A Long Way Down

Yesterday afternoon I was cleaning up my bookshelves, and I took a moment and looked at my shelf of Nick Hornby books, as one does: his novels (except the latest, Funny Girl, which I’ve not picked up), his screenplay for An Education, his book on music, even some of the Polysymphonic Spree books. As IContinue reading “A Long Way Down”

Fifteen Influential Authors

I saw this on Facebook a few days ago, meant to answer it, and got sidetracked into other things. That happens. The rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. List 15 authors (poets and comic writers included) who have influenced you and who will always stick with you. List the first 15 youContinue reading “Fifteen Influential Authors”

On 15 Influential Authors

My friend Julio Angel Ortiz tagged me with this on Facebook: The Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen authors (poets included) who’ve influenced you and that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Try to tag at least fifteen friends,Continue reading “On 15 Influential Authors”

More on Some Reading and Writing

A week ago, I read Nick Hornby’s screenplay for An Education, the new film starring Carey Mulligan and Peter Saarsgard. I liked it, I was entertained by the screenplay, and I’m looking forward to seeing the film at some nebulous point in the future, and… Well, there’s a but. The “but” is that it suffersContinue reading “More on Some Reading and Writing”

On Writing and Reading

I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year. Sort of. National Novel Writing Month is a bit of literary insanity where people of all literary skill levels try to write 50,000 words in a single month. Specifically, the month of November. I’m not planning on using the month to break ground on a new novel. I’m going toContinue reading “On Writing and Reading”

On Nick Hornby’s An Education

I stopped by Amazon today, to check on the status of an order. Normally, I don’t look at the recommendations on the first page, though it did amuse me that Amazon was recommending that I buy a copy of Grand Designs, especially as I wrote the first story in the volume. 🙂 Today, however, IContinue reading “On Nick Hornby’s An Education”

On Things I’ve Been Reading

Phonogram: The Singles Club #1 Image Comics Written by Kieran Gillen Art by Jamie McKelvie & Others A year and a half ago Image Comics published an interesting six-issue series entitled Phonogram. The story of David Kohl, a phonomancer (that is, a magician that works through music), Phonogram could perhaps be best described as HellblazerContinue reading “On Things I’ve Been Reading”

Random World Series Thoughts

America needs you, Al Leiter. The FOX broadcasting team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver just isn’t the same without you there. Former Cubs third basemen Mark Bellhorn and Bill Mueller are doing well for themselves. Why does FOX keep using the music from Requiem for a Dream to promote their football, NASCAR, and baseballContinue reading “Random World Series Thoughts”