More lessons from Shadow implies there have been previous ones, right? That’s because this guy has taught me innumerable lessons. The most recent? He provided a map for the plot of the novel I am currently writing. Perhaps you think I exaggerate? At least overstate? I’ll start with some of his earliest lessons. Then maybe […]
More Lessons From Shadow- My Dog Read More »
Is Malthus Revisited Spiritual? A number of reviewers have referred to my latest novel, Malthus Revisited, as ‘spiritual.’ Until a recent review, I did not stop to ponder why. The reviewer wrote that he was ‘disappointed’ that I ‘resorted to the supernatural’ in writing what he thought was an intriguing plot and the compelling character
Is Malthus Revisited Supernatural? Read More »
City Slickers Revisited: yesterday, July 4th. Remember the movie City Slickers? Billy Crystal as the ‘Dude’ from Manhattan who persuades two Manhattan friends to join him on a cattle drive in the west? Although the movie was released over thirty years ago, certain scenes and characters remain vivid. Especially the yuppies with the mid-life crises
City Slickers Revisited-Up Close and Personal Read More »
Only 3 essential qualities for writers? Just 3? Actually no, there are probably about 100 but this morning, there are just 3 essential qualities for writers that pop into my head this morning: The two paradoxical thoughts about just how well we write. I doubt that I’m the only writer who believes that on the
3 Essential Qualities for Writers Read More »
Us versus them: the deliciousness of moral outrage Moral outrage: Is there anything more satisfying, captivating or delicious? “Do you believe what he said?” “Did you see what he wrote?” “Look what she is wearing!” It’s endless, isn’t it? Even before the advent of social media- if any of us can recall back that far,
Us Versus Them: The Deliciousness of Moral Outrage Read More »
The seduction of noise. Do an online search and you can see a 21st century way of conceptualizing our addiction to distraction: noise pollution. Researchers have studied the effects of noise pollution and discovered its surprisingly broad impact upon adults and children. But the subject of this piece is even more insidious. Truthfully, is there any
The Seduction of Noise: Advice From the 5th Century Read More »
Why do you pray? “Why do you pray?” “Because it is the only way I can figure out who I am.” My surprising response to my friend’s rhetorical question was heartfelt Perhaps it was too weighty to be understood by one who had not, like me, chosen to spend a large segment of their life
Three seconds: time for worlds to end Three seconds, the time it takes to blink, yawn or for our whole world to end. I’ve been thinking, once again, about time. About how slippery it is, about how we tend, naturally, to think we have all the time in the world, preferring not to ponder the
Three Seconds: Time for Worlds to End Read More »
‘Seize the day’, ‘the paradox of Hollywood’ and ‘how dogs inspire’: Do those three phrases even relate to one another? No, of course they don’t. But every once in a while a newsletter format works because it permits thoughts on a few unrelated subjects. Like these. First up, Seize the Day: While driving home
Seize the Day, Paradox of Hollywood and How Dogs Inspire Read More »
Here is the final teaser for Malthus Revisited, now available for purchase at Amazon and edited by Laura, my new editor and writing partner: Eighteen-year-old Morgan Gardner did not seem like someone who could save the world—unless you took the time to notice her eyes. And most people didn’t. Morgan’s exceptional gifts were known only