“Actually, I am hung-over, and I forgot to bring my props”... Olaf Tyaransen

“Actually, I am hung-over, and I forgot to bring my props”... Olaf Tyaransen

An honest way to greet a classroom full of eager creative writing students. Rambling on through the first half of our hour with Olaf Tyaransen, both he and the rest of the class wondered when he would get finished reciting his Wikipedia page entry and get down to some of the nitty gritty details of his glamorous job as a novelist and long standing writer for Hotpress (http://www.hotpress.com/). I’ve heard it stated that in order to reap the financial rewards in journalism you have to have one hell of a work ethic and a huge ego. After meeting Olaf Tyaransen, I am not sure there is any ego left to go around.

Lesson number one: Persistence

Expelled from school before sitting his leaving cert, Olaf managed to make a name for himself by doing something that he loved. He reviewed bands and sent the unsolicited reviews to his local rag. They did not want them but eventually, they started paying him ten pounds a review. With a lengthy laundry list of ‘famous people interviewed by Olaf’ under his buckle, I would say persistence, paid in full.

Lesson number two: Pleasure

An avid legislator for legalisation of Cannabis in the nineties, and still an avid smoker of the weed, this poet did not mince words when it came to bragging about how great he is. With no academic education to fall back on, Olaf was given a taste of what life ‘could be like’ when he was flown on his first press junket to New York City. He was only twenty one years of age. Doing what you love, paid in full.

Lesson number three: Gobshite of the Year award goes to?

This one is quite easy folks; it would never be awarded to the talented Mr. Tyaransen. He can write, he is passionate enough to put his money where his mouth is (working for free), he ran for elected office, because he believed in something and was not afraid to stand up for that belief no matter what the outcome – he took a chance!. He does not care what we (or the rest of the universe) think about him. All he cares about right now is his next big story (hopefully with David Bowie), finding warmer digs in Cuba and possibly having a few more kids.

Be bold, write with ego. If you do not think you are great, no one else will!

(on a side note, as of January 2010, David Bowie is looking fine. Maybe a little puffy – but for a 62 yr old man not too bad!)

That is all the WiseWords I have for today!
 
WiseMóna