Writer, podcaster. and streamer
It’s been a weird April 1. I’ve been a bit distracted as I’ve been thinking a lot about my friend, Joe, stressing out over getting into the Dogfish Dash (I got in), and prepping for a big event in Vegas. I’ve just felt a little out of sync.
Then I found this quote. Makes me feel ready to face the weekend, and things to come…
Wise words indeed.
This weekend, embrace this gift we have been blessed with.
Live.
You know, I wish we didn’t need to have this conversation, but yeah, we do.
Everyone has their own way of dealing with reviews, and let’s be frank—not everyone will like what you do. Reviews, good or bad, are part of the territory. Reviews are a rite of passage for authors, the objective points-of-view that sit down with the final product and say, “Holy crapbuckets, this is the best book I’ve ever read!†or “Many trees died to make this book. Avenge them.†Whenever a new work hits the shelves, virtual or literal, I am always on edge. You have been working closely with editors and peer readers who all invest a part of themselves in your title because they believe in what you do; and if you are fortunate, these voices because they believe in you are going to be blunt, honest, and sometimes cruel to be kind. “My job as an editor is not to change a book,†I heard Ellen Datlow say on a podcast. “My job is to take a good story and make it great.†[Read more…] about What You Do When Your Book Gets a Bad Review
I honestly have no words.
No, wait. I do.
Fuck cancer.
I am still processing the life and death of David Bowie, and then this morning I saw it pop up on Facebook. I was trying to confirm it before I said anything to Pip, but then it dawned on me: the news was just breaking. Alan Rickman, star of stage and screen, had died of cancer at 69. Identical to David Bowie.
I’m going to say it again. Fuck cancer. (#becausePGH)
I’ve been a fan of Alan Rickman’s work for decades. He raised the bar for villains in Die Hard, and sure, that’s what everyone knows him best for; but I still recall watching him in Sense and Sensibility and thinking, “This is Hans Gruber…and this time, he’s totally stealing this movie!†As I recall, Sense and Sensibility was marketed more as a vehicle for Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. The movie also gave Kate Winslet a lovely introduction to American audiences. It was Rickman’s Colonel Christopher Brandon, though, that completely won over hearts everywhere. Any movie Rickman appeared in could be promised at least one solid performance; and when you read his biography and see the amount of accolades he received for his work over the decades, it’s no surprise whatsoever as to why we loved him.
This is really too much. I’m at a loss.
So I’m going to let Alan Rickman speak for me… [Read more…] about Remembering Alan Rickman
Usually when an artist, actor, or celebrity of note dies, the alert gives a quick one line explanation of exactly why you should know this person. “John Q, backup singer for the Flying Wallabees…†or “Adele McManohan, artist of the painting Godzilla in Spring…â€â€”something like that.
This morning, I looked at my phone and read the alert.
David Bowie dies of cancer aged 69.
No preface. No lead-in. No explanation as to what he was famous for. Just—boom.
And not under “Entertainment†but “Top Stories.â€
That’s how big Bowie was. The man lived a life in the arts for five decades. He pushed boundaries, lived a life both dangerous and glorious, and he continued to do what he loved right up to his death.
And yet I have not always been a fan of David Bowie. [Read more…] about The Stars Look Very Different Today: A Tribute to David Bowie
Here comes the end of 2015. How was it? I’m hoping the year was kind to you. I know that, maybe, there were highs and lows; but I hope the highs were up there and lows not too shallow.
Right now, you’re seeing a lot of blogposts either looking back through 2015 or looking ahead to 2016, and as we close in on the countdown, I wanted to ask you all a favor: Knock it off with the New Year’s Resolutions. Let’s focus on getting shit done. Let’s make commitments for 2016. [Read more…] about Don’t Make Resolutions. Make Commitments.
Hi, Star Wars. It’s been a long time since I’ve reached out to you like this, so I don’t know if you remember me or not. I was that pudgy nine-year old kid who met you back in 1977. The trailers (although back then I just called them “commercialsâ€) scared me a bit because there was this terrifying guy in a black mask that looked like a nasty piece of work, so I wasn’t sure if you and I would get along. My older brother told me I had to see you, so I did.
I went back to the theatres another 39 times in the year you were in Richmond. I saw you at Cloverleaf Mall. I saw you at Chesterfield Mall. I saw you at the Ridge Cinemas. I saw you at the Capitol Theatre. The best time, though, was at the Bellwood Drive-In. At the drive-in, I made a great audio recording of the movie (so I could play it in the background while playing with the toys) and I saw previews for this thing called a “sequel,†The Empire Strikes Back. I have memories of my mom dropping me off at an afternoon matinée and Christmas shopping while I sat through two showings back-to-back. I collected the original figures, all twelve of them. (The Jawa was the toughest find.) I sent in the proof-of-purchase seals to Kenner for my free Boba Fett. I got the toys all the way up to Return of the Jedi. (Too many toys to try and collect.) I remember getting you on VHS and watching you over and over. I knew the dialog. I read every issue of Bantha Tracks. And I remember in May 25, 1983 when my dad (completely out-of-the-blue) took me out of school and bought us tickets for your first showing of Return of the Jedi. Some of my best years were spent with you in a galaxy far, far away.
If you remember me now, you’re probably surprised by this letter. I’m writing to say “I’ve missed you.†Last night reminded me of that. And what we’ve been through. [Read more…] about An Open Letter to Star Wars: A Spoiler-Free Reaction to The Force Awakens