Sometimes reading a book leaves me green with envy. Such is the case with Matthew Norman's We're All Damaged. I believe we are. Two novels ago – three once I get Cowboys Come Home finished -- I started writing Crazy of Natural Causes as a farce. Then I immersed myself in the outrageous football coach, …
Tag: humor
Still Irreverent, Even on Easter
It is a good day to face reality, Easter. The celebration of Christ's Resurrection has coincidentally, over time, tied itself to the vow of poverty otherwise known as tax time. It's not actually until April 15, but it behooves one to approach that date with caution, lest one leave oneself insufficient time to prepare …
Observations of My Humdrum Day
I had a productive day. The majority was busy and business, though I finished a short story I'm not going to post on my web site because it's unconventional and catered to the requirements of a contest. I haven't entered it yet because I have to shave about 150 words in order to make it …
Not Gon’ Let It Bother Me
I’m about to be busy with the editing of my new novel, Crazy of Natural Causes. At the moment, I’m obsessing over making the cover better. It’ll work out. It needs to grab the attention of potential readers. Once they buy it, most of them are going to like it. Maybe putting all that work …
Trailer Park Trash & Vampires, by James Wayland
I have a confession to make. I am what, depending on the area of the country, is known as either a “fraidy cat” or a “scaredy cat.” I’ve never particularly cared for horror, be it a novel or a movie. Many years ago, when I was home from college, my sister invited me to …
Continue reading Trailer Park Trash & Vampires, by James Wayland
A Taste for Mischief
This is the second episode of a short story. The first was “Different Goals.” I hope you get a few laughs because that’s mainly the intention of this story. When Charles Dough and Christian Beliveau made their way back to their dormitory, named for Jonny McCutcheon’s uncle, it could have passed for summer school. It …
A Sticking Key
I’m grateful for this Sony laptop. It’s lasted longer than any of my previous writing apparati. The wear and tear of writing about distant events took its toll on a Dell, a Toshiba, and another brand whose name escapes me now. I’ve also been a writer – a sportswriter for most of that time – …
Golf Is Like (Privileged) Life
On the United States Open telecast, Sean McDonough just said that Jordan Spieth was “a revolution shy of a share of the lead,” and I thought, well, he’s in the same predicament as Castro in 1958. Then I heard another announcer say, “Once the ball has moved, you are deemed to have moved it,” and …
I Automatically Avoid the Automatic
Eighty percent of the phone calls I receive on my “land line,” as opposed to my “outer-space line,” are for no good reason. Here’s a general rule of thumb: If I need something, I must deal with a recording: If you have a billing inquiry, press 1. If you have a service issue, press …
Lyrically High
When I was a boy, I noticed that a trademark of Buck Owens songs was that lots of them began with, Weeeellll, I’m a-gonna … I suppose we all fall into patterns, whether by intent or habit. I tend to begin songs by getting up in the morning, sometimes literally. The first thing I saw …
Nightrider's Lament 