Dear Big Time Reality TV Producer Convinced All Occupations in Alaska Are Cool, I see it like I’m right there with you. I see you sitting at your desk, a mounted moose head behind you, a big map of Alaska on the opposite wall, and your people shuffle in, all averted eyes and hang-dog expressions, one…… Continue reading An Open Letter to the Big Time Reality TV Producer Who Thinks All Jobs in Alaska Are Cool
Author: rtmcontrol
Satire: “He Writes in the Present Tense”
Bob’s note: The old woman here is, in my head anyway, a prototype for the old man in “The Carcassonne Dream.” Oh, and the tortured subject-verb relationships…well, that kind of the point. Today fiction chooses him. Among the crowd circling the bookstore café, he is fastest to claim the open table. He powers up his laptop and…… Continue reading Satire: “He Writes in the Present Tense”
Behind the Short Story: “First of a Fine Spectacle”
I’m honored that my short story / high farce “First of a Fine Spectacle” was selected for Pure Slush No. 7, Catherine refracted. I’m a history buff. But I’ve not had much interest writing historical fiction. Or flash fiction. So historical flash? What drew me was the collection’s theme: Catherine the Great. A canvas rife with legend, some deserved, others…… Continue reading Behind the Short Story: “First of a Fine Spectacle”
Masters of Voice: Donald E. Westlake
I wish I had discovered Donald E. Westlake years earlier than I did. He is a writing hero for his ability to tell a story and to make it zing. His The Ax is as terrifying a novel as I’ve ever read. His Parker character is legendary, but it’s the Dortmunder crew I love most. Here are…… Continue reading Masters of Voice: Donald E. Westlake