Wine Knowledge In the quiet hours at night, I giggled uncontrollably at certain passages, certain descriptions in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. They were the passages that would not be funny in the least to her when I tried to read them to her after myContinue Reading
It was with great pleasure that I read Justice, Inc. by Dale Bridges late last winter. I first met Dale when Umbrella Factory Magazine ran a short story of his back in 2010. I think he is a remarkable writer. I loved reading his book, which is available through Monkey PuzzleContinue Reading
Such a Sunny Day It wasn’t really meant to go on for long. The duration is something like the length of side A of your favorite 45. It cannot last longer than the instant it takes the sun to travel between one blanket of clouds to the next. One smallContinue Reading
Justice Inc., A review Justice, Inc., the new short story collection by Dale Bridges, came to me in the most unusual way. I suppose it might have been a very unusual way had the book come to me via zombie messenger, Omni-Mart International official courier or tucked in between theContinue Reading
My Coffeepot There are stories that should wait until after coffee. There are stories that are left better to begin, to be created after coffee. There are things that just ought to be spared outright, and if not, please wait until after the coffee. Are you moving in or out,Continue Reading
The collaborative project at Sophia Ballou has been one of the most rewarding facets of my career as a writer. Sophia Ballou has been elemental in my process during these last few years. It began on a sunny day in April, 2010 in the dingy basement of Hooked on ColfaxContinue Reading
I am no poet. I do not even pretend that I am a poet. I have always subscribed to the statement that there are more people who write poetry than who read poetry. I know this is true about many so called poets when I read submissions to Umbrella FactoryContinue Reading
It’s questionable where it really started. I suppose it may have been in that vacant lot where the flowers of May came winding up through the green-green grass of new life. It was that one moment when I wanted to hear what Denise had to say. Or was it Anna?Continue Reading
The rain fell. It was something like the 109th day or 119th straight day of rain. There was only so many indoor activities a person could handle. How much coffee or beer can a bladder handle? And there was the statistical inevitability that one would have to go outside eventually,Continue Reading
It’s raining here today. For most, a rainy day makes for a melancholy day. For me, this just isn’t the case. There may be a number of reasons for this. Truth be known, I have lived in this incredibly sunny place for most of my life. Sunny. Everyday, sunny. ThereContinue Reading