author

An Author’s Rite of Passage

March 5, 2020November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

I was selling some of my books at a local book fair when a cheerful woman walked over, scanned my table, waved her hand over my display then asked, "But do you self-publish these stories or did someone else publish them?""Both."With a squint and a head tilt, she asked me to elaborate. I explained that I publish some small books on my own, and they're a mix of things that have been published in various places and some that haven't.She nodded. "That's good."She clearly wasn't keen on self-published books. That's cool. I'm all for self-publishing, obviously, but don't disagree with her. Stories need to go through a gauntlet. So do their writers. I want control over everything, but I also crave the validation that comes from having my stories go through a gatekeeper. I like to mix it up. I don't want people telling me what to do. But I do want them to validate me. I want criticism and...

American Splendor

July 15, 2010 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"I try and write the way things happen. I don't try and fulfill people's wishes." -Harvey Pekar"I've probably had my day in the sun. I think I've influenced a lot of comic book writers." -Harvey Pekar"Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff." -Harvey Pekar httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APpxQm7sH5k Harvey Pekar October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010 ...

Angela’s Son, the Teacher Man

July 20, 2009November 9, 2009 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"You feel a sense of urgency, especially at my advanced age, when you're staring into the grave." -Frank McCourt"I began to look at other religions, Buddhism and so on, and realized there is another way of looking at life. A more benign way of looking at life." -Frank McCourt"I had to get rid of any idea of hell or any idea of the afterlife. That's what held me, kept me down." -Frank McCourtFrank McCourt 1930-2009.[tags]Frank McCourt, author, death[/tags]...