Well, to be more accurate, my computer is back. Back from the dead, that is. My hard drive started acting up around Thanksgiving, and then, in a brilliant move inspired by a moment of neanderthalish anger, I punched the part of the dock where the hard drive was located, causing the computer to shut down for good.
Luckily, I have a roommate who works for Google and is a computer whiz. Luckily, I had backed nearly all of my writing. I purchased a new hard drive, and am now in the process of recovering nearly all of the files I lost.
Unluckily, I let this be an excuse not to work on my book or any of my writing for the past few weeks, and its grown cold. So today, I forced myself to sit down and begin working once again. After a bit, with the help of a generously-sized mocha, I was able to get out about 500 words or so, and edited a lot of other good stuff.
So I'm back. Or rather, the book is back.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Sandman comics
Marc Bernardin posts on his PopWatch blog on Entertainment Weekly about his love for Neil Gaiman's stellar comic book series The Sandman:
PopWatch: The Sandman
--which pretty much says all that I would say to anyone who has never read The Sandman.
You should. It will change your life. I know it changed mine.
PopWatch: The Sandman
--which pretty much says all that I would say to anyone who has never read The Sandman.
You should. It will change your life. I know it changed mine.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
NaNoWriMo--update
It is quickly becoming apparent to me that, though I've been making great strides in my book The Constable of Bridge, I probably won't make the 50000 word goal by the end of this month.
Ah well.
Its the struggle, the journey that is important, no? So, as improbable as success might be, it feels like the correct decision is to go down fighting.
Ah well.
Its the struggle, the journey that is important, no? So, as improbable as success might be, it feels like the correct decision is to go down fighting.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Victory Rally at Grant Park
Yes, I was there. My friend's fiance was out of town and she invited me to be her "date" for the ticketed portion of the rally in Grant Park. We had a quick dinner and a pint at the Emerald Loop, then headed over.
The weather was perfect. The mood in the air was festive but a little anxious. There was a shared look on peoples' faces, a hopeful expression, a knowing smile that here was another kindred spirit who had made the choice to believe in hope rather than cynicism.
One thing that struck me was the sheer diversity of the people in attendance, much more so than any Republican Rally that I'd seen on TV. Everyone I spoke with seemed to have a bit more intelligence and wit than that average Republican crowd (ie: no one screaming "socialist", "terrorist", or "kill 'em").
We were at the third checkpoint when they called Pennsylvania for Obama and I became quietly confident.
We had just entered the rally when they called Ohio, I started to grin. It was over. People were afraid to say it, there was almost an unspoken worry about jinxing the election, but mathematically I knew it would be impossible for McCain to come back after this point.
Then Virginia turned blue. We realized that this was actually happening. After California closed, Grant Park exploded into triumphant cheers that would make the spirits of MLK and JFK proud!
McCain's concession speech wasn't bad. The sentiment where I was standing was that if this had been the way he'd run his campaign from start to finish, the race would have been much closer. There were a few cheers when we saw Caribou Barbie crying though, and I heard someone, seemingly in the spirit of Eric Cartman, cry out "Palin's tears taste delicious to me!"
Obama's speech, his call to service as it were, was perfectly timed and delivered. It basically said, "We're only just getting started." I could barely make him out from where I was standing, but the jumbotron provided a great picture. His face looked at once both glad and grim, as though he was realizing the enormity of the task before him. Was glad to see Joe Biden and their families out on stage. Pictures of Jesse and Oprah crying were touching.
Before he left, Obama gave a final wave to the crowd in my direction, and, though I feel like a corny little kid writing this, it felt magical.
It was like someone had sprayed Happy Gas throughout the city.The crowds outside the rally were jubilant, a little wild, but with an almost surprising lack of hostility or anarchy. Loved walking around downtown.
I was so exhausted that it didn't really hit me until I made it back to my apartment late into the night. Before going to bed, I watched will.i.am's "Yes We Can" music video. It was then I realized what had just happened, that freedom, caring, and intelligence had actually beat out jingoism, hate, ignorance, and greed. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that we actually might have a chance in this world to make things better.
To echo what we were all crying in Grant Park last night.
Yes, we can.
Yes, we did.
The weather was perfect. The mood in the air was festive but a little anxious. There was a shared look on peoples' faces, a hopeful expression, a knowing smile that here was another kindred spirit who had made the choice to believe in hope rather than cynicism.
One thing that struck me was the sheer diversity of the people in attendance, much more so than any Republican Rally that I'd seen on TV. Everyone I spoke with seemed to have a bit more intelligence and wit than that average Republican crowd (ie: no one screaming "socialist", "terrorist", or "kill 'em").
We were at the third checkpoint when they called Pennsylvania for Obama and I became quietly confident.
We had just entered the rally when they called Ohio, I started to grin. It was over. People were afraid to say it, there was almost an unspoken worry about jinxing the election, but mathematically I knew it would be impossible for McCain to come back after this point.
Then Virginia turned blue. We realized that this was actually happening. After California closed, Grant Park exploded into triumphant cheers that would make the spirits of MLK and JFK proud!
McCain's concession speech wasn't bad. The sentiment where I was standing was that if this had been the way he'd run his campaign from start to finish, the race would have been much closer. There were a few cheers when we saw Caribou Barbie crying though, and I heard someone, seemingly in the spirit of Eric Cartman, cry out "Palin's tears taste delicious to me!"
Obama's speech, his call to service as it were, was perfectly timed and delivered. It basically said, "We're only just getting started." I could barely make him out from where I was standing, but the jumbotron provided a great picture. His face looked at once both glad and grim, as though he was realizing the enormity of the task before him. Was glad to see Joe Biden and their families out on stage. Pictures of Jesse and Oprah crying were touching.
Before he left, Obama gave a final wave to the crowd in my direction, and, though I feel like a corny little kid writing this, it felt magical.
It was like someone had sprayed Happy Gas throughout the city.The crowds outside the rally were jubilant, a little wild, but with an almost surprising lack of hostility or anarchy. Loved walking around downtown.
I was so exhausted that it didn't really hit me until I made it back to my apartment late into the night. Before going to bed, I watched will.i.am's "Yes We Can" music video. It was then I realized what had just happened, that freedom, caring, and intelligence had actually beat out jingoism, hate, ignorance, and greed. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that we actually might have a chance in this world to make things better.
To echo what we were all crying in Grant Park last night.
Yes, we can.
Yes, we did.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
NaNoWriMo
Or, National Novel Writing Month.
One signs up and commits to trying to write 50,000 words during the month of November. That equates to 1667 words per day.
I've decided to give it a go. Since I was hungover Saturday from a fun-tastic Friday Halloween and didn't write a thing, I had to double up and attempt to get in two days worth of writing today, Sunday.
Somehow, after chugging two cups of coffee, I slugged my way through 3200 words. Now I feel mentally exhausted and a bid post-caffeinated edgy.
But it was fun. I've already started this novel, The Constable of Bridge, but I figured this would be a good way to keep it going.
Wish me luck.
One signs up and commits to trying to write 50,000 words during the month of November. That equates to 1667 words per day.
I've decided to give it a go. Since I was hungover Saturday from a fun-tastic Friday Halloween and didn't write a thing, I had to double up and attempt to get in two days worth of writing today, Sunday.
Somehow, after chugging two cups of coffee, I slugged my way through 3200 words. Now I feel mentally exhausted and a bid post-caffeinated edgy.
But it was fun. I've already started this novel, The Constable of Bridge, but I figured this would be a good way to keep it going.
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I voted today...
...and I feel fine!
The Early Registration was at 69 W. Washington, right by my office in the Loop. Only took about 45 minutes in line during lunch. As I stood in line, I observed the e older gentleman in front of me, the pretty young woman with an iPod in front of him, the mother with USA stitched into winter cap, and a guy with dreadlocks. For all the diversity in the line, everyone seemed to have the same anticipatory smile on their face.
I felt an odd surge of patriotism and it was heart-warming. Something was in the wind, and it felt like change.
The Early Registration was at 69 W. Washington, right by my office in the Loop. Only took about 45 minutes in line during lunch. As I stood in line, I observed the e older gentleman in front of me, the pretty young woman with an iPod in front of him, the mother with USA stitched into winter cap, and a guy with dreadlocks. For all the diversity in the line, everyone seemed to have the same anticipatory smile on their face.
I felt an odd surge of patriotism and it was heart-warming. Something was in the wind, and it felt like change.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
2008 blog entries
H'okay so here's the deal.
I've had a few different online journals, and I decided to centralize all of them onto one web log. This one. I tried to figure out a way to import all of the entrees from my Myspace Journal and my Livejournal account, but to no avail. My roommate Matt doesn't think its possible, and since he's a techie guy who works for Google, I'll take his word for it. What does this mean? It means that I'm going to have to do things the old fashioned way, by cutting and pasting.
It means these three post are going to be frickin' huge. They're sort of like catch-up posts. What I've done is divide three posts by year. This post has all of my entries from 2008, the previous, 2007, and the one before that, 2006. I'll also be posting notices on my former blogs directing reader's interested in my life and/or writing career to this page.
And so, without further interruption, extrapolation, or rambling, let the catch-up posts begin!
Friday, June 06, 2008
vote for my story,
Hi friends,
Niteblade, the ezine that published my Dante/Hell‑is‑a‑circus story 'The Seventh Day' also prints a Best of the Year book anthology.
This year the book will be titled LOST INNOCENCE, which I think 'The Seventh Day' is perfect for. However, the majority of the contents in the anthology is based on votes.
So...VOTE FOR ME! Its my birthday in a couple days, so consider it as a birthday present.
Monday, June 02, 2008
the hits keep coming!
Had some good news yesterday! This past winter, I read that a publisher called Familia Books was looking to put out an anthology about mothers. I sent them a poem I wrote while at Aquinas and they want to include it in their book! Best of all, they apparently are going to pay me $100 for the poem!
This is by far the most I've been paid per/word, well over professional rates. The only other time I ever made that much money was when I won an Aquinas College short story contest way back in 2003. More details to come soon...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
new short story "The Affairs of Wizards" available in book anthology!
Several years ago, back when i was a freshman in college I had the idea to write a short story that satirized the whole fantasy/Dungeon and Dragon roleplaying concept. Namely, that when "heroes" kill monsters, they are in fact committing genocide and hunting endangered species.
The result was an extremely rough clunky tale called "The Affairs of Wizards" (the title taken from a portion of a saying attributed by Sam Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings). Many years and revisions later, it had become a story that I was moderately happy with that contained some fairly funny moments.
I realize now that what I thought was an original idea (ooo, I'll satirize fantasy tropes!) has already been done quite well and quite prolifically by Terry Pratchett. For those of you who don't know, Terry Pratchett is the 2nd best selling author in England (he was first, until JK Rowling came along with her Harry Potter books). Picture Lord of the Rings meets Monty Python. Pratchett is amazing and I can't recommend him enough.
So I now view my story as a poor-man's, American Pratchett. And I thought it would never see the light of day. However, I found out about a publishing company looking to produce an anthology of comic fantasy and science fiction and thought I'd give them a try. To my great surprise, they accepted my story and its now available in the actual physical book: Strange Worlds of Lunacy: The Galaxy's Silliest Anthology
Its fairly funny. I chuckled at some of the poems and stories. The art is pretty cool too! Not a bad deal at $14.95. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The Sparrow now available!
My horror short story "The Sparrow" is now available on the current issue of the Allegory e-zine. You can also download the PDF for free if you like. Allegory is the first magazine I've been paid at a semi-pro rate for, and also the first magazine that has reprinted a story that I published.
So I'm pretty pleased. Feel free to send comments! Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
good news
I was notified today that my short story "The Sparrow" was accepted as a reprint in Allegory magazine.
Reprint means that it was published somewhere else first. A magazine has to really like your story if they accept it as a reprint! Quite flattering actually. "The Sparrow" is a horror short story about a zombie outbreak on a slave ship in the 1800’s in the midst of its journey across the Middle Passage. Not usually the type of thing I write, but I had a lot of fun with it, and I was intrigued by the idea of contrasting a real-life human monstrosity with fictional super-natural monstrosities. How do those who treat others inhumanely react to something truly inhuman?
The story was first published on the website "The Horror Library" as the winner of its monthly Slushpile contest. To be honest, I wasn’t happy with the format, nor was I happy with the quality of stories that I was competing against. At Allegory, I’ll get a little compensation for my work plus a much better presentation of the story.
All in all, a great way to start the day!
24 March 2008 @ 09:43 pm
lets see...
Had some good ideas, one for a story I'm working on, another yet to be written. I think I'm more excited about the new idea, but that's the nature of my ADD creative beast. The book goes. I'm procrastinating another part of the chapter at the moment.
Work goes. The Easter break was awesome and I need to catch up on sleep if I'm going to back in the swing of things.
Finally, I saw Darjeeling Limited, Royal Tenenbaums, and a play called 13 Dead Husbands all in the same weekend. The result was an absurdist, romantic, humorous extravaganza that, on reflection, I think was very good for my soul.
And on a final note, I'm relieved St. Patrick's Day is done. Rule for next year: No calling ex-girlfriend's "whore", even if they show up at a party with their boyfriend that they had no business being at.
'cause that's just rude.
2/25/08
another acceptance!
After weeks of the dreariest winter I've experienced since living in Chicago, after a month of dull hum-drum boredom, I came home this evening to open my email and receive some great news.
I had another story accepted! The story is called "The Affairs of Wizards," and its actually a humor/satire of the whole Dungeon and Dragons concept. The title actually comes from a portion of a borrowed quote of Tolkien's.
Anyway, the book is called Strange Worlds of Lunacy, which is a pretty good fit for the story. I've been published in a magazine, an e-zine, a website, and a podcast. This makes my first book!
There are few things that compare to reading an acceptance letter for a story you've submitted for publication. Finishing a marathon, having sex, writing something really, truly, fucking electric...
Be that as it may, I'm feeling pretty good. The story is what I call my Terry Pratchett story, though I wrote it before ever having read Pratchett. (I also have written a Borges story, a Stephen King story, etc.) Perhaps its time to break out the bubbly...
14 February 2008 @ 10:11 am
A death
I just found out that an old friend of mine from college died this week.
Its a wierd feeling. 6 years ago we were fairly close, but drifted to the realm of friendly acquaintances by the time we were seniors and after I went to Costa Rica and Chicago we sort of fell off eachother's radars.
I've had classmates from high school pass away before now, but that seemed so far removed from my life, almost a different universe.
But friends from college? That feels like it was just yesterday. Its different from family. Aquinas felt like this safe little utopian bubble, removed from the world. Yes, there was occasional drama, as there must be in such an enclosed setting, but for the most part it was really fun. And now the bubble has burst. The maddening thing is that no one in our circle of friends knows how it happened.
And the most tragic part is that she has a little girl, who's now about 6 years old. I remember playing with Maddy senior year when she was a toddler. I hope that her family is okay.
And Amy, I hope you're okay now too.
1 February 2008 @ 02:00 pm
Scrivener: so far, so good!
I'll admit, initially I was afraid that I wasted $40.00 on the Scrivener softward but the last few days have showed me that those fears were groundless!
I've definitely been able to organize the book and it really has helps put things in perspective for me. The work has continued and I feel confident that its heading in a good direction. From here on out, its Word for short stories and Scrivener for books.
(I only pray that everything continues to go smoothly. Its usually at this point in the process where something goes pear-shaped.)
And then on a personal sidenote, my parents and little brother came in for the weekend. We went out to an Irish pub for dinner and saw a movie. It was nice.
07 February 2008 @ 11:17 pm
a book and a kook
What started out as a way to comment on George RR Martin's "Not-a-Blog" Livejournal account has morphed into a desire to actually write something. Not that I haven't been writing a lot lately, just not on Livejournal.
I just purchased the program Scrivener last night and have been learning the ins-an-outs of it today. For short stories, its not practical, but I've definitely noticed its potential for longer works, especially books.
And since, for the first time in awhile, I'm attempting a book, and its been going pretty good guns, I thought I'd try organizing it. The story was quickly approaching that point where I wasn't sure what to do next, and much as I hate to potentially squelch any creativity by adding structure and even >gasp< an outline, another voice in my head told me it might be a good idea. I guess its time to grow up. (a little)
So there it is, and so far it seems to have gone well. I'll do a little more organizing and fiddling tomorrow, and really try to knock something out of the park on Saturday.
On a sidenote, there's this really obnoxious trollish person who keeps entering things on GRRM's Livejournal. I know it shouldn't bother me, especially because I'm sure Mr. Martin can take care of himself, but a part of me just wanted to find this guy and kick his ass. I'm reminded of my favorite part of the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, where they hunt down every troll who commented on them and beat them down. I wish this guy lived in Chicago, then we could meet up and discuss things in person. (meaning I could scare him) Alas, trolls are a cowardly lot who hide behind their internet anonymity ...
I've had a few different online journals, and I decided to centralize all of them onto one web log. This one. I tried to figure out a way to import all of the entrees from my Myspace Journal and my Livejournal account, but to no avail. My roommate Matt doesn't think its possible, and since he's a techie guy who works for Google, I'll take his word for it. What does this mean? It means that I'm going to have to do things the old fashioned way, by cutting and pasting.
It means these three post are going to be frickin' huge. They're sort of like catch-up posts. What I've done is divide three posts by year. This post has all of my entries from 2008, the previous, 2007, and the one before that, 2006. I'll also be posting notices on my former blogs directing reader's interested in my life and/or writing career to this page.
And so, without further interruption, extrapolation, or rambling, let the catch-up posts begin!
Friday, June 06, 2008
vote for my story,
Hi friends,
Niteblade, the ezine that published my Dante/Hell‑is‑a‑circus story 'The Seventh Day' also prints a Best of the Year book anthology.
This year the book will be titled LOST INNOCENCE, which I think 'The Seventh Day' is perfect for. However, the majority of the contents in the anthology is based on votes.
So...VOTE FOR ME! Its my birthday in a couple days, so consider it as a birthday present.
Monday, June 02, 2008
the hits keep coming!
Had some good news yesterday! This past winter, I read that a publisher called Familia Books was looking to put out an anthology about mothers. I sent them a poem I wrote while at Aquinas and they want to include it in their book! Best of all, they apparently are going to pay me $100 for the poem!
This is by far the most I've been paid per/word, well over professional rates. The only other time I ever made that much money was when I won an Aquinas College short story contest way back in 2003. More details to come soon...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
new short story "The Affairs of Wizards" available in book anthology!
Several years ago, back when i was a freshman in college I had the idea to write a short story that satirized the whole fantasy/Dungeon and Dragon roleplaying concept. Namely, that when "heroes" kill monsters, they are in fact committing genocide and hunting endangered species.
The result was an extremely rough clunky tale called "The Affairs of Wizards" (the title taken from a portion of a saying attributed by Sam Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings). Many years and revisions later, it had become a story that I was moderately happy with that contained some fairly funny moments.
I realize now that what I thought was an original idea (ooo, I'll satirize fantasy tropes!) has already been done quite well and quite prolifically by Terry Pratchett. For those of you who don't know, Terry Pratchett is the 2nd best selling author in England (he was first, until JK Rowling came along with her Harry Potter books). Picture Lord of the Rings meets Monty Python. Pratchett is amazing and I can't recommend him enough.
So I now view my story as a poor-man's, American Pratchett. And I thought it would never see the light of day. However, I found out about a publishing company looking to produce an anthology of comic fantasy and science fiction and thought I'd give them a try. To my great surprise, they accepted my story and its now available in the actual physical book: Strange Worlds of Lunacy: The Galaxy's Silliest Anthology
Its fairly funny. I chuckled at some of the poems and stories. The art is pretty cool too! Not a bad deal at $14.95. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The Sparrow now available!
My horror short story "The Sparrow" is now available on the current issue of the Allegory e-zine. You can also download the PDF for free if you like. Allegory is the first magazine I've been paid at a semi-pro rate for, and also the first magazine that has reprinted a story that I published.
So I'm pretty pleased. Feel free to send comments! Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
good news
I was notified today that my short story "The Sparrow" was accepted as a reprint in Allegory magazine.
Reprint means that it was published somewhere else first. A magazine has to really like your story if they accept it as a reprint! Quite flattering actually. "The Sparrow" is a horror short story about a zombie outbreak on a slave ship in the 1800’s in the midst of its journey across the Middle Passage. Not usually the type of thing I write, but I had a lot of fun with it, and I was intrigued by the idea of contrasting a real-life human monstrosity with fictional super-natural monstrosities. How do those who treat others inhumanely react to something truly inhuman?
The story was first published on the website "The Horror Library" as the winner of its monthly Slushpile contest. To be honest, I wasn’t happy with the format, nor was I happy with the quality of stories that I was competing against. At Allegory, I’ll get a little compensation for my work plus a much better presentation of the story.
All in all, a great way to start the day!
24 March 2008 @ 09:43 pm
lets see...
Had some good ideas, one for a story I'm working on, another yet to be written. I think I'm more excited about the new idea, but that's the nature of my ADD creative beast. The book goes. I'm procrastinating another part of the chapter at the moment.
Work goes. The Easter break was awesome and I need to catch up on sleep if I'm going to back in the swing of things.
Finally, I saw Darjeeling Limited, Royal Tenenbaums, and a play called 13 Dead Husbands all in the same weekend. The result was an absurdist, romantic, humorous extravaganza that, on reflection, I think was very good for my soul.
And on a final note, I'm relieved St. Patrick's Day is done. Rule for next year: No calling ex-girlfriend's "whore", even if they show up at a party with their boyfriend that they had no business being at.
'cause that's just rude.
2/25/08
another acceptance!
After weeks of the dreariest winter I've experienced since living in Chicago, after a month of dull hum-drum boredom, I came home this evening to open my email and receive some great news.
I had another story accepted! The story is called "The Affairs of Wizards," and its actually a humor/satire of the whole Dungeon and Dragons concept. The title actually comes from a portion of a borrowed quote of Tolkien's.
Anyway, the book is called Strange Worlds of Lunacy, which is a pretty good fit for the story. I've been published in a magazine, an e-zine, a website, and a podcast. This makes my first book!
There are few things that compare to reading an acceptance letter for a story you've submitted for publication. Finishing a marathon, having sex, writing something really, truly, fucking electric...
Be that as it may, I'm feeling pretty good. The story is what I call my Terry Pratchett story, though I wrote it before ever having read Pratchett. (I also have written a Borges story, a Stephen King story, etc.) Perhaps its time to break out the bubbly...
14 February 2008 @ 10:11 am
A death
I just found out that an old friend of mine from college died this week.
Its a wierd feeling. 6 years ago we were fairly close, but drifted to the realm of friendly acquaintances by the time we were seniors and after I went to Costa Rica and Chicago we sort of fell off eachother's radars.
I've had classmates from high school pass away before now, but that seemed so far removed from my life, almost a different universe.
But friends from college? That feels like it was just yesterday. Its different from family. Aquinas felt like this safe little utopian bubble, removed from the world. Yes, there was occasional drama, as there must be in such an enclosed setting, but for the most part it was really fun. And now the bubble has burst. The maddening thing is that no one in our circle of friends knows how it happened.
And the most tragic part is that she has a little girl, who's now about 6 years old. I remember playing with Maddy senior year when she was a toddler. I hope that her family is okay.
And Amy, I hope you're okay now too.
1 February 2008 @ 02:00 pm
Scrivener: so far, so good!
I'll admit, initially I was afraid that I wasted $40.00 on the Scrivener softward but the last few days have showed me that those fears were groundless!
I've definitely been able to organize the book and it really has helps put things in perspective for me. The work has continued and I feel confident that its heading in a good direction. From here on out, its Word for short stories and Scrivener for books.
(I only pray that everything continues to go smoothly. Its usually at this point in the process where something goes pear-shaped.)
And then on a personal sidenote, my parents and little brother came in for the weekend. We went out to an Irish pub for dinner and saw a movie. It was nice.
07 February 2008 @ 11:17 pm
a book and a kook
What started out as a way to comment on George RR Martin's "Not-a-Blog" Livejournal account has morphed into a desire to actually write something. Not that I haven't been writing a lot lately, just not on Livejournal.
I just purchased the program Scrivener last night and have been learning the ins-an-outs of it today. For short stories, its not practical, but I've definitely noticed its potential for longer works, especially books.
And since, for the first time in awhile, I'm attempting a book, and its been going pretty good guns, I thought I'd try organizing it. The story was quickly approaching that point where I wasn't sure what to do next, and much as I hate to potentially squelch any creativity by adding structure and even >gasp< an outline, another voice in my head told me it might be a good idea. I guess its time to grow up. (a little)
So there it is, and so far it seems to have gone well. I'll do a little more organizing and fiddling tomorrow, and really try to knock something out of the park on Saturday.
On a sidenote, there's this really obnoxious trollish person who keeps entering things on GRRM's Livejournal. I know it shouldn't bother me, especially because I'm sure Mr. Martin can take care of himself, but a part of me just wanted to find this guy and kick his ass. I'm reminded of my favorite part of the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, where they hunt down every troll who commented on them and beat them down. I wish this guy lived in Chicago, then we could meet up and discuss things in person. (meaning I could scare him) Alas, trolls are a cowardly lot who hide behind their internet anonymity ...
2007 blog entries
Here are all my blog posts from my Myspace page from the intriguing year of 2007. Some reading lists, but also a lot of news about my published stories. 2007 was the year I started to get published!
Monday, December 10, 2007
new story "The Seventh Day" available
So I just had another story come out in the December issue of the e-zine Niteblade. The story is title "The Seventh Day" and its sort of a modern homage to Dante's Inferno. (that means its about hell) I actually read it at the Twilight Tales open mic this past November
I'm excited about it for two reasons.
One, it was one of the first stories I wrote after moving to Chicago, and it taught me a lot about writing and self-editing. Seriously, this story went through about 30 drafts and numerous cuts before getting accepted. It is also one of the first stories where the characters just seemed to step off the page and take over. Especially Mr. Lucas. (read the story to figure out what I mean)
Two, its the first story I've written that's received its own illustration! Its just a black and white line drawing, but it as still done by a professional, award-winning illustrator!
The good news is that the issue of Niteblade is free and available online. You can find it at this link:
www.niteblade.com
Click on the December 2007 issue, then click beneath the cover image, then click on the link beneath the Support the Writer's Strike sign (which I agree with, btw), then click on my story. There's the story illustration, and then a nice little author bio, and links to the story itself.
Or, you could donate $2 and by the ad-free PDF of the magazine. Speaking as someone whose other job is layout and design, I was quite impressed with how the PDF mag was laid out. Honestly, it makes my story and the others in the issue a lot better laid out. Plus, it supports the small fiction guys and its a steal. Not all of the stories in there are top quality, but some made for interesting reads. Anyway, I hope that you give my story a perusal. I'd love to hear what you think!
Friday, November 16, 2007
new story, The Sparrow
Alright, I won't sugar-coat it, I'm shilling yet another one of my stories that's just been published. The good news is that this one's free too. The bad news is, well, its not bad news per se, but its a caution that this tale might not be to everyone's taste.
The story is called "The Sparrow" and takes place on a slave cargo ship in the 1800's embarking on the Middle Passage, the leg of the voyage where slavers left from Africa and made their way to the Americas.
Its got zombies.
And that's where the "not for everyone" warning label comes in. The story is actually not as gory as one might think, and in my opinion, the violence is tasteful and not gratuitous. But you can't paint the deplorable conditions of the Middle Passage in pretty colors, and when zombies are added to the mix, there might be a little blood that gets spilled. I was fascinated by the idea of the story, especially the premise of how those who treat others inhumanly for a living would react in the face of something truly inhuman.
The Sparrow won a monthly contest at the website called Horror Library. It can be founded under the Slushpile link. (slushpile is an editors' term piles of submitted stories) I was the featured monthly pick.
You can read the story by going to www.horrorlibrary.net. Again, proceed with caution. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Luna Springs--available NOW!
My latest published story, "Luna Springs", is available for free download in audio format from the podcast Drabblecast. Drabblecast is a weekly short fiction podcast/website and "Luna Springs" is a science-fiction satire.
There are two ways you can listen to the story:
1. If you have the program iTunes, go to iTunes Music Store, click on Podcasts, and do a search for Drabblecast. After Wednesday, 11/7, "Luna Springs" should be available.
2. Or you can go directly to the Drabblecast website: Luna Springs I was extremely happy with how the reading came out. Please give it a listen (remember its free--although you can donate money to the site if you feel so inclined) and send me comments if you like!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
What movies you ask?
But wait, I thought that since summer blockbuster season was over, there would be no more geeky movies for Pat to get excited about. (Spider-man 3? Pirates of the Caribbean? Pah!)
In this, dear blog reader person, whomever you are, you would be wrong. Very wrong. For you see, on Friday, November 16th, two movies will be released that I have been waiting for for a long time.
1. Beowulf There are so many reasons I'm excited about this movie. It has a dragon and demons and heroes. It has swords. And vikings. It's motion-capture CGI. Anothony Hopkins. Angelina Jolie. Its FREAKIN' BEOWULF PEOPLE!!! The only damn thing I liked in High school Honor's English. Its arm-ripping, blood-pounding, ale-quaffing adventure! AND, it was written by one of my favorite authors of all time, my hero, the man I want to be when I grow up: Neil Gaiman. (oh, and it has nude scenes with Angelina Jolie...digital yes, but still kinda, um, awesome?)
2. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.'Nuff said.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Number 4!
A few quick updates...
1. I'm no longer going to be posting a reading list here, since my friend at work Rachel emailed me this really cool website called Goodreads, which lets me list all the books I've read in a very nice format. I highly recommend the site to readers.
2. I just found out this week that I've had my fourth story accepted! The story is called The Sparrow, and it takes place on a slave ship in the 1800's. Its got zombies. Anyway, it'll be on a website called the Horror Library.net! Their myspace site is on my friends list. Check 'em out.
3. Another story of mine, Luna Springs, is going to be the feature piece on the weekly podcast, Drabblecast, on October 24th! Its a quick story, and I'm very eager to hear what it sounds like when read aloud.
That's all for now...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Fuck!
God damn it! I just heard the news that Jim Rigney, the man who wrote under the well known non-de-plume as Robert Jordan, died yesterday. Man, this sucks. Robert Jordan began, in the 90's, writing the Wheel of Time fantasy series, a series of books that I began reading all the way back in 7th grade.
The books started off so excellent, though each one at about 900 pages was quite a thing to digest. In fact, Jordan was almost a by-word for fantasy series that grow and grow. Back in high school, I freakin' loved these books. I would re-read them all the time. I started to lose interest after a poorly-written book 10, with no end in sight, but book 11 had brought me back into the fold.
In many ways, us fans never wanted the journey to end. I had always hoped he would be able to conquer his disease and finish his series as JK Rowling and Stephen King had done. And now, the road that seemed like it would go ever onward has halted. My condolences go out to his family and friends. What a tragic thing...
The only thing more I can think to say (and while it is corny, it is true, as so many true things are) is that while Jordan has passed into the Light, his characters will live on.
Friday, August 24, 2007
published again!
I guess good things come in three's. I jut got word that my short story, Luna Springs, has been accepted to be read aloud in a weekly online podcast called Drabblecast!
YESSSSSS!!!!!!
So now, by the end of this year I'll have a poem and two short stories published! Fan-freakin'-tastic. Although my grand total of payment for these stories has been pretty low, its still nice to have gotten some money. More info to come on the details of when the stories will get published.
Also, because of the places that the stories have been accepted, I'll have a work in print, a work online, and a work in audio format! Which is pretty cool.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Dark Knight pt. 2
I'm an extra in the movie! I'll be filming all day Sunday on set. (God that sounds cool) Yeeeaaahhhhhh!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Do you want to read my published poem?
As most of you know, I just had my first post-Aquinas bit of writing published this July! To add on to that good news, I just found out yesterday that another one of my stories, The Seventh Day, has been accepted into an online magazine called Niteblade! (should be out this December!)
The reason I'm send this out to you all, is that most of you expressed interest in owning a copy of the magazine I just got published in. Unfortunately, they only gave me 2 free contributor copies. But I'd still like y'all to have the issue. So here's what I'm thinking.
You could either:
A. email me back saying that you'd like a copy and I'll order it online for you, you can pay me back later with either $3.50 or a beer.
B. order the magazine yourself online. Here's the link to their store: http://thewillows.myshopify.com
The magazine is called The Willows and costs $3.50, and I'm in the July issue. Most of the fiction is pretty dark/scary, as is my poem The Pipes of Pan, so be forewarned! If you're getting this, that means you're one of my friends or family who's supported me while I've worked on getting my writing career off the ground, and honestly, that means more than I can say. Its no best-seller, but its a start!
Monday, July 23, 2007
H-Pizzle
Which is, to say, my roommate's "gangsta" nickname for Harry Potter.
Though I am in the midst of a lot of books right now, (far too many to try to put into an updated reading list since my last one--dammit!), I put them all aside for the 7th book by now-billionaire JK Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: wow. Halfway through the book I had my doubts, I must admit. It gets very dark, very depressing. I wanted more Snape!!! However, the 2nd half of the book, somehow manages to resolve all the mysteries and give us an almost-too-happy ending. Yes there's deaths, and lots of them, but I seriously thought more main characters were going to bite it. The fear of main characters' death did, however add a spicy, icy anticipation flavor to the book which made the experience more enjoyable.
I was also gratified that several of my (and Adrian Blazek's) prediction came true. Although, in a way, this took away from the surprise, but still, ultimately made the book enjoyable. Character favorite, in some ways, was Snape, who I now compare almost to Dicken's Sydney Carton or Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday as an excellent tragically flawed anti-hero.
The best was how I was totally unaware of whether or not Dumbledore had a plan. I can't tell you what was left to chance and what was it. Suffice to say, Rowlling is good at writing mysteries. I'm in awe of her planning skills. So, in the end, the book lives up to the hype. We have a series that can be re-read, enjoyed, and passed on. I can sit back now and wistfully think of how I began reading about Harry 7 years ago, in my room in the basement of my parents house. We (the Muggle readers) and the characters who live in Rowling's world of magic have all changed a lot since then.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT, BEWARE!
My one question, or regret, is that a portrait of Snape as headmaster was not seen in the headmaster's office after he died. I would have loved for some more resolution between Harry and Snape. The scenes where he looks into Harry's eyes (to see the look of Lily's eyes) as he dies and the epitaph that Harry gives about Snape to his son (named after Snape and Dumbledore) were quite beautiful.
I think a conversation between an older Harry and Snape's portrait by Rowling, would serve as an excellent post-script short story...it'd be great if she ever did that...but I guess that's the nice part of me that wants to see everyone resolve conflicts and be friends. Yeah, I'm an old softy.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Nananananananana BATMAN!
Those of you who know me, know that I am a nerd.
And with that disclaimer, I have to talk about the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT, which is FILMING in Chicago!!! Last week, my roommate and I came across a Gotham City Police squad car behind our bulding. We waited around for a bit (okay, I did climb onto a truck, all secret-mission-impossible style) and we saw Gary Oldman walk out for a scene as Commissioner Gordon. As if the Fanboy in me couldn't be pleased enough, I just found out that Tuesday and Wed. 6/26-6/27, they are filming Batman RIGHT in front of my office all day!!!! Yes, this is me gushing. No, I will not dress up in a batsuit and punch Heath ledger (he's playing the Joker). Although the thought is tempting...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Reading List (again)
The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester. How do you get away with murder when nearly everyone is psychic? Good. A sci-fi classic. I'm glad to have read it, the man was ahead of his time. Honestly, I'm surprised that they let the book get published in the 50's.
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where hackers reign, the Mafia delivers pizza (or else!) the CIA has become the CIC (Central Intelligence Corporation), and no one give a shit who the President is. Again, ahead of its time. Basically, the Matrix movies would not exist but for this book. The style is definitely interesting, I would say that it is the definitive "cyber-punk" or "steam-punk" book.
A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore. Fucking hilarious. Chris Moore is the American Terry Pratchett. Bravo! Thank you Adrian for turning me on to him.
Death: The Time of Your Life, by Neil Gaiman. Amazing, as always. Neil Gaiman, I want to be you when I grow up.
Death: The High Cost of Living, by Neil Gaiman. Ditto above. Death as a cute goth chic is somehow very believable to me.
The Dreamhunters, by Neil Gaiman. A beautifully rendered, beautifully written Asian folktale in which a fox falls in love with a monk, and tries to save his life by pleading to the King of Dreams. Neil Gaiman, I want to be your heir.
A Magic Lover's Treasury of the Fantastic, edited by Margaret Weis. Some quite good stories in here. Others were just so-so. It introduced me to Fritzi Leiber, and there was a fantastic piece by Roger Zelzany, and a good Ray Bradbury. Overall, a very good find at the used bookstore.
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle. Sad, funny, beautiful, and strange. At times it tired me, and at other times (especially toward the end) it made me want to cry. Sometimes it felt as though Beagle was trying too hard to be symbolic, and then again, it worked perfectly. Get it?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
PUBLISHED!!!
After stacks of rejection letters, it was bound to finally happen!
The July issue of The Willows, an LA-based dark/speculative fiction magazine will be printing my poem "The Pipes of Pan"!
Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooo!
Be sure to try and pick up a copy!!!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
If all you're friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Uh, sadly yes. And have done so.
In response to my misguided bleached hair of 7 years past, my friend Annie just asked me if Billy Joe Armstrong jumped off a cliff, would I as well? This got me thinking about an incident during my time in Costa Rica. My friends Chris, Heidi, Theresa and I were all staying in the beautiful little surf town of Montezuma, along the southern coast of Costa Rica.
Montezuma is known for, among other things (including topless beaches and great surfing), its spectular series of freshwater waterfalls and lagoons a couple of miles out from the village. Suffice to say, the place is paradise. Lush green trees, water so clear you can actually see the sunbeams wavering through it, even at 20 feet deep.
One of traditions at the falls is to cliff dive. There are several waterfalls, one 100 feet tall, one that's about 50-60 feet, and a couple of 25 footers. The 25 footers are easy. You can swing off ropes and vines into them. However, several tourists have actually died jumping the 100 footers. For while the pools at the bottom are quite deep, they are surrounded by hard, hard stone. Most people content themselves with the 55 foot waterfall.
When I saw that, I thought, "there is no way in hell I'm jumping that thing." I was happy swinging off ropes from 25 feet up, but after that... Its not that I have a fear of heights. I love climbing, love rollercoasters, I leaned over the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland ferchrissakes!
But, I hate falling. HATE it. I am terrified of bunji-jumping. I actually feel queezy when I think about it. So, naturally, I was content to let my friends do it. Oh, how I underestimated the power of peer pressure and my own wounded machismo!
You see, I expected Chris to jump, and maybe the girls, but I thought they would have to work themselves up to leaping off a 60 foot cliff. Therefore I was a little irritated that both girls jumped without hesitating as soon as we reached the cliffs. Not to be daunted, Chris followed. Then they all did it again. And again.
That's when the taunting started. I'm pretty sure I remember Chris calling me a "Sissy-ass bitch", which I think was what did it. Chanting to myself over and over to "Just fucking do it" I ran at the cliff and jumped...
It takes a long time to fall 60 feet.
Midway through, I made the mistake of opening my eyes and looking down.
Which caused me to shift to my side.
Which caused me to LAND on my side.
Which caused a huge splash and a collective "Ooohhhh" from all of the onlookers, including Chris, Heidi, and Therese. I came up to the surface laughing hysterically, and repeatedly saying over and over, "it hurts when I laugh, hee hee."
Turns out I bruised my ribs on the landing, and they would remain purple and green for the next few weeks, and hurt whenever I raised my arm. Nothing, of course, that a few beers couldn't fix, at least for the night. Apart from the sickness of post-adrenaline rush and the occasional pain in my side I was quite glad that I "conquered" my fear, albeit with the help of some well-placed taunts.
So, would I jump off a cliff if all my friends did it? Probably not again. However, for all fellow lemmings out there, if you must follow your friends over a cliff, my only advice to you is, don't look down.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Reading List (3/6/07)
Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson, a historical account that combines the invention of the Marconi's wireless radio and a doctor's murder of his unfaithful wife and how the two events crossed path's in Victorian London.
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology, slow going but very creepy
Dracula's Guest, the White Worm, and Other tales, a Bram Stoker collection, everything written by the man outside of Dracula. Fascinating
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
I have just recently finished:
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly
The Vampyre, by Dr. Polidori (a companion to the Frankenstein piece)
The Last Duel, by Eric Jager (a really cool historical account of the last government approved duel in medieval France, and all the intrigue that led up to it) AWESOME!
The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, a Pulizter Prize winner, loosely inspired from the story of Siegel and Schuster, the creators of Superman
The Line Between, by Peter Beagle..most of the stories in here were pretty good. There's one about a cat that I think my friend Adrian would like. My favorite is the Sherlock Holmes tribute, but the Two Hearts story made me want to read The Last Unicorn.
The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett
The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett
Eric (or Faust), by Terry Pratchett. All of Pratchett's books are, as always, excellent, combining excellent writing, sharp, to-the-point satire, a good story, and great humor.
I am waiting to read:
Adventures in Unhistory: Conjectures on the Factual Foundations of Several Ancient Legends by Avram Davidson....a historical examination of the factual basis for several common myths...I love the idea!
Winter of Enchantment, by Victoria Walker...hey it looks cool, and Neil Gaiman recommended it
The Empire of Ice Cream, by Jeffrey Ford...a good review in F&SF mag, apparently full of very original stories, something very lacking in the fantastic genre today
The Compete Poe Anthology, by Edgar Allen Poe
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Screw work, I'm going for a run.
What? That's all I got.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Fuck Valentine's Day, its my brother's birthday!
Happy Birthday Sean! He's turning 16, which means come June that I'll be 26. Wow. Now I feel incredibly old. And he'll be able to LEGALLY drive a car! Holy shit!
Watch out streets of Portage. I bet my parents can't wait to cope with one final round of super-fun teenage angst before the last Hurley child is finally out of the house...
Monday, January 08, 2007
New Year's resolutions:
1. To get into marathon shape again.
2. To crush all who stand in between me and world domination.
3. To try and be a better listener.
4. To stop dropping acid.
5. To start snorting cocaine.
6. To figure out what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.
7. To drink a lot of Guinness so I can figure what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.
8. Kill.
9. To instate an 11th commandment in Church dogma that reads "It's not a sin if it's awesome."
10. To read less and watch more reality TV. Apparently I'm missing out on what it means to be an American.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
What I'm reading as of 1/7/07:
The Stolen Child, by Keith Donohue, inspired by Yeat's poem of the same name (and my favorite poem ever) the dual story of boy who is kidnapped and the changeling who replaces him
Lisey's Story, by Stephen King, so far, so fantastic...a famous author's wife must confront things that were left behind after her husband's death...one wonders how much of this is based on King's own life?
White Man, by Tony D'Ouza, interesting unique story of a white missionary worker in Africa, quite vivid and I like how the protagonist really "goes native". Very different from what I imagine my friend Joel is doing right now in Africa.
1602, by Neil Gaiman, all the Marvel superheroes in England during 1602. Fantastic, and winner of the Quill Award
The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susannah Clarke...I love English writers and Clarke's tales capture the magic and otherworldliness that fairy tales SHOULD have
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley...taking a break on it, but still plugging away
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology...weird but fun
A Tolkien Miscellany, by JRR Tolkien...Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a very difficult read, but fascinating...I would say its more scholarly than compelling
Civically Engaged Reader, by the Great Books Foundation (that's my office)
Monday, December 10, 2007
new story "The Seventh Day" available
So I just had another story come out in the December issue of the e-zine Niteblade. The story is title "The Seventh Day" and its sort of a modern homage to Dante's Inferno. (that means its about hell) I actually read it at the Twilight Tales open mic this past November
I'm excited about it for two reasons.
One, it was one of the first stories I wrote after moving to Chicago, and it taught me a lot about writing and self-editing. Seriously, this story went through about 30 drafts and numerous cuts before getting accepted. It is also one of the first stories where the characters just seemed to step off the page and take over. Especially Mr. Lucas. (read the story to figure out what I mean)
Two, its the first story I've written that's received its own illustration! Its just a black and white line drawing, but it as still done by a professional, award-winning illustrator!
The good news is that the issue of Niteblade is free and available online. You can find it at this link:
www.niteblade.com
Click on the December 2007 issue, then click beneath the cover image, then click on the link beneath the Support the Writer's Strike sign (which I agree with, btw), then click on my story. There's the story illustration, and then a nice little author bio, and links to the story itself.
Or, you could donate $2 and by the ad-free PDF of the magazine. Speaking as someone whose other job is layout and design, I was quite impressed with how the PDF mag was laid out. Honestly, it makes my story and the others in the issue a lot better laid out. Plus, it supports the small fiction guys and its a steal. Not all of the stories in there are top quality, but some made for interesting reads. Anyway, I hope that you give my story a perusal. I'd love to hear what you think!
Friday, November 16, 2007
new story, The Sparrow
Alright, I won't sugar-coat it, I'm shilling yet another one of my stories that's just been published. The good news is that this one's free too. The bad news is, well, its not bad news per se, but its a caution that this tale might not be to everyone's taste.
The story is called "The Sparrow" and takes place on a slave cargo ship in the 1800's embarking on the Middle Passage, the leg of the voyage where slavers left from Africa and made their way to the Americas.
Its got zombies.
And that's where the "not for everyone" warning label comes in. The story is actually not as gory as one might think, and in my opinion, the violence is tasteful and not gratuitous. But you can't paint the deplorable conditions of the Middle Passage in pretty colors, and when zombies are added to the mix, there might be a little blood that gets spilled. I was fascinated by the idea of the story, especially the premise of how those who treat others inhumanly for a living would react in the face of something truly inhuman.
The Sparrow won a monthly contest at the website called Horror Library. It can be founded under the Slushpile link. (slushpile is an editors' term piles of submitted stories) I was the featured monthly pick.
You can read the story by going to www.horrorlibrary.net. Again, proceed with caution. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Luna Springs--available NOW!
My latest published story, "Luna Springs", is available for free download in audio format from the podcast Drabblecast. Drabblecast is a weekly short fiction podcast/website and "Luna Springs" is a science-fiction satire.
There are two ways you can listen to the story:
1. If you have the program iTunes, go to iTunes Music Store, click on Podcasts, and do a search for Drabblecast. After Wednesday, 11/7, "Luna Springs" should be available.
2. Or you can go directly to the Drabblecast website: Luna Springs I was extremely happy with how the reading came out. Please give it a listen (remember its free--although you can donate money to the site if you feel so inclined) and send me comments if you like!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
What movies you ask?
But wait, I thought that since summer blockbuster season was over, there would be no more geeky movies for Pat to get excited about. (Spider-man 3? Pirates of the Caribbean? Pah!)
In this, dear blog reader person, whomever you are, you would be wrong. Very wrong. For you see, on Friday, November 16th, two movies will be released that I have been waiting for for a long time.
1. Beowulf There are so many reasons I'm excited about this movie. It has a dragon and demons and heroes. It has swords. And vikings. It's motion-capture CGI. Anothony Hopkins. Angelina Jolie. Its FREAKIN' BEOWULF PEOPLE!!! The only damn thing I liked in High school Honor's English. Its arm-ripping, blood-pounding, ale-quaffing adventure! AND, it was written by one of my favorite authors of all time, my hero, the man I want to be when I grow up: Neil Gaiman. (oh, and it has nude scenes with Angelina Jolie...digital yes, but still kinda, um, awesome?)
2. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.'Nuff said.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Number 4!
A few quick updates...
1. I'm no longer going to be posting a reading list here, since my friend at work Rachel emailed me this really cool website called Goodreads, which lets me list all the books I've read in a very nice format. I highly recommend the site to readers.
2. I just found out this week that I've had my fourth story accepted! The story is called The Sparrow, and it takes place on a slave ship in the 1800's. Its got zombies. Anyway, it'll be on a website called the Horror Library.net! Their myspace site is on my friends list. Check 'em out.
3. Another story of mine, Luna Springs, is going to be the feature piece on the weekly podcast, Drabblecast, on October 24th! Its a quick story, and I'm very eager to hear what it sounds like when read aloud.
That's all for now...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Fuck!
God damn it! I just heard the news that Jim Rigney, the man who wrote under the well known non-de-plume as Robert Jordan, died yesterday. Man, this sucks. Robert Jordan began, in the 90's, writing the Wheel of Time fantasy series, a series of books that I began reading all the way back in 7th grade.
The books started off so excellent, though each one at about 900 pages was quite a thing to digest. In fact, Jordan was almost a by-word for fantasy series that grow and grow. Back in high school, I freakin' loved these books. I would re-read them all the time. I started to lose interest after a poorly-written book 10, with no end in sight, but book 11 had brought me back into the fold.
In many ways, us fans never wanted the journey to end. I had always hoped he would be able to conquer his disease and finish his series as JK Rowling and Stephen King had done. And now, the road that seemed like it would go ever onward has halted. My condolences go out to his family and friends. What a tragic thing...
The only thing more I can think to say (and while it is corny, it is true, as so many true things are) is that while Jordan has passed into the Light, his characters will live on.
Friday, August 24, 2007
published again!
I guess good things come in three's. I jut got word that my short story, Luna Springs, has been accepted to be read aloud in a weekly online podcast called Drabblecast!
YESSSSSS!!!!!!
So now, by the end of this year I'll have a poem and two short stories published! Fan-freakin'-tastic. Although my grand total of payment for these stories has been pretty low, its still nice to have gotten some money. More info to come on the details of when the stories will get published.
Also, because of the places that the stories have been accepted, I'll have a work in print, a work online, and a work in audio format! Which is pretty cool.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Dark Knight pt. 2
I'm an extra in the movie! I'll be filming all day Sunday on set. (God that sounds cool) Yeeeaaahhhhhh!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Do you want to read my published poem?
As most of you know, I just had my first post-Aquinas bit of writing published this July! To add on to that good news, I just found out yesterday that another one of my stories, The Seventh Day, has been accepted into an online magazine called Niteblade! (should be out this December!)
The reason I'm send this out to you all, is that most of you expressed interest in owning a copy of the magazine I just got published in. Unfortunately, they only gave me 2 free contributor copies. But I'd still like y'all to have the issue. So here's what I'm thinking.
You could either:
A. email me back saying that you'd like a copy and I'll order it online for you, you can pay me back later with either $3.50 or a beer.
B. order the magazine yourself online. Here's the link to their store: http://thewillows.myshopify.com
The magazine is called The Willows and costs $3.50, and I'm in the July issue. Most of the fiction is pretty dark/scary, as is my poem The Pipes of Pan, so be forewarned! If you're getting this, that means you're one of my friends or family who's supported me while I've worked on getting my writing career off the ground, and honestly, that means more than I can say. Its no best-seller, but its a start!
Monday, July 23, 2007
H-Pizzle
Which is, to say, my roommate's "gangsta" nickname for Harry Potter.
Though I am in the midst of a lot of books right now, (far too many to try to put into an updated reading list since my last one--dammit!), I put them all aside for the 7th book by now-billionaire JK Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: wow. Halfway through the book I had my doubts, I must admit. It gets very dark, very depressing. I wanted more Snape!!! However, the 2nd half of the book, somehow manages to resolve all the mysteries and give us an almost-too-happy ending. Yes there's deaths, and lots of them, but I seriously thought more main characters were going to bite it. The fear of main characters' death did, however add a spicy, icy anticipation flavor to the book which made the experience more enjoyable.
I was also gratified that several of my (and Adrian Blazek's) prediction came true. Although, in a way, this took away from the surprise, but still, ultimately made the book enjoyable. Character favorite, in some ways, was Snape, who I now compare almost to Dicken's Sydney Carton or Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday as an excellent tragically flawed anti-hero.
The best was how I was totally unaware of whether or not Dumbledore had a plan. I can't tell you what was left to chance and what was it. Suffice to say, Rowlling is good at writing mysteries. I'm in awe of her planning skills. So, in the end, the book lives up to the hype. We have a series that can be re-read, enjoyed, and passed on. I can sit back now and wistfully think of how I began reading about Harry 7 years ago, in my room in the basement of my parents house. We (the Muggle readers) and the characters who live in Rowling's world of magic have all changed a lot since then.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT, BEWARE!
My one question, or regret, is that a portrait of Snape as headmaster was not seen in the headmaster's office after he died. I would have loved for some more resolution between Harry and Snape. The scenes where he looks into Harry's eyes (to see the look of Lily's eyes) as he dies and the epitaph that Harry gives about Snape to his son (named after Snape and Dumbledore) were quite beautiful.
I think a conversation between an older Harry and Snape's portrait by Rowling, would serve as an excellent post-script short story...it'd be great if she ever did that...but I guess that's the nice part of me that wants to see everyone resolve conflicts and be friends. Yeah, I'm an old softy.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Nananananananana BATMAN!
Those of you who know me, know that I am a nerd.
And with that disclaimer, I have to talk about the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT, which is FILMING in Chicago!!! Last week, my roommate and I came across a Gotham City Police squad car behind our bulding. We waited around for a bit (okay, I did climb onto a truck, all secret-mission-impossible style) and we saw Gary Oldman walk out for a scene as Commissioner Gordon. As if the Fanboy in me couldn't be pleased enough, I just found out that Tuesday and Wed. 6/26-6/27, they are filming Batman RIGHT in front of my office all day!!!! Yes, this is me gushing. No, I will not dress up in a batsuit and punch Heath ledger (he's playing the Joker). Although the thought is tempting...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Reading List (again)
The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester. How do you get away with murder when nearly everyone is psychic? Good. A sci-fi classic. I'm glad to have read it, the man was ahead of his time. Honestly, I'm surprised that they let the book get published in the 50's.
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where hackers reign, the Mafia delivers pizza (or else!) the CIA has become the CIC (Central Intelligence Corporation), and no one give a shit who the President is. Again, ahead of its time. Basically, the Matrix movies would not exist but for this book. The style is definitely interesting, I would say that it is the definitive "cyber-punk" or "steam-punk" book.
A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore. Fucking hilarious. Chris Moore is the American Terry Pratchett. Bravo! Thank you Adrian for turning me on to him.
Death: The Time of Your Life, by Neil Gaiman. Amazing, as always. Neil Gaiman, I want to be you when I grow up.
Death: The High Cost of Living, by Neil Gaiman. Ditto above. Death as a cute goth chic is somehow very believable to me.
The Dreamhunters, by Neil Gaiman. A beautifully rendered, beautifully written Asian folktale in which a fox falls in love with a monk, and tries to save his life by pleading to the King of Dreams. Neil Gaiman, I want to be your heir.
A Magic Lover's Treasury of the Fantastic, edited by Margaret Weis. Some quite good stories in here. Others were just so-so. It introduced me to Fritzi Leiber, and there was a fantastic piece by Roger Zelzany, and a good Ray Bradbury. Overall, a very good find at the used bookstore.
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle. Sad, funny, beautiful, and strange. At times it tired me, and at other times (especially toward the end) it made me want to cry. Sometimes it felt as though Beagle was trying too hard to be symbolic, and then again, it worked perfectly. Get it?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
PUBLISHED!!!
After stacks of rejection letters, it was bound to finally happen!
The July issue of The Willows, an LA-based dark/speculative fiction magazine will be printing my poem "The Pipes of Pan"!
Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooo!
Be sure to try and pick up a copy!!!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
If all you're friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Uh, sadly yes. And have done so.
In response to my misguided bleached hair of 7 years past, my friend Annie just asked me if Billy Joe Armstrong jumped off a cliff, would I as well? This got me thinking about an incident during my time in Costa Rica. My friends Chris, Heidi, Theresa and I were all staying in the beautiful little surf town of Montezuma, along the southern coast of Costa Rica.
Montezuma is known for, among other things (including topless beaches and great surfing), its spectular series of freshwater waterfalls and lagoons a couple of miles out from the village. Suffice to say, the place is paradise. Lush green trees, water so clear you can actually see the sunbeams wavering through it, even at 20 feet deep.
One of traditions at the falls is to cliff dive. There are several waterfalls, one 100 feet tall, one that's about 50-60 feet, and a couple of 25 footers. The 25 footers are easy. You can swing off ropes and vines into them. However, several tourists have actually died jumping the 100 footers. For while the pools at the bottom are quite deep, they are surrounded by hard, hard stone. Most people content themselves with the 55 foot waterfall.
When I saw that, I thought, "there is no way in hell I'm jumping that thing." I was happy swinging off ropes from 25 feet up, but after that... Its not that I have a fear of heights. I love climbing, love rollercoasters, I leaned over the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland ferchrissakes!
But, I hate falling. HATE it. I am terrified of bunji-jumping. I actually feel queezy when I think about it. So, naturally, I was content to let my friends do it. Oh, how I underestimated the power of peer pressure and my own wounded machismo!
You see, I expected Chris to jump, and maybe the girls, but I thought they would have to work themselves up to leaping off a 60 foot cliff. Therefore I was a little irritated that both girls jumped without hesitating as soon as we reached the cliffs. Not to be daunted, Chris followed. Then they all did it again. And again.
That's when the taunting started. I'm pretty sure I remember Chris calling me a "Sissy-ass bitch", which I think was what did it. Chanting to myself over and over to "Just fucking do it" I ran at the cliff and jumped...
It takes a long time to fall 60 feet.
Midway through, I made the mistake of opening my eyes and looking down.
Which caused me to shift to my side.
Which caused me to LAND on my side.
Which caused a huge splash and a collective "Ooohhhh" from all of the onlookers, including Chris, Heidi, and Therese. I came up to the surface laughing hysterically, and repeatedly saying over and over, "it hurts when I laugh, hee hee."
Turns out I bruised my ribs on the landing, and they would remain purple and green for the next few weeks, and hurt whenever I raised my arm. Nothing, of course, that a few beers couldn't fix, at least for the night. Apart from the sickness of post-adrenaline rush and the occasional pain in my side I was quite glad that I "conquered" my fear, albeit with the help of some well-placed taunts.
So, would I jump off a cliff if all my friends did it? Probably not again. However, for all fellow lemmings out there, if you must follow your friends over a cliff, my only advice to you is, don't look down.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Reading List (3/6/07)
Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson, a historical account that combines the invention of the Marconi's wireless radio and a doctor's murder of his unfaithful wife and how the two events crossed path's in Victorian London.
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology, slow going but very creepy
Dracula's Guest, the White Worm, and Other tales, a Bram Stoker collection, everything written by the man outside of Dracula. Fascinating
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
I have just recently finished:
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly
The Vampyre, by Dr. Polidori (a companion to the Frankenstein piece)
The Last Duel, by Eric Jager (a really cool historical account of the last government approved duel in medieval France, and all the intrigue that led up to it) AWESOME!
The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, a Pulizter Prize winner, loosely inspired from the story of Siegel and Schuster, the creators of Superman
The Line Between, by Peter Beagle..most of the stories in here were pretty good. There's one about a cat that I think my friend Adrian would like. My favorite is the Sherlock Holmes tribute, but the Two Hearts story made me want to read The Last Unicorn.
The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett
The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett
Eric (or Faust), by Terry Pratchett. All of Pratchett's books are, as always, excellent, combining excellent writing, sharp, to-the-point satire, a good story, and great humor.
I am waiting to read:
Adventures in Unhistory: Conjectures on the Factual Foundations of Several Ancient Legends by Avram Davidson....a historical examination of the factual basis for several common myths...I love the idea!
Winter of Enchantment, by Victoria Walker...hey it looks cool, and Neil Gaiman recommended it
The Empire of Ice Cream, by Jeffrey Ford...a good review in F&SF mag, apparently full of very original stories, something very lacking in the fantastic genre today
The Compete Poe Anthology, by Edgar Allen Poe
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Screw work, I'm going for a run.
What? That's all I got.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Fuck Valentine's Day, its my brother's birthday!
Happy Birthday Sean! He's turning 16, which means come June that I'll be 26. Wow. Now I feel incredibly old. And he'll be able to LEGALLY drive a car! Holy shit!
Watch out streets of Portage. I bet my parents can't wait to cope with one final round of super-fun teenage angst before the last Hurley child is finally out of the house...
Monday, January 08, 2007
New Year's resolutions:
1. To get into marathon shape again.
2. To crush all who stand in between me and world domination.
3. To try and be a better listener.
4. To stop dropping acid.
5. To start snorting cocaine.
6. To figure out what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.
7. To drink a lot of Guinness so I can figure what the hell James Joyce was talking about in Ulysses.
8. Kill.
9. To instate an 11th commandment in Church dogma that reads "It's not a sin if it's awesome."
10. To read less and watch more reality TV. Apparently I'm missing out on what it means to be an American.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
What I'm reading as of 1/7/07:
The Stolen Child, by Keith Donohue, inspired by Yeat's poem of the same name (and my favorite poem ever) the dual story of boy who is kidnapped and the changeling who replaces him
Lisey's Story, by Stephen King, so far, so fantastic...a famous author's wife must confront things that were left behind after her husband's death...one wonders how much of this is based on King's own life?
White Man, by Tony D'Ouza, interesting unique story of a white missionary worker in Africa, quite vivid and I like how the protagonist really "goes native". Very different from what I imagine my friend Joel is doing right now in Africa.
1602, by Neil Gaiman, all the Marvel superheroes in England during 1602. Fantastic, and winner of the Quill Award
The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Susannah Clarke...I love English writers and Clarke's tales capture the magic and otherworldliness that fairy tales SHOULD have
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley...taking a break on it, but still plugging away
The Black Seas of Infinite, an HP Lovecraft anthology...weird but fun
A Tolkien Miscellany, by JRR Tolkien...Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a very difficult read, but fascinating...I would say its more scholarly than compelling
Civically Engaged Reader, by the Great Books Foundation (that's my office)
Monday, July 14, 2008
First Post
I'm posting this to see if its possible to import other blogs and online journals I've created so they can all be linked into this site.
So this might as well be a "this is a test post" type entry. It may be deleted.
So this might as well be a "this is a test post" type entry. It may be deleted.
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