R. Lee Ermey and the Darkness of the Heart
Sean MurphyI believe the only time I actually almost witnessed the cliche of someone pissing themselves with laughter was in July, 1987, during the opening minutes of Full Metal Jacket. My…
Asbestos, George Washington…and YOU!
Asbestos, George Washington…and you? I’ll take “three words that have never appeared in the same sentence ever for $500, Alex.” I am very excited to welcome nine people to the…
Catch it if You Can
It is to her considerable credit—and our good fortune—that Sweta Vikram has written a book so appropriate, and relevant for today. Of course, Louisiana Catch is ultimately to be commended…
Original Short Fiction: In My Cups
SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 16: A homeless man holds a cup as he begs panhandles for spare change on September 16, 2010 in San Francisco, California. The U.S. poverty rate…
VCLA in The Winchester Star
It’s very exciting to have the first official “ink” on VCLA appear in The Winchester Star. Full story here, and pasted, below. Above and below are “out-takes” from a rainy…
Novels, Site Plans, and other Miracles
How does one go about creating a literary arts center? If I had a magic wand, I could take this And this. …
A Writer’s Residency: What is the Why?
I was happy to come across this excellent essay, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love my Writing Group” by Kaethe Schwehn (courtesy of the indispensable Lit Hub, a…
Poem: Where the Hell is Shafi Hadi? (Revisited)
(*Saxophone player Shafi Hadi, born Curtis Porter, is best-known for his association with jazz legend Charles Mingus, and played on the seminal recording Mingus Ah Um, from 1959. He dropped…
The Problem with the Homeless Problem
There is a man who sits near the pumps at the gas station I drive by each day. The man is very obviously from somewhere else and has about him…
He’s Martin Amis…and We’re Not
Reading Martin Amis's non-fiction is like riding in a plane. As you cruise over miniaturized skyscrapers, crop circles, mountains, even oceans, you recognize—and remember—how tiny and insignificant your own piece…