Lyrique Tragedy profile picture

Lyrique Tragedy

I am here for Networking

About Me

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"When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them it was you."
~City of Angels
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"After a while, you just want to be with the one who makes you laugh."
~Mr. Big, Sex and the City
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"Life has no purpose. It is everywhere undone by arbitrariness. I do this, and it matters not a jot if I do the opposite. But in the playhouse, every action, good or bad, has its consequence. Drop a handkercheif and it will return to smother you."
~John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, The Libertine
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"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."
~ A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Kat: "I've been spilling my guts all weekend and I don't know anything about you."
Nick: "I'm allergic to fabric softener. I majored in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we'd have never met."

The Wedding Date, 2005
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"There are only two worlds -- your world, which is the real world, and other worlds, the fantasy. Worlds like this are worlds of the human imagination: their reality, or lack of reality, is not important. What is important is that they are there. These worlds provide an alternative. Provide an escape. Provide a threat. Provide a dream, and power; provide refuge, and pain. They give your world meaning. They do not exist; and thus they are all that matters. Do you understand?"
~Titania in Book of Magic by Neil Gaiman
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"Happy Endings are just stories that haven't finished yet."
~Jane, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 2005

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Honestly, there's not too much to know...
I write various kinds of fiction (Historical, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror--sometimes all at once!), and I'm working on my current novel after abandoning the other two to the "Too much wrong with this to finish" pile.
Like the rest of my life and the odd combination of quotes above, it's complicated and a work in progress. Currently, I'm struggling between the ending that I thought the characters were headed toward when I first started writing this book almost a year ago, and the more positive, hopeful ending that keeps rearing its head. I'm working on both possibilities, even though my gut tells me that it should end well for the characters. Writing tragedy is easy, almost second nature, for me, but writing comedy (in the classical sense) is much more difficult. It's easy to be moving with the tragic. Comedies take much more attention and care.
I also have a comic book script in the final editing stages that my co-writer and I are hoping to send off. Then there are the short stories, and the myriad other novel concepts and worlds and characters that keep wracking my brain for attention...
In the meantime, visit Lyrique Tragedy Reviews for author interviews, Book, Film, and Site reviews, and links to Agent sites, publishers, and Author sites and blogs!

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And don't forget to drop by for your weekly dose of "Words, words, words" on the new Podcast Minute Lit!
About D.M. Papuga:
I currently teach literature, composition, argument, critical reading, and Shakespeare at three different universities, and have taught at 5 different major universities all over the U.S. My specialization is in the Early Modern Period--specifically tragedies-- along with various modes of Literary Theory, Film, and Pop Culture.
N.B.: I understand that grammar is a sucking black hole of cluelessness, and I don't expect people to be perfect grammarians (Hell, there are only a handful in the world--not including myself), but if you message me and use l33t-speak, text messaging shortcuts (b4, gr8, 2, u, etc.), or fail to understand that a sentence includes punctuation (or proper capitalization of words like "I," for that matter) do not expect a response from me. Using standard English is a pet-peeve of mine, and if you want to be taken seriously (not only by me, but by other "adults" as well), it should be one of yours too. I teach ENGLISH, remember? That's all. I'll step off my soap box now...

My Interests

Literature, Film, Criticism, Theory, Writing, Pop Culture, Comics, Graphic Novels, History, Drama, Documentaries, Directing, Theater, Gaming, Podcasting

I'd like to meet:

Well, now this is a silly prompt if I've ever seen one! Most of the people I'd like to meet are dead, so this does me no good. Though, I would certainly like to have a coffee-conversation with Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, and Al Pacino.When I'm famous, I'll post those transcripts.

I love to meet authors, agents, publishers, bookstore owners, and anyone interested in the "book" business.

If you're an author with a soon to be released book, and interested in having your work reviewed on my site (both here and on Lyrique Tragedy Reviews ) message me, or contact me via email.

Write Well!

~D.M. Papuga

I hate to have to do this, but apparently it's necessary...

Please be advised that if you solicit anything other than your pending book release, signing tour, etc. (In other words, spamming for clicks, post for cash ads, fast money schemes, or "how to get rich from home" ads, obviously) I will immediately delete the post and block you. I love meeting folks, but no one likes the hard sell. Similarly, if your profile appears to be a vehicle for those things, You will be denied, blocked and promptly forgotten.

Music:

I'm such a sucker for virtual pets... Isn't he just adorable? You know you want to play with him.....
adopt your own virtual pet! ..

Movies:

Godfather, Casablanca, Tombstone, 300, Donnie Darko, Ran, Throne of Blood, Life of David Gale, Shakespeare in Love (of course!), Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas, When Harry Met Sally, Gone in 60 Seconds, Beyond Borders, Manic, Hotel Rwanda, Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, North Country, LoTR, Elizabeth, Crash, Rear Window, Blow, Henry V, Prospero's Books, Trainspotting, Sliding Doors, The Red Violin, Smokin' Aces

Television:

..

Softkey Left softkey Right ..

House, Law & Order (all of them!), most everything on PBS, Heroes... I don't watch TV all that much. Usually I have a director's commentary for some movie playing in the background when I work though... Hmm.. I suppose that doesn't count...

Books:

Good Omens, Ender's Game, Anna Karenina, House of Leaves, Crime and Punishment, Picasso: Creator & Destroyer, Fragile Things, Because She Can, Mysteries of Udolopho, Twillight, Mists of Avalon, American Gods, Alice in Wonderland (also, Through the Looking Glass), Lolita, Castle of Otranto

See Lyrique Tragedy Reviews for more Reviews/commentaries/etc.

(I wonder if I can put a LibraryThing Widget here... hmmm)

Heroes:

Nerdy, perhaps, but Queen Elizabeth I.

My Blog

I’ve been here, just not... here...!

Hi y'all! I know it's been a while since I posted here, but there's plenty of good reason for that.  I've got quite a few projects going on, and now that I have anchored myself at DawnPapuga.com,...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:01:00 PST

All the cool kids are doing it...

Hi everyone!For those of you in Pittsburgh, I’m hoping your sense of Pittsburgh Pride will kick in here. For those of you not in the Burgh, let’s just say it’s a favor for me, hmm?To...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:56:00 PST

LTR: Saving Lestat

There are a few things that can cause an uproar in the literary communitythe death of an author, the discovery of a fake "memoir," and the controversy surrounding an author's work. All three have hap...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:48:00 PST

Catch me if you can!

Just popping in for a few quick housekeeping updates: 1.  I have a lot of writing that needs to be posted on a number of sites, so keep an eye out for the avalanche of reviews that will start soo...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:27:00 PST

Make Me Understand...

When you spend a lot of time thinking, strange things happen.  For many people thinking drives them inward to some form of soul searching or life evaluation.  You take stock, you weigh the g...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:24:00 PST

Just Tell Me a Story

I love to fall into stories. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows me, or to anyone who reads this or any of my blogs.  Stories have a clearly recognizable structure.  They h...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:38:00 PST

Sanctuary... or not...

I needed to clear my head today.  I needed to be able to go to a quiet place, a place of healing, a place where I felt comfortable and confidant that my deep introspection wouldn't be looked at s...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:52:00 PST

I Must be a Horrible Valentine...

You would expect someone who has spent most of their adult life researching the Renaissance and Medieval periods to be the local go-to person for all things romantic.  You might assume that their...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:24:00 PST

Review: The Vagina Monologues

I've posted a review of the City Theater's production of The Vagina Monologues over at Lyrique Tragedy Reviews.  If you haven't had the opportunity to see the show, and you're in the Pittsburgh a...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:34:00 PST

Review of the Lion King Posted!

Head over to Lyrique Tragedy Reviews for the latest review of The Lion King!As always, comments are welcome and appreciated!   Write Well, Dawn...
Posted by Lyrique Tragedy on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:09:00 PST