prohibition. In my worldview, that's more prestigious than if they'd been, say, congressmen. To update the image a bit, I could very much see myself as the smartass dope-running narrator of Charlie Daniels' "Uneasy Rider." I really am a country boy.
Moreover, I do like - within my own meaning of the term - the idea of being a "simple hillbilly" as you put it. Over time, I've come to very much appreciate the grandmotherly advice of Lynyrd Skynyrd to be a "simple man." Keep it simple, stupid. For one thing, people thinking that they're so complex and unique tends to strike me as a cheesy type of egoism, and petty narcissm. Oh, I've got these complicated thoughts and feelings unique from anyone else ever! Cracker, please — get over yourself. Also, those kinds of thoughts seem likely to be mere excuses for self-indulgence or corruption.
I mostly invoke the idea of being a Kentuckian or hillbilly in my writing, though, as just a kernel of casting an image, a framework for how a reader might start looking at me. I like to say that I'm running a figurative Internet moonshine still, and my website is corn squeezins. It's a bit of identity and a riff to help tie some things together, and give it a bit of overall flavor. It's self-caricature.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Phillip Winn
This is one of the funniest things you've ever written, Al:
2 - duane
That was funny about the dog. The low-keyed approach followed by the surprising punchline reminds me of a Steve Martin joke -- something like:
"I'm so depressed about my girlfriend. Umm ... she's not among the living anymore. I guess I kinda blame myself. Yeah, see we were at a party and we had an argument. She had been drinking a little and she demanded that I drive her home. I refused. She continued to insist. I didn't want to drive her home, so I shot her."
I don't usually comment on Al's posts, but I usually read them and the predictable arguing that ensues. I just wanted to say that, regardless of who I think is right or wrong about the various issues (and he is, of course, wrong about Skynyrd), I have always been impressed with Al's ability to respond to attacks, even personal attacks, with grace and often a sense of self-deprecating humor. That's refreshing.
3 - Dave Nalle
That is some funny shit. Nearly as funny as his praise of my sorry confused ass in the interview.
A pity Lisa chose to use my nice quote instead of my critique of Al's scary beard which I also offered as an option.
Dave
4 - gonzo marx
/Jamaican accent
BOO, big Al dissin' Hunter da writer...
HOORAAAAAY BEER!
/end accent
gratz Al
Excelsior?
5 - Silas Kain
Al is the antithesis of everything a gay man wants in another man. I love you, Al Barger.
6 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Congrats, Al!
7 - Glen Boyd
I don't always agree with Mr. Barger, but he is hands down my favorite guy to read on BC because I always find myself laughing out loud at his rather unique take on things.
Whether he's duking it out with fans of the Dixie Chicks or egging on the likes of Rubberneck (the guy who's posted over 100 angry posts on my review of Neil Young's Living With War CD) or even going toe to toe with Mother Mary herself, Al's quick, acerbic wit meets them blow for blow everytime.
He is without a doubt a very intelligent, and very, very funny man.
And you BC editors may have just opened up a whole new can of worms by giving Uncle Al what ammounts to a mandate.
::::Shhhuuuder:::::
Congrats Al.
-Brother Boyd
8 - Martin Lav
Al,
I hate that you gave props to a sandwich over Neil Young, but you are a good writer and I congratulate you on your honor.
Martin
9 - Matthew T. Sussman
Omitted from the annals of this rather amusing Q&A is the fact that somewhere on CNN's server there exists a picture of the Senatorial hopeful, because they like to have photographs of candidates. Now if only someone could find it...
... Oh, here it is.
10 - gonzo marx
Suss, yer a naughty boy!!
heh..thanks fer the linky...good blackmail material
now, i wasn't that cereal with my previous comment, besides giving gratz ta big Al...
so, for the Record... ya gotta luv the guy, especially considering that he can write so proliferously while only having taste in his mouth...
i mean, c'mon... the guy likes Prince...
heh
but , i digress...
XOXOXOXOXO, big Al
Excelsior?
11 - Triniman
Al, congratulations on being honoured. It was nice to get to learn more about you.
12 - Clavos
See, Al, Libertarians DO get elected to some things!
Way to go-well deserved!
Clavos
13 - Sterfish
Congrats on the well-deserved honor.
14 - Dave Nalle
Al is the antithesis of everything a gay man wants in another man. I love you, Al Barger.
Silas, I've heard that some gay men go for the 'bear' look and Al certainly has it is spades.
Dave
15 - Scott Butki
Congrats, Al. I don't always agree with you but you do some interesting, engaging writing, especially on music.
16 - Al Barger
Thank you all for your kind words.
I especially want to return the love to Brother Silas. Thanks, buddy- right backatcha.
Duane, thanks particularly for recognizing my efforts at grace under fire when folks are hatin' on me. I try. It's a frequent struggle to figure an appropriate response without unnecessary harshness when folks are losing their little minds on me. It's like Harry Powell said at the burlesque show.
Phil, I'm most pleased to hear you liked my PETA story. That story is absolutely true, by the way. I was looking for just the place to make that connection on the page, and Lisa's question was a perfect innocuous setup.
Gonzo, obviously I'm not a big fan of HST. I'll admit though that it gave me a second's pause for the sake of not wanting to hurt your feelings by further bashing your hero. But I figured you'd get over it. Plus, yes Prince Rogers Nelson is about 100 times more significant than Rush. But I still love you.
Dave, my beard has powers. You should indeed be scared of it. Don't anger The Beard. You've been warned.
Finally, Suss and the "blackmail" picture. That image was a casual snapshot taken at the Mercer Museum near Philadelphia. The tri-corner hat came from some display of Revolutionary War stuff.
Personally, that's one of my favorite pictures of me. Yet I got a lot of grief from my own people over this. I had this up as a campaign picture in the first part of 2004 before I got some other pictures, including the one Lisa picked out for this story. A number of Indiana Libertarians were absolutely raising hell with me over how bad a picture this was for a campaign site. It was as if one little archaic hat put me in with the fool druid we had running for governor of CA campaigning in his cheesy robes. PS I still like the picture.
17 - gonzo marx
lol..oh Al..
why thanks fer spending a picosecond pondering my non-existant feelings...
and i'm glad ya got the Honor here...
oh yes, and HST ain't a "hero" to me, just someone whose writings i enjoyed, and to me, served in a Twain/Swift type position as a satirist whose lies and "fish stories" communicated more Truth than most "straight reporting"
as fer Rush/Prince argument... well you enjoy what ya like... we'll work on yer being tone deaf...
XOXOXOXO
Excelsior?
18 - Dave Nalle
Finally, Suss and the "blackmail" picture. That image was a casual snapshot taken at the Mercer Museum near Philadelphia. The tri-corner hat came from some display of Revolutionary War stuff.
I'll match your goofy costumed picture and raise you this picture.
Dave
19 - Al Barger
Dave, your costume in that picture probably wouldn't be taken for a "costume" in these parts- more like Sunday go-to-meeting clothes. In any case, it's far less Satanic than your standard bio picture at the bottom of all your BC articles.
20 - Matthew T. Sussman
Plus it's on your own website. Al's CNN hosting pretty much kills the competition. Lord knows, Dave, what pictures you haven't shown us.
21 - gonzo marx
/agree with both Al and Suss...
Dave, yer bio pic/Anton LeVay imitation is still the best...
on the other hand, yer "english swine" elitist pig graphic is still the finest representation of you on the inside...
but i bet you could clean up in the California satanic circles as the reincarnation of their dark "bible's" Author
mwahahahaHHAAHAHahahHAHHAhahaHHAHAhahaHAHAHahaaaa
did i say all that out loud?
Excelsior?
22 - Michael J. West
Congratulations, Al, and I should herein acknowledge my debt of gratitude:
Brother Barger (as he would say) is the one who recruited me for Blogcritics, emailing me after reading my blog and encouraging me to contact EO about joining up. Right after I did so, he emailed me a congratulations, saying, "I'm proud to have brought a REAL writer on board."
Hey, Al, that compliment--and your vast and high-quality contribution--makes me conscious of how much more I could and should be doing for Blogcritics. Which is the best thing I could say about any writer on here: you make me want to be a better one.
The ass-kissing now out of the way, I should add that there's nobody more fun to disagree with in terms of the thing we most have in common: our all-encompassing musical tastes. (If you can call what Al has "taste").
23 - Al Barger
Brother West, thanks for your fine tribute. I'll note that your work here has fully justified my initial high estimate.
As to musical taste, to each his own. You can have Mariah Carey and the Dixie Chicks and leave Elvis Costello to me. Whatever works for you.
24 - Michael J. West
Well, maybe not Mariah Carey (ugh)...how about if I take the Dixie Chicks, we can share Elvis Costello, and I'll leave Sinead O'Connor to you?
25 - zingzing
ahem. sinead o is vastly superior to the dixie chicks. and i second prince 100 times over rush. meha.