If you were around a century or so ago, and you knew him well, you might call him Bill. On a legal document, William Sidney Porter. If you read any of his 300+ published stories, you knew him by his pen name: O. Henry. The name now commands a prestigious short story award, but more than anything, his work effectively trademarked…… Continue reading Behind: “First Rodeo”
Tag: Writing
Sweet Roam, Alabama
They had me at “rolling tailgate party.” There it was in plain print in the invite. Please join us down here in Alabama, the organizers said, and don’t worry about Friday night icebreakers because Margaret’s rolling tailgate party had things covered. Yes, I admit envisioning some mechanical lovechild of liquor cart meets Bama game, but…… Continue reading Sweet Roam, Alabama
Behind: “Death or Taxes”
Behind the Writing Scenes of “Death or Taxes,” published in the July ’14 issue of Mysterical-E. Summer 2011: it was that purplish state of dawn. My eyes flew open. My breath caught in my throat. Inspiration had come. It was ready to bubble out, like it or not. And I liked it. In short order I had finished 1800…… Continue reading Behind: “Death or Taxes”
Behind: “Sparks to the Bear’s Hide”
JANUARY 2013, CRITIQUE GROUP, NASHVILLE “If there’s one thing I have no business doing,” I told them, “it’s writing a spy story.” It was a sharp winter’s day, and around our pub table the critique group nodded readily. A little too readily. Crimped in my hands was a draft of the spy story I had been…… Continue reading Behind: “Sparks to the Bear’s Hide”