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.
Films About Writers: Resurrecting The Champ
Not a whole lot of folks saw the sports drama, Resurrecting the Champ—“inspired by a true story”—during its short theatrical run in 2007.That’s too bad, because it is an excellent film, and Samuel L. Jackson’s brilliant performance as the titular character was Oscar-worthy, I kid you not.
A Study In…Unique Writing
Victorian-era writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created two of the most memorable characters in all of fiction: amateur sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John Watson. Their adventures spanned four novels and over fifty short stories. Obviously, there had to be a first story—which brings me to A Study in Scarlet, a most remarkable novel, and quite a way to launch a career.
California Dreaming
I live in Southern California. More important than that: I am a Southern Californian; have been for over two-thirds of my life. There is no other place where I can imagine myself to be. But wow, did I take a circuitous route to wind up here. Let me explain.
“It’s Alive!”
Some more fun with memorable movie lines. Enjoy!
“Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, IT’S ALIVE!” A rather exuberant Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) upon seeing his patchwork Monster move in the original (1931) film version of Frankenstein.
A Neat Disappearing Act
Old joke: Igor says to Count Dracula, “Master, the Invisible Man is here!” and the Count replies, “Tell him I can’t see him.” (Like I said, old, and also bad.)
Of late I’ve had the great pleasure of revisiting classic books and movies in my favorite genres. In some cases I’ve enjoyed the same story in both formats. This is true of The Invisible Man, the famous novel by H.G. Wells. He published the book in 1897 and was still around to see its film release by Universal Pictures in 1933.
The Man-Eaters Of Tsavo
Over a century ago a British engineer, Col. John Patterson, wrote a book titled, The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures. A considerable portion of the book details his experiences in dealing with attacks by two enormous, man-eating lions that terrorized the builders of the Uganda Railway in and around the Kenya village of Tsavo. Patterson’s courage in the face of imminent death—by some accounts, the lions killed upward of 130 people during their nine-month reign of terror—makes for a fascinating read.
Myths And Legends: The Modoc Tale Of Bat
The Modoc People, like all Native American tribes, have their own folklore—myths and legends handed down through time. In my historical novel, Stone Woman: Winema and the Modocs, I insert one of these legends at an emotionally charged moment in the (true) story. It is Good Friday, 1873; Winema and her husband, Frank, will serve as interpreters during a council between the Peace Commissioners and the Modoc war chief, Captain Jack, and his lieutenants. Most believe that the Modocs, tired of talking, will attack the Commissioners, putting Winema and Frank’s lives in danger.
Films About Writers: Time After Time
My previous posts in the “Films About Writers” series, Finding Forrester and Misery, featured fictional writers. In the 1979 movie, Time After Time, we have a real writer, H.G. Wells, put into a fictional story—with some interesting results. Wells—referred to as...
Spark It Up In The Everweed State
Dude, you gotta read this book! About a year ago I had the great pleasure of working on The Everweed State (subtitled E Cannabis Unum; how cool is that!) with author Rebecca Baumgartner, who had a good deal of help with research from her husband, Tracy. This entertaining—and timely—novel has now been published, and I couldn’t be any happier for this couple, among the nicest people with whom I’ve worked during my centuries of coaching and editing.
Guilty Pleasures: The Core
It is not for lack of box office that the 2003 sci-fi/disaster flick, The Core, is a guilty pleasure, because it supposedly made back its production budget, and then some. It was, however, a critical disaster, with crummy reviews panning everything from its plot “silliness” to its bad science. Regarding the latter, The Core was voted the worst science fiction film ever in a poll taken among a bunch of scientists.
My response: piss on ’em. I totally enjoy this film and will watch it every year or two until the Mother Ship arrives.
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