# Plays written by the Virginia Tech shooter **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 17, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528 "2007-04-17T21:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/1 "2007-04-17T21:47:57Z")
Sorry for having more than one pit thread at a time. I wanted to put this in MPSIMS, but I figured it would end up in the Pit. > **[News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines](https://www.aol.com/news/)** > > Get breaking news and the latest headlines on business, entertainment, politics, world news, tech, sports, videos and much more from AOL That is a link to the 2 plays mentioned on CNN this morning that were written by the shooter. What is more disturbing than the violence (which is poorly written and not very disturbing by modern movie standards) is the poor quality with which they are written. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/2 "2007-04-17T21:57:49Z")
Obviously, He was a very messed up person, and did a horrible act. No, it’s not more disturbing than the violence, it’s more indicative of a mental problem. The poor quality is probably no more than your average writing student. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/3 "2007-04-17T22:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] No, it’s not more disturbing than the violence, it’s more indicative of a mental problem. The poor quality is probably no more than your average writing student. [/QUOTE] Junior High School, maybe. VT supposedly has an elite Creative Writing program. From the first few exchanges– —They each sit in front of slot machine.– —Uh! After a long ravishing day at school, we just want to be left alone.– Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. It gets worse. How did this guy get in? ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/4 "2007-04-17T23:06:21Z")
Maybe it’s a language thing? The whole thing reads like a bad video game translation. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/5 "2007-04-17T23:06:24Z")
I was surprised at the extremely juvenile quality of these samples. It seems hard to believe that these plays came from a senior English major at Virginia Tech. No wonder the rest of the class and the professor felt he was disturbed! These writings show a seething pit of rage and infantile anger without the outlet that can come from putting thoughts to paper coherently. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/6 "2007-04-17T23:36:48Z")
Wow. That’s some really crappy writing by a truly disturbed guy. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/7 "2007-04-18T00:42:47Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] How did this guy get in? [/QUOTE] I think he was a business major or some such and then switched to creative writing. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/8 "2007-04-18T01:51:58Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Wow. That’s some really crappy writing by a truly disturbed guy. [/QUOTE] Crappy, yes, and he seems quite fixated on crap and crap-related things too. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/9 "2007-04-18T01:59:12Z")
I’ve written worse. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/10 "2007-04-18T02:30:01Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla] I’ve written worse. [/QUOTE] And will again. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/11 "2007-04-18T02:34:45Z")
Shitty teenage writers expressing deep inner hatred at everything and everyone are a dime a dozen. The number of them that go on to shoot anybody is vanishingly small. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/12 "2007-04-18T02:38:24Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla] I’ve written worse. [/QUOTE] I doubt it. His writing was truly awful. ---
**Author:** ![Carnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/13 "2007-04-18T02:49:14Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ] Shitty teenage writers expressing deep inner hatred at everything and everyone are a dime a dozen. The number of them that go on to shoot anybody is vanishingly small. [/QUOTE] Exactly. Being a Theater major I’ve read/listened to more student plays than anyone should ever have to. His work isn’t anything unusual. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/14 "2007-04-18T02:50:35Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ] Shitty teenage writers expressing deep inner hatred at everything and everyone are a dime a dozen. The number of them that go on to shoot anybody is vanishingly small. [/QUOTE] From what I understand, he was in his twenties when he wrote this— which (to be charitable) looks like the work of a 13-year-old. It reads a bit like “Waiting for Godot” as written by a younger, duller-witted Andrew Dice Clay. **Scylla** , I say without guile that nothing of yours I have so far read has been quite as bad. I encourage you to keep trying, though. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/15 "2007-04-18T04:09:45Z")
I thought it read like someone who didn’t have a very good grasp on English. I thought the second story had an interesting twist at the end. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/16 "2007-04-18T05:48:29Z")
> [@](#): > > It reads a bit like “Waiting for Godot” as written by a younger, duller-witted Andrew Dice Clay. Waiting for Godot wasn’t written by a young dull-witted man? Oh… hmm… still better than this tripe ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/17 "2007-04-18T06:39:45Z")
Anyone wanna summarize this dribble for someone who doesn’t want to go through the trouble of reading it? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/18 "2007-04-18T11:08:20Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] Anyone wanna summarize this dribble for someone who doesn’t want to go through the trouble of reading it? [/QUOTE] Sure. Sounds like some poured themself a big mug o’ cuckoo juice before they started scribbling. (It’s about searing hate for one’s stepdad. With homosexual undertones.) ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/19 "2007-04-18T12:39:23Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] (It’s about searing hate for one’s stepdad. With homosexual undertones.) [/QUOTE] channeling Jack Nicholson: “Is there any other kind?” Does anyone ever talk about homosexual overtones? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528/20 "2007-04-18T12:49:42Z")
> [@utter psycho](#): > > His name sounds like kidney stone of the ass. That is why he is always gruffy and angry. His shit is so thick and so oddly shaped that he can’t go and all his shit are piled up in his intestines all the way up to his chest. He probably rips his sphincter to relieve a single gram of turd after two hours of pushing, sweating, teeth clenching, screeming [sic] in frustration and holding breath for a half gram of green mold shit. :eek: WAY too anally fixated. Way too Engrish. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plays-written-by-the-virginia-tech-shooter/400528.md?page=2)