When I'm not writing stories or songs, I'm writing essays, which I put on my blog. Here's an index to them. It starts with the most recent, and works back from there as you scroll.
DECEMBER 2017
THE TEN SECOND MOMENT IN "THE LAST JEDI" THAT RUINED THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE FOR ME (31 December 2017)
Sorry, but someone had to say it...
UNLOADING SHIPS (30 December 2017)
Why I do what I do on the day that no inspiration is to be found.
MY MORNING DEMONS (28 December 2017)
I have them. We all have them.
"SAY YES TO THE DRESS, AND A REVISITING OF YESTERDAY'S ESSAY, IN WHICH I MISTAKENLY SAID I HAD NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT (27 December 2017)
Thoughts on the false fantasies of weddings, and whether I am as bereft of ideas as I often think
NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT-#2 (26 DECEMBER 2017)
Make posting something every day your goal, and there are going to be days like these.
THOUGHTS ON AARP'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (25 December 2017)
On getting old
HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIEND LAURA IN LOS ANGELES BACK IN THE DAY (24 December 2017)
A fond tribute to a wonderful human being
WHY DOING NOTHING IS DOING SOMETHING (23 December 2017)
More on what I do
ON JOURNAL WRITING (21 December 2017)
The difference between writing for others, and writing for myself
BALUT AND FLAMIN’ HOT MAC AND CHEETOS: A COMPARISON (20 December 2017)
It’s all in the eye of the beholder
ON THE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT SMALL GOOD THINGS ADD UP TO BIG GOOD THINGS (19 December 2017)
About the wisdom of the phrase One Day at a Time
ESSAY-THE CORPORATE NEED TO CREATE A NATION OF ADDICTS (18 DECEMBER 2017)
Drug dealers are everywhere
ESSAY-ON MY DAILY EXERCISE ROUTINE, AND MY COMMITMENT TO LIVING A LIFE THAT DOESN’T SUCK (17 December 2017)
An ethos for working out, and living my life
IN PRAISE OF MY FRIEND YVONNE'S SON JAKE, A ROOKIE NYPD COP (16 December 2017)
A story of true heroism
MY ONGOING QUEST TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO (15 December 2017)
My ongoing attempt to Be Here Now.
THIS IS WHAT I DO (13 December 2017)
The title says it all
ON REALIZING THAT, IF I AM TO POST SOMETHING EVERY DAY, THERE WILL BE MANY DAYS THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT, AND THAT I SHOULD JUST START NUMBERING ESSAYS LIKE THIS ONE; OR, ON NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO WRITE ABOUT-#1 (12 December 2017)
All about realizing that there are just going to be (many) days that the juices just aren’t flowing
ON POSTING SOMETHING EVERY DAY (10 December 2017)
On the need to write daily
ON RECYCLING (8 December 2017)
Why it’s training for being a certain type of person...and not being a certain type of other person
ON WRITING THE MOST LOCAL OF NEWS FOR A READERSHIP OF MAYBE SIX (7 December 2017)
Why I will always, deep down, be writing for maybe a half dozen people
ON REALLY, HONESTLY, HAVING NO IDEA WHATSOEVER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY READING THIS (12/6/2017)
A meditation on the unreliability of web traffic statistics.
ON THE SYNESTHEZIA THAT COMES WITH BEING TEN-PERCENT AWAKE AT 3 A.M (12/5/2017)
On the cruelty of words that come to a writer when he barely has the presence of mind to write them down.
ON HEARING BAUHAUS’S “BELA LUGOSI IS DEAD” IN A COFFEE SHOP (12/4/2017)
How a song can bring back a memory
Sorry, but someone had to say it...
UNLOADING SHIPS (30 December 2017)
Why I do what I do on the day that no inspiration is to be found.
MY MORNING DEMONS (28 December 2017)
I have them. We all have them.
"SAY YES TO THE DRESS, AND A REVISITING OF YESTERDAY'S ESSAY, IN WHICH I MISTAKENLY SAID I HAD NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT (27 December 2017)
Thoughts on the false fantasies of weddings, and whether I am as bereft of ideas as I often think
NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT-#2 (26 DECEMBER 2017)
Make posting something every day your goal, and there are going to be days like these.
THOUGHTS ON AARP'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE (25 December 2017)
On getting old
HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIEND LAURA IN LOS ANGELES BACK IN THE DAY (24 December 2017)
A fond tribute to a wonderful human being
WHY DOING NOTHING IS DOING SOMETHING (23 December 2017)
More on what I do
ON JOURNAL WRITING (21 December 2017)
The difference between writing for others, and writing for myself
BALUT AND FLAMIN’ HOT MAC AND CHEETOS: A COMPARISON (20 December 2017)
It’s all in the eye of the beholder
ON THE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT SMALL GOOD THINGS ADD UP TO BIG GOOD THINGS (19 December 2017)
About the wisdom of the phrase One Day at a Time
ESSAY-THE CORPORATE NEED TO CREATE A NATION OF ADDICTS (18 DECEMBER 2017)
Drug dealers are everywhere
ESSAY-ON MY DAILY EXERCISE ROUTINE, AND MY COMMITMENT TO LIVING A LIFE THAT DOESN’T SUCK (17 December 2017)
An ethos for working out, and living my life
IN PRAISE OF MY FRIEND YVONNE'S SON JAKE, A ROOKIE NYPD COP (16 December 2017)
A story of true heroism
MY ONGOING QUEST TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO (15 December 2017)
My ongoing attempt to Be Here Now.
THIS IS WHAT I DO (13 December 2017)
The title says it all
ON REALIZING THAT, IF I AM TO POST SOMETHING EVERY DAY, THERE WILL BE MANY DAYS THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT, AND THAT I SHOULD JUST START NUMBERING ESSAYS LIKE THIS ONE; OR, ON NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO WRITE ABOUT-#1 (12 December 2017)
All about realizing that there are just going to be (many) days that the juices just aren’t flowing
ON POSTING SOMETHING EVERY DAY (10 December 2017)
On the need to write daily
ON RECYCLING (8 December 2017)
Why it’s training for being a certain type of person...and not being a certain type of other person
ON WRITING THE MOST LOCAL OF NEWS FOR A READERSHIP OF MAYBE SIX (7 December 2017)
Why I will always, deep down, be writing for maybe a half dozen people
ON REALLY, HONESTLY, HAVING NO IDEA WHATSOEVER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY READING THIS (12/6/2017)
A meditation on the unreliability of web traffic statistics.
ON THE SYNESTHEZIA THAT COMES WITH BEING TEN-PERCENT AWAKE AT 3 A.M (12/5/2017)
On the cruelty of words that come to a writer when he barely has the presence of mind to write them down.
ON HEARING BAUHAUS’S “BELA LUGOSI IS DEAD” IN A COFFEE SHOP (12/4/2017)
How a song can bring back a memory
NOVEMBER 2017
FROM MY OLD BLOG: THE TOWERING INFERNO - AN APPRECIATION (11/27/2017)
I've started moving pieces from my old blog to this one, so that all my writing is in the same place. This is a one of them.
ON THE HUMBLING AND LIFE-AFFIRMING PRACTICE OF INDEXING A BLOG (11/27/2016)
If you have a blog, you should index it, and, if possible, give short annotations such as this one to each entry. Here's why.
THE SAD, SIMPLE SECRET TO WRITING BLOG ENTRIES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ (11/25/2017)
Yet another argument for simple words, and short paragraphs.
ON THE REASON THAT I MUST OFTEN POST ABOUT HAVING NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT (11/25/2017)
Why writing about nothing often becomes writing about something.
I've started moving pieces from my old blog to this one, so that all my writing is in the same place. This is a one of them.
ON THE HUMBLING AND LIFE-AFFIRMING PRACTICE OF INDEXING A BLOG (11/27/2016)
If you have a blog, you should index it, and, if possible, give short annotations such as this one to each entry. Here's why.
THE SAD, SIMPLE SECRET TO WRITING BLOG ENTRIES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ (11/25/2017)
Yet another argument for simple words, and short paragraphs.
ON THE REASON THAT I MUST OFTEN POST ABOUT HAVING NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT (11/25/2017)
Why writing about nothing often becomes writing about something.
SEPTEMBER 2017
ON FINALLY LAUNCHING THE YOUTUBE SHOW I'VE BEEN SAYING I'D LAUNCH FOR YEARS AND YEARS (9/5/2017)
A chance to hear an original song I wrote. And as I'm typing this annotation, I'm realizing that I haven't put anything up in a while. Time to change that.
A chance to hear an original song I wrote. And as I'm typing this annotation, I'm realizing that I haven't put anything up in a while. Time to change that.
IN WHICH A MUNDANE WRITING SESSION AT A BAGEL STORE IN VERMONT BECOMES AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHERE I GET MY IDEAS (AT LEAST WHERE I GOT MY IDEA FOR THIS BLOG POST, IF NOTHING ELSE) (8/20/2017)
On the small miracles that parents encounter, with a lovely response from the parents in question.
ON WRITING IN A GRAVEYARD (8/8/2017)
It's going to make a person contemplate life and death. That was the case for me.
ON PREPARING A CLOSET CEILING FOR PAINTING (8/6/2017)
Or, why I felt as if I were walking in Michelangelo's footsteps.
On the small miracles that parents encounter, with a lovely response from the parents in question.
ON WRITING IN A GRAVEYARD (8/8/2017)
It's going to make a person contemplate life and death. That was the case for me.
ON PREPARING A CLOSET CEILING FOR PAINTING (8/6/2017)
Or, why I felt as if I were walking in Michelangelo's footsteps.
APRIL 2017
DISPATCH: THREE PENNY TAPROOM, MONPELIER, VERMONT (4/23/2017)
On realizing that, after visiting a good friend, I'm free to stop on the way home and have a burger and a brew, and just enjoy myself.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING (LOWER CASE "W") AND WRITING (UPPER CASE "W") (4/16/2017)
A humble opinion on what it means to be a Writer, with a capital "W."
DISPATCH FROM THE ATOMIC CAFE, BEVERLY MASSACHUSETTS (4/15/2017)
When I'm in Beverly, Massachusetts, I write at the Atomic Cafe, which has become a sort of power center for me. Here, I hold forth while drinking their fine brew.
ON WRITING IN TURNERS FALLS MASSACHUSETTS WHILE JULIAN PARKER BURNS TAKES MANY PICTURES (4/9/2017)
Julian Parker Burns is a ferociously talented artist and photographer. Here I get an insight into his vast talent. You can check out Julian's work at http://julianparkerburns.com/home.html
On realizing that, after visiting a good friend, I'm free to stop on the way home and have a burger and a brew, and just enjoy myself.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING (LOWER CASE "W") AND WRITING (UPPER CASE "W") (4/16/2017)
A humble opinion on what it means to be a Writer, with a capital "W."
DISPATCH FROM THE ATOMIC CAFE, BEVERLY MASSACHUSETTS (4/15/2017)
When I'm in Beverly, Massachusetts, I write at the Atomic Cafe, which has become a sort of power center for me. Here, I hold forth while drinking their fine brew.
ON WRITING IN TURNERS FALLS MASSACHUSETTS WHILE JULIAN PARKER BURNS TAKES MANY PICTURES (4/9/2017)
Julian Parker Burns is a ferociously talented artist and photographer. Here I get an insight into his vast talent. You can check out Julian's work at http://julianparkerburns.com/home.html
FEBRUARY 2017
WHY I WALKED AWAY FROM "PET RESCUE SAGA" (2/25/2017)
On a frighteningly addictive Facebook game.
On a frighteningly addictive Facebook game.
This page was last updated on December 20, 2024. © 2024. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.