I Have a Coin I have a coin I deem a treasure.One side bears the sign of extinction,And the other, an instance of nature.But it’s not a coin; it’s a seal,And the meaning of this distinctionIs the unbearable sadness I feelWith experience, or with closure. It seems like a double exposure,But the knowledge of impermanenceBleeds into the ideal likenessOf mortality in its eminence—To yield a vibrant pictureOf a creature’s essential brightnessAs it burns for life without censure. --Rob NeufeldSee More

I don't know if this is true for my fellow writers, but proofing can be the most difficult part of the process.  I received the ARC today for October's Sam Blackman Mystery and will begin the last review for typos or formatting errors that have eluded my editor, my copy editor, and myself.  Amazing that there is always something that the brain "fixes" and we don't see.Hope springs eternal that the October release will be typo-free.  The mystery is set against the historic backdrop of Black…See More

For a monument in a parking lotHow might an artist portray a Plott?The Forga family owns the only downtown parking lot in Hazelwood and wants a statue of a Plott Hound, the N.C. State Dog, put at its center in honor of the late Robert Forga and his wife, Viola.   The family engaged the Waynesville Public Art Commission to find an artist, and now the decision’s down to three There’s a N.C. Highway Historical Marker about the Plott Hound at Hazelwood Elementary School in Waynesville.  The dog’s…See More

Another riddle, since you liked the first so much Mickey MantlePete HillRocky ColavitoDusty BakerCurt FloodMickey RiversCory Snyder List of baseball outfielders with names that have to do with layers of the earth, in order of sports greatness.See other posts at http://thereadonwnc.ning.com/profile/ShortshortStoriesRiddlesSee More

Tying shoelaces,Lifting a mug by its handle,Lifting something that requires all fingers,Pressing down hard while writing,Shaking hands:Things hindered by a bruised forefinger. I would have had more things to record, but unfortunately my finger healed too quickly.See other posts at http://thereadonwnc.ning.com/profile/ShortshortStoriesRiddlesSee More