“I like art that preserves the rough edges of the person.” Why @bradneely.bsky.social thinks artists should embrace errors.

Brad Neely on Embracing Errors When Making Art

This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. Art can take a lot of forms, obviously. The Beatles producer George Martin once said, “Different horses for different cour…

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drink. w/ @bradneely.bsky.social www.aisterionblog.com/2026/04/mocc...

MoCCA '26, Part 2: On the Ground with Brad Neely

Talking absurdism, the power of love, and a little girl who gave One Thumb Down.

aisterionblog.com

… And the award for best death goes to…   — Guy at podium directly following the “In Memorandum” section of the awards show

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”  —person taking it

“I’m a fucking god.” — Sulking boy slumped in a chair against the wall of the gym brooding over all the rest of the kids happily dancing

“You were so awesome. What happened man? You’re so lame, now. How did you lose all your cool?” —The real angel of death

“I’m going to fuck so many things…” — Adam fresh from the mud

“That’s too spicy, I got baby-tongue.”  — Dad doing poorly with other dads for reasons he doesn’t realize at some other kid’s birthday party BBQ

“T-Mobile’s Collab with Stink Boy!” —Presenter reading the name of the winner for Best Picture

“Saying nothing is better than saying something dumb.” — Battle Mom

“You’re just going to have to accept me for who I am!” — The hurtful drunken babysitter

“In world of Bruces, I only Hulk.” —little me raging

“I don’t get it.” — Gross dumb asshole enemy of freedom

“I just need more than what I’m getting out of this relationship.” — Guy wearing the skin of his romantic partner

“Maybe feeling fractured and spread out and distracted and dead and stupid is the secret to becoming one with the universe.” — An idiot-looking dummy on a wellness convention panel with all the other kooks looking on and nodding in absentminded affirmation

“Are women still into these?” — Guy with ridiculous thing that no one should like

“I used to be fun.” —Withering polar bear

“You’re gunna love this.” —one early human with milk all over his face handing a cow utter to his inexperienced friend

“All the bad stuff I used to make fun of has now happened to me! So there is a god!” —bald guy inspecting his baldness in the mirror with Siamese twin babies crying in the background and a wife visible through the front window leaving him for another man with great hair

“I’m itchy” — A yeasty treat in a box of “Yeasty Treats”

“What is this supposed to mean?” — Stupid Fucking Idiot

A person at a party near a bookcase holds up a book titled “how to fuck” and laughs at it, but the dismissive host takes a sip of special wine and says, “Yes, but I wrote it.”

“I smiled all day today.” — the devil

“I can't tell if I'm gross or not.” — A pretty fucking gross person. A gross enough person

“Everything is so crazy now.” —Someone who is not crazy to someone else that is also not crazy about a decidedly commonplace (albeit crazy) environment and/or experience

“Nothing’s wrong with me.” —Fucked person

“I found answers! Now I can enjoy life!” — A transformed person bursting juicily out of a chrysalis with dripping angel wings and a really cool style (while drab, uncool onlookers crane upward at him painfully)

“Yeah, I knew God.” —Interviewee exhaling cig-smoke, leaning against the wall out back of the restaurant watching the sunset in his downtime before the next shift