I am facing, not writer's block (which I don't believe in), but writer's apathy. I have three WIPs in various stages, and none of them are calling to me. I'm still writing, because that's what you do, but none of it is good or progressing things much. Any helpful thoughts? #writerslife

I was showing the Siren the Barnes and Barnes video when the mater familias yelled something from the front room, and I got to say: "Sorry, can't hear you over the fish heads." Iykyk.

Received the 4K edition of THE TWO JAKES yesterday, and it reinforced my certainty that not every movie thrives in 4K quality. In this case, the weak contrast causes the black levels to look as grainy as worn asphalt. Blu ray would have been fine, and cheaper. Should've known better.

A head's-up: on September 1, the Kickstarter for the latest SUBVERSIVE SCI-FI volume goes live. And this volume includes my piece on Tarkovsky's STALKER. So when it goes live, please consider helping out if you can, and sharing the link. www.kickstarter.com/projects/gho...

My neighbor across the street teaches music, and today she had friends with guitars (like friends with benefits?) over on her porch to sing mostly 60s songs. I sat out on my porch, reading. It was fabulous.

I finally got around to watching Visconti's monumental THE LEOPARD, and who should I see in a small part but Terence Hill, aka Trinity from THEY CALL ME TRINITY. Those blue eyes are unmistakable.

Tubi has a documentary on the late GG Allin, directed by Todd (JOKER, THE HANGOVER) Phillips, that might be the most repulsive film I've ever seen. I mean, I knew about GG, so I had a fair idea what it would include, but I didn't expect them to...well...SHOW so much. Ugh. Ack.

The Siren (age 13), the mater familias and I went to the bookstore yesterday. When we got home and disembarked, the Siren asked, "Am I the only one in the family who can get out of the car without groaning?" YES. Yes, you are.

Big thanks to @inkcapbooks.bsky.social for hosting SUMMERWEEN Thursday night, and extra thanks to the Siren for helping me read the opening passage of DANDELION. Lots of laughs and fun for everyone, especially the writers (me, Melissa F. Olson, Tyler Welch, and Christopher Micklos).

Hee. Have a character named "Baptista," and I just mistakenly typed it as "Batpisa." Now I have a new Renaissance Italian superhero, who fights evil while perpetually leaning 4 degrees off vertical.

"Epic speak," the way characters talk in old Hollywood period films like BEN-HUR, can sneak up on you. I just found that I'd written, "I know nothing of the gossip in Borgo San Sepulcro." Ack. Changed to, "I don't know any gossip from Borgo San Sepulcro," which is how actual human beings talk.

In this first draft, it's tricky to remember that in the Renaissance, the trade of "artist" did not yet exist; there were painters, sculptors, tradesmen, etc., but no one claimed to be an "artist" as a career. Have to watch how I refer to my characters, and how they refer to each other.

I really liked the first TROLL movie (still on Netflix, I'm sure) so I'm guardedly optimistic about the sequel. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF3N...

I love the new STAR WARS Coke commercial, but in its depiction of a theater full of hardcore fans all getting along and celebrating each other, it's as much a space fantasy as the movies. IMO. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rh2...

The 1st season of the original PERRY MASON series had...wait for it...39 EPISODES. One producer, usually one writer. Now we have dozens of producers per show, a whole roomful of "writers," and we get 6, maybe 10 episodes a season if we're lucky? Tell me again how this is a golden age of television.

We have a 100+ years old house, so cooling it when there’s a heat dome is a challenge. Which is why my daughter just yelled to my wife, “I can’t hear you, there are SO MANY FANS!”

My 13-yr-old asked me to come show her how to cut the cheese. When I stopped laughing (both at the question, and at the idea that she, of all people, would need me to show her how), it turned out she literally did need me to show her how to cut a slice from a block of cheddar.

I was just listening to a 1958 song by the Olympics, "Big Boy Pete," and it included the lyric, "before I tan your hide." That takes me back...

I first made this offer during Pride Month in 2020, and it still stands: I’m a big believer in family of choice. So if you need one, I’m offering to be your substitute dad; and even more particularly, I’m offering to be your substitute Southern dad, for any LGBTQIA+ people from down south...(1/2)

Just a reminder that if you've got Kindle Unlimited, you can get two of my short stories featuring big-game hunters Linda Fontana and T.S. Bunch for free right now. Hemingway-esque by way of Peter Hathaway Capstick and, of course, me. www.amazon.com/Next-Last-Ti...

Thanks to Jason M Waltz of Rogue Blades Entertainment for having me on his 24 in 42 podcast! It was blast talking shop with him. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV1L...

My daughter (age 13) and I are both working our way through S.E. Hinton's novels, and then watching the movies based on them. I haven't read them since...well, I was close to her age, but I have to say, Hinton is a buzzsaw of emotion and pacing that we could all learn from.

I wish this place (and all social media) had a function where you could just block "politics" in general, and not have to set up blocks for every permutation of names, parties, etc. I'm here for books, movies, writing, art, and science.

I've had to sit on this for a while, but I can finally share it. www.tracelesstours.com/tours/myster...

I've been burning a hole in Google today, filling in all the <NAME OF HORSE BREED> and <TYPE OF HAT> things I'd put down in the first draft. Making a file of all the answers, too, because I know I'll need to refer to it later. A smarter me would've done this at the start.

Yep.

I realize I've led a sheltered existence, but did people REALLY used to wash clothes in GASOLINE? www.youtube.com/watch?v=JirQ...

Rewatched part of ALIEN, & was reminded just how eerie, creepy, and mysterious it was; now it seems like the sequels it spawned (ALIENS excepted) have dedicated themselves to filling in blanks that don't need filling. And the fact that Sir Ridley has been behind so many of them is just...depressing.

Attention hive mind: I need to find an artist who's created a traditional fresco, as in paint-on-wet-plaster. It's for a book, so no actual painting is required, just some brain-picking. You'll get a special thanks in the book if/when it comes out. #art #artists #fresco

I discovered the Reese’s cup version of meds and media: ketamine and James Bond (specifically THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS). Two great tastes that go great together.

Just discovered that Prime has most of the old MTV UNPLUGGED episodes. Watched the @melissaetheridge.bsky.social one and was instantly back in the 1990s. So much soul in that tiny package; saw her first 4 tours and they’re bucket-list material.

For the final day of Arthurian April, I present the ultimate symbol of King Arthur: Excalibur! Modeled on the sword from the film, this was a Christmas present from my wife, another of the totally useless things I've acquired. I mean...it's useless until the Saxons invade. Then I'm golden.

For day 28 of Arthurian April, I present two tarot/oracle goodies from the prolific mind(s) of John and Caitlin Matthews. Of these two, I especially like the Camelot Oracle. It comes with a map of your spiritual “journey” that explains what each card means at that point.

Just got reamed out for not catching up on S2/ep2 of THE LAST OF US so my wife could watch ep3. Things don't hit her the same way they do me, and I have no great desire to be bummed out; real life is bummy enough. I want my entertainment to engage with something other than my despair. AITA?

The Siren finished reading THE OUTSIDERS this week, so I showed her the movie last night. I think it was the first time she'd seen a movie based on a book that really spoke to her, because she nit-picked it to death... (1/2)

I just heard this in the car on the 70s Sirius channel. It made me ridiculously happy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRdS...

Hmm. Do you think crimes like the second one are maybe the cause of crimes like the first one? Like perhaps maybe...you can't be successful at that level without being a monster? And someone *has* to slay the monsters, that's what all our stories tell us.

Good morning and Happy Perfect Date to all who celebrate! Don’t forget your light jacket!

"Every man is afraid of the future because NOT being afraid of the future is really showing enormous self-confidence." --from Andrei Tarkovsky And, given his mind-set, by "men" he means literally traditional cis-het males. And as one, I can attest how rare true self-confidence is among us.

The first mind-boggler: someone made a movie of Robert W. Chambers THE KING IN YELLOW, and it's not half bad. As someone who loves the book, I was astounded that it was...well, half GOOD. The second mind-boggler: some of the wildest intentional subtitles I've ever encountered.

Wow. The episode of MURDER BOOK that I’m watching has a cold case of a woman who worked in an EIGHT TRACK FACTORY. Now that takes me back (the 8 tracks, not the murder).

Dang; a scene is this documentary has: 1) Onscreen person speaking Russian; 2) Onscreen translator speaking English; 3) Offscreen voice translating into German; 4) Subtitles in English.

For day 23 of Arthurian April, here’s KING ARTHUR, THE YOUNG WARLORD. Back in the day, episodes of TV shows (usually American) would be edited together to form “movies” for foreign (usually European) cinema. This is a case in reverse: three episodes of a 1972 series called ARTHUR OF THE BRITONS.

For day 22 of Arthurian April, here's a wonderful present from the great Jesse Hemphill that just arrived. I can't tell you how much it means to finally have a sword in the stone on my writing desk; it's something I've always wanted. What a great way to celebrate Arthurian April. 😊

My wife just told me, "I'm not afraid of Brian Blessed." I would doubt that, if it came from anyone else.

Time for my weekly Friday afternoon gummie and Tarkovsky. Today it’s IVAN’S CHILDHOOD, which I’ve only seen a handful of times (compared to, say, dozens for STALKER).

"The more evil triumphs, the more reasons there are to create art." --Andrei Tarkovsky You tell 'em, A-Tark.

"Blade's in the lake where the lady be lurkin'..." "I'm just a man with a hat that I won in the violence..." Day 17 of Arthurian April. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItB1...

For day 16 of Arthurian April, there's actually news of a fresh Arthurian discovery! www.sciencealert.com/rare-arthuri...

For Day 14 of Arthurian April, I present this solid chunk of pewter I discovered in a thrift store. It’s heavy enough to be a murder weapon in Clue, and the detail is impressive, despite the cheesy faux stone on the shield.