Why I don’t speak ill of bands anymore
Reflecting on how I’ve changed after seeing a post from someone I don’t know trashing a band that was important to me growing up, and sharing why I don’t do that kind of thing anymore.
Apartment 231
Twenty years goes pretty fast, and time and distance offer perspective on what is really important.
Old photos help me find the high points in a low time
A trip down memory lane via some old photos shows how time and perspective changed the way I feel about a time in my life I didn’t really like so much in the moment, and reminds me of how thankful I am for the people I care about.
Influences: “Fletch”
Terry Cahill of “Rincon Point” isn’t the first fictional reporter to take a turn to crime solving. For that matter, neither was Fletch, although he may have been the funniest.
Influences: “The Rockford Files”
“The Rockford Files” is a show that made a big impression on me, and one of many inspirations for my mystery novel “Rincon Point.” This is the first of a series of stories about the works that influenced my fictionalized version of Southern California, as well as the characters who populate it
Playing the name game
Choosing names for your characters can be one of the more difficult parts of writing, but also the most fun. Here’s the story behind some of the names in “Rincon Point.”
The detective’s car
Writing a detective story set in Souther California in the days before the popularity of the Internet meant a car would figure pretty heavily. But I didn’t want to choose just any car. The entertainment of my youth provided a direction, though.
Gen X and the brief golden age of prime-time network action shows for kids
The years between 1977-1986 were a unique era in which the big-three TV networks were airing prime-time shows obviously oriented toward a young Gen-X audience. Here’s a look at why these shows are so fondly remembered.
Locations, locations, locations
My novel “Rincon Point” and the local flavor of using real locations.
Are you cool, man? “Dazed and Confused,” Gen X, and the every other decade theory
Richard Linklater thought he was making “Dazed and Confused” for his own generation. And he was. But he didn’t expect it to resonate with Gen X as much as it did. Here’s why I’m not surprised at all my generation loved it.