Writer and zombie afficionado Chuck McKenzie recently posted this true story to the Southern Horror Yahoo Group — a tale of an ordinary life with zombies, travel, perceptive children and Michael Jackson.<\/p>\n
\nI’m generally not the sort to bore others with anecdotes about my kid, but I feel compelled to share the following conversation I had with my 5-year-old son this afternoon while he and my wife were driving me home from work. If nothing else, it goes some way to explaining why I’m … like I am. I get it from my kid, obviously … And no, I promise I’m not making any of the following up:<\/div>\n\nMax<\/strong> (looking out the window at a passing graveyard): Look Dad! A graveyard! (Pause) That’s where zombies come from, isn’t it?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong> (looking guiltily at wife): Um. Yeah. Kind of. Just in stories, though.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Is James Brown buried there?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Who?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: James\u00a0Brown.<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Who’s James Brown?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>:\u00a0You know, the man who sings the ‘I Feel Good’ song.<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: How do you know about James Brown and ‘I Feel Good’?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Is James Brown buried there?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Um, no, he’s buried in America.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Oh. (Pause). Where?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong> (in best ‘end-of-coversation’ voice): I don’t know.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Oh. (Pause). Is James Brown dead?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Yes. That’s why they buried him.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Oh. (Pause). If James Brown was a zombie –<\/div>\nWife<\/strong> (in a warning tone): Max…<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: — would he\u00a0sing disco, or eat people?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Um, no, he, uh … James Brown sang soul music, mate. That’s, uh … a bit different to disco music.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Oh. (Pause). You like disco music, don’t you, Dad.<\/div>\nMe<\/strong> (Cautiously): Um … yes?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: And you like zombies, don’t you, Dad?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Yes.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: If James Brown was a zombie —<\/div>\nWife<\/strong>: Max, can we stop talking about zombies?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: — would you write a story about it?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Um. I don’t know. Maybe.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Oh. (Pause). You like to dance to disco music, don’t you, Dad?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: Um. Yes. But I don’t any more. It upsets your mother.<\/div>\n(Max begins giggling to himself).<\/div>\nWife<\/strong>: What are you laughing at, Max?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Daddy dances like a nob!<\/div>\nMe & Wife<\/strong>: Max!<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: That’s not true!<\/div>\nWife<\/strong>: Well …<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Your dancing gives everyone the shits, Dad.<\/div>\nMe<\/strong> (angry now): Max! Where did you hear that?<\/div>\nMax<\/strong> (after a pause): Mummy.<\/div>\n(Silence in car for well over a minute).<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Dad!<\/div>\nMe<\/strong>: YES!<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: Is Michael Jackson a zombie?<\/div>\nMe<\/strong> (giving up): Yes. Yes, he is.<\/div>\nMax<\/strong>: That’s so cool!<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nLast year Chuck wrote a highly entertaining zombie tale online, adding new content diary-fashion over the course of the year. It traced one man’s experience of the zombie apocalypse in a suburban setting, one day at a time. Unfortunately that work is no longer available, but the good news is he has started a new one for 2009, Deadwalkers: Life After the Zombie Apocalypse<\/strong>, which you can read here<\/a>. This is definitely worth following, people, as Chuck — apart from being a very funny man — knows his zombies and has a knack for targeting the humorous, everyday absurdities that bring a story alive.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Writer and zombie afficionado Chuck McKenzie recently posted this true story to the Southern Horror Yahoo Group — a tale of an ordinary life with zombies, travel, perceptive children and Michael Jackson. I’m generally not the sort to bore others … Continue reading