A Not Quite the Worst But Still Really Bad Book Cover
We declared a worst a while back, and I'm sad to report that this one can't top it. Still, well, see for yourself: Okay, here's what they got right: the…
So Over It Contest #14: Dedication Edition
Once again, no winners for our previous contest. You'll be kicking yourselves when I show you the picture from the front. This is the Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood. It's…
A Jupiter Moon Gets Weird(er)
One of the things I love most about science is the way that new information makes pig's breakfasts of old ideas. Example: new information about the volcanoes on Jupiter's moon…
Viva Kenievel!
After the Vietnam War, America hankered for the simple pleasure of watching a working class guy risk violent death for no good reason...hmm...maybe there's a better way of putting that.…
How To Hide Your Ill-Gotten Booty
I've never had this problem personally. (I'm a fiction writer and educator, so money is allergic to me.) But it is possible that some of you reading this are very…
Roger Ebert Died Today: What I’ll Miss Most
Reading Roger Ebert's reviews was always a pleasure, and I knew when they started slowing down that there was cause to worry. While I learned a great deal about movies…
We Have A Situation Here
Of all the frequently asked questions tossed at writers, in letters, at readings, or in interviews, the reigning champion of frequency remains "Where do you get your ideas?" Now being…
The Coen Brothers Have Optioned Dismantle the Sun
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Directors Joel and Ethan Coen, the academy award winning auteurs behind True Grit, No Country For Old Men, and Fargo, may soon return to their midwestern roots. Through their production…
So Over It Contest #13: Midnight and the Stars and You Edition
So Over It #12 has come and gone. No winners again. The correct answer is the Palazzo Venezia in Rome, which was in the news recently because a bunker intended…
The Dos and Don’ts of Reacting to Bad Reviews
The other day, my friend Mai on Facebook pointed to an article about Sheryl Sandberg's publicist, who sent the following tweet to Kate Losse, who'd reviewed her already endlessly discussed…