Grief in a Time of Plague
“His Lyre is now Attuned only to Woe” The eyes, the face, the limbs of heavenly mold, So long the theme of my impassioned lay, Charms which so stole me from myself away, That strange to other men the course I hold; The crisped locks of pure and lucid gold, The...
“Champion Of Her Sex” – Nellie Bly interviews Susan B. Anthony
This is a complete transcription of the article “Champion Of Her Sex”, containing Nellie Bly’s interview with Susan B. Anthony, originally printed in The New York World, Feb. 2, 1896. Susan B. Anthony! She was waiting for me. I stood for an instant in the doorway and...
To The Evangelical Trump Supporter
Today I was arguing on Facebook with an Evangelical Christian about his support for Trump. He said his church did great work, and challenged me as to when I last fed the hungry or clothed the poor. I said I do, though not enough. It was why I supported Democrats. He...
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Publisher’s Weekly Review
The Master of Verona David Blixt. St. Martin's, $27.95 (608p) ISBN 978-0-312-36144-0Upon the death of his elder brother in 1314, Pietro Alaghieri, 17, is thrust headlong into the post of scion to his father, the famous poet Dante, in this rollicking historical debut...
Flap Copy
This is the text that will appear on the dust-jacket flap. I am pleased to say I had a hand in crafting it - all those years hanging around my parents' ad agency must have rubbed off a bit. Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story...
The Dangers of Writing
Something strange. Between writing and sword-play (on-stage), I apparently have been using my right wrist a little harshly. I have developed a ganglion cyst. From www.emedicinehealth.com: "A ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling on top of a joint or the covering...
Dash
Today is my son's first birthday. He is a genius, and happy, a combination that's rare. This blog is about the novel, of course, and not my personal life. But as the books center around a brilliant child, I thought it was appropriate to mention my own small wonder....
Good Reads – Sabatini
Last fall, as I was killing time during a rehearsal break downtown, I stopped in at Borders down on Randolph, and looked for something to read. I considered the new Cornwell series, the Saxon stories, but I had just read the latest Sharpe, so I pressed on down the...
Sequel music
Having completed the sequel, I wish to mention music once again. While staples like Peter Gabriel and Tori Amos were often in evidence, this book was finished with the musical aid of two very special, but quite different, contemperaries. The first is Erich Wolfgang...
Sequel done!
Twelve days late, the sequel is finished. I am now able to see my family, get some birthday presents for Dash, see a movie or two, and basically enjoy life until after Easter, when I start work on the third. At some later date I may put up a few snippets about the...
Unexpected turns
I'm about a day away from a finished draft of A FALCONER'S VOICE, which puts me about a week late on my deadline. Though I think they were just being funny, giving me the Ides of March as the cut-off date. Thankfully, no experienced editor is going to give an author a...
South Park Lear
I've gotten some amusing notes from friends regarding the Muppet Lear post. So let me digress even further to note that, while wonderful, the Muppets are not my ideal cast for King Lear. That honor goes to the kids from South Park. Imagine - Cartman as Lear....
Website!
The website for THE MASTER OF VERONA is now up and running, and it rocks! My cap is off to the lovely and talented Angela Ingersoll, who has taken time out of her thriving theatrical career to fashion my site. Besides being a terrific actress, she's a wizard at web...
