Dr. Bellows wore plaid shirts without fail.  I remember this because the shape of his round belly played tragic games with the stripes in the pattern.  The result was something like latitude and longitude markings on a lumpy globe that orbited the room at least twice during each class.  I had decided from the first [...]

Posted in Life in General, Stories, writing 3 Comments »

By now you might have heard Toby Keith’s new single, “Love Me If You Can.” I’m not sure anyone has ever written a song that so completely encapsulates who I am and what I would have wanted to say if I could write like that.  This is an incredible song and one that warrants a [...]

Posted in Art, Life in General, Religion, writing 2 Comments »

Pardon the diversion from the Maxwell book. But I really wanted to share my new story with you first. I’ve included an excert below with a link to download the full story in PDF format. Altar Ego, an excerpt (Download the complete story) “So you’re not going to tell her?” asked Bentley. Vernon was studying [...]

Posted in Religion, Short Stories, Stories, fiction, writing 2 Comments »

OK.  Just ran across this list by Eric Feng, a blogger for The Public Speaking Blog.  I couldn’t resist. Take a minute to read through some of these actual headlines.  They’ll make you smile. And now for the headlines . . . Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers [...]

Posted in writing 3 Comments »

Below is one of my more recent short stories. Before you read it, please allow me this brief prologue: To my friends who may find this story less than tasteful, my apologies. To my friend upon who’s experience this story is loosely based, you are my hero. To other readers (all 6 of you), I [...]

Posted in Literature, Short Stories, Stories, fiction, writing 5 Comments »

At a time in my life when I am discovering what “father” really means, I find myself working harder than ever to reconcile who I am with who I hope to be . . . as a dad, as a husband, as a man.  The following is a short story about a young man who’s [...]

Posted in Family, Literature, Short Stories, Stories, fiction, writing 6 Comments »

Does it ever bother you when you read a novel and can’t seem to understand what the title means?  One would think that a poetic title would find its derivation somewhere in the story and (at the very least) hinted at somewhere between the dedication and “The End.” But this is so often not the [...]

Posted in Books, Literature, Stories, fiction, writing 1 Comment »

I read Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying in high school.  I even wrote a literary critique on the book.  Of course I merely compiled and reconstructed the thoughts of other noted scholars on the subject.  This earned me an “A,” and so I was happy. The End. What it did not earn me was a [...]

Posted in Books, Literature, fiction, writing No Comments »