I Just Can’t…
The critic Ben Sherlock does not like the Ridley Scott-directed science fiction movie Blade Runner—adapted from Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? When I read the…
The Teachings of a Cat
My cat Needles is my hero. I am an anarchist. I do not like being told what to do. Needles is my role model because he is an asshole. Not…
What’s in a First Impression?
Just as first impressions can make or break a potential relationship, the first lines in a book or story can generate either a sense of excited anticipation or anxious dread…
The Fantasy Genre Holds as Much Prestige as Literary Fiction: My Top-5 Fantasy Series
Fantasy literature gets a bad rap. The reasons elude me. My degree is in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis from the University of Arkansas—a highly rated program nationally. Several…
5 Things I Should Have Never Done
I am not the brightest knife in the shed. That’s putting it mildly. Adventure and mishap have filled my life to the point where I wonder if I have truly…
5 Series I Grew Up with and Their Impact on Who I Am Today
The Hardy Boys Who doesn’t love a good mystery? I remember hiding under my blankets with a flashlight, reading the latest Hardy Boys book I managed to get my hands…
Ten Great Speeches in No Particular Order and Why They Speak to Me
A few months ago, I found myself in a house outside Garfield, Arkansas. It overlooked Beaver Lake from a prominent hilltop, and with me were six other creative people. By…
My Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time
There are just too many good books to read.
The Smartest Dumb Guy in the World
As a person who has lived five decades, I often lament the fact that I am not as smart as I knew I was when I was a teenager. Today…