Dec 16
In Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge was obsessed over the accumulation of wealth. He was greedy, hoarding his pennies. He was mean, complaining about the poor. He was nasty, wishing ill on others. No one wanted to be around him. His main problem, however, was that he had lost his joy. Wretched behavior grew …
Jun 18
I recently read a blogpost reflecting on the death of author Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett…why did that name sound familiar to me? The reflective blogger lived in the UK and noted that Pratchett was a best-selling English author of fantasy novels. I guess that’s why I hadn’t heard the news. He must be a bigger …
Mar 18
When is the last time you read a book? My answer to that question is: late February. But my real answer should be: I don’t read enough. And that’s a sad thing for a writer. I talk a lot about the way we wrote as kids, just for the fun of it, no expectations, just …
Dec 18
I did it! Families inspire us and intimidate us. Jimmy’s mother, father and brother are all members of the Burglars Union Guild (BUG), and he is expected to follow in their footsteps. Jimmy has slippery fingers and not in the slick, pickpocket ways; he drops things. That lack of dexterity is just the start of …
Sep 16
“A song is like a short story with a beginning, middle and end,”[1] instructs Berry Gordy. He’s speaking to his friend, Smokey Robinson, who hasn’t written a timely ending to a song. It’s early in both their careers, and the insightful Gordy shows Robinson a way to improve his songwriting skills. In this case, it’s …