The person I’m going to make famous offered several promises. He guaranteed personalized attention to me and my project. And how! He read absolutely everything I wrote. At the time I thought it was because he liked my writing. He may indeed like it. Psychopaths turn their empathy on and off at will. They can…
From writer to publicist
January 10, 2014
I’ve never made a New Year’s resolution. Well, 2014 is different. My resolution is to make someone famous. Not just anyone; a specific someone. I’m going from writer to publicist. Though I always wanted to be a writer—a professional writer whose work sold—I don’t think it’ll happen. My experiences with Ghosts and Ballyhoo show that…
Off to a rousing start
January 8, 2014
I said that 2014 couldn’t possibly be worse than 2013. Well, maybe I spoke too soon. The year is off to a rousing start that doesn’t bode well for me personally, but it’s sure to provide loads of entertainment for you. The full extent of the scam pulled on me has come to light. I’ve…
One size never fits all
January 4, 2014
Every time I turn around, someone is telling me I should adopt their mindset. I don’t know what it is about public exposure, but it immediately makes people start lecturing others on what to think. Is it the need to control? I never understood that particular urge. My father was so controlling that he’d stick…
The worst year of my life
December 31, 2013
This was the worst year of my life. For over a decade, Tim and I would say to each other, “This was the worst year yet,” but 2013 was the absolute bottom. I say than knowing full well that I’m daring the fates to make 2014 even worse, but it can’t be. The depths have…
Thirty-three years and counting
December 27, 2013
My friend Joe Cady dropped in for a visit today. In Ghosts and Ballyhoo, he’s The Punk Who Set Me on My Course (pages 17 to 20). Unfortunately, I’d set my camera to take time exposures or something, so all the images of Joe in Tim’s house came out blurry and yellow. Here’s the best…
Why I love the moon
December 11, 2013
Ever since childhood the moon has fascinated me. The full moon was amazing; I saw a rabbit playing a conga. The Japanese say the rabbit is pounding rice to make mochi. I’ve always loved crescent-moon faces, such as in this photo. It’s a perfect illustration of my feelings about the moon, because along with my…
Noreen in the Rat Palace
December 5, 2013
I’ve received several queries about Noreen in the Rat Palace. One came from Scott Thunes. So I’ll tell the story. First, an explanation: Ghosts and Ballyhoo is an art project. It isn’t a memoir per se. Everything in it is true, but I wrote it in order to elicit a certain reaction among readers. I…
Fear and discipline
December 4, 2013
One of my favorite films is Soldier, starring Kurt Russell. He plays Sergeant Todd, selected soon after birth to become a soldier. Set sometime in the future, the story is about how people can be trained to repress all emotions. Of course the training methods are absolutely brutal. The end result is soldiers who fight…