Writing and Music

One of these days I’m going to study music theory and understand why certain songs or pieces move me the way they do, why they evoke certain emotions, why they inspire. Music stirs creativity in me and it comes in all forms–excitement, jubilation,...

Fun Friday

The first rule of dropping off a load in the work bathroom is don’t go in there if someone else is already making a delivery. It’s a simple rule, and it’s effective, because I don’t care how many delivery docks there are, only one should be...

Music Snobbery

When I was eleven years old, my favorite musical artist was OliviaNewton-John. There, I said it. My favorite song was “Physical.” I liked Journey, also. Kool & the Gang. Hall & Oates. I was eleven years old. I’m not ashamed to admit it. And...

Debris! Debris!

You ever see those video clips of the nerdy dudes chasing tornadoes? Guys wearing glasses with giant frames, 80s haircuts, wearing acid washed jeans or too-short shorts that aren’t hiding enough of their too-white legs? That’s me.Okay, not exactly....

The Writing Life

When I was an unpublished novelist, struggling to break through, to find an agent, to find a publisher willing to pay me for the privilege of seeing my work on a store bookshelf, I thought the biggest day of my writing life would be the day of my first sale. And it...

Let there be ants

Imagine you have in your possession a fantastic new game: a programmable, mechanical ant farm. This farm consists of some dirt and water and plants, as well as a few mechanical ants that have tiny programmable brains in them. These ants are also able, by a fun...