Greetings and Salutations

Hello and welcome to my blog! Why should you read it? Why care? I plan to make this a repository of things interesting, fun, and hopefully fascinating. (Unlike a suppository, which is none of those things.) I’m also a soon-to-be published author, with my first novel being released on April 6, 2020, so hopefully this will be a chance for you to get to know me and me to get to know you—which means I want you to leave comments. Yes, including comments about suppositories.

So, who am I? I was born and raised in the Midwest, but I’ve lived in Russia for a summer, snuck into restricted areas of West Point, saw Lenin in his tomb (not in West Point), took a helicopter tour into the Grand Canyon, created comic books when I was 10 years old, hiked Switzerland, and have made devastating mistakes and wonderful achievements throughout my life. My first job ever was flipping burgers, earning a wage that is criminal nowadays and coming home smelling like French-fry-grease. I’ve repo’d cars, started writing more years ago than I care to admit, and I have an unhealthy obsession with my Surface.

And I make way too many jokes about my last name.

I can be humorous at times, insightful at others, but rarely both and almost never when I want to be. I’m an ex-foosball champion and killer Cards Against Humanity player. Oh, and I love Star Wars. Like, it’s-ok-to-stalk-Mark-Hamill level (not that I have. Don’t worry, Mark. I wasn’t the one who crushed your petunias).

I’ve lived in the heart of downtown Chicago and in distant suburbs. But I’ve never had a published book, so that part will be scary, new, exciting, nerve-wracking, and surreal.

This blog will be more than about me. I mean, how selfish would that be? I’m going to talk about writing, the future (not just as I see it but as others see it), pop culture and science and technology and things I think you will find interesting. I also plan to collaborate with other writers, for truly, writing is a communal effort. You would think writing is solitary, and in many ways, it is. While others are outside being social and breathing fresh air, my fellow writers and I forgo vitamin D and body hygiene to create stories they hope will entertain, enlighten, and touch you. Yet creating a story is just one milestone in the journey. We need others.

It’s the best—and most frustrating—part of life, isn’t it? Those who are (or not) there for you?

I hope you tune in, join in the discussion, collaborate, and share your stories, your heart, and your life—in other words to go on this journey with me. I’m sure it will be a humdinger. (No, I’m not a 90-year-old guy with dentures who likes to listen to Count Basie while drinking Ovaltine. I’m way younger than that, have never had Ovaltine, and still possess all but one of my teeth. So, winning!)

And please sign up for my email list! It’ll be worth it.