The Faraway Lands
My first trip to the Faraway Lands came through a Magical Box and was quite unexpected. It happened when I was seven years old and grounded. Now, to my knowledge there are three ways to
Story Graphs by Kurt Vonnegut
I had the privilege of hearing Kurt Vonnegut speak once toward the end of his life. I was overwhelmed by is humor and humanity. He was a unique and brilliant individual. The video below showcases
In a Forest Dark and Gloomy
I sit and look out my back window into the yard behind my house. It is large and full of trees; a combination of fir and pine and aspen. On this day, early in the
Routinely Creative
I seem to be moving from erratic to consistent in so many ways—how and when I drive, how and when I eat, how and when I prepare for my classes and grade essays, how
Guest Post: Bohemian Rain
A Guest Post from David HicksMy father is long gone, having died in January 2007, and at first he seemed to hang around—at the foot of my bed, threatening to twist my toe to wake
Halfway Through
Another article about my birthday that I published eight years ago. Update: Still working on telling that story. In a few days, I will turn 45 years old. A momentous occasion I have decided. It
Close Your Eyes & Make a Wish: Birthday Thoughts
It's my birthday today, so here's a little thing I wrote nearly 10 years ago about getting older. See? Even this post is aging. Still is relevant though. I’ve always enjoyed getting older. That may
Bonus: Rocket! Groot! Man-Thing!
Hey everyone, the next "real" episode is taking a bit longer to research than I had anticipated so my timeline has been set back a little. Also, I have been traveling quite a bit for
Nearly 9 Hours of Rain On a Porch
In keeping with this month's theme of "When the Rain Comes" I decided to get completely literal with it and simply present to you a video of rain falling. Almost 9 full hours of rainfall.
Digging to China
We walked along the beach, my companion and I, on a cloud-filled morning in late autumn. The air was cold and filled with misty rain. It was the kind of weather that sticks to you;
Opening Day
The smell of cut grass and hot dogs and mustard. The sound of leather on polished wood. The taste of cheap beer drunk from plastic cups. Bunting hung from the eaves and a marching band
Otherworldly Reflection: MC Escher’s Puddle
When I was in high school I was a hippie. Not a real hippie, this was the 80s, real hippies didn’t exist anymore. No, I was a pseudo-hippie, a neo-hippie, a wannabe-hippie. I wore
A Fantastic Breakdown of the Beatles’ Rain
Every once in a while I stumble upon a happy coincidence. Like for instance the video below. I was researching a completely different subject – not even for this blog actually – when I
Which Thing Came First: The Swamp or the Man? (Self-indulgent Nerdfest II)
Comics are a business. Amid the artwork and the writing, the beloved characters and detailed worlds and universes it is easy to forget that these guys* also want to make money. And in doing so
The Year When I Was New
Sixteen. Sixteen was a good year. Oh, to be sure it was a year of fear and social awkwardness. A year I spent the majority of the time confused and unaware of my surroundings and
The Superfruit: In Praise of the Avocado
Recent studies have shown that avocados are ridiculously healthy for you and have health benefits that are, to put it mildly, amazing. This is fantastic news. I love avocados. I was 18 when I had
First Communion (Short Story Excerpt)
I sat for a long time at the bar. I tried to chat with Stephen, it was too busy. I wandered to the buffet table then through the main dining room, my eye caught the
A Four Letter Word: The LOVE Sculpture in Philadelphia
“Would you look at that, that’s nice isn’t it?” My Mom (circa 1976 when seeing LOVE for the first time) In Center City, Philadelphia on the intersection of 15th Street and JFK Boulevard sits
The Lovers
2011 | Pastel - Chalk - Acrylic | on paper
Memory & Fog: The Impermanence of Objects, 3rd Meditation
Once, a long time ago, I told you I would love you forever. I never intended to lie to you. I am back in San Francisco, the place where we once lived together. It has
Last Words
Jack began to think the wound was superficial because there was no pain. Sure, there was pain when the knife went in, sharp and cold, but now there was nothing. He was numb. Sleep. That
Writer, Love Your Words
A Guest Post from David Hicks When I was about to launch my book tour a few years ago, I was nervous about reading in public—I tend to mumble, and have never been a
All That Road Going: Kerouac & A Driving Beat
On my 16th birthday my brother gave me a copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and it changed my life forever. Not really. It would be nice if it did, if it worked that
An Immaculate Fix: A Junky’s Christmas
It was Christmas Day and Danny the Car Wiper hit the street junksick and broke after seventy-two hours in the precinct cell. It was a clear bright day, but there was warmth in the