The Jewel Thief In order to allow for new growth, the old must often be felled, burned away to the ashes. This is as true of forests as it is the constructs of men. And as a single thunderous current can engulf an ancient forest in flame, a solitary strike of violence can erase the oldest of men’s foundations. On this day, such a strike … Continue reading “Going Gone” – The First Chapter
<<Note: I wrote this piece a few years ago, and was thinking of it recently with regard to media (social and otherwise) reports of the division in America.>> I can still remember the day that I turned onto my street, saw my new neighbor in the midst of his move-in process, (garage door open, the garage itself still half-filled with boxes) and also saw that … Continue reading American Glimpse
As I continue finding ways to promote my anthology, I keep being reminded of why I’ve always enjoyed both the writing and the reading of short stories. I remember as an elementary student reading short stories such as “Leiningen Versus the Ants” and “The Cold Equations”, as well as short excerpts of longer stories like “The Hobbit”. As my love of reading began to grow … Continue reading The Joys and Heartaches of Short Stories
This interview was recorded last week as part of the station’s “Ozarks at Large” program that features local artists, authors, and events. I was extremely honored to have been asked to do this interview, and was quite pleased that the interviewer, station news director Kyle Kellams, took an interest in my anthology. He had some interesting questions for me, and though I was a bit nervous … Continue reading “Ozarks at Large” Interview about “Going Gone”
The Animal Kingdom. Majestic. Breathtaking. Also, masogonistic and racist and outdated. Even the name, Animal Kingdom, amirite? It should at least be the Animal Hierarchy, or, better yet, the Animal Republic. Aside from that, however, are scores of animals saddled with horribly white male-centric naming conventions and embarrassing references to the whims of early explorers. There are hundreds of animals that should be renamed for … Continue reading 10 Most Offensive Names in Nature that Need to be Updated
“Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?” – Yoda Why do we love Yoda so much? What is it about this little character from Star Wars that intrigues us? And more importantly, what can we learn from him that is applicable in real life? In short, a lot can we learn. <<NOTE: I speak here of the The Empire Strikes Back (and to … Continue reading The Tao of Yoda
I didn’t have a chance to know my father growing up. My parents divorced when I was very young, and circumstances (and my mother) kept him away most of the time. I would see him sporadically, but he always had a kindness about him, a spark of warm joy, that I will always associate with his presence, and that joy was always memorable to me … Continue reading In Remembrance
Abraham Lopez 