A letter from Chuck Palahniuk

Yes, you read the title right.  A few years ago I received a package from none other than Chuck Palahniuk.  I've been wanting to blog about this for a while, and took some photos when I was home to show the goods.  If you are a fan of him, this will make you love him even more.  If you are NOT, go read/see Fight Club, Survivor or Invisible Monsters...  THEN you'll know...

Here's what he sent me:

 

A handmade necklace.

 

My 'power lamb' like the power animals in Fight Club.

 

Recordings of some readings.

 

And, an incredible response to the letter I initially sent.  The request for the letters were that they weren't simple 'fan letters' but you had to talk about yourself and ask him a question.  At the time, I was in a play writing class, so I asked him for advice on how to write the idea I had.

Here's what the letter says:

Dear Jenn (…you actor, you),

I think I understand your hesitance to say you’re an actor.  I feel the same way about being a writer – both professionals seem so trivial compared to ‘nurse’ or ‘bricklayer’.  Their universal appeal reduces their importance.  Still these are jobs that need to be done, and they’re both very tough work.

My literary agent is an actor, on Broadway and in films and television.  His life is a constant search for projects, then traveling to the locations, then doing his job and later promoting the finished product.  The film or play or television show.  The stories make me shudder.  It seems to exhausting, but the glory of his career is that he’s seldom working alone.  He’s surrounded and supported by peers who value his work choice.

In writing, it’s more effort to find peer support.  But the work is similar to acting: finding ideas, executing them, then marketing the product.  The weekly workshop I attend gives me peer support, and so does my publisher.

You have that support in school, but it’s crucial that you create a structure that supports your work throughout your life.  Just keep that in mind.  To make a full-time income from acting, you probably will get to see the world.

To keep you company on the road, I’ve made you the enclosed necklace.    While I travel, I collect rocks, and for you the center stone is an oval of pink rhodnite between disks of pink coral and red coral.  Beside those are rose quartz, bone disks, and red jade.  They might not be pretty, but they’re unique.

About your script class, consider focusing on just one Deadly Sin, and present a monologue or scene where one or more people ‘confess’ at a support group of sorts.  Or for ‘avarice’ you can present some boardroom and stockholders meeting.  Use a group setting appropriate to the sin, and go deep with the topic.  By covering seven topics you risk staying on the surface too much.  For ‘lust’ it could be sexaholics anonymous’.  You get the idea.  Funny, then tragic then resolved and transformed.

My theory is that support groups have replaced the key function of churches – to give people one place where they can go and present the Worst Parts of their lives.  They can confess, look terrible, and be forgiven and accepted by the community.  If this happens weekly, a person will never drift so far from humanity that he/she is lost.

For now, let the rocks bring you strength and inspiration.  I’ve sent you some CDs of me reading tour stories, my voice is terrible, but it’s part of my job.

I’ll shut up now,

Chuck Palahniuk

PS-It’s okay to be an actor!

Amazing right?  I know, I know...