POEMS & FLEETING THOUGHTS: VAN GOGH
Van Gogh
Can you imagine
The beauty the world
Would have missed
If Van Gogh
Was on
Antidepressants?
POEMS & FLEETING THOUGHTS: LIFE PERFECT
LIFE PERFECT
The only place
Where life is perfect
Is in the heart
Of a dog.
POEMS AND FLEETING THOUGHTS
EXISTENCE
Look to the sky
To see we are small,
In the vastness of space
What is our importance?
RANTS & RAVES: THIS COUNTRY’S FUTURE
I wrote this piece on November, 8th, but I thought I would bring it to you.
We have gotten to the point that whomever wins, we are in trouble. Both candidates are dishonest, but one is a psychopath which, because of the poor state of our government, is able to run for president.
Let’s get our act together and wrestle government from big money. I know this is a dream, but we must continue to right so many wrongs which control our lives.
This country is in trouble, and no matter your beliefs, we must somehow find a way to create a government which works for everyone, and keeps the interest of our country first.
A HORROR LEGEND IS GONE
I should have posted this piece on Halloween night, but better late than never. I feel this small piece of horror history needs to be shared.
As a writer of horror, I look to the roots of my addition. The source which first opened the world of horror to me has just died at the age of 98. At least they think he died.
He was one of the elements which first opened the world of horror to me. He was Zacherly, the host of a late-night Saturday show centered on classic horror movies. If you didn’t live in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, the New York area, you probably have never heard of him.
Born John Zacherle in 1918, he provided all the original classic horror movies. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and the Invisible Man among others. If the movie he was showing was not a classic, but a cheesy effort, he would interrupt the film to make comments or insert his image into the film.
During breaks he would camp it up standing in the coffin of his wife, stake pierced. Also, he would talk to Gasport, a potato sack containing who knows what hanging on the wall. Only Zacherly could understand what this sack said, which I found out from Zacherle’s obituary was his son. Go figure.
Another activity, often perused by this ghoulish host, was brain surgery. The brains looking very much like cauliflower. I hesitate to speculate who these brains belonged to, but it is tempting.
I was a teenager when this was all happening. Offered by Zacherly was a passport to Transylvania. Of course I sent away for one. With a bright red cover, it was a cherished possession. It was lost before I had a chance to use it.
A legend is gone. I hope he lives on in reruns, or that murky world where horror meets reality.
STRUGGLING TO GET IT PUBLISHED: MARKETS AND AGENTS
This piece is a sample of upcoming posts to this blog.
The following is a list of websites to help writers find markets and agents. In the future I will discuss each site in more detail, but I thought I would offer this piece for writers to explore these sites, if they want, on their own.
First, I am sad to say that one of my favorite sites to explore the validity of markets and agents no longer exists. The site is Preditors & Editors, a site I have looked to over the years for their opinion about markets and agents. They will be sorely missed.
Now let’s deal with markets.
To my mind, Duotrope is the go-to site for seeking markets for fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Once free, it now charges 50$ a year to use it. Although there are some that argue about the fee, I think, for the service they provide, it is well worth the cost. This site is a fantastic search-engine to find markets specific to your work.
Here is the site:
https://duotrope.com/index.aspx?bp=search
Here is a site to find markets for science fiction and more. I have yet to become acquainted with it, but I will before I report on it.
http://www.ralan.com/index.htm
Now for agents.
In my opinion, this is the site to first visit when seeking an agent. The site is for the Association of Writers Representative. You can search the site for your specific genre and be connected to the agent’s site. You should never have to pay an agent to read your work. With the agents associated with this site, you never will. They have taken a pledge of honesty.
Here is the site:
Next is a site devoted to the writer to query other writers about their experience with publishers and
agents. Great place to check on honesty.
Here is the site:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/activity.php
Finally, here is a site to use to see an agents background. I will discuss this site in greater detail in a later post.
Here is the site:
http://www.agwentquery.com/default.aspx
I hope this helps my fellow writers on their journey to publication. As promised, a more extensive look at each site will follow. I want to help my fellow writers to be where they want to be.
POEMS & FLEETING THOUGHTS: MAINTAINING LIFE’S WORTH
CREATIVE IMMORTALITY
Those who create,
Who pour their souls
Into life
Should not age,
But continue
To create
As their strength
Provides power.
RANTS & RAVES: TRUMP
With the latest developments, I sincerely hope those who still think Trump would make a good president have filled out their organ donor cards.
For surly, they are brain-dead.