Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 740

Forgotten Bookmarks

I can't remember who to credit for pointing me to this, but Forgotten Bookmarks is a website where the owner of a used and rare bookshop posts the "personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things" that he finds in the books that she buys.

It's one of those sites where you can spend an hour in what feels like ten minutes.  This is one of my favorites. 

And this led me to think of an idea for a book: a protagonist who purposely leaves items of perceived sentiment, import and meaning for others

Just the facts: Redux

Just in case you were worried that the Alessandra Stanley piece on Cronkite wasn't the least factual piece ever published by the New York Times, yet another correction to the story came out a couple days ago. 

I know.  You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. 

It reads:

Correction: August 1, 2009
An appraisal on July 18 about Walter Cronkite's career misstated the name of the ABC evening news broadcast. While the program was called "World News Tonight" when Charles Gibson became anchor in May

Worlds collide

Ten years ago, I was teaching second grade, my first year as an elementary school teacher.  With a fondness for Shakespeare and a desire to try something, anything, to garner my students' attention, I decided to read some of Shakespeare's plays, adapted into story versions, to them. 

They loved the stories.  Sword fights and betrayal, love and tragedy, large-scale battles and even a few laughs, the kids ate these stories up and kept asking for more.  At the end of the year, that class of secon

First appearance

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Written Words Bookstore in Shelton, CT for my first appearance and signing. It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. If you haven't had the pleasure to visit this bookstore, please do. It's a large, bright, inviting space filled with great books, a wonderful children's section, and plenty of cozy chairs and sofas adorned with the pillows and afghans from the store's knitting group. The shop even has its own bird, a parrot named Hemmy, who was very well

Just the facts

One of the most surprising parts about publishing SOMETHING MISSING was learning about the fact-checking that goes into a work of fiction.  During the process of final revision, an editor was assigned to fact-check nonfiction elements of my book.  She went so far as to confirm my assertions about lock picking and verify the route that a character drove when traveling from Newington to West Hartford.  She even found a possible problem in timing due to daylight savings time, a factor I had failed

Treats for Cindy

I have a list of future projects that I intend to someday complete. Many of the items are actually ideas for novels, characters, and plotlines. Also included in this list is an excellent idea for a coffee table book idea, an idea for a website, and at least two greeting card ideas.

Also, this item:

Serve friends doggie treats.

There is a Doggie Bakery in my town that sells doggie treats that looked exactly like human treats. Cookies, cupcakes and other delicious pastries.

At least there wa

A good way to waste time

Have you seen the literal video versions making their way around the Internet?

Take a video, usually from the 1980s, and re-craft the song to match the actual footage.

Hilarious and brilliant. And completely consuming my morning when I should be writing.  Here are two of my favorites:

I wont be reading it to my daughter

The trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was posted online this week, along with a press release that reads:

Tim Burton's twisted take on the classic children's story Alice in Wonderland doesn't hit theaters until next year, but the trailer has just been released.

Have you ever read this book (properly titled ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND)?  As twisted as I know Tim Burton's work can be, this book is already unbelievably twisted.  I attempted to read it last year and eventually quit

Book club suggestions

This week's episode of Books on the Nightstand has some excellent book club suggestions. My favorite was that the person who is choosing the book must have read it first. Not only does this guarantee a good choice, but it also provides the person choosing the time to do any additional research on the author or topic, in order to promote conversation and become a quasi-expert on the book (also a suggestion from the podcast).

I will be proposing this suggestion to my own book club. Ironically, it

First appearance

My first appearance as an author takes place on Sunday, August 2, at Written Words Bookstore in Shelton, CT.  I'll be discussing the book and signing for anyone who is interested.

Hope to see you there!