Dracula Was Killed by a Texan with a Bowie Knife (and other true tales)
You heard that right, it wasn?t Van Helsing or Jonathan Harker who killed Dracula, it was one of America?s boys! Saving the world AGAIN. And he didn’t even need a gun! USA! USA! USA! But before we meet our hero, Quincey (not Quincy) Morris, we?ll briefly meet the cast of Bram Stoker’s most famous novel,…
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The oddity of death and remove, in today’s social media age
I’m currently reading The Largesse of the Sea Maiden, the posthumous collection from Denis Johnson. Expect a full review shortly. But in the meantime, I am struck by the odd, unrealistic disappointment that I will not ever be able to meet the man, get a signed book, or exchange social media messages. Our current pop…
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KISS and the guys behind the mask
Today is the publication day for KISS rocker Gene Simmons’ new book On Power: My Journey through the Corridors of Power and How You Can Get More Power, a title that seems purpose built for SEO key word optimization. In case you didn’t notice, the book is about power. I’ll have some thoughts on the…
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The inevitability of book deals
There are shortcomings to energetically following any industry. If you’re a sportswriter, you learn that heroes are actually fallible and sometimes frail human beings. If you are a tech blogger, you probably get sick of hearing new pitches about how this gadget is going to “make the world a better place.” If you constantly write…
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Yes, you should meet your heroes
Over a decade ago, I emailed a guitar player who performed with KISS during their non-makeup era. Bruce Kulick was a true pro’s pro. Technically skilled enough to execute some of the flashy maneuvers of eighties guitar hero-dom but personally solid, stable, and dependable enough to always serve the band’s best interests. I emailed him…
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