There were so many Richard Matheson stories I wanted to choose. "The Distributor", for instance. And choosing this, his first published story, is in no way an insult to his later work. But it's so rare when a writer knocks one...
Man, which Harlan Ellison do I choose? I don't want to repeat authors in this list, but Ellison's the most tempting. "Shatterday", "The Diagnosis of Doctor D'arqueAngel", "All the Birds Come Home to Roost", "Basilisk" and "Hitler Painted Roses" all...
Al Sarrantonio really really loves Halloween. "My breakfast and lunch, my lunch and dinner!" Much-anthologized, never forgotten....
I'm going to start this list of 31 with the super-short "The Clock". It's rendered in the style of a dopey, well-meaning schoolgirl -- a sort of turn-of-the-century Jessica Simpson -- writing a letter to her aunt in Italy. Of...
Sherman Torgan, the owner and programmer of the New Beverly Cinema, died last month. He's a major reason for what little success I've had so far in this business. I don't know the particulars of his life -- the curious can go...
All my clothes smell like a bowling alley. People in Youngstown do not know how to smoke. Don’t they get Robert Mitchum films at the Blockbuster here? Probably not. I’m not kidding — people will walk up to you, smoking a...
Who is peeing on the library books at the Cahokia Library? That was the lead story on the local news when I checked into my hotel room here in Youngstown, Ohio ("More Depressing Than Akron!") for a fabulous two night run...
Spent Sunday wandering around Pittsburgh. I walked across the bridge to the Warhol museum, and spent a few hours getting all Factor-y and shit. The museum is terrific — well-designed, with a cool layout and a staff that managed to...
I'm writing this in the van as we idle in the Comfort Inn parking lot, waiting for everyone to load up. Dave. Brian and Zach went out last night, but Ole Grandpa Oswalt was feeling sleepy-bye and went to bed....
I left home on March 31st, and I don't get home until Sunday, April 24th. And I don't even have to drop a ring into a fucking volcano. What am I thinking? What happened was, a bunch of really cool stuff...
