On Writing

Scary Music: Tales From The Palomino, Vol. 1

I have a new project with ambient music artist and longtime friend Mark Zampella. Basically, I read four stories from my collection, Sensual Nightmares: Tales From The Palomino, Vol. 1 over Mark’s weird music beds. The words and music work together to create a listening experience like no other — beyond conventional spoken word albums… Continue reading Scary Music: Tales From The Palomino, Vol. 1

On Writing · Pop Culture & Social Trends

Publishing’s Future: Toss the Bookshelf, Keep the Books

 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

On Writing · Pop Culture & Social Trends

My Awkward Brush with Greatness: Meeting Kurt Vonnegut

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

On Writing

Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll, and Tentacles! or Why My Debut Novel Sucks

Hey, I wrote a novel. It’s called Hangman’s Jam, and it’s awesome, probably the best book ever written, and definitely the best book you will ever read. It’s packed with love, sex, death, murder, music, mayhem, and cosmic monsters. Check it out for yourself. But first, let me tell you what blows about my debut… Continue reading Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll, and Tentacles! or Why My Debut Novel Sucks

On Writing

Get my new book, “Autism Dad”!

Check out my new book!  @  Smashwords  @  Barnes & Noble @  Amazon You should buy this book. You should buy all my books.You should build a shrine to my books in your home. Then write positive reviews about them, and tell everyone you know — total strangers, even — about how awe-inspiring they are.… Continue reading Get my new book, “Autism Dad”!

Family matters · On Writing

Passive Aggressive Christmas Fantasy, Circa 1996

[This was my 1996 Christmas column 14 years ago. Not sure what my problem was, but I was clearly f’d up. Maybe I have “holiday issues.” Strange year, 1996, like so many before and since.] Dear Rob, Santa has received the letters you’ve sent to him over the past several years. Every year you’re grouchy,… Continue reading Passive Aggressive Christmas Fantasy, Circa 1996

Family matters · Government & Politics · On Writing

Why County Clerks Suck

[Here’s another classic rant from 1998. I’m pretty sure county clerks are still selling your name and phone number to telemarketers. And they still suck. Interesting, back in ’98 I was bitching about telemarketers disrupting my Saturday morning tea-and-writing sessions. Now weekends are packed with kids, chores, kids, errands, kids, home improvements, and kids. But… Continue reading Why County Clerks Suck

On Writing

Waiting For The Great American Cell Phone Novel

Excuse me, I feel a little queasy – I’ve been experiencing keitai shosetsu. What’s keitai shosetsu? A new Asian flu? Not exactly. Keitai shosetsu are “cell phone novels” and they’ve been all the rage in Japan and China for the last decade.  Yeah, novels written on cell phones in tiny, 100-word chunks and delivered in… Continue reading Waiting For The Great American Cell Phone Novel