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.
The Bill Russell Syndrome
What does former National Basketball Association great Bill Russell have to do with leading classes and workshops about writing novels? I’ll tell you…shortly. But, first things first.
Guilty Pleasures: Armageddon
The 1998 sci-fi/disaster flick, ARMAGEDDON, grossed well over half a billion dollars—so why is it a Guilty Pleasure? Doubtless because its reviews were uniformly awful.
Guest Post: Tarzan, Jungle King Of Popular Culture
Author David Lemmo and I go way back to the early nineties, when he became one of the first writers to join a read & critique workshop that I facilitated in my home. David enjoyed reading—and writing—the same genres as I did and, given both his writing abilities and his offbeat personality, we really hit it off.
Films About Books: The Babadook
When William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, proclaims, “I’ve never seen a more terrifying film,” you have to take notice. He was referring to the 2014 Australian psychological horror film, The Babadook, and I cannot disagree with his assessment. This one is designed to cause more than a few sleepless nights.
“Did You Bullshit Last Week?”
In these challenging times we could all use a good laugh, so this edition of Movie Lines is all about quotes from comedy films.
A Touch Of Football, A Touch Of Fantasy
The 2012 film, TOUCHBACK, is another inspirational sports movie that you undoubtedly missed. I viewed it on Netflix last year because I enjoy sports movies, and because Kurt Russell, one of my favorites, had a co-starring role in it. The film proved a pleasant surprise, and a copy of it is now a part of my collection.
Films About Writers: In The Heart Of The Sea
Okay, calling this 2015 historical adventure a film about a writer may be a reach. Then again, one of the primary characters is Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, so it may not be too far out after all.
When Dragons Rule The Earth
Three of Hollywood’s leading men in one movie? Yes, the 2002 post-apocalyptic fantasy, Reign of Fire, gave us Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, and Gerard Butler, all with a common goal: kill the dragons, before humankind on Earth is no more.
My One—And Only—Self-Indulgent Post For The Year
As the new—and uncertain—year of 2017 begins, I’ve had a chance to look back at what I’ve accomplished in recent years. The last seven years, to be more specific, ever since the eye-opening experience of a brush with my own mortality.
Can A Butterfly Alter The Course Of Time?
It is hard to imagine a story written by the great Ray Bradbury NOT translating well to the big screen. But such was the case with the 2005 sci-fi thriller, A SOUND OF THUNDER. Bradbury published the story in COLLIER’S magazine (1952) and he later included it in his short story collection, GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN. But to me, all of the bad reviews for this box-office bomb may not have been totally justified.
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