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Showing posts from May, 2012

Marxist Noir

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Today, Ed Gorman posted a link to an article on Marxist Noir . Reading it got me thinking again about the kinds of stories I want to write. Regardless of political affiliation, you should check it out. Not only is it a fascinating read about radical literature, but it piqued my interest on several forgotten authors, like  Leonard S. Zinberg, aka Ed Lacy .

Wisdom from Uncle Alan

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There's an Alan Moore quote on my fridge. It reads: "Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky." I read it several times this morning while I sipped my coffee. I've been thinking about it a lot today. Don't know why. Maybe it's a sign?

Maybe It's Just Me?

On Saturday, I went with Maria and some friends on one of my wife’s thrifting expeditions—a day long trip to a variety of discount stores in our area. Our first stop was a new place for her. The 25 Cent Store is a church shop just south of us, off the highway on a winding gravel road. It’s no frills: just walls, a roof, lots of racks, and some shelves. The inside smells of dust and mildew, but everything looks clean and, hey, costs only a quarter. It didn’t take me long to go through the men’s clothes. I’ve never have much luck in thrift stores outside of Bloomington. Most are dominated by women’s clothing. Women tend to update their wardrobe frequently. Men, on the other hand, will generally wear the same thing until it falls apart. Besides, I have a different build than most males in Indiana. I don’t wear an XXL shirt and my waist size is not 46 inches. (That's not me being mean, just truthful.) If I come away with a single anything, it’s a win. I knew Maria would be awhile.

Lost Children

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Lost Children is a charity anthology whose proceeds benefit Protect and Children 1st . If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you can do so here (US) or here (UK) . Thomas Pluck has been spearheading the follow-up effort. Back on May 1st, he announced half the roster for Lost Children: The Protectors -- An Anthology to Benefit Protect. I'm honored to be a part of this effort...even if I feel like the one guy at prom who wore his father's baby blue tux and brought his cousin as a date. You know, I don't wax poetic about a lot of my peers, but Tommy just amazes me. The man has a day job, yet he somehow manages to consistently and regularly produce some of the best stories you can find anywhere, while maintaining a very visible and active online presence, and volunteering his time on noble efforts like this one. If you aren't a regular reader of his fiction, you can fix that by visiting his site now.