January 2016 was an extraordinarily busy month; everything just took off like a rocket, and it was all that I could do to hold on. Most of the work was anticipated, but I think I under-estimated the effect of a lot of it, and of course my still-developing organizational skills weren't quite up to the … Continue reading (Personal) What Happened in January?
Category: Better Living Through Stories
(Personal) A Glance Back, A Stare Forward
Further Confusion 2016 is in the books, and I for one am quite glad it's over. Not because the convention was terrible (it wasn't) or because there's something great on the horizon (but there is), but mostly because I have this small hoard of memories to treasure and sift through for the next few months. … Continue reading (Personal) A Glance Back, A Stare Forward
(Writing) Howdy, Br’er!
This month for Fiction Friday, I'll be giving the Br'er scenario another try. I'm not sure what people thought of the couple fragments I posted last month, but I wasn't really happy with them -- I think they came across far too "woe is me, poor special snowflake" and less "these are some things that … Continue reading (Writing) Howdy, Br’er!
(Writing) New Year’s Resolutions, 2016
It feels like I swing back and forth with resolutions from year to year. One year, I'm all business with concrete resolutions that have a pass/fail success condition. Write 6 short stories. Read 10 novels. That sort of thing. The next year, having been beaten down by life and the unexpected, I ease back to … Continue reading (Writing) New Year’s Resolutions, 2016
Kwanzaa 2015: Imani (Faith)
Happy New Year, everyone! Aren't you glad that words typed on a scream can't shout? I sincerely hope that this first day of a brand new year is a great one, and that you are able to spend it doing exactly what you want to be doing -- whether that's recovering from last night's festivities, … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Imani (Faith)
Kwanzaa 2015: Kuumba (Creativity)
2015 has been an amazing year for me in a lot of different ways, but one of my absolute favorites is learning about the wonderful people who are putting themselves out there with their stories. This year I got to meet Nora Jemisin (author of "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms") at Writers With Drinks in San … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Kuumba (Creativity)
Kwanzaa 2015: Nia (Purpose)
Why are we here? The answer to that question depends on who you are and what you believe. Many people believe that we're here to reflect the glory of God and praise His creation; there are a lot of different ways to do that, but if it leads you to a more positive and compassionate … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Nia (Purpose)
Kwanzaa 2015: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Want to know something really great? Read the Wikipedia entry on Ujamaa here. Julius Nyerere developed a political and economic blueprint for lifting Tanzania out of poverty back in the 60s. The idea was to remove barriers and dividing lines between the people within Tanzania and replacing them with incentives to fostering a national identity … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Kwanzaa 2015: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
I am a gay black man. I am a Zen Buddhist. (Thank you, Kevin.) I am agnostic -- I don't know if there is a God, but I don't believe that being a good person should be dependent on that. I am a writer, gamer, geek, lover of animals, myths, and the intersection between them. … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
(Personal) Choices
It's that time. Best of the year lists are popping up all over the pop-culture and entertainment blogs. Books, movies, TV shows, art installations, plays and musicals, even memes are being reviewed so we can try to make sense of the past twelve months. We spent how much time obsessed over that back in February? … Continue reading (Personal) Choices
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 