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When my buddy Dan gave me a website for my 50th birthday, I’m
not sure he realized 10 years down the line he would still be webmaster.
(You do the math on my current age.) Naked Sunfish is not only still
around, it has gotten to be a large community of artists, writers,
poets, and culinary connoisseurs. Each and every one of these talented
people, and especially Dan and myself, has worked to publish a wonderful
electronic magazine simply for the joy of doing it. (Okay
– maybe there’s been a free official t-shirt or baseball
cap in the deal but still … ) To everyone, and Dan in particular
since he provides us all the opportunity, I say a hearty “Thank
you! Thank you! Thank you!” In Memory by Dennis Toth
During the waning days I spared you from
Later, http://leavesofcrass.blogspot.com/ The
Non Fiction Theater of the Truly Mundane Scene: the first floor of an average house in an American Midwestern neighborhood. The kitchen is center stage front, while a dining area is directly behind. Stage right is the living room and stage left is a small backroom with a fireplace. Rick is facing the audience behind a stove and is just finishing his annual Holiday Squash-Chestnut Soup. Sitting to his left, slightly behind him in the doorway between the dining room and kitchen, is Henri, a white Bichon Frise. Henri is watching Rick intently. Rick (to Henri) – Almost done Bubba Boy! Henri wags his tale. Rick – I appreciate your help and support poochie! Henri continues to stare. Rick – You know … I don’t ordinarily do this Henri … but would you like to taste my soup? After three hours on my feet, behind a hot stove, I could use a little feedback. And I know your discriminating taste Baby Bubba! Henri is getting excited. Rick ladles a very small taste of soup into a cup and places it on the floor next to him. Rick – let me know what you think … if you like it. Henri appears a bit nonplussed, but soon slowly saunters over to the cup, sniffs the soup, then devours it. Immediately upon finishing, Henri runs into the living room and wipes his face across the entire length of the couch. Henri –snort, SNORT! SNOOORRRRRRRT!! The dog crosses the room and wipes the other side of his face along the length of the loveseat. Henri – SNOOOOOOORRRRRT! SNORT!! SNORT! The
dog then scampers into the dining area, plunging his face into the
wall-to-wall carpet. The dog, seemingly possessed, gets up, charges into the back room and repeats the face wiping on the loveseat. Henri – SNOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRT!! SNORRRRRRRRRRRT!! SNORT! Suddenly the dog drops to the floor next to the loveseat and lets out a giant sigh. Henri – WHHHEEEEEWWWW! After about ½ a minute Henri, his face fur with anarchist askew-ness, strolls back into the kitchen to his previous observational spot, sits down and stares intently again at Rick. Rick – Uh … I’m taking that as a “Yes, I like it”. Cast: Rick
– his chef-ness The
Non Fiction Theater of the Truly Mundane New Year’s Eve by Rick Brown
Curtain Cast:
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 Body Language Shadowbox Live Worly Building The Brewery District Columbus, Ohio by Rick Brown
Eye
of Grass ~ Foot of Moon
Man
with a Drum Hmmm's by Rick Brown Hmmm
# 37 Hmmm
# 38 Hmmm
# 39 Hmmm
# 40 Hmmm
# 41 |
10 years of doing anything on the web, especially just for the joy of it, is rare indeed. As Rick mentions in A Decade of Nakedness! across the page, this site was my 50th birthday present to him. At the time, I knew very little about HTML programming and web page design ... but I wanted to learn ... as well as re-connect with my best friends Rick & Yvonne. I had moved away from Ohio to New York late in 1995, and as often happens ... I started drifting away from friends (remember, this was way before Facebook ... AOL was the big thing...). My trips to Ohio to visit family and friends went from 6-8 times a year to 1-2 times ... and Rick, Yvonne and I talked less and less often. In 2001, Rick was writing for Crapshoot!, Ted Kane’s e-zine and seemed to be enjoying challenge of writing “for the masses” instead of just for himself. You see, Rick was always a writer. One of the first things I remember about Rick was the big black book he always kept nearby ... his journal. In here, he documented life as he saw it ... and as I grew to know Rick better, I realized there were many volumes. So, I saw offering to provide Rick a platform to publish his writings not only a great birthday gift, but a way that would bring us back together. If you look back at Issue #1, you will see that we have come a long way. Our web page design is cleaner (actually, there has been 3-4 variations) ... but we have kept certain elements ... logo, colors .. and yes, you can still click on the logo and learn “Why a Naked Sunfish” as well as click on Rick’s name in the upper right corner to see a photo of Rick and me when we were a tad younger! Also, beginning in Issue #2, Ted Kane joined Naked Sunfish writing his column, Pot Luck ... and in issue #5, John Bennett joined with Blank Sight ... both who have never missed an issue since they started contributing. As I said above, you’ll have a hard time finding a site that has been publishing on the web for 10 years without pop-up ads or somehow making a buck ... but we have ... and it’s been a blast. Somewhere along the way, Rick and our others writers started to refer to me as “the Wiz” ... a nickname I like but am not sure I deserve. But as in Oz, I will say “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” .. but rather enjoy the writing and art presented between these virtual pages. And while I won’t be the one to tell Rick “let go fool, let go” ... being a sailor ... I might just say ease off the wind buddy ... and let’s enjoy the ride.
Mistuh
Wick (Part II) by Rick Brown
The
Non Fiction Theater of the Truly Mundane
Scene:
St. John Arena on the Ohio State University campus. The year is
1973, after the deaths of Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman
and bassist Berry Oakley. It is the band’s “Brothers
and Sisters” tour. Rick and Yvonne sit far from the stage
in a lower bowl section of the arena in a sold out concert. 6
or 7 rows of concertgoers are visible to the audience with the
concert stage out of sight. The Allman Brothers can be heard playing
“Ramblin’ Man”. Most fans are passing around
joints. The seating section is filled with marijuana smoke.
Cast:
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