Musings from the basement...

Hitchcock podcast in the final stretch

November 17, 2011 0 Comments

Well, we’re almost there. Way back in April 2009, Jim McDevitt and I started podcasting about Alfred Hitchcock. This should come as no surprise. We’re the coauthors of an awesome book, A Year of Hitchcock, which is, like, pretty good and stuff. The book was a serious but accessible look at the full body of work of legendary director Alfred Hitchcock. I like it. I hope you get it and like it, too. (Honestly, at this point I assume you all follow us on Facebook, anyway.) To accompany the book, we decided to do a series of light-hearted, casual podcasts that followed the book chapter-for-chapter, and sometimes veered off into interview shows, topical shows, and so on. To be honest, we started off kind of…
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Alfred Hitchcock, Films, Works by Eric

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So I have this book coming out next week…

November 16, 2011 0 Comments

After three books I’ve authored or coauthored, each released by traditional publishers, Lakehurst: Barrens, Blimps & Barons will be my first self-published book (not counting the Pitched! comics, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2). That means with a little help from my friends, I had to do it all, from writing to editing to layout to cover design… Looks pretty cool, no? This book will officially be available by December 1, but if you read this blog or follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll have first crack at it. I expect it to be ready for sale in a week or so. Honestly? I think it’s my best so far. If you’re from the area I write about or not, check it out. This is…
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Works by Eric, Writing

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MUSIC: Jeff Mangum, Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, Oct. 3, 2011

November 12, 2011 0 Comments

Thirteen years ago, Jeff Mangum and his band, Neutral Milk Hotel, released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, quietly one of the most powerful albums of the last 20 years. A year later, he walked away from the music business and disappeared. In the 12 years since Neutral Milk Hotel went on hiatus, he has rarely done interviews. In one revealing interview, he alluded to a nervous breakdown and talked about how emotionally draining his music could be. All this time, though, fans — myself included — have waited and waited and waited to just hear some damn music. Not because we feel we’re owed, but because few musicians have been able to tap into a subconscious mess of pain and hurt and dream images…
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Music

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Year of Hitchcock softcover = RELEASED

October 13, 2011 0 Comments

I know, I know, you’re probably as sick of hearing about this book as I am of posting about it! But the long-awaited softcover edition of the book I coauthored with Jim McDevitt is finally out and ready for purchase. If you passed on the hardcover — and no hard feelings if you did, because it wasn’t cheap — this is for you. It comes in at under 20 clams. Nice price for a nice book by some nice guys, yeah? So check it out and I’ll finally shut up about it. Not about my other projects, mind you. But about this one, sure. For now. You can order it from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-a-Million, and other fine retailers. It should soon start showing…
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Alfred Hitchcock, Works by Eric

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Complaining about things I shouldn’t complain about, aka Writing can be boring

October 11, 2011 0 Comments

Leaning forward with a glass of bourbon and ice next to me, hair frazzled. A human drama plays itself out in the background, all loud voices and chaos, but I can’t pay attention because I’m under the spell of inspiration, and as those words hit the page each sparkles like a shiny gold coin. Each sentence is a hundred dollar bill constructed with the power of my words. The keyboard is on fire with the rush of my work. It’s invigorating. Nah. The above scene is bullshit. Writing for pay is not always interesting. In fact, sometimes it’s downright boring. Hell, it usually is. I can still remember a time when that thought would have seemed preposterous. Get paid to write? Like, money and stuff?…
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Rants, Writing

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