Steel vs. Cactus: The Author Picks One

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl, which is, I believe, the biggest day in American sports. Football is the most popular sport, and it’s the only sport with a one-game championship tilt instead of a multiple-game series. Throw in some million dollar ads and a mid-game rock concert, and it’s hard to not get caught up [...]

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Showcase Minnesota

I’m still a reeling a bit from this news, because it’s both great news and a bit scary, but I’ve been invited to appear on the Kare 11′s (the local NBC affiliate) morning lifestyle show Showcase Minnesota. Knowing that today’s episode featured Harry Connick, Jr., and Dwight Schrute, I can’t wait to find out who’s [...]

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ALA Midwinter Meeting

ALA is the American Library Association, and their Midwinter Meeting is what it sounds like. It’s like a conference with more committee meetings. This year’s was in Denver, sharing the Colorado Convention Center with a sportsmen’s exhibition. For the most part you could tell who was attached to which conference by whether they had books [...]

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Monrovia, Minneapolis, and Denver

I was intrigued to stumble across the Liberian response to Obama’s inauguration, thanks to a young woman calling herself Scarlett Lion (I’m assuming that’s not her real name, but either way, what a cool name). I’ve seen other photos of Liberia, but hers are the best I’ve seen. She seems to be staying in my [...]

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The People, Yes

For Inauguration Day: an excerpt from a poem about another Illinois president, by Carl Sandburg Lincoln? He was a mystery in smoke and flags Saying yes to the smoke, yes to the flags, Yes to the paradoxes of democracy, Yes to the hopes of government Of the people by the people for the people, No [...]

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Confessions…

It’s bound to come out sooner or later, so I better just come clean: I watch American Idol. moar funny pictures moar funny pictures

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A Soundtrack of Sorts

I find music essential to getting through certain phases of writing, and inevitably work sound clips into the story. This is especially true for my story set on the coast of West Africa. Since it is currently -7 in Minnesota, and everything is coated with ice and snow, it’s especially hard to picture palm trees [...]

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The winner is…

A winner has been selected for the 2008 Year-End Giveaway Bonanza. I have not contacted the winner yet… watch the video to see if it’s you!

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Giveaway Bonanza Update and Two Plugs

Thanks to the miscellany of friends, colleagues, old classmates and strangers who commented on the giveaway post and are now eligible to win three odds and two ends. The post is now closed, and the cats are excited to pick a winner (first we have to draw to see which cat does the picking!) The [...]

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Want to Draw Snakes?

Linus, the 12-year-old hero of Mamba Point, draws snakes. He also draws snakes. Which is to say, he’s both a sketcher of serpents and a reptile magnet. His favorite snake is a 12-foot black mamba, probably the deadliest snake in the world, but a pretty nice guy when you get to know him. Here is [...]

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