I felt the towers fall. Became part of “the most photographed day in history.” You might have even seen me on the news. Not that you could have recognized me covered in dust. I can tell you the day unfolded very differently on the ground than watching breaking news. Information…

After realizing I’d bungled the motivations of the main character of Walking the Darkmaker’s Way and was desperately struggling to save the story, I had a breakthrough. But not until suffering through the terror I might have wasted the past two-plus years. A sense that something was off had bothered…

Got swamped last month with helping my son choose a college. Fourteen acceptances. Only one place he can attend. And with his current major, medicine, blended with law and perhaps politics, he’ll need grad school. That helped choose- a state school-SUNY Binghampton, with their “Source Project,” a first-year honors program. …

I’m counting, of course. I didn’t intend to find that number or even need it, really. It was an accident of curiosity and at once pains me and makes me proud…ish. Department of Activity vs. Achievement The story of that large number begins at a workshop held by the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers (BSFW). I’m…

Yeah, I know. Been a while. Rather a weak year for my staying in touch as if I’d just hung it up and gone fishing forever. One missive a quarter, and one of those a resurrection from 20 years ago. …

You're preaching Mindfulness. There is only the moment. This, then the next, then the next. And to live in the past or think of the future make us miss the only thing we actually have. Now.

I’ve a little tale to recount. A true one. From a couple of months back. Starts early one Saturday morning in the kitchen. In the quiet before the rest of the house wakes. Me making coffee. Eyes still a tad crusty. Hardly the time for an epiphany. An even worse…

On the morning of April 12th, my son left for school as usual. He takes the R train to 36th street here in Brooklyn to wait on a close friend. Then, they take the D train to Columbus Circle in Manhattan and walk through Lincoln Center to their high school…

Thanks for the refresher and some new bits not taught for ASA Sommelier certification.