When I was a kid, I was a big fan of J.M. Barrie’s novel version of Peter Pan. Not the musical show nor the Disney movie. The novel, it seemed to me, was pretty dark and not whimsical, and it didn’t sugar-coat childhood. Was it a good thing to remain a child forever? It certainly … [Read more…]
A few weeks ago, I turned 50, and before I turned 50 I wrote an allegedly hilarious description of all the things I had planned for the day. So what did I really do? I guess I owe everyone a full description. I planned to drive up to Bear Mountain very early and hike to … [Read more…]
I am running in the New York “Run and Heart Walk,” and have decided to donate all profits from either of my Watt O’Hugh novels between now and May 28, 2015 (when the run takes place) to the American Heart Association. This is to avoid sending everyone emails saying, “Hey would you sponsor me?” Because, … [Read more…]
RIP Richard L. Bare, who directed almost every episode of Green Acres, and also the “To Serve Man” episode of The Twilight Zone. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Bare began directing Green Acres, which starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a sophisticated Manhattan couple who move to a farm, in 1965. He … [Read more…]
May 23, 2014 – For my publication week, I wrote a few guest blogs on some great websites. I talked about the “Big Idea” of my book on John Scalzi’s Whatever website, I explained why I have to believe in dragons on Suvudu (which my daughter kindly illustrated), and I imagined an interview from 1936 … [Read more…]
April 20, 2014. I woke up this morning and I was 49 years old, entering my 50th year. So this person who lives in my home with me (who I’m not allowed to mention on Facebook) said “Are you freaked out about this?” So I wasn’t really till she mentioned it. I like the 49 … [Read more…]
September 7, 2014. I wish that Mickey Rooney had lived long enough to have a role in the Watt O’Hugh movie. But then he’d have to live forever. And I wish he could have lived forever. When my kids were little, he was one of their favorite actors, mostly from “Bill”, but also the Black … [Read more…]
September 18, 2013. Cory Monteith has died, which means, ipso facto (as the Harvard boys say) that the character he plays, “Finn,” is also dead. For a while, it seemed that because Cory Monteith had died of a drug overdose, the same type of death would be Finn’s fate, although Finn was not a drug … [Read more…]
Salon continues its ongoing debate on the future of publishing with its latest article, entitled Self Publishing is the Worst, which you can read here. This follows a piece arguing that, well, Indie publishing is really horrible, which followed a piece arguing that Indie published books literally SELL THEMSELVES! The author of the most recent … [Read more…]
APRIL 28, 2013. Almost exactly twenty years ago, I wrote a feature story about the film version of This Boy’s Life, by Tobias Wolfe. One of the great coming-of-age stories, This Boy’s Life details Wolfe’s not entirely noble childhood, his close relationship with his resourceful mother, and how he survives when she makes the mistake … [Read more…]