Blog Posts for Author

He's in the phone book

PatrickErwin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:17:30 -0700

Someone's been on my mind a little more than usual lately. He's an old friend of mine. I met him about 15 years ago or so. I'd just returned to Pittsburgh after a few years of being away, and I'd reconnected with old friends. They introduced me to a few of their new friends, and one was quite a character. He had big eyes that he quite accurately called his "Bette Davis" eyes. One of ...

The way it was

PatrickErwin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:54:37 -0700

When I was in fourth grade, our teacher decided to have us all write a little biography of ourselves. Every Monday, a student would post what they wrote about themselves, and other students would add their own words and descriptions. I'm quite sure I was the only ten-year-old in that room who wrote about the Jonestown Massacre and Three Mile Island. I wouldn't have blamed my teacher for ordering ...

Michael Jackson: Into the arms of America

PatrickErwin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:09:20 -0700

They put Michael Jackson in the ground today. You know already, of course, since every media outlet in the universe is standing by to share the experience and their opinions about it.It's not my intention to share my opinion about Michael here. Like most contemplations of other human beings, it's complex and contradictory (and private). But I think holding a mirror to Michael's life, and death, ...

Guiding Light Project: Deja vu: From Springfield to Pine Valley

PatrickErwin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:55:21 -0700

I’m wondering if All My Children’s head writer Chuck Pratt has been watching old clips of Guiding Light for inspiration?The first parallel I noticed was the dueling Crazy Annie stories. Melissa Claire Egan has been doing great work as Pine Valley’s Annie, but I still miss Cynthia Watros’ bravura performance as “that mutton woman” Annie Dutton.In 1997, Annie paired up with power-hungry ...

Guiding Light Project: The Ripple Effect

PatrickErwin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:34:35 -0700

A while back, I posted about the parallels between the changes the auto industry is going through, and the challenges that traditional media (especially soap operas) face. The industries are vastly different, but some of the challenges – adapting the scope of your enterprise to the new marketplace – are the same. In many of the stories we’ve heard about GM and Chrysler, we’re reminded ...

What engagement looks like

PatrickErwin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:02:01 -0700

I've been following a local Chicago news story that's really captured my attention. Last week, a pizza delivery driver (Stephen Walker) was severely beaten and robbed outside of a multi-unit apartment building. The attackers made off with his car, which they eventually crashed, taking away Mr. Walker's ability to do his job. Several residents helped Walker that night. One, a man named Omar ...

Guiding Light Project: The right guy at the wrong time

PatrickErwin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:42:20 -0700

When I was talking about the ten “old friends” I’d like to see on Guiding Light the other day, I enjoyed the comments that followed and the dialogue about those old favorites. India was at the top of my list.As September gets closer, I’ll definitely be strolling down Springfield’s memory lane, and there’s one actor in particular who I thought merited an honorable mention. He was, as ...

Guiding Light Project: Ten Old Friends

PatrickErwin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:01:36 -0700

I don’t know what’s happening with the efforts to keep Guiding Light alive, but the one thing I do know is this: In just over three months, the last CBS episode will play out on our screens (and our Interwebz browsers, of course). I’m incredibly happy that the show is bringing some familiar faces back, like Danny, Michelle and Mindy. Peter Simon’s return as Ed has been confirmed, and I ...

Guiding Light Project: When spectacle trumps story

PatrickErwin — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:01:10 -0700

It’s all about great story!That’s what soap magazines and all of us whiners in the blogosphere always say. We drive that point home with almost every post. (Of course, with the current focus on plot and spectacle on most soaps, I’m guessing that our suggestions fall on deaf ears.)Every once in a while, though, great performers and great performances can trump a storyline that’s confusing, ...

Areas of expertise

PatrickErwin — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:48:49 -0700

Thanks to everyone who's read and commented on my recent batch of job-search related posts. My most recent post on the topic is also my last one, at least for the time being, for several reasons. My experience (writing for a company that advertises jobs) doesn't make me an expert.As the wise Laurie Ruettimann notes in her blog, there's already a lot of fat to trim in the career advice field.I ...