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: Blowing Shit Up—PREDATOR And PREDATOR 2
Each of these two movies, the classic PREDATOR (1987) and the not-so-classic PREDATOR 2 (1990), features a single antagonist—a nasty-looking dude with dreads. So why, one would wonder, does it take an ungodly amount of blowing shit up to bring these alien hunters down?
The Wonderful Language Of Baseball
It’s not exactly a novel, but THE DICKSON BASEBALL DICTIONARY is one of the best reads that I know. The author, Paul Dickson, defines just about every word and phrase, common and obscure, related to the most excellent game in the world. If you’re a baseball fan, it should be on your bookshelf.
Throwback Thursday: “The Only Good Indian Is…”
Writing has always been a great outlet for me to vent, and it always will be. This post first ran in 2021.
Guilty Pleasures: THE RUINS
The 2008 “survival/horror” film, THE RUINS, is based on the 2006 novel of the same name. Its author, Scott Smith, also wrote the screenplay, so he must’ve known what mattered in paring down the nearly 400-page tome into 90 minutes of screen time. Even so, the much-acclaimed book was a box office bomb, and its reviews were so-so.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Myrtles Plantation
Built in 1796, the antebellum Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana has a reputation as one of America’s most haunted houses. Currently a bed & breakfast, the main house is said to have been built above a Native American burial ground, and we all know what that means.
Perils Of The Bike Path…Perils Of Life
My new Jack Miller opus, PERILS OF THE BIKE PATH, has just become available for public consumption as a Kindle eBook. The print version will be available shortly. The following post is also the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book.
Throwback Thursday: A Walk-Off To End All Walk-Offs
For me, a memory to end all memories, a baseball miracle from over six decades ago. I first presented this post in 2021.
“Bodies In My Backyard”—Quotes From A Creepy Movie
Last week I wrote about my favorite Donald Sutherland film, the 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. I thought it might be fun to highlight some quotes from this terrifying story.
Throwback Thursday: Roger Dorn Had It Right
This is one of my, ahem, R-rated posts, which first ran in 2021—during the baseball season, of course.
My Favorite Donald Sutherland Film
There are lots to choose from, as this fine actor, who passed away last month at the age of 88, performed in over 140 films. But for me, the benchmark of Donald Sutherland’s screen roles was that of health inspector Matthew Bennell in the excellent 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.
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