Skip to content

All good news

News of a possible sequel to The Shining is big, but I think The Guardian has buried the lead. Almost as an afterthought, writer Alison Flood mentions that King has an idea for a new book in his Dark Tower series. “The working title for the eighth book in the series, King announced on his…

Read More

What to say?

I’m still looking for a clever, witty, possibly subversive message to replace my standard “Thanks for reading my story” when signing a book. My wife likes “Buy another one” or “Makes a great gift.” While I love her for comments like this, even I may pass on this suggestion. Any ideas?

Read More

Tick tock… time’s a wasting

As a result of my many brushes with death, I seriously attempt to live every day to its fullest, knowing full well that my existence could end at any time. I have constructed a life where I try to get the most out of each day without wasting time on immaterial and unimportant matters. This…

Read More

Why?

In high school, I carved my initials alongside those of my girlfriend into a willow tree in the Japanese garden in Roger William’s Park. Not the nicest thing to do to a tree, but fairly romantic, especially for a sixteen-year-old. But why carve these same boyfriend-girlfriend initials into a wooden frame of a sign hanging…

Read More

Write a book

Earlier this month, Nathan Bransford asked: “Can anyone with enough practice be a good writer? What about a great writer? Is there a part of writing that is innate, or can anyone learn it?” As a teacher, I have to believe that with enough work, any reasonably intelligent person can become a good writer. It’s…

Read More

“I demand that she be fired!” said the moronic dolt.

New rule: Dissatisfied customers, angry clients, and anyone else who demands an employee be fired should be immediately terminated because of petty stupidity and a failure to understand how a job loss can impact a family. One bad experience or poor decision does not justify the demand for the possible financial ruin of an individual.…

Read More

Can I put my hand on your butt without offending?

This morning, I played pick-up basketball with a woman, a former college player who was shooting around at the gym. Playing one-on-one with a girl you don’t know is always a little complicated, especially in the beginning. This girl was an exceptional player with a decent outside jumper, and she could drive to the basket…

Read More

Empires fall

If you’re a history buff, or more importantly, if you appreciate how media can convey a complex idea, this is for you. If you are none of these things, you should be, so watch it anyway. Visualizing empires decline from Pedro M Cruz on Vimeo.

Read More

A Thanksgiving offering

In honor of Thanksgiving, I offer a gift for all of you who look forward to football just as much as you do the turkey, and probably more. If you are a serious football fan, this is a must-read essay by the sometimes annoying but more often brilliant Chuck Klosterman. It comes from his new…

Read More

In need of a copyeditor. And a brain.

In suggesting that the shooting at Ford Hood be labeled a terrorist attack (and implying that the Obama administration rejected the label for political reasons), former Bush press secretary Dana Perino said no terrorists attacked the US while President Bush was in office. “We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President…

Read More