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In Defense of Funny, Magical Pulp
There’s a particular kind of story I’ve always loved – the kind that moves fast, makes you laugh unexpectedly, and sneaks in something true when you least expect it. Stories that are a little weird, a little dark, and full of characters who don’t always…
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From Seattle to Mainz: A Book, A City, A Conversation
Back in the late 1990s, I was living in Seattle, Washington when the public library launched an experiment: What if an entire city read the same book? They called it “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book.” I little wordy, sure. But the concept was wildly unique. At the time, I remember thinking it was a…
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Poetry in the Round: An Evening with Martina Leber
I first met Martina Leber on June 21st, 2025, at the Vernissage of her “mind mazes” exhibition at Kunststück e.V. in Mainz. Both her visual art and poetry were on display, and the entire event felt like stepping inside the workings of a curious and creative mind. Her poems weren’t just printed and posted –…
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Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Strange and True Answer
People love to ask writers where they get their ideas…. But here’s what I’ve come to believe: the question isn’t really about where ideas come from. It’s about why they take root.
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events 2025
What’s coming, AND…… ………….a quick grab bag of Field Notes about where I’ve wandered & what I’ve witnessed this year. May 15-18 CrimeFest Murder, Mystery, and Mark Gatiss: My Unexpected Weekend at CrimeFest I almost didn’t go. I discovered CrimeFest just last year – a cozy, buzzing, wonderfully democratic gathering of crime fiction readers, writers, and industry…
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Random Facts about me
I’m part Sioux, part Comanche, and the rest is cowboy. (Dutch, Deutsch, some other stuff.) My favorite method of transportation is the train. After that: my feet. I’m a hardcore pedestrian. I’ve been living in Germany since 2002. I consider myself a permanent tourist, as Peter Mayle terms it. I love snooker. All the players…