Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Throwback Thursday: Touching The Magical Tower
“Dammit, I know this. I know what this is! This means something. This is important.” – When Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) uttered those words forty years ago in the classic Spielberg film, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, he was attempting to shape the Devils Tower out of mashed potatoes.
“My, What A Big Bat!” Lines From Vintage Horror Movies
No CGI in the classic horror movies of yore, but they could still scare the crap out of you. Here are some memorable lines from a few of them.
The Devils Tower commands two chapters in my latest novel, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH. Here is the Lakota legend about the tower, which is also known as Matȟó Thípila—the Bear Lodge. It first ran in 2017.
Jonathan Creek: Magic, Mystery, And The Macabre
Jonathan Creek is a narrow tributary to a Canadian river. JONATHAN CREEK is also the title of a venerable British TV mystery series, as well as the name of its lead character. And I must say, this exceptional series deserves its cult following.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—1408
Writers love to write about other writers, and Stephen King arguably leads the league in that category. Just to name a few: THE DARK HALF MISERY, ‘SALEM’S LOT, BAG OF BONES, and SECRET WINDOW, SECRET GARDEN. And his short story, 1408…
Report From The Quarantine Cave 10.0
Year Two-plus of the coronavirus pandemic. Well, it might be “plus” for most everyone, but for me it started for real on a day in early March almost exactly one year ago. Hard to forget…
Throwback Thursday: From Bedtime Story To Book—THE DARK CORNER
No grandchildren that I can read to during the blasted pandemic! I first presented this post about my YA novel, THE DARK CORNER, in 2017.
Curious Possessions IV
With seven-plus decades in the rearview mirror I’ve had plenty of time to collect a whole lot of “stuff.” Here is a look at some more “Curious Possessions” floating around my domicile.
Throwback Thursday: Native American Film Gems—EDGE OF AMERICA
Outstanding director Chris Eyre (SMOKE SIGNALS, SKINS) took a true story and turned it into EDGE OF AMERICA, a 2003 made-for-cable film. On the surface it appears to be an inspirational sports movie, but that is only a small part of the big picture.
Dashing Through The Snow…
Last week I wrote about “bad science” movies and mentioned THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, a 2004 “climate science fiction/disaster” film. In this expanded post I first thought about adding it to my Guilty Pleasures, but given that it grossed over $550 million, I quickly discarded that idea.
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