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.
Manhunter: The Screen’s First Hannibal The Cannibal
Most people think of Anthony Hopkins when they hear the name Hannibal Lecter, and rightfully so. Hopkins won an Academy Award for portraying the incarcerated psychiatrist/serial killer in the Best Picture of 1991, Silence of the Lambs, and two subsequent films. But he wasn’t the first.
Myths And Legends: The Chindi
In the Navajo culture, the Chindi is a prominent—and feared—figure. “Chindi” is the Navajo word for “ghost,” and this one is no Casper, not by a longshot.
December Thoughts
“Merry Christmas,” if that’s the holiday you’ll be celebrating later this week. “Happy Holidays,” if you don’t celebrate it but instead enjoy one of the many other various holidays that occur around this time of year. “Have A Nice Day” if you choose not to celebrate any of them.
Guilty Pleasures: Nightwing
I should feel quite guilty about enjoying Nightwing, the 1979 horror film based on the Martin Cruz Smith novel of the same name—a movie reviled by both critics and viewers alike. But, as usual, I don’t give a rat’s (bat’s?) butthole about what anyone thinks. For sure, Nightwing is not Citizen Kane, but it does have its moments—most of those moments having to do with the story taking place on a fictional Native American reservation in the desert Southwest.
Blowing Shit Up: Twister And Into The Storm
Yes, in case you didn’t know, tornadoes are responsible for blowing lots of shit up. Mother Nature does get pissed upon occasion. And nowhere is this better illustrated than in the two disaster movies, Twister (1996) and Into the Storm (2014).
Verevolf? Vot’s A Verevolf?
Last week’s post about memorable movie lines included one from the 1941 horror classic, The Wolf Man, specifically from the old gypsy woman named Maleva. The renowned Russian actress, Madame Maria Ouspenskaya, played the oft-imitated role with dead seriousness. It reminded me of an outrageous scene I’d written years ago in the second book of my satirical Bicycling trilogy, The Ultimate Bike Path, so I thought that I’d share it with you.
“Take The Cannoli”…More Great Movie Lines
“I was the East Coast distributor of ‘involved.’ I ate it, drank it, and breathed it… Then they killed Martin, Bobby, and they elected Tricky Dick twice, and people like you must think I’m miserable because I’m not involved anymore. Well, I’ve got news for you. I spent all my misery years ago. I have no more pain for anything. I gave at the office.”
A Deadly Underground World
One accomplishment last week: the second sword & planet novel in my “World After Death” series, Caves of Maldrinium, went live on Amazon Kindle. Originally released in the late ’70s as The Caves of Reglathium, my third published book, the totally rewritten story continues the saga of Dannus Erekwane, once known as Eric Wayne of Earth before his untimely death in the opening chapter of the first book, Warlord of Maldrinium.
Revisited: Write Well, Not Fast
It’s novel-writing month or some such thing again, so I’m going to revisit last year’s post on the matter. My opinion has not changed.
Okay, this week I’m going to be a curmudgeon—something that I do quite well, actually. There are organizations, conferences, workshops—whatever—that stress sitting down with your laptops on fire and writing novels just as fast as you can. Write 5,000 words over a weekend. Or better still, write 50,000 words in thirty days. As a professional novelist and writing coach of four decades, I disagree with this method of helping writers, or wannabe writers, to explore their creativity.
Films About Books: The Book Thief
“Books are life” may well be the theme for young protagonist Liesel Meminger in the 2013 drama, The Book Thief. There is only one problem: at the start of the story, Liesel cannot read or write.
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