Cover of Last Night A Superhero Saved My Life

New Anthology Essay: “Swashbuckle My Heart”

From Booklist: “At the heart of the collection are contributions that plunge deeply into dark recollections…these essays bear out how superheroes are powerful psychological receptacles, helping us define the crucial strength we need to survive—a sentiment which will be of great value to many soul-searchers…There’s ample insight to be found here, not the least of which is that superheroes have a deep, resounding place in our cultural and individual psyches.”

New T-Shirt Design: Jane Austen’s “My courage always rises”

New T-shirt design! This one is a typographic treatment of a quote from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: “My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” I’m thrilled with how it came out. I chose a brown shirt for my sample, but it works on many other colors as well and comes …

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The Wonder of the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop

Last week, I attended the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop in Laramie, Wyoming. Here’s the description: Launch Pad is a workshop for established writers held in beautiful high-altitude Laramie, Wyoming. Launch Pad aims to provide a “crash course” for the attendees in modern astronomy science through guest lectures, and observation through the University of Wyoming’s professional …

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2013: Favorite Movies

TOP 5 MOVIES OF THE YEAR (Listed alphabetically) Beasts of the Southern Wild: Magic realism starring an amazing Quvenzhané Wallis. I missed seeing this in 2012 but couldn’t bear to leave it off this list. Casting By: Brilliant HBO documentary about two of the unsung heroes of Hollywood, casting directors Marion Dougherty and Lynn Stalmaster. …

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Journey follow-up: Flow, Religion, and Storytelling

In response to my post about Journey, my friend Ted pointed me at two articles about the game, both of which proved fascinating: “Seeking the Light” at the Brainy Gamer, about how: Journey elegantly conveys sapta bodhyanga, or the Seven Factors of Enlightenment in Buddhist philosophy: Mindfulness Investigation Energy Joy or rapture Relaxation or tranquility …

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The Norton Jury on the Norton Award: Why It’s Important

This post is part of the Norton Award Blog Tour. Although the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult* Science Fiction and Fantasy relies on nominations from SFWA members just as the Nebula Awards do, the Norton also employs a jury of qualified volunteer SFWA members to help round out the ballot and ensure that outstanding works …

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