The Fred Venturini Web Presence

I love this, although the missing a layup blows wh...

2012-01-12T08:35:19.025-08:00

I love this, although the missing a layup blows what I've been told all to hell.

Half my life later, I've never forgotten the first time I watched a guy punch a hole in the wall, can still summon every aspect of it -- the the purple face, the blanched fist, the way the lamp lit the hair on his forearms, the punch itself, the opaque cloud of dust kicked up by who knows how many layers of plaster crumbling, dust so thick I couldn't see until a few seconds later that his fist had splintered the lathe, although not the external wall, which was actually visible through the hole, and shreds of newspaper put there as insulation in 1912 tumbling to the floor, a magnificent punch, magnificent bleeding following shortly thereafter -- all of it, burned into the backs of my eyelids even now.

A boyfriend who was far too old for me and I were arguing, stupidly, about my being far too young for him, stupidly because it was, and would continue to be, an insoluble problem till I turned seventeen, but that night we were each sufficently frustrated, not with each other, but the situation -- sneaking around was becoming excruciatingly tiresome; sneaking around was incredibly hot -- that the only way to end it was with a good wall punch.

Punching a wall was so trite a trope I couldn't believe it ever actually happened -- I'm not any good at suspending disbelief; when I was seven,and already wise to the fact that movies bear absolutely no relationship to real life, I deliberately slipped on a banana peel, certain I couldn't fall; I did -- until I saw for myself that it could, and, however else I felt, I couldn't help but be impressed by a man overcome with an urge to punch a wall, impressed that he had done so so beautifully.

But it wasn't until I was told why boys punched walls that I became an unabashed fan of the wall punch, a lover of the wall punch, a staunch defender of the wall punch -- whenever another woman derides it as dumb, I instruct her very gently in its real meaning -- and I have, ever after, been simultaneously charmed and moved by the wall punch, have never, not once since then, had anything to do with any man who hasn't split his knuckles that way at least once.

"Why do boys punch walls?" I asked a guy friend.

"Fewer consequences to punching a wall than punching the girl who pissed you off that much."

"It's always a girl?"

"Always."

"No other reason?"

"Never."

I'm a writer. I traffic in words. All the descriptive powers in the world, though, are as nothing compared with a good wall punch, nothing beats it for either richness and economy.

I'm a tiny little girl. I envy the ability to obliterate a wall, all the more so because I could never do it -- I've tried, and the results were always pitiful. I'd be lying, though, if I didn't say that I derive more than a little consolation from being able to make a man sufficiently mad to beat up a wall.

i totally agree. The Descent is a damn fine horror...

2011-11-23T13:31:26.015-08:00

i totally agree. The Descent is a damn fine horror flick. Honestly it could have just been about getting stuck in the caves and that would have been enough for me. The gory scenes with the CHUDs (cavernous humanoid underground dwellers) were an added bonus.

AMEN !!!

2011-07-12T13:10:31.956-07:00

AMEN !!!

2011-07-07T22:42:00.674-07:00
Mammoth Book of New Horror

If you nearer to mammoth lake visit also 1888 - Mammoth Vacation Rentals. This is a important in New horror

Fred, I'm a friend of Jamey Stegmaier's vi...

2011-06-03T05:08:58.866-07:00

Fred, I'm a friend of Jamey Stegmaier's visiting through his blog. I'd say I have about a 1-4-4 record vs. objects that don't fight back, most of which were walls. I escaped with a few ties (luckily), injured my hand a few times, and had a surprisingly gratifying victory over a large bookshelf once. (I was just as surprised as your friend Bucky.) I must have nailed it just right because the entire thing jumped a few inches and settled down again. I can honestly say it's the only gratifying punch I've ever thrown.

Hi Fred, Thanks for doing this. Looking forward ...

2011-05-30T22:37:34.609-07:00

Hi Fred,

Thanks for doing this. Looking forward to your book. It looks very interesting.

sidonie.wa@netzero.net

Thanks for supporting our troops! smaccall at com...

2011-05-30T20:31:06.057-07:00

Thanks for supporting our troops!

smaccall at comcast.net

Indie authors rock. Love this promotion for our t...

2011-05-30T19:40:56.023-07:00

Indie authors rock. Love this promotion for our troops. Please send my ebook to ackleybj at verizon dot net. Thank you.

That is such a good and sad story. I'm so glad...

2011-05-30T19:33:37.555-07:00

That is such a good and sad story. I'm so glad that we're supporting the troops.
lordreblik(at)gmail(dot)com

Thanks what a great way to get ebooks to our milit...

2011-05-30T19:32:21.127-07:00

Thanks what a great way to get ebooks to our military

Supporting the troops.

2011-05-30T19:11:55.109-07:00

Supporting the troops.

This is such a great Hop! jepebATverizonDOTnet

2011-05-30T18:55:26.805-07:00

This is such a great Hop!
jepebATverizonDOTnet

Thank you for your support of our military. My hus...

2011-05-30T17:47:20.145-07:00

Thank you for your support of our military. My husband is a veteran and any support is much appreciated. God bless our troops! U.S. Army - 1st Cav.
Traci
sweetpea762@msn.com

What a lovely tribute. I have family in the troop...

2011-05-30T15:45:22.861-07:00

What a lovely tribute. I have family in the troops, currently, and I'm always thankful when they come home safely. It's hard to think of the many who haven't.

FatesTwists AT yahoo DOT com

Okay I am not the brightest candle in the box. My ...

2011-05-30T14:59:28.049-07:00

Okay I am not the brightest candle in the box. My email address should be lesliebandura at verizon dot net
Thanks again,
Leslie

It is a wonderful thing you and the other authors ...

2011-05-30T14:37:25.914-07:00

It is a wonderful thing you and the other authors are doing to help brighten a soldier's day.
Leslie
lesliebandura at verizon dot com

Wonderful story about Torrey. Thanks for particip...

2011-05-30T13:58:33.787-07:00

Wonderful story about Torrey. Thanks for participating in this tour to bring a little light into the lives of our troops.

nwilson at sportsfive dot net

Looking forward to reading your book. Thanks for ...

2011-05-30T13:29:03.909-07:00

Looking forward to reading your book. Thanks for participating and thank you hero soldiers and sailors for serving.
marce_hall at yahoo dot com

Hi, Thank you for participating in the "Bl...

2011-05-30T13:25:18.387-07:00

Hi,

Thank you for participating in the "Blog Tour de Troops". I do not have immediate family in the service right now, but my grandfather fought in WWII and my uncles fought in the Vietnam War. I greatly appreciate what you and the other authors are doing for our men and women in service.

Thank you to the men and women in service for the sacrifices that you, and your families, make each and every day. Thank you for keeping America safe and the things we take for granted each day because of what you do.

Go USA,
Pinky
pink.maiden@yahoo.com

Thanks for participating in this inspiring event! ...

2011-05-30T13:18:31.285-07:00

Thanks for participating in this inspiring event!
Karen in Breezy Point
kmartin at uslink dot net

I'm so grateful to all our troops and thanks t...

2011-05-30T12:43:47.708-07:00

I'm so grateful to all our troops and thanks to the participating authors, too. I'm looking forward to reading your book. Thanks! ljszab at yahoo dot com

Thank you so much for your support and participati...

2011-05-30T12:40:29.071-07:00

Thank you so much for your support and participation!

lucetlady at gmail dot com

Thank you for your generous giveaway. cheryl (at) ...

2011-05-30T12:31:01.486-07:00

Thank you for your generous giveaway. cheryl (at) cherylrainfield (dot) com

Thank you for taking part in the tour, and for tal...

2011-05-30T12:26:22.746-07:00

Thank you for taking part in the tour, and for talking about Torrey. Thank you for giving the troops overseas a name and a story.

melorabrock a t gmail dot com

Thank you for the free book for our soldiers and f...

2011-05-30T12:21:27.831-07:00

Thank you for the free book for our soldiers and for me! My email is mammysfave at Hotmail dot com

The Fred Venturini Web Presence

I love this, although the missing a layup blows wh...

i totally agree. The Descent is a damn fine horror...

AMEN !!!

2011-07-07T22:42:00.674-07:00 Mammoth Book of New Horror If you nearer to mammoth lake visit also 1888 - Mammoth Vacation Rentals. This is a important in New horror

Fred, I'm a friend of Jamey Stegmaier's vi...

Hi Fred, Thanks for doing this. Looking forward ...

Thanks for supporting our troops! smaccall at com...

Indie authors rock. Love this promotion for our t...

That is such a good and sad story. I'm so glad...

Thanks what a great way to get ebooks to our milit...

Supporting the troops.

This is such a great Hop! jepebATverizonDOTnet

Thank you for your support of our military. My hus...

What a lovely tribute. I have family in the troop...

Okay I am not the brightest candle in the box. My ...

It is a wonderful thing you and the other authors ...

Wonderful story about Torrey. Thanks for particip...

Looking forward to reading your book. Thanks for ...

Hi, Thank you for participating in the "Bl...

Thanks for participating in this inspiring event! ...

I'm so grateful to all our troops and thanks t...

Thank you so much for your support and participati...

Thank you for your generous giveaway. cheryl (at) ...

Thank you for taking part in the tour, and for tal...

Thank you for the free book for our soldiers and f...

2011-07-07T22:42:00.674-07:00
Mammoth Book of New Horror

If you nearer to mammoth lake visit also 1888 - Mammoth Vacation Rentals. This is a important in New horror