Kevin Lucia's Blog, page 59
June 10, 2011
And the Band Plays On....
Kinda long. I apologize.....
Yesterday I was jamming in the car to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" when I realized a sobering truth: I'm now that guy who rocks out in the car to a song from his senior year in high school.
Which is just fine with me. First of all, like or love or hate Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" holds up really well in comparison to today's music. And, though Kurt no doubt was NOT exactly the legendary, tormented artist some revere him as, Nirvana undeniably changed the face of rock music.
When their most famous tune first debuted, most my friends and I just thought, "Cool new song." Now, when it or anything else by Nirvana plays on the radio, I see in those first songs the seeds that would eventually sprout into today's contemporary music scene. Something in me finds as much resonance with that song as any song today.
It's a testimony to Nirvana's staying power, because while I wouldn't describe myself as a "flavor of the day" listener who changes his favorites in accordance with what everyone thinks is popular at the time, I've found that over the past twenty years (Good. Lord. Has it been that long?) since I graduated high school, I've stayed very close to the contemporary music scene, growing along with the music. Some songs I jammed to in high school I almost find painful to listen to now, simply because they just don't have that "staying power" the makes them a classic. Anything by Winger or Whitesnake or Guns N' Roses or even most of Motley Crue?
Naw. A lot of that stuff doesn't ring true for me, anymore. However, "Dream On" by Aerosmith - older than anything by those other groups - comes on, and I get goosebumps. There's something in that song that resonates far more powerfully than anything Winger ever did.
Because it's a classic tune.
Of course, that brings up the age-old discussion of "what makes a classic", which my students invariably bring up every year in Honors English. And, to simplify, I always tell my students that a classic can be defined - if it can be defined at all - by the following two rules:
1. its initial impact on the landscape of the time, how it changed its "scene", how revolutionary it was
2. how relevant it still is today, do readers/listeners/fans still "vibe" with it, for whatever reason
An example: I ask how many of my students grew up on The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Sadly, very few of today's teens have cracked the cover of even one of these once-canonical tomes of adolescent adventure. Lots of reasons why, not the least of which is their very idealized, "Golly-Gee-Whiz" tone of the teen experience (though I still fully intend to expose my kids to both series when old enough. Contrary to popular opinion, idealization is NOT a bad thing).
Then, I ask how many of my students were raised on Dr. Suess. Hands rocket to the sky; almost EVERY kid in the world has been read or read Dr. Suess on their own. For whatever reason, those poems and fables and stories still have powerful resonance for both parents and children alike. Of course, almost all those kids were also raised on a diet of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter, and I like to wonder with my students how both those series will fare with time. Will they endure like Dr. Suess, or fall by the wayside like Frank and Joe and Nancy?
So it is with music. Some of the "cool" songs when I was a kid just sound so transparent, now. Paper-thin. "Welcome to Jungle" and "Sweet Child of Mine" and "Paradise City" come on the radio, and I kinda cringe.
Now the Beastie Boys?
Crank that sucka up.
Maybe - and this makes sense, being a writer - a lot comes down to the lyrics, after all. In the end I love music, powerful guitar riffs, thundering drums and bass, but for me its the combination of powerful, rhythmic music AND powerful lyrics. And so far, I've avoided the cliched "I'm getting old and hate all this trash the kids call music today", mostly because it's the lyrics that matter most for me.
For example: Nickleback, for me, has become a throwaway band. Seems like all they sing about lately are strippers, porn stars, or sex. Meh. Sex sells, blah, blah. That's nothing new. Same thing with Three Days Grace. Or maybe I just got turned off by a word choice in one of their recent songs that I just thought was lazy writing: "...at night, I feel like a vampire..."
Really? At night, I feel like a vampire?
Ugh.
BUT. I hear their song "Let's Start A Riot" - and I'm rocking. Because lots of us have been in that hurt, angry place they're singing about. There's resonance there.
And there's something in the screaming angst of Linkin' Park and Papa Roach and early Korn and even Skillet that I believe will defy time. Same thing with the admittedly dense but powerful lyrics of Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle. At first, I thought Disturbed to be a louder version of Nickleback, but some of their most powerful - and a little disturbing - songs like "Into the Fire" and "Another Way to Die" deal with matters that are little more important than titillation.
Hollywood Undead? Okay, yeah. Fun listening, catchy beat, but I probably won't think twice about them ten years from now.
And of course, preference is king. Like reading, we listen to what we like. But for me, I've managed to keep current with the music scene because it's the CONTENT I'm after, the lyrics - not the method in which they're delivered, as long as there's rhythm and balance and order.
(Oh. Snap. Did I just pop out a nice little defense of the Ebook? GAG! Let's move on....)
You can also tell the difference between REAL music making and performing for the crowd, in my opinion a lot like writing something meaningful - something by Peter Straub or Rio Youers or Norman Partridge or Paul Wilson or Charles Grant, T. M. Wright, Ron Malfi - versus Joe Zombie Guy popping out another zombie, emo-vampire bigfoot mash-up.
(That last indictment, of course, doesn't include Brian Keene. The Rising, to me, is still the most original, well-written and conceived zombie novel of all time, so much so it reignited the zombie craze - altered the literary landscape - and it's so good, I'm not sure why we even need more zombie novels. Ergo, IMHO - a classic).
A great example of this, to me, is Metallica. I LOVE Metallica. I love how they've evolved, changed their sound, taken chances, and for them it seems like it's become all about the music. Ironically, a lot of nineties bands - like Motley Crue and most noticeably Red Hot Chili Peppers - I HATED back then and still hate their old music but LOVE their new work now, because somewhere along the way, it became all about their ART, their music, not being "a rock band."
(insert personal opinion: it's about the ART, the writing craft, and NOT being a "horror author")
Anyway. To bring this over-long blog post to a close, I offer this from Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, which sums it up perfectly:
...I really have tried to hold off the attitude aging. In this regard, music came to my rescue. I believe music is the language of youth, and the more you can accept as valid, the younger your attitude gets....
Yesterday I was jamming in the car to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" when I realized a sobering truth: I'm now that guy who rocks out in the car to a song from his senior year in high school.
Which is just fine with me. First of all, like or love or hate Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" holds up really well in comparison to today's music. And, though Kurt no doubt was NOT exactly the legendary, tormented artist some revere him as, Nirvana undeniably changed the face of rock music.
When their most famous tune first debuted, most my friends and I just thought, "Cool new song." Now, when it or anything else by Nirvana plays on the radio, I see in those first songs the seeds that would eventually sprout into today's contemporary music scene. Something in me finds as much resonance with that song as any song today.
It's a testimony to Nirvana's staying power, because while I wouldn't describe myself as a "flavor of the day" listener who changes his favorites in accordance with what everyone thinks is popular at the time, I've found that over the past twenty years (Good. Lord. Has it been that long?) since I graduated high school, I've stayed very close to the contemporary music scene, growing along with the music. Some songs I jammed to in high school I almost find painful to listen to now, simply because they just don't have that "staying power" the makes them a classic. Anything by Winger or Whitesnake or Guns N' Roses or even most of Motley Crue?
Naw. A lot of that stuff doesn't ring true for me, anymore. However, "Dream On" by Aerosmith - older than anything by those other groups - comes on, and I get goosebumps. There's something in that song that resonates far more powerfully than anything Winger ever did.
Because it's a classic tune.
Of course, that brings up the age-old discussion of "what makes a classic", which my students invariably bring up every year in Honors English. And, to simplify, I always tell my students that a classic can be defined - if it can be defined at all - by the following two rules:
1. its initial impact on the landscape of the time, how it changed its "scene", how revolutionary it was
2. how relevant it still is today, do readers/listeners/fans still "vibe" with it, for whatever reason
An example: I ask how many of my students grew up on The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Sadly, very few of today's teens have cracked the cover of even one of these once-canonical tomes of adolescent adventure. Lots of reasons why, not the least of which is their very idealized, "Golly-Gee-Whiz" tone of the teen experience (though I still fully intend to expose my kids to both series when old enough. Contrary to popular opinion, idealization is NOT a bad thing).
Then, I ask how many of my students were raised on Dr. Suess. Hands rocket to the sky; almost EVERY kid in the world has been read or read Dr. Suess on their own. For whatever reason, those poems and fables and stories still have powerful resonance for both parents and children alike. Of course, almost all those kids were also raised on a diet of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter, and I like to wonder with my students how both those series will fare with time. Will they endure like Dr. Suess, or fall by the wayside like Frank and Joe and Nancy?
So it is with music. Some of the "cool" songs when I was a kid just sound so transparent, now. Paper-thin. "Welcome to Jungle" and "Sweet Child of Mine" and "Paradise City" come on the radio, and I kinda cringe.
Now the Beastie Boys?
Crank that sucka up.
Maybe - and this makes sense, being a writer - a lot comes down to the lyrics, after all. In the end I love music, powerful guitar riffs, thundering drums and bass, but for me its the combination of powerful, rhythmic music AND powerful lyrics. And so far, I've avoided the cliched "I'm getting old and hate all this trash the kids call music today", mostly because it's the lyrics that matter most for me.
For example: Nickleback, for me, has become a throwaway band. Seems like all they sing about lately are strippers, porn stars, or sex. Meh. Sex sells, blah, blah. That's nothing new. Same thing with Three Days Grace. Or maybe I just got turned off by a word choice in one of their recent songs that I just thought was lazy writing: "...at night, I feel like a vampire..."
Really? At night, I feel like a vampire?
Ugh.
BUT. I hear their song "Let's Start A Riot" - and I'm rocking. Because lots of us have been in that hurt, angry place they're singing about. There's resonance there.
And there's something in the screaming angst of Linkin' Park and Papa Roach and early Korn and even Skillet that I believe will defy time. Same thing with the admittedly dense but powerful lyrics of Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle. At first, I thought Disturbed to be a louder version of Nickleback, but some of their most powerful - and a little disturbing - songs like "Into the Fire" and "Another Way to Die" deal with matters that are little more important than titillation.
Hollywood Undead? Okay, yeah. Fun listening, catchy beat, but I probably won't think twice about them ten years from now.
And of course, preference is king. Like reading, we listen to what we like. But for me, I've managed to keep current with the music scene because it's the CONTENT I'm after, the lyrics - not the method in which they're delivered, as long as there's rhythm and balance and order.
(Oh. Snap. Did I just pop out a nice little defense of the Ebook? GAG! Let's move on....)
You can also tell the difference between REAL music making and performing for the crowd, in my opinion a lot like writing something meaningful - something by Peter Straub or Rio Youers or Norman Partridge or Paul Wilson or Charles Grant, T. M. Wright, Ron Malfi - versus Joe Zombie Guy popping out another zombie, emo-vampire bigfoot mash-up.
(That last indictment, of course, doesn't include Brian Keene. The Rising, to me, is still the most original, well-written and conceived zombie novel of all time, so much so it reignited the zombie craze - altered the literary landscape - and it's so good, I'm not sure why we even need more zombie novels. Ergo, IMHO - a classic).
A great example of this, to me, is Metallica. I LOVE Metallica. I love how they've evolved, changed their sound, taken chances, and for them it seems like it's become all about the music. Ironically, a lot of nineties bands - like Motley Crue and most noticeably Red Hot Chili Peppers - I HATED back then and still hate their old music but LOVE their new work now, because somewhere along the way, it became all about their ART, their music, not being "a rock band."
(insert personal opinion: it's about the ART, the writing craft, and NOT being a "horror author")
Anyway. To bring this over-long blog post to a close, I offer this from Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, which sums it up perfectly:
...I really have tried to hold off the attitude aging. In this regard, music came to my rescue. I believe music is the language of youth, and the more you can accept as valid, the younger your attitude gets....
June 5, 2011
What's The Deal With The Goofy Web Cam?
So. You may have recently noticed the birth of my early morning Writers' Web Cam.What's the deal, you ask? And why am I so...goofy? Aren't I concerned about professionalism? My image? Will these antics seem off-putting, disengaging, clashing with the "image" of a "serious" writer who wants to be taken "seriously" in the genre?
Bah.
And bah again.
One of the fine lines I've had to straddle the past few years chasing after a writing career is taking the writing itself dead seriously - which wasn't a problem, really - but learning to NOT take myself seriously at all. At first, I was very concerned and worried about what folks thought about me. What this guy thought about me, that writer, that editor, what if I posted a blog that annoyed this person, seemed trivial to another, yadda yadda, yadda yadda.
In fact, I got to a point so low, depressed that I had no "catchy" blog hooks, completely absorbed about what folks thought about me, I pulled down the old website/blog at www.kevinlucia.net, and seriously considered not blogging at all anymore.
Until I asked my wonderful, beautiful, ever supportive - and tolerant - and patient - and FORGIVING - wife if it would be okay just to blog about our LIFE, in specific detailing our struggles with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, and blog about our life in general (and because writing is part of my life, that gets thrown in).
She was down with it, so here we are.
So I've worked hard to exorcise my concerns about what people think of me. I've consulted lots of great folks for advice, about my own self as a person and a writer (thank you Michelle, Rio, Norm, Kelly). And while I'm not there completely, I feel a lot freer to let it hang and be who I want to be.
And, also, comes this quote I discovered, (and posted awhile ago), about the late Charles L. Grant's professionalism. Visit the link to read the whole thing, but this last paragraph really slapped me in the head about what it means to be a professional:
One of the crucial differences between the pro and the amateur is that the pro is able to place both sets of feelings - the good and the bad - within a fairly narrow range; unlike the students of many college creative-writing courses, who may consider themselves Prousts one day and feel like killing themselves the next, the pro is simply able to push on, determined to do the best he can possibly do, to grow as much as he can grow, and to perform, each day, an almost incredible feat of intellectual and imaginative strength: to look at the ream of blank paper beside the typewriter without quailing, to see not so much hostile and inimical white space but invisible words that need only be brought up and out.
Charlie Grant is this sort of writer.
And, dammit, I want to be the kind of writer also. THAT's what I want to strive for, not some pseudo-veneer of professionalism that makes me worry incessantly about what people think of me. Now, granted, no one ever TOLD me I should worry all the time, it's just something I gave birth to all on my own.
And hey - I know myself. I'm a laid back, conservative guy. My Con behavior, therefore, is not going to be all that embarrassing, but I'm not going to be afraid to enjoy myself. And, even that, for me Cons are not about partying, because if I learned ONE thing most from Dad, it was his work ethic. When you find something you're good at and want, if you really want it...you go out and GET IT.
Every. Day.
So even at Cons, I'm the lamo who is in bed by at least 1 AM, so I can get up at 8 and squeeze in two hours of writing before everything kicks into gear. For me, Cons are opportunities to not only hang out with my writer friends, network and make contacts...but they're just two more days of writing and work, too.
Because that's what's most important. The work. The words. And that's all.
Norman Partridge was kind enough recently to stop by on my blog when I was lamenting about missing World Horror, to remind me what was most important. The writing. The writing.
The writing. And by extension, the work I put into it.
So why the silly Writers' Web Cam?
Why not? For a laugh. Because I have strange thoughts at 3 AM, and an odd idea of what is "funny", and I think I should share. If one person sees me at 3 AM, hair muzzed, eyes wide and crazy, playing with my plush Cthulhu doll, and gets a chuckle out of it...
Then I feel good. And hey. I'll always be respectful, courteous, polite, soft-spoken until you REALLY get to know me, because that's the way Mama raised me, and I'll work the hell out of writing, because that's what Dad taught me, through advice and example: you want something, you work and don't stop, even after you think you've got it.
That's something I don't mind folks judging me by. All the rest is just the product of my rather warped sense of whimsy.
And besides, you've followed this blog and followed me on Twitter and Facebook long enough. You should know what you're in store for by now...
June 4, 2011
Seton CC's June Visiting Writer Rio Youers, author of "Mama Fish".
Yesterday, Seton CatholicCentral High School welcomed it's final Visiting Writer of the year,Rio Youers, author of the novellasMama Fish and OldMan Scratch, and the novelsEverdead and EndTimes. The bulk of our students read MamaFish,while my creative writing students read that and his short story"Left-Hand Radio", featured in Shroud Magazine, Issue #10.
Asusual, Rio proved to be one of our students' favorites. He shared his path to publishing, from writing short stories and novelsand novellas that never sold during high school, while working inboth a factory and as a car salesman (and not a very good one, headmitted), to the present, being praised by New York Times Bestselling Authors Peter Straub and Joe Hill as one of the premier, up and coming writers today.
He regaled us with some very humorous storiesabout early pitfalls and disappointments - including a semi-shady publisher who skipped town shortly after publishing Rio's first novella - as well as what drives him to be a writer: an innate need to create, to make things happen on paper, and simply LIFE itself. To chronicle and imitate life, in all its forms. As many of our visiting writers have cited this year, Rio also stressed one of the best reasons for a person to write: because they simply can't do anything else BUT write.
Perhaps one Rio's most powerful speaking points was his encouragement to our students to pursue their passions, whatever they may be - that if they have something they're passionate about: sports, music, art, writing - they should pursue that passion with every ounce of soul they had, and never let anyone ever tell them "You can't do that, you're just going to fail."
He shared with the students his days working in a factory, when all his coworkers discouraged his writing efforts, saying he'd never make it, that his efforts were fruitless and in vain. He exhorted to the students: "Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not good enough. No one's better than you at what you're truly passionate about. No one."
June 2, 2011
Too Long For A Facebook Update
So, the conversation goes something like this when Madi picks up my plush Cthulhu, who made his notorious first appearance on the Writer's AM WebCam this morning....Madi: What's this, Daddy?
Me: That's Cthulhu, sweetie. An Ancient god of chaos and madness.
Madi: What's he do?
Me: Uh....spreads chaos and makes people go mad.
Madi: What's those things on his face?
Me: Tentacles.
Madi: And howcum his eyes are red and black?
Me: Cause he's a monster. Monsters have red and black eyes.
Madi: Look, Daddy! He's got wings like a dragon. Is a dragon, Daddy?
Me: Sorta. I guess so.
Madi: He looks like a dragon. He's all green too, and it looks like he has scales, like a dinosaur. Could he be a dinosaur, Daddy?
Me: Well, he is really old.
Madi: Older than dinosaurs, even?
Me: Yep. Older than dinosaurs.
Madi: Hmmm. I know! He's got tentacles on his face like an octopus, wings like a dragon, scales like a dinosaur and arms and legs like a human. He's a human-octopus-dinosaur-dragon!
Me: Yep. That sounds about right.
Madi: You know who he looks like? The Oncler, from the Lorax. He's green, and so is the Oncler. Could he be the Oncler, too?Me: Maybe, Madi. Maybe....
There you go. Unspeakable horror, as described by my six year old...
May 28, 2011
Zack Tyler Lucia: Two Years Later
Two years ago, my son Zack was diagnosed as severely autistic. He couldn't talk. He screeched, screamed, and howled. He didn't know how to play independently or with his sister or us. He'd pick up a toy, throw it over his shoulder, grab something else, and throw that by the wayside also. Most the family gatherings we attended we didn't enjoy, because we spent the entire time managing his behavior. I couldn't read to him, because he wouldn't sit still.
He was unhappy, most of the time. We were exhausted.
All of the time.
Before his diagnosis, he was evaluated as needing speech therapy. He also qualified for OT (Occupational Therapy) and Special Instruction. His OT and SI teacher were sorta lovey dovey, nice, soft-spoken, laid-back "We let the child choose what he or she likes to do, in order to affirm a safe environment for them" or some-such thing.
His speech therapist, however, told us right up front: "I just want you to know, he's not going to like a lot I'm going to make him do. He'll cry and complain, maybe even pitch a fit, and I'm going to make him sit at a table and complete all his tasks, no matter what. I'm not hurting him. I promise. Just making him work."
Abby and I are old school, for sure. That, and at that time I'd spent over 15 years in child services/special education/junior high/high school education. I'd seen, first hand, what results from the "let's be pals" approach. I basically told his Speech Therapist: "Have at it."
All due respect, he ran over his SI and OT teacher like they were rugs. Could care a less if they came or not. His Speech Therapist?
He did, in fact, whine a lot. Cry. Complain.
At first.
And then, wonders never cease....
He learned.
And changed. Got better.
Now, it should be noted he still had his whiny days. And, as I've also noted before, after nearly three years of intervention, his actual autism has proven to be mild (downgraded now to moderate) compared to other cases I've seen. But still. His Speech Therapist made him sit down, work, and stay on task. Not "choose his own thing". And he got better.
Also? He absolutely ADORED his Speech Therapist. Would run to the window when she pulled into the driveway, and would wave goodbye. If she was supposed to show and didn't, he'd ask after her. She used discipline, kept him on task, made him work in spite of his whining and complaining....
And he loved her for it.
That realization, two years ago, taught me so much as a parent, and more than any Education class or seminar or workshop I've ever taken as a teacher.
And here he is today, sitting in one spot and playing independently, all by himself. At the same table our Speech Therapist loaned us, and eventually left with us for good.
Thank you. You started us along the path that gave us our son back.
He was unhappy, most of the time. We were exhausted.
All of the time.
Before his diagnosis, he was evaluated as needing speech therapy. He also qualified for OT (Occupational Therapy) and Special Instruction. His OT and SI teacher were sorta lovey dovey, nice, soft-spoken, laid-back "We let the child choose what he or she likes to do, in order to affirm a safe environment for them" or some-such thing.
His speech therapist, however, told us right up front: "I just want you to know, he's not going to like a lot I'm going to make him do. He'll cry and complain, maybe even pitch a fit, and I'm going to make him sit at a table and complete all his tasks, no matter what. I'm not hurting him. I promise. Just making him work."
Abby and I are old school, for sure. That, and at that time I'd spent over 15 years in child services/special education/junior high/high school education. I'd seen, first hand, what results from the "let's be pals" approach. I basically told his Speech Therapist: "Have at it."
All due respect, he ran over his SI and OT teacher like they were rugs. Could care a less if they came or not. His Speech Therapist?
He did, in fact, whine a lot. Cry. Complain.
At first.
And then, wonders never cease....
He learned.
And changed. Got better.
Now, it should be noted he still had his whiny days. And, as I've also noted before, after nearly three years of intervention, his actual autism has proven to be mild (downgraded now to moderate) compared to other cases I've seen. But still. His Speech Therapist made him sit down, work, and stay on task. Not "choose his own thing". And he got better.
Also? He absolutely ADORED his Speech Therapist. Would run to the window when she pulled into the driveway, and would wave goodbye. If she was supposed to show and didn't, he'd ask after her. She used discipline, kept him on task, made him work in spite of his whining and complaining....
And he loved her for it.
That realization, two years ago, taught me so much as a parent, and more than any Education class or seminar or workshop I've ever taken as a teacher.
And here he is today, sitting in one spot and playing independently, all by himself. At the same table our Speech Therapist loaned us, and eventually left with us for good.Thank you. You started us along the path that gave us our son back.
May 27, 2011
Really true: An agent speaks out on current publishing and writing
This basically sums up my issues with the self-publishing digital movement....
Ed Gorman's blog: An agent speaks out on current publishing and writing
Ed Gorman's blog: An agent speaks out on current publishing and writing
May 24, 2011
Horrorfind 2011 - Moderating and Reading
Because of budget reasons I've had to trim down on the Con travel over the past year, but the one Con I'll ALWAYS attend is Horrorfind Weekened, which takes place in Gettysburg, PA. It's right in my backyard, and as a Con that merges both the horror film and writing industry, it's a unique beast, and QUITE a spectacle to behold.
This year I'll be reading with the awesome Bob Ford and Wes Southard (who I've yet to meet but have heard good things about), but I'll also be pulling my first official stint as table moderator for a panel featuring young authors and their experiences in "What We've Learned So Far". I'm honored, and hope to do the best job I can.
Here's the complete line-up. I'm certainly not hoping summer will go by fast, BUT I'm sure it will just in the waiting.....
FRIDAY
5:30pm – 6:30pm: Zombies – Authors Kim Paffenroth (moderator), J.F. Gonzalez, Tim Lebbon, Jason Gehlert, Scott Kenemore, Jeremy Wagner, and Scott Baker discuss why the dead just won't stay dead, and why the literary zombie craze is far from over. (Reading Room)
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Ronald Malfi and Rio Youers (Reading Room)
7:30pm – 8:30pm: The Life of Forrest J. Ackerman – Author Deborah Painter discusses the horror genre's favorite Uncle. (Reading Room)
8:30pm – 9:00pm: James Newman and Norman Prentiss (Reading Room)
9:00pm – 10:00pm: Women in Horror – Authors Monica J. O'Rourke (moderator), Kelli Owen, Mary SanGiovanni, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and Lesley Conner discuss the history and contributions of women in literary horror, and their future roles. (Reading Room)
SATURDAY:
10:00am – 10:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)
10:00am – 11:00am: Thomas F. Monteleone and Chet Williamson (Reading Room)
11:00am – Noon: What We've Learned So Far – New authors Kevin Lucia (moderator), Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, Ty Schwamberger, Jacob Haddon, and Bryon Morrigan discuss the perils, pitfalls, and lessons learned from publishing in the new millennium. (Outside – Rear Carport)
11:00am – Noon: James A. Moore and Mary SanGiovanni (Reading Room)
Noon – 1:00pm: Jason Gehlert and Jeremy Wagner (Reading Room)
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Politics and Religion in Horror – Politics and religion are two things many prefer not to discuss, yet horror fiction examines them regularly. Authors Kim Paffenroth (moderator), Chet Williamson, Andersen Prunty, Ronald Malfi, Kelli Owen, Rio Youers, Norman Prentiss, and James Newman discuss why. (Outside – Rear Carport)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Tim Lebbon and Christopher Golden (Reading Room)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Monica J. O'Rourke and Nick Cato (Reading Room)
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Brian Keene and Kelli Owen (Reading Room)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Dustin Warburton and Scott Kenemore (Reading Room)
5:00pm – 7:00pm: Bizarro World – Authors Andersen Prunty (moderator), Jeff Burk, Gregory Hall, Eric Mays, William Pauley III, and Nick Cato discuss the origins and future of the Bizarro genre, and offer some select readings and performances. (Reading Room)
5:30pm – 7:00pm: Q&A – Authors Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, Brian Keene, J. F. Gonzalez, Chet Williamson, and Thomas F. Monteleone answer your questions about anything in this no-holds-barred Q&A. (Outside – Rear Carport)
SUNDAY:
11:00am – 11:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)
11:00am – Noon: Charles Colyott, Brent Abell, and Ryan Clark (Reading Room)
Noon – 1:00pm: Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, and Bryon Morrigan (Reading Room)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Robert Ford, Kevin Lucia, and Wesley Southard (Reading Room)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Scott Baker, Jacob Haddon, and Lesley Conner (Reading Room)
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Ty Schwamberger and Jay Franklin (Reading Room)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Thomas Erb and Jeff Burk (Reading Room)
This year I'll be reading with the awesome Bob Ford and Wes Southard (who I've yet to meet but have heard good things about), but I'll also be pulling my first official stint as table moderator for a panel featuring young authors and their experiences in "What We've Learned So Far". I'm honored, and hope to do the best job I can.
Here's the complete line-up. I'm certainly not hoping summer will go by fast, BUT I'm sure it will just in the waiting.....
FRIDAY
5:30pm – 6:30pm: Zombies – Authors Kim Paffenroth (moderator), J.F. Gonzalez, Tim Lebbon, Jason Gehlert, Scott Kenemore, Jeremy Wagner, and Scott Baker discuss why the dead just won't stay dead, and why the literary zombie craze is far from over. (Reading Room)
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Ronald Malfi and Rio Youers (Reading Room)
7:30pm – 8:30pm: The Life of Forrest J. Ackerman – Author Deborah Painter discusses the horror genre's favorite Uncle. (Reading Room)
8:30pm – 9:00pm: James Newman and Norman Prentiss (Reading Room)
9:00pm – 10:00pm: Women in Horror – Authors Monica J. O'Rourke (moderator), Kelli Owen, Mary SanGiovanni, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and Lesley Conner discuss the history and contributions of women in literary horror, and their future roles. (Reading Room)
SATURDAY:
10:00am – 10:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)
10:00am – 11:00am: Thomas F. Monteleone and Chet Williamson (Reading Room)
11:00am – Noon: What We've Learned So Far – New authors Kevin Lucia (moderator), Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, Ty Schwamberger, Jacob Haddon, and Bryon Morrigan discuss the perils, pitfalls, and lessons learned from publishing in the new millennium. (Outside – Rear Carport)
11:00am – Noon: James A. Moore and Mary SanGiovanni (Reading Room)
Noon – 1:00pm: Jason Gehlert and Jeremy Wagner (Reading Room)
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Politics and Religion in Horror – Politics and religion are two things many prefer not to discuss, yet horror fiction examines them regularly. Authors Kim Paffenroth (moderator), Chet Williamson, Andersen Prunty, Ronald Malfi, Kelli Owen, Rio Youers, Norman Prentiss, and James Newman discuss why. (Outside – Rear Carport)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Tim Lebbon and Christopher Golden (Reading Room)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Monica J. O'Rourke and Nick Cato (Reading Room)
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Brian Keene and Kelli Owen (Reading Room)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Dustin Warburton and Scott Kenemore (Reading Room)
5:00pm – 7:00pm: Bizarro World – Authors Andersen Prunty (moderator), Jeff Burk, Gregory Hall, Eric Mays, William Pauley III, and Nick Cato discuss the origins and future of the Bizarro genre, and offer some select readings and performances. (Reading Room)
5:30pm – 7:00pm: Q&A – Authors Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, Brian Keene, J. F. Gonzalez, Chet Williamson, and Thomas F. Monteleone answer your questions about anything in this no-holds-barred Q&A. (Outside – Rear Carport)
SUNDAY:
11:00am – 11:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)
11:00am – Noon: Charles Colyott, Brent Abell, and Ryan Clark (Reading Room)
Noon – 1:00pm: Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, and Bryon Morrigan (Reading Room)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Robert Ford, Kevin Lucia, and Wesley Southard (Reading Room)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Scott Baker, Jacob Haddon, and Lesley Conner (Reading Room)
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Ty Schwamberger and Jay Franklin (Reading Room)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Thomas Erb and Jeff Burk (Reading Room)
May 20, 2011
Tonight's Beautiful Prose
This is the main reason ALL writers should read the classics.
To stay humble. To realize, that even as we're reaching for greatness...some of us will never compare to those who went before.....
I turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie's, Miss Stephanie's - there was our house, I could see the porch swing - Miss Rachel's house was beyond us, plainly visible. I could even see Mrs. Dubose's.
I looked behind me. To the left of the brown door was a long shuttered window. I walked to it, stood in front of it, and turned around. In daylight, I thought, you could see to the post office corner.
Daylight...
...in my mind, the night faded. It was daytime and the neighborhood was busy. Miss Stephanie Crawford crossed the street to tell the latest to Miss Rachel. Miss Maudie bent over her azaleas. It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children raced each other to him.
It was still summertime, and the children came closer. A boy trudged down the sidewalk dragging a fishingpole behind him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summetime, and his children played in the front yard with a friend, enacting a strange little drama of their own invention.
It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's. The boy helped his sister to his feet, and they made their way home. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day's woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.
Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into a street, dropped his glass, and shot a dog.
Summer, and he watching his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed him.
Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.
Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.
To stay humble. To realize, that even as we're reaching for greatness...some of us will never compare to those who went before.....
I turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie's, Miss Stephanie's - there was our house, I could see the porch swing - Miss Rachel's house was beyond us, plainly visible. I could even see Mrs. Dubose's.I looked behind me. To the left of the brown door was a long shuttered window. I walked to it, stood in front of it, and turned around. In daylight, I thought, you could see to the post office corner.
Daylight...
...in my mind, the night faded. It was daytime and the neighborhood was busy. Miss Stephanie Crawford crossed the street to tell the latest to Miss Rachel. Miss Maudie bent over her azaleas. It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children raced each other to him.
It was still summertime, and the children came closer. A boy trudged down the sidewalk dragging a fishingpole behind him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summetime, and his children played in the front yard with a friend, enacting a strange little drama of their own invention.
It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's. The boy helped his sister to his feet, and they made their way home. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day's woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.
Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into a street, dropped his glass, and shot a dog.
Summer, and he watching his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed him.
Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.
Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.
May 18, 2011
Flames Rising Reviews Hiram Grange & The Chosen One
I recently blogged about moving ahead to other projects and not resting on my laurels, not being content and continually striving to improve my craft...but hey, even so, it's still nice to see a review or two roll in. Makes getting up early in the morning easier, helps pad the heart against recent and future rejections. So, here's what Flames Rising has to say about Hiram Grange & The Chosen One...
"The writing is excellent and, like Twelve Little Hitlers, well-paced. Lovely and deadly imagery, the characters are in sharp relief, and you feel like you're tagging along as they go through their lives. They make bad choices, deal with heartache, battle maggot-infested and tentacled monsters from the Abyss—you know, the usual."
"There's a great deal of humor in Chosen One...I only wish it was longer. It has an epic tone and I wanted to read more of it. I don't want to give away too much, but there's a lot of good writing and a great story here."
I'm especially happy about the humor part, because believe it or not, I worked on the humor almost as hard as I did the action scenes, mostly because my initial attempts at Hiram's humor turned out so dismal. I tried to be intentionally scandalous and ridiculous, and it just came out all wrong.
Hopefully, the smattering of Hiram fans I have won't be turned off by this, but I only started getting what I thought as Hiram's humor right when I started channeling my inner Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by James Marsters). Once that happened, my Hiram turned into somewhat of a dry smart-ass, and that seemed to work just fine for me.
So, what are you waiting for? Maggot infested and tentacled monsters? Girl in peril? Dry smartass? Big explosions? What's not to love? On Amazon....
"The writing is excellent and, like Twelve Little Hitlers, well-paced. Lovely and deadly imagery, the characters are in sharp relief, and you feel like you're tagging along as they go through their lives. They make bad choices, deal with heartache, battle maggot-infested and tentacled monsters from the Abyss—you know, the usual."
"There's a great deal of humor in Chosen One...I only wish it was longer. It has an epic tone and I wanted to read more of it. I don't want to give away too much, but there's a lot of good writing and a great story here."
I'm especially happy about the humor part, because believe it or not, I worked on the humor almost as hard as I did the action scenes, mostly because my initial attempts at Hiram's humor turned out so dismal. I tried to be intentionally scandalous and ridiculous, and it just came out all wrong.
Hopefully, the smattering of Hiram fans I have won't be turned off by this, but I only started getting what I thought as Hiram's humor right when I started channeling my inner Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by James Marsters). Once that happened, my Hiram turned into somewhat of a dry smart-ass, and that seemed to work just fine for me.
So, what are you waiting for? Maggot infested and tentacled monsters? Girl in peril? Dry smartass? Big explosions? What's not to love? On Amazon....
May 17, 2011
Seton CC's May Visiting Author, Phil Tomasso/Thomas Phillips, author of "The Molech Prophecy" and "Vaccination"
Yesterday Seton Catholic Central High School welcomed author Phil Tomasso, who writes under the pen name Thomas Phillips, as Seton Catholic Central High School's May Visiting Writer. Our Creative Writing students read both his novel The Molech Prophecy and his short story "Vaccination", which recently appeared in Shroud Magazine's Halloween Issue, while the rest of the student body read only "Vaccination."
As Phil Tomasso, he's written over 70 short stories that've appeared in a variety of genre magazines, ranging from westerns to crime/mysteries and horror. He saw five crime/suspense novels published at the midlist level, and also wrote two children's chapter books under the pen name Grant R. Matthews. Phil shared with our students his inspirational story: as a child, he hated reading. Suffered from a reading disability, and did everything he could NOT to read. That typical student who, through natural intelligence and creativity, bluffed his way through most his work and tests with decent grades. However, when teachers discovered his reading disability in the fourth grade and he had to receive special reading instruction, he came to loathe reading and school even more.
Until he read The Outsiders, a novel that transformed Phil for life. He fell in love with reading and worked to overcome his disability, which has lead to being a life-long, voracious reader who consumes books, reading three different books at a time. 
Phil shared with our students the ups and downs of his writing career, how he discovered early and quick success writing short stories, and how - after a long lay-off - he's come full circle back to his love of short stories with the publication of "Vaccination" in Shroud's Halloween issue. He related the tough decision he made recently when, faced with too much editorial conflict with his recent novel, concerning changes to his style and story that he felt detrimental, he pulled his newest novel, Sounds of Silence, from publication.
He also shared the personal transition he made after becoming a Christian, how initially he felt the need to distance himself from his former work as Phil Tomasso, and how the publisher of The Molech Prophecy asked him to used a pen name. Thomas Phillips was born, and he discussed with the students the realities of using a pen name, and his recent decision to resume writing under Phil Tomasso.
The Seton students thoroughly enjoyed Phil's visit. He's earned some rabid new fans, and made several of my zombie-craving students very happy with the news that he's currently fleshing "Vaccination" out into his first full-fledged zombie novel.
