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.
Blowing Shit Up: The Rambo Films
When bestselling author David Morrell wrote FIRST BLOOD in 1972 I’ll bet he didn’t imagine the film series, starring Sylvester Stallone as decorated Vietnam vet John Rambo, extending into 2019. Wait, what?! They’re making a new RAMBO film?
Throwback Thursday: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
My dad, Murray Sirota, passed away at age fifty-nine in 1969, when I was just a mere slip of a lad—more or less. We knew it would happen; a couple of months earlier he’d been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, the end result of a lifetime of cigarette smoking, and given six months to live. But the circumstances surrounding the night of his death is the story here—a story that could easily be written off as implausible fiction.
Who Won The Bone Wars?
Also called the Great Dinosaur Rush, the Bone Wars comprises an interesting chapter in American history. The phrase refers to a period of fiercely competitive fossil hunting that took place during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Although many others got caught up in the obsessive hunt for dinosaur remains, its two primary antagonists were paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. And wow, did these guys hate each other’s guts!
Throwback Thursday—Guest Post: The Hammer Of Witches
There is a disturbing true story behind the events depicted in The Hammer of Witches, a newly published historical novel by Basque scholar and good friend, Begoña Echeverria, one of my long-time writers. After a brief synopsis, I’ll have Begoña tell that story.
Shh—Don’t Make A Sound…
Just how scary is the 2018 thriller, A QUIET PLACE? Okay, perhaps you’ve seen a Cox commercial where a woman is watching STRANGER THINGS and sitting on the edge of her couch looking seriously freaked out. That’s about what this jaded horror aficionado looked like all through A QUIET PLACE. Yeah, it’s that scary.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—Godzilla (1998)
A while back I wondered why my favorite GODZILLA flick—the 1998 version starring Matthew Broderick—never spawned a sequel. And for that matter, why did I even consider it a Guilty Pleasure? Wow, did my research prove an eye-opener!
“They’re Coming To Get You, Barbara”—Horror Movie Quotes
Ah, scary flicks…no surprise that I love the genre. (What does that say about me?) Here are a few lines from some of my favorites.
Throwback Thursday: “I’m Your Number One Fan”
That line, and Stephen King’s MISERY—which I wrote about last week—are apparently inseparable. In the hope of finding some more material I entered “writers’ number one fans” into a search engine and guess what: the first four links that show up are for MISERY and Annie Wilkes.
Films About Writers: Humor Me
I can’t say that the 2018 comedy, HUMOR ME, did poorly at the box office. That’s because it did almost NO box office. It just sort of came and went, and we all missed it…and that’s a shame, as it definitely is funny, and at times even poignant.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—Misery
Authors, athletes, actors—heck, just about everyone in the public eye—all have a Number One Fan. Or two. Or a thousand. Even I had some Number One Fans back in the day. Sounds like an interesting topic for a post—which will appear next week.
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