“I believe the greatest sin a writer/reader can commit is to be boring or bored. I believe this same standard holds true for a human being.”
Monthly Archives: September 2020
This Used to be My Ballfield, This Used to be My Field of Dreams
“The dilapidated condition of the ballfields broke my heart, but it serves as the perfect metaphor for the state of community-based youth sports in America today.”
“The End of the World as We Know It, And I Feel Fine” – REM
“A group of recently-graduated med school students are on island celebrating their residency assignments when the island is blockaded by Navy, Coast Guard, and Border Patrol vessels. Quarantined inside a dormitory for island workers and with full knowledge of the likely tragic outcome of their situation, they’ve decided to party like it’s the end of the world rather than wallow in worry and woe.”
Some of the People in My Life, Vol. 3, Gary Kelley
“It didn’t matter who your parents were or if you were a star football player or a cheerleader or the class valedictorian or the class stoner or clown, you were going to be treated like everyone else. For those forty-two minutes, in Mr. Kelley’s room, every one of us were one of the cool kids.”
Playing the WWJD Card
“I’d like to believe that the pastor and or congregation, represented by the declaration on the sign, apply their aversion to social distancing in all situations, not just the ones that may fit a political view or a need to fill pews and collection baskets.”
Pastiche Makes Perfect
I’m often asked where the ideas for my novels come from. Typically, they are inspired by existing stories: those I teach and those I’ve enjoyed. My most recent effort, Island No. 6, can best be described as a Patchwork Pastiche of some of those stories. In literature, a pastiche is a text that celebrates anotherContinue reading “Pastiche Makes Perfect”
Some of the People in My Life,Volume 2: Julie Roth
Whenever I tell my wife, Julie, that I’ve sent a another Letter to the Editor, posted a blog article, or published a new novel, a slight, involuntary gasp escapes from between her lips. It is a nearly imperceptible gasp, yet it teems with meaning. “Oh, God, who do I need to warn or avoid thisContinue reading “Some of the People in My Life,Volume 2: Julie Roth”
The Sandusky Sixteen (or So)
“Braving potential confrontations with teenage bag boys and price gun-wielding shelf-stockers, they stormed past the yellow floor barricades warning “Wet Floors.”
Signs, Signs, Everywhere’s There Signs
“What was once a relatively meek show of support for one’s preferred candidate has morphed into what feels like a full-blown act of belligerent in-your-face aggression.”
Ty Roth 