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: Burroughs’ Moon Series—More Than A Sword & Planet Adventure
As a kid I could not appreciate the nuances of Burroughs’ three-book Moon series, which consisted of THE MOON MAID, THE MOON MEN, and THE RED HAWK. Because back then, what could I know about the evils of Communism?
“Que Sera, Sera”—RIP, Doris Day
A national treasure is gone. Singer, actress, animal rights activist Doris Day passed away last week at the amazing age of ninety-seven from complications of pneumonia.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Books—The NeverEnding Story
If the 1979 novel, THE NEVERENDING STORY, by German author Michael Ende, is a book about a book, then I suppose the 1984 film adaptation, THE NEVERENDING STORY, can be referred to as a movie about a book about a book. But why make ourselves crazy thinking about that? The main thing is that this fairytale/fantasy, while well loved by children, has a most important message for adults.
Myths And Legends: The Mary Celeste—A Real-Life Ghost Ship
A natural disaster? An assault by pirates? A murderous plot by the crew? An attack by a giant sea creature? Paranormal activity? All of these suggestions, and more, have been tossed about with regard to the mystery of the MARY CELESTE, a bizarre incident that remains unresolved to this day, nearly a century and a half later.
Throwback Thursday: A Post-Apocalyptic Train Ride
Did you ever have a bad dream where you’re aboard a train that just rolls on and on, and you can’t get off of it? That’s what passengers on a train called Snowpiercer must endure—the difference being that they would not want to get off if their lives depended on it—which, in fact, it does.
Smoke Signals: A Well-Deserved Honor For A Great Film
Earlier this year it was announced that the 1998 film, SMOKE SIGNALS, was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being “…culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This is quite an honor for a movie that was made with an all-Native American cast and crew (other than a few cameos by non-indigenous folks).
Throwback Thursday: What’s Old Is New Again
Getting a chance (and having the time) to rewrite some problematic novels from the past is one of the great joys of retirement. This post first ran in 2015, and I mostly left it as is.
Films About Writers: House
The 1986 comedy/horror flick, HOUSE, not only fits the bill as a film in which the main character is a writer, but more specifically, a horror writer. I’ve written about a bunch of movies in my “Films About Writers” series, and quite a few of them focus on we who write the scary stuff. Weird…
Throwback Thursday: Romantic Horror—An Oxymoron?
My ghost story/horror novel, THE BURNING GROUND, contains enough juicy, gory, creepy scenes to satisfy the horror purist. But the story is also about relationships—in particular the relationship between three seriously diverse characters: a former major league ballplayer, a woman with a tortured past, and a lonely ten-year-old boy.
Harry And The Predator: A Sad Ending
During his all-too-brief career—and life—actor Kevin Peter Hall was billed as “…the tallest man on stage and screen.” At over 7’2” the assessment was spot on. It also led to some memorable roles for this gentle giant from Pittsburgh.
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