From the center of Earth to other worlds. — All images fair use. Years ago, I made myself a promise: for every science fiction or fantasy book I read, I would read a non-science fiction or fantasy book next. …

Author and illustrator of the graphic novel City in the Desert. — City in the Desert by Moro Rogers. Published by Nakra Press. All images fair use. Well, Dear Reader, I didn’t think a day like this would come for a while yet (if ever), but I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with a comics creator outside of the hustle and…

Beneath the Blankets Craig Thompson’s Blankets is one of my favorite books of all time. Part coming-of-age romance, part exploration of brotherhood, part dissection of one family’s Evangelical Christian worldview — there are a lot of moving parts, all beautifully written and drawn by Thompson. …

The Avatar Returns July 19, 2008. My sister (8) and I (12) are at our grandmother’s house, the smell of fresh pasta wafting in from the kitchen. We follow the familiar scent, happily accepting plates already made for us. Then, from the living room, a girl’s voice — just as familiar to us…

About last week, and an update. — This’ll be a short one, folks. Just a few quick things. First off: Sorry I didn’t post last Friday! With all that’s been going on lately, life feels like a whirlwind, and forgetting to post isn’t the only thing that’s slipped me by. …

A frank discussion about a frank discussion about my writing (no, that’s not a typo). — Earlier this week, the company I’ve been with for nearly a year and a half suddenly dissolved, leaving me and dozens of others without work. Well, I say “suddenly,” but it wasn’t entirely unexpected — more a matter of when. Don’t worry, I won’t get into the boring corporate details…

Twelve stories, one premise. — By Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. Published by AiT/Planet Lar. All images fair use. I’ve been one-upped, Dear Reader. For all I tried, I couldn’t think of as good a way to describe Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan’s Demo as a quote from Comic Book Resources on the back cover…

What’s the difference? — “Hey, what are you up to?” “Sittin’.” “I… can see that you’re sitting. But what are you up to? You’re not wearing headphones, your phone is on the other side of the room, and you aren’t reading a book. So, something on your mind? …

A retrospective look at my very first Medium article… three years later. — Wearing the Cloak 2.0 Three years ago today (2/24/2020), I published an article called “Fiction: Escape or Excuse?” on a website called Medium. At the time, I wasn’t really sure about… well, much of anything. School was already a distant memory. I’d quit my job at the New York Public Library a few months…