writing

  • ASU’s Kelton Conference Has Forgotten Kelton

    For the last 29 years, Angelo State University has hosted a writer’s conference in honor of the late author and San Angelo native Elmer Kelton. The only problem is, ASU doesn’t seem to like Elmer Kelton, and the English department… Continue reading

  • On Birthdays and Dementia

    My dad has dementia. Today he turns 75. Some days, he thinks he is 17 and needs to get a job. I remind him that he doesn’t have to work anymore. We don’t know what kind of dementia, because the… Continue reading

  • The Egyptian Enigma

    I picked up The Egyptian Enigma because the algorithm repeatedly offered me David Darling on my feed. I then listened to his interview on the Men’s Adventure Fiction podcast and learned about this book, and pulled the trigger after that.… Continue reading

    The Egyptian Enigma
  • Do You Have What It Takes?

    What is your favorite John Wayne movie? Mine is The Cowboys, potentially considered an odd choice because it is not a classic action western, and (spoilers!) the Duke dies in it. Unlike Rio Bravo or True Grit, instead of frequent… Continue reading

    Do You Have What It Takes?
  • I Sold My First Short Story

    I am thrilled to announce that I have sold a short story! One of my Dusty Thorngage stories titled “Snake Oil” will be appearing in a weird west anthology by Edge Weaver Books. The Dusty Thorngage stories are a blend… Continue reading

    I Sold My First Short Story
  • I Swing a Wide Reata

    I wrote this in 2008 for an “Art and Heritage of Livestock” class my senior year at A&M. I’m a big fan of cowboy poetry and villanelles, and this is my attempt to combine the two. I swing a wide… Continue reading

  • The Day Elmer Kelton Signed More Than My Books

    I didn’t plan on taking “Art and Heritage of Livestock.” I had my senior year at Texas A&M mapped out, full of electives I actually wanted. One was a fly-tying class—“Entomology for the Angler.” But the professor died, and they… Continue reading

    The Day Elmer Kelton Signed More Than My Books
  • The Grind: Writing Update

    It’s tough being a part-time pen name. The pulp work ethic is to write fast, don’t think, and publish often. That is good and right, but I wonder if that is a goal for writing fitness to work up to,… Continue reading

    The Grind: Writing Update
  • Review: The Fighting Heart of Man, Vol. 1

    The first volume of The Fighting Heart of Man (FHM) was released last December by Luke Goozdich and Nathanael Hummel. They run the Men’s Adventure Fiction Podcast together and are part of a spearhead movement to bring back the style… Continue reading

  • Writing Goals for 2025

    If you aren’t doing a “year in review, year and preview” self-analysis, whether regarding your family, work, or other interests, then you’re simply doing it wrong. These aren’t New Year resolutions, they are a way to recommit to what you… Continue reading

    Writing Goals for 2025