Books are beautiful. Their construction is so basic — paper, ink, glue, and cardboard. But each is a doorway into another time and space, alternate dimensions both real and imagined. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading true crime, historical fiction, or a cookbook; all are woven from the fabric of the human condition. Books are… Continue reading Publishing’s Future: Toss the Bookshelf, Keep the Books
The world used to be a more civilized, more respectful, more courteous place. Now, extreme displays of public rudeness are becoming commonplace and an icy aloofness toward your fellow man has become the norm. The Age of the Asshole Need examples? You don’t have to look far. Joe Wilson, a Republican Congressman from South Carolina… Continue reading Uncourteous Interruptus, or Why Kayne West Is Still A Dick
There was an old guy wandering around the lobby of the office building where I work. He looked vaguely familiar, but I didn’t place him until the desk clerk called his name. “Hey…aren’t you Kurt Vonnegut?” It was Kurt Vonnegut. He looked the same as he did on the back cover of my copy of… Continue reading My Awkward Brush with Greatness: Meeting Kurt Vonnegut
With Anthony “Luke Atmee” Weiner back in the headlines, the time was right to break out this column about cheating politicians from 2008. Welcome to the Philandered First Wives Club, Huma Abedin! You see her on TV and in the papers looking sad and forlorn, standing by her man when no one else will,… Continue reading Philandered First Wives Undermine Political Credibility
I play a goofy game with my kids when we’re out. If we pass a mirror, I’ll pause and say, “Hey, check out those good lookin’ kids!” The kids turn, look, and see that the “good lookin’ kids” I’m referring to are them. I’ve played this game with my kids for years, since they were infants,… Continue reading Reflecting on a Dumpy House, and A Wonderful Home
Thanks to the always helpful Genesis update and WordPress update, my site has now disappeared from the Internet! Hey, thanks guys. Truth be told — and it always is here on RobErrera.com — I screwed up and lost the encryption key to my online backup service. I have a backup of my entire web site… Continue reading WTF happened to my site! or Why am I a douchebag?
I’m Not Sam by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee What if you awoke one morning to find your wife — your soulmate, the love of your life, the person you know better than anyone else — is no longer herself? Instead, she insists she’s a seven-year-old named Lily. This is the simple-yet-effective premise that drivesI’m… Continue reading Book Review: I’m Not Sam by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee
Book Review: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts is good. Very good. Like, Books of Blood good. Like, Night Shift, andSkeleton Crew good. Even the stories in this collection that don’t aim to deliver more than a plot twist and a good scare are polished gems. And some pieces qualify as priceless masterpieces. (read full review… Continue reading Book Review: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
My review of Taff collection, Little Deaths Little Deaths by John F.D. Taff is a strong collection of creepy tales, served up in a variety of literary styles. Taff experiments with different storytelling techniques, sometimes cribbing prose styles and themes from grand masters of the genre. In lesser hands this work would be hack, but… Continue reading Book Review: Little Deaths by John F.D. Taff
Back in January 2013, my wife and I fostered a pregnant dog named Buttons. Buttons was on the “kill list” at a shelter in West Virginia, but some kindly animal rescuers transported her to the Bloomingdale Animal Shelter Society in Bloomingdale, NJ. We agreed to foster Buttons, and find homes for her and her puppies.… Continue reading Homegrown Puppies or How We Fostered A Pregnant Stray Dog
