i remember i was conflicted. i had a sensible life ironed out in front of me. i thought i was adulting, rejecting my past antics. we sat in the middle of the bus, not the front, not the back. u charmed me like my home city. but i had to be what you wanted from me, the goddess who rejected u. a sniper from a baltimore art school. evolution is the only promise i make to you.
Hoo, boy. That was a ride. It felt like a performance piece with a wayback machine of a blog link as an added stamp of ‘authenticity’, and also real to life at the same time.
That’s meant to be a compliment, by the way. In case that’s not clear. I felt like I lived several lives, or journeyed through years of your life and now I’m confused that I’m sitting here on the same night with the same grey hairs and the same ratty T-shirt passing as a nightgown (it’s late, I’m in bed here).
In short, I got lost in this. Even if some of the references were lost on me as I’m British, in the UK, and honestly I’m just not cool.
Love Drew's bold narrative voice. This story made me think about what really drives 'beef', whether we call it beef or something else. And I'd say it's insecurity and ego. That's what I reach for first. But then it can be more than that - esp when there's a sense of righteousness or accuracy or something at stake - and then it can be pure discourse, even if others suspect insecurity and ego.
This is such a writer's story. What writer can't relate? And then there's so much that's either familiar or novel - depending on the reader. Rap and beef are not my world and I'm not African-American - but that's what I appreciated most about this exploration - stepping into a different world.
I've never read any of Junot's work. Thanks to this piece I'm more interested in doing so now. Looking forward to Monster Trucks.
Thank you so much for reading Amanda, and for this wonderful comment. Junot's work is absolutely legendary. I do a bit of a poor man's Junot in the piece as a homage to him. The insecurity/ego paradox at the heart of writing is certainly a theme I was thinking about a lot when writing this piece. I so look forward to your attention to Monster Truck. Please make sure to leave a comment there if you can to let me know what you think. This meant a ton to me!
A writer responding to a reader! What a pleasure! I’ve got a big grin on my face now. I will read Monster Truck and I will leave a comment! (Promise!) See you at the end of Monster Truck!
The wildest beef record belonged to B.o.B, who dropped a track dissing Neil De Grass Tyson, for believing the earth was round. The Flat-Earth gang ain’t to be fucked with
I had such a time reading this. I loved following the character through a concept more than a singular plot. That's not easy to do! Really enjoyed in the beginning when you added in the Teyana Taylor video lol. More than anything I enjoyed the voice you chose to have for the narrator. It was so interesting how invested it seemed. It was like me watching a reality show pan out with one of my friends who gets it. Seeing how he interacted with women was also so nice. You never painted him as oNe Of ThE gOoD oNeS™, he was just a man being considerate at times, maybe not others, and living his life with a conscious approach. Appreciated seeing his mistakes, successes, excitement and raw emotions. Thank you for writing this and I can't wait to read more!
Where did my comment go? Substack must not be ready for our enemies to lovers arc, but that's okay. I'm persistent.
Is it weird that my favorite part of this is the description of Brooklyn guys-the family photos, laminated into shower curtains? I feel like this is where your writing really stands out. These moments of needling character insight. Same as the description of the woman's teeth in No Ref. You see them and make us see them, too.
Like I've said, you're a real writer's writer and I see it in these little moments. Some people might skim over them, but those are golden breadcrumbs.
i remember i was conflicted. i had a sensible life ironed out in front of me. i thought i was adulting, rejecting my past antics. we sat in the middle of the bus, not the front, not the back. u charmed me like my home city. but i had to be what you wanted from me, the goddess who rejected u. a sniper from a baltimore art school. evolution is the only promise i make to you.
yeah, well i told you i would make sure you never forgot me. How am I doing?
Sandy's Beef Comment as a whole post: https://substack.com/home/post/p-163463979?selection=3dc57a98-44ef-45f4-a4e0-dfd362ca10f0
Thanks so much Sandy!
This is way better than most of the bullshit published on Substack.
Thank you bob boris, whoever you are!
Hoo, boy. That was a ride. It felt like a performance piece with a wayback machine of a blog link as an added stamp of ‘authenticity’, and also real to life at the same time.
That’s meant to be a compliment, by the way. In case that’s not clear. I felt like I lived several lives, or journeyed through years of your life and now I’m confused that I’m sitting here on the same night with the same grey hairs and the same ratty T-shirt passing as a nightgown (it’s late, I’m in bed here).
In short, I got lost in this. Even if some of the references were lost on me as I’m British, in the UK, and honestly I’m just not cool.
thank you so much for reading Zivah! I appreciate your attention so much.
You’re welcome. I’m looking forward to diving into your writing even more.
Great read, gripping and raw. Really enjoyed the duo audio and reading format. Adds to the experience. Looking forward to reading more of these.
Thank you Laura! Wishing you the best in 2025.
Love Drew's bold narrative voice. This story made me think about what really drives 'beef', whether we call it beef or something else. And I'd say it's insecurity and ego. That's what I reach for first. But then it can be more than that - esp when there's a sense of righteousness or accuracy or something at stake - and then it can be pure discourse, even if others suspect insecurity and ego.
This is such a writer's story. What writer can't relate? And then there's so much that's either familiar or novel - depending on the reader. Rap and beef are not my world and I'm not African-American - but that's what I appreciated most about this exploration - stepping into a different world.
I've never read any of Junot's work. Thanks to this piece I'm more interested in doing so now. Looking forward to Monster Trucks.
Keep writing!
Thank you so much for reading Amanda, and for this wonderful comment. Junot's work is absolutely legendary. I do a bit of a poor man's Junot in the piece as a homage to him. The insecurity/ego paradox at the heart of writing is certainly a theme I was thinking about a lot when writing this piece. I so look forward to your attention to Monster Truck. Please make sure to leave a comment there if you can to let me know what you think. This meant a ton to me!
A writer responding to a reader! What a pleasure! I’ve got a big grin on my face now. I will read Monster Truck and I will leave a comment! (Promise!) See you at the end of Monster Truck!
Still laughing at this!
The wildest beef record belonged to B.o.B, who dropped a track dissing Neil De Grass Tyson, for believing the earth was round. The Flat-Earth gang ain’t to be fucked with
Thank you David. They tried to go to the edge of the world and B.o.B got thrown off the ledge.
Beautiful and engrossing. But also.. provocative and searingly audacious? I cannot wait for BEEF, volume 2.
Thank you Rose.
Beautiful. And powerful. Thank you for sharing your writing with the world.
Thank you May.
Oof! So much to sympathize with here. This is must-read material for all fictioneers on here. It's long, but should be read in one go.
I'm going to let it sit, then come back for the audio version.
Oh, and read the attached meta-blog! This piece is like a goddamn ARG!
Thanks again, Zach!
This was delicious!! 😤 I wanna beef too 🤣
I had such a time reading this. I loved following the character through a concept more than a singular plot. That's not easy to do! Really enjoyed in the beginning when you added in the Teyana Taylor video lol. More than anything I enjoyed the voice you chose to have for the narrator. It was so interesting how invested it seemed. It was like me watching a reality show pan out with one of my friends who gets it. Seeing how he interacted with women was also so nice. You never painted him as oNe Of ThE gOoD oNeS™, he was just a man being considerate at times, maybe not others, and living his life with a conscious approach. Appreciated seeing his mistakes, successes, excitement and raw emotions. Thank you for writing this and I can't wait to read more!
Thank you so much! You should check out Monster Truck. I think you will like it too.
Beautifully written and intense short story.
Thank you DWC. You are a great judge of stories.
Where did my comment go? Substack must not be ready for our enemies to lovers arc, but that's okay. I'm persistent.
Is it weird that my favorite part of this is the description of Brooklyn guys-the family photos, laminated into shower curtains? I feel like this is where your writing really stands out. These moments of needling character insight. Same as the description of the woman's teeth in No Ref. You see them and make us see them, too.
Like I've said, you're a real writer's writer and I see it in these little moments. Some people might skim over them, but those are golden breadcrumbs.
substack will not bend our will. i appreciate your comment so much. it only took me 17 years. i look forward to reading your fiction one day.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Read along while listening and it was a fully immersive experience. This would be incredible performed live.
thank you so much. I was supposed to do a live performance but then i chickened out. maybe i will one day!
Late to the party here, but glad I made it. ✨ Good shit. Can't wait to read more of your work.
Nice to be connected brother. We run in similar circles around here. Thank you for your attention to my work!
Yeah man I've been seeing you around and kept meaning to read something. Glad I made that happen!