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The Hogs of Entropy 0271
'##::::'##:::'#####:::'########: VIVA LA REVOLUCION! CERDO DEL CAPITALISTA!!
##:::: ##::'##.. ##:: ##.....:: ===========================================
##:::: ##:'##:::: ##: ##::::::: THE HELOTS OF ECSTACY PRESS RELEASE #271 !!
#########: ##:::: ##: ######::: ZIEGO VUANTAR SHALL BE MUCH VICTORIOUS! !!
##.... ##: ##:::: ##: ##...:::: ===========================================
##:::: ##:. ##:: ##:: ##::::::: "An Interview with Ben Ohmart" !!
##:::: ##::. #####::: ########: by -> Mogel !!
..:::::..::::.....::::........:: 11/6/98 !!
!!========================================================================!!
For the few of you who are still asking the question, "who is
Ben Ohmart?", I've managed to snag him from his busy schedule for a brief
interview. I ran into Ben (AKA Findline) back in the early days of HOE,
in '94. At that time, and since he's been continually submitting article
and story after article and story to dozens of e'zines around the world.
I'd *even* go as far to say that Ben Ohmart would be my proud posterboy
for what it takes to be a e'zine legend!
Here is our conversation, dated November 5th, 1998.
!!========================================================================!!
Mogel: Hey there!
Ben: Might I start off by saying YOU SUCK. Therefore, the conversation
can only get better.
Mogel: Good idea. In fact, feel free to completely ramble at any given
time on any tangent. But not to a point, mind you.
Mogel: Alright, let me first start off by saying that I've noticed that
you've been involved in 'ezines for quite a number of years,
submitting and being published in various ones... but I'm going to
ask you about yourself first. How old are you right now?
Ben: 81... or 28, you can pick.
Mogel: 28! Where are you from? As in, what location do you live in?
As in, where would we find you normally living? (WHICH CITY!)
Ben: Born and spent 17 years in Albany, GA. I would like to normally
live in AZ. And that's the truth. Great climate there.
Mogel: What do you "normally" do when you're not writing? I assume, from
one e'zine guy to another, that you could not actually make money
from the web.
Ben: hahahahahahaha! good one! I type for a living. Therefor I'm in
front of the computer all fucking day.
Mogel: Do you type anything specific?
Ben: That's actually why I haven't written a poem or story in a while
now, probably over a year, because I'm tying to concentrate on the
areas of writing THAT PAY. I know the zine kingdom frowns on
payment and how money roots on all evil... but on the other fist,
poverty SUCKS the big wind.
Mogel: The big wind, indeed! One might as well exploit their talents, so
long as nobody gets directly hurt, huh?
Mogel: So when did you get involved with e'zines exactly?
Ben: I had my first 'thing' published in '93. That's 1993 to you.
I'm not sure if I have talent, but I'm a damn good hack. I Got
some poems and stories taken then. And success fucked success, so
soon my family of wares grew and I could send out for rejections
left and right.
Ben: I chose ezines and zines (zines first) because they took
alternative writing. I don't write the kind of washing that fits
in the pages of Discover and Reader's Digest.
Mogel: Hey, Discover is a good magazine!
Ben: They would be great if they took my stuff, eh?
Mogel: So is that how you'd generally classfy yourself? As an
alternative/experimental sort of writer?
Ben: Well, everyone who reads my stuff gets around sooner or later to
saying it's 'surreal'. However, I never read that stuff myself.
I don't have the patience for it. I read mysteries and comedy,
I'm afraid. Anything heavy weighs my brain down. Hell on the
shoes.
Mogel: Would you say you had any particular style, though, in regards to
content, characters, theme, plots?
Ben: Of course there are times I forced myself to read journals and the
books that are 'good' for me. But I tend to keep away from them
like I keep away from the movies critics call great and brilliant.
I'd rather an action movie or thriller than something great.
great to me = fun. Fun is an old 30s mystery. My Actpot series
was based on the Saint and Falcon films of back then.
Mogel: So I suppose you'd consider your writing more existential -- that
is, living for the pleasureful experience rather than having a
Grand Message attached to it.
Ben: About style... I don't know. I never took the writing classes and
have forgotten all english classes, so I wouldn't want to thin
about styles. I'll let others figure it out. As long as I don't
have to be dead or drunk to be famous.
Mogel: But I'm sure there are common character types that appear in what
you write, at least. Most of what we are ends up being channeled
into characters in some form.
Ben: Well, when I write, I try to think of what I know or what i've
seen in other writing or films, then I write what Hasn't been
done. This gets me in trouble a lot of times because I think
secretly people like stereotypes or things they can plug into.
Writers in journals like writing about drunks, and there are Lots
of sane subjects that are okay. I tend to stay away from those.
For instance, I'm not a Bukowski (?) fan, like a lot of people
are. I've read some of his stuff, since I try to get around to
*everyone* sooner or later, but sometimes the range of emotion in
his work puts me off. I am a GREAT fan of british comedy. The
Goon Show is great. I have letters and signed books from Spike
Milligan and a few other Goons, but I don't suppose anyone will
know what I'm talking about here.
Mogel: Do you have any particular favorite writers, on that note?
Ben: Writers? Not really. Actually I have very few favorites, period.
I would make a LOUSY editor, because I think everything is good in
its own way. That is the dead Truth. I think everything is good,
and I can't tell the shit from the catholic gold.
Mogel: That's very much the philosophy behind HOE e'zine!
Ben: The trouble is, that lack of shit detection has landed me as far
away from being famous as you can get and still be white.
Mogel: White?
Ben: Easier for a white man to rule the world, of course.
Mogel: You've been involved in e'zines for quite some time, I think. I
mean, you've seen the evolution from 1993 where e'zines were
primarily newsletters and ascii text, and now they're primarily
based on the web. What do you make of that?
Ben: True. I would be a lot more, too, if I actually *got* something
out of it, besides just seeing my name up there. See, my dad has
MS and he HATES his job, so time is running out. I want to get
him to a place where he can retire and write music or rape horses.
Ben: I tend to write everything in plain text since it's the quickest
way to things out there.
Mogel: Yes, I tend to lean towards the most simple stuff myself. I use
PINE instead of GUI mail programs, PICO or DOS EDIT instead of
Wordpad, etc.
Ben: I got my first computer with a modem in the summer of 94, so I'm
not positive. I'm also NOT a tech-head so I'd lay off those
silly words if I were you. I'm NOT going to answer them. You
might as well type Russian. But I write in wordpad, but mostly
the little simple thing that comes with Mindspring's mail program.
Mogel: Ahh, but how do you think the media of e'zines has changed/evolved?
Ben: I'm either very stupid or haven't noticed Any changes. You can
pick which. I do believe the internet has given some freedom to
writers. They can get the stuff out for free. However, lots of
people claim that lets a lot of shit loose and that they should
just use a toilet like everyone else.
Mogel: You said you don't have any favorites -- do you have any e'zines
that you find particularly well produced?
Ben: Well, www.disobey.com has been very good to me. It's kinda my
homepage now. I like the way the guy thinks, and of course the
fact that he's nearly famous helps a lot, too. He's been
mentioned in national mags or newspaper. Of course it hasn't
helped *me* any, but I think that's what keeps writers going.
The threat of possibility. The threat that they'll get famous or
shot dead.
Mogel: But you have had things published there?
Ben: He's put up a lot of my plays and skits, yes.
Mogel: That's good. I suppose the whole submission-process with e'zines
can get frustrating at times, hmm?
Ben: No, not at all. It's free. It's having to buy stamps and send
to paper mags that really wastes your time. You waste money,
paper, hope. I have none of that sitting around in boxes.
Mogel: How many e'zines, roughly, would you say you've been published in?
Ben: Hard to say... well, over 100, I'm sure. If you do a web search
for my name you'll keep finding me until the dead walk the earth.
But of course places go under, so who knows if I'm still alive on
certain sites.
Mogel: I recall a friend of mine, Edicius, put one of your stories into
his e'zine Jonas.
Ben: I wish I could remember him, but it's got nothing to do with him,
I have a terrible memory. Really bad. I loose so many good ideas
at night falling asleep or in the car, it's stupid.
Mogel: You've still had an impressive number of writings... I suppose you
manage to save enough good ideas! You've said you'd been into
writing screenplays and scripts lately, right?
Ben: Yes, I'm pretty prolific. Some film ideas that are very good make
me scared. I'm so scared that by the time I write it up, people
will have done it. I'm going to get to write a government video
soon, too. And worked on rewriting a commercial for the Albany
Symphony Orchestra (NY). And there's a German guy, Young, who
wants to do my short film Quark, which is about Santa coming down
the chimney and getting the shit kicked out of him.
Mogel: Do you think that's the direction you'll be going into?
Ben: Yes, I *must* get into film and TV. It's the only thing that
pays. Since my short story writing style isn't in vogue.
Mogel: What do you see in the future for Ben Ohmart? Both in writing and
in life...
Ben: I don't know. I just know that EVERYONE fancies himself a writer,
and everyone has a story or script. I have a couple contacts in
california, and I'm writing screenplays for people who have their
own connections. I'm working on Their ideas, since it's the only
way people will become involved with you. I also did a pretty
good pilot for a tv show which is getting in a place or 2. I
really REALLY really want to be writing for a living (that means
it pays for food and heat) by my 30th birthday. Sept. 20, 2000.
That's the goal.
Mogel: Ahh, setting goals is certainly an effective way to get things
done. Do you have any final comments for other potential writers
out there?
Ben: Yes, I would say if you have any other skills at all -- don't be a
writer. It isn't worth it. If you can be happy doing something
else, do that. There are so many writers in the world... do it as
a hobby. Anyone who tells you you can do *anything* is just
blowing up your zipper, unless you're wearing a dress, guys.
!!========================================================================!!
!! (c) !LA HOE REVOLUCION PRESS! #271 - LOGGED BY: MOGEL -- 11/6/98 !!
