Jun 03
British writer C. S. Lewis’s well-loved children’s fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, began in 1950 with the publication of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by publisher Geoffrey Bles (in the U.S. Macmillan was the publisher.) The book was, according to Lewis, inspired by a drawing of a faun — a satyr — …
Jun 01
There’s a lot of upsetting stuff going on in the world right now. COVID-19. Racism. Unemployment. So, to preserve my own sanity, this summer I’m going to go back to where it all began for me, as a writer and a fantasy fan — Narnia. There will be posts on the books, my opinions of …
May 27
To mask or not to mask? In this time of Coronavirus, it is clearly to mask. Which has generated a richness of memes. You may be thinking, these images aren’t so horrible, are they? True. But that is exactly why they are horrible. Because they make us laugh.
Jan 15
My Authors Water Cooler reading challenge list for 2020. Out of a list of 50 categories, the participant chooses 12, the idea being you read one a month. Cobalt Jade’s 2020 Reading Challenge List 2. Armchair voyages: A book taking place somewhere you have always wanted to go, but have never been. Henry Lawson’s …
Jan 01
Like 2018 and 2017, it’s been a mixed bag; but I must say that by challenging myself I am reading books that I never would otherwise, like reading Lolita in Tehran and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s also given my the opportunity to tackle those I was thinking about reading but never have, …
Oct 28
Scarecrow and Tin Man from a 1902 stage production of The Wizard of Oz. I don’t know what makes it more creepy, the old-timey photo or the Scarecrow’s stiff-fingered, Leatherface-like appearance. In its time, though, it was a great success and the first version of Oz to be adapted into a script.
Jul 04
All the books I’ve read for my 2019 Reading Challenge up to July, with ratings and links. 4. What you will read to your grandchildren: A children’s book (middle grade or younger). A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L’engle. 5. East meets West: A book taking place in Asia (Turkey to Japan, Siberia to Vietnam) …
May 10
My short story “Gold and Ivory” appears at the end of this marvelous collection! Alternative Truths III: Endgame is the final volume in the best-selling Alternative Truths series from B Cubed Press. Edited by Bob Brown and Jess Faraday, Endgame features 30 of today’s best writers and political thinkers taking a look forward …
Apr 16
I was lucky enough to visit Notre Dame cathedral as a child. It was August, the time when Parisians traditionally took their own vacations, and the city was quieter than it normally was. I went with my mom and dad. I remember it being shadowy and cool inside, the noises muffled. It seemed impossibly high. …
Mar 27
On March 29, 2019 I will be reading an excerpt from my short story “Gold and Ivory” at the UW Bookstore in Seattle. The story is from B-Cubed Press’s Alternative Truths III: Endgame anti-Trump anthology. The event starts at 7 pm. Hope to see you there!