A Writer's Vanity

Category: Opinion

  • OPINION: Black Hole Sun

    “Times are gone for honest men.” The man who wrote and sang that lyric has died. Chris Cornell is probably most famous for fronting the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden. He also had success as a solo artist and leading Audioslave (with the remaining members of Rage Against the Machine). Cornell had incredible vocal range and…

  • OPINION: Crap jobs; feedback loops

    Prior to becoming a publisher full-time, I spent 20 years doing software development for a wide range of companies: uptight mega-corps, a dot-com during the web bubble in the early 200s, state government, county government, upstart private companies, and state universities. Before that, I worked in a chemistry lab. Prior to that, I cleaned toilets…

  • OPINION: Confusion 2017

    Detroit Rock City. Well…technically…Novi, Michigan. But close enough, right? For the last three years, I’ve heard many positive things about Confusion. No less than an (ir)reputable source as Scalzi had told me it was where the cool kids went to play. I’m a cool kid, right? This means I needed to be in the middle…

  • OPINION: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Joseph-Beth Booksellers

    With so much angst in the inner circles of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, it is easy to forget how much books mean to so many people. When I heard that Catherynne M. Valente would be in Lexington in support of her Fairyland series, I asked my daughter if she would be interested in going.…

  • OPINION: Con Nooga Post Mortem

    Last weekend I made my first appearance at Con Nooga. Robby Hilliard, director of the literary track had invited me to attend, so I decided to venture south and check it out. I like Chattanooga.  It’s a nice town that embraces its southern pride without being obnoxious about it. Tennessee whisky is a specialty there,…

  • OPINION: A Digital Obituary for a Wonderful Character

    A gaming tragedy happened to me yesterday. I’m still bummed about it. I lost my saved game files for the Fallout 4 play-through I had been working on for over two months. I even reviewed the game recently. My character, a red-haired vixen (what other type would I play?!) dead shot named Jessica had traversed…

  • OPINION: Flint, Michigan

    I’ve been watching the Flint, Michigan poisoned water story with horror, subdued rage, and disgust. It’s a textbook example of two of America’s biggest social problems: class politics and the indifference of the privileged. It sickens me. I was raised in a poverty-stricken area (southeast Kentucky) that relied on King Coal to put money in…

  • OPINION: Thoughts on the symbolic nature of the Confederate flag from a Southerner

    A horrific thing occurred last week in South Carolina. An act of terrorism that will leave a permanent scar on the United States. A racist asshole named Dylann Roof stepped into a house of worship and shot nine African-Americans dead. South Carolina chose to run the state and American flags at half-mast to honor the…

  • OPINION: I Got Your Lunch Right Here

    Yesterday, I served my first day of District Court jury duty. It was uneventful. A witness failed to show up, so the trial was delayed. The most exciting part was hearing an angry lady in a conference room adjoining the court scream “You, you, and YOU can all KISS. MY. ASS.” I’ve no clue what…

  • OPINION: Kathleen Hale stalks a very bad reviewer

    Perhaps I’m being too easy on Kathleen Hale in the lede. If you haven’t already, then read Ms. Hale’s piece “Am I Being Catfished: An author confronts her number one online critic.” I’ll go read some Apex Magazine slush until you finish. Back? Yes? So, wow, that’s some crazy stuff amiright? Kathleen Hale did more…