Scalzi on the Ficlets blog points out that writers on strike write the best strike journals.
The journal in the NYTimes article he links to is quite funny. It is written by one of the writers for The Daily Show.
However, my favorite strike journal was written a couple years ago by a local writer. It’s entitled, The Non-Texas Chainstore Massacre. It was written when the grocery store chains went on strike. Most writers don’t make a living from writing…Most writers have other jobs. The piece linked to above appeared in a zine called Bewildering Stories. Don’t be fooled. It was published as fiction, but I know the guy, and it could be true.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/11mailer.html?th&emc=th
Norman Mailer went on permanent strike.
He’s been 25 years older than me for all of my life.
Now, at last, I have a chance to catch up.
It’s a chance I didn’t ask for and don’t want,
but life never asks you about taking such chances.
It’s time, again, to wear my sweat shirt saying
“So many books, so little time.”
Thank you, Norman — it’s been a good read.
That is an awesome strike journal!
4:55 p.m. What do we want? A sudden tilt in the Earth’s axis resulting in a shallower angle of sunlight. When do we want it? Cold.
Perfect.
I came close to being on strike once. Once. And, it was during the late fall/wintertime. Some of us were worried. Some of us were trying to find out if we could picket in front of our “virtual office.” Without pants.