Off the Beaten Path: Lurton, Arkansas
You always hear the saying You need to stop and smell the flowers. Where did it come from? What does it mean to you? What does it mean to me?…
What a Burger!!
On my way back from Little Rock, Arkansas a couple weeks ago, I remembered a friend had mentioned visiting the café in Oark. For some reason I cannot understand, I…
Hillbilly Hustle by Gil Miller. Great Read!
What would you do to make sure your child had the best treatment available if she was stricken with Leukemia? Would you take on a second or a third job?…
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…