Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – part 3 of 11, The Doll’s House

Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – part 3 of 11, The Doll’s House

Eight years ago, Stephen Segal, then creative director at the legendary Weird Tales magazine, asked if he could use some modest writings I had been doing on Neil Gaiman's Sandman for a 20th anniversary retrospective he was putting together. Naturally, I said yes. Sadly, the series was lost in a website revamp. Not wanting it to disappear into the ether, I'm now presenting it on my site in 11 parts (alas, without the benefit of Stephen's editing; these are pre-publication versions). Hope you enjoy. Recurring Dream: An Anniversary Re-reading of Neil Gaiman's Sandman Part 3 of 11, The Doll's House…
Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – part 2 of 11, Preludes and Nocturnes

Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – part 2 of 11, Preludes and Nocturnes

Eight years ago, Stephen Segal, then creative director at the legendary Weird Tales magazine, asked if he could use some modest writings I had been doing on Neil Gaiman's Sandman for a 20th anniversary retrospective he was putting together. Naturally, I said yes. Sadly, the series was lost in a website revamp. Not wanting it to disappear into the ether, I'm now presenting it on my site in 11 parts (alas, without the benefit of Stephen's editing; these are pre-publication versions). Hope you enjoy. Recurring Dream: A 20th Anniversary Re-reading of Neil Gaiman's Sandman Part 2 of 11, Preludes and…
Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman 28 years later – part 1 of 11

Looking back at Neil Gaiman’s Sandman 28 years later – part 1 of 11

Eight years ago, Stephen Segal, then creative director at the legendary Weird Tales magazine, asked if he could use some modest writings I had been doing on Neil Gaiman's Sandman for a 20th anniversary retrospective he was putting together. Naturally, I said yes. What followed was a 11-part online series looking back at that remarkable body of work. The series wasn't meant to be comprehensive or to uncover things you'd never seen before. Rather, it was meant to be a fun "rediscovery" of those now classic comics - so read these with that in mind. Weird Tales has undergone some…

Why did I stop reading books?

After never being away from a book for more than a few days at a time my entire life, the last year has been devoid of finished books. What went wrong? If that sounds like the setup for a piece that is going to explore some interesting ideas about reading, let me spoil it for you: It's not. I genuinely ran into a wall. Not for lack of trying. I read on a daily basis, often for work (research, etc.), and regularly for pleasure. I subscribe to a number of magazines -- yes, print magazines are still a thing! --…
These Are the 5 Authors Who Made Me Want to Write

These Are the 5 Authors Who Made Me Want to Write

Writing begins with reading. There is a vague rule of thumb that good writers read. A lot. Granted, reading a lot doesn't mean you'll be able to write. It's a start, though. And without question, the thirst with which I drank in books as a daydreaming kid, and later as an in-way-over-my-head young man, had a huge huge huge (three huges) impact on my later, and very ridiculous, decision to devote my life to writing. It led me to journalism and books and other stuff, and these days, it has me working as a freelance writer. Which is amazing and…