Blog
Lucy and the ongoing quest for superheroism
If you are like me and do not have your analytical faculties constantly running full bore, you may have looked at the movie trailer for Lucy and thought to yourself, "Hm. Looks cool. And maybe for once Scarlett Johanssen will have a role where she can show a little...
Flash fiction – The Test
The young girl sat in the bathroom stall. It was the same stall, the only stall she had ever used since she arrived seven months ago. Even if it was occupied she would wait by the sink and nip nervously at hangnails until the occupant left. Nobody could say they knew...
Animal or human, which one are you
One of my working theories about humanity has to do with the continuity and discontinuity between people and animals. How much are we "family" with the animal kingdom? What evidence is there that we are different than animals? Where does the break take place? There...
2013 Epic Vacation
Our family had the epic vacation last summer. Some people were so impressed they asked for the itinerary. Here it is. We rented a nice, clean minivan. Made a huge difference to have a nice car, and it wasn't wildly expensive. Under $300 I think. Day 1 - Drive from...
Reaching that age
I thought of an analogy. Adolescence is like walking through a tunnel made of one-way mirrors. All you can see is yourself reflected on every wall, but meanwhile every one else is outside the tunnel watching you, awkward, only seeing yourself, lumbering through this...
On death by drug overdose
Like many people, I was deeply saddened by the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. He had some great lead roles (Synecdoche New York, The Master, Doubt, and of course his Oscar-winning performance in Capote which I wasn't crazy about). But we also remember him for many...
A Time to Quit – new article on Catapult
"Quitting for me wasn’t just a weekend fling, a lack of endurance, a fit of boredom or a childish sulk sparked by a temper tantrum. When it came time for me to quit pastoral ministry, it was as if I had quit myself, my goals, my calling and the self-understanding that...
All Things Vile and Vicious
Tyger, tyger, burning bright In the forests of the night ... Did he who made the lamb make thee? An interesting thing happens to many writers the first time they write a story with foul language, erotic scenes, butcher knives dripping with blood, or characters with...
Stories and smartphones dont mix
Compare the following props that might appear in a story: a pearl-handled straight razor an Egyptian broach a 1964 six-shooter pistol a bag of marijuana a faded polaroid photo of twin, pre-teen, strawberry blonde girls at a fishing trip cut in two with scissors,...
What’s your book about?
This is a question I get fairly often. Here is a synopsis. The Former Hero, by Jeffrey Mays An abusive, alcoholic, single mother goes into a frenzy when she learned her daughter, Penny, is abducted. City services have fallen into decay because of rampant corruption,...
