For Day 5 of “Author Madness,” the Poetastic Two have asked me to discuss an author that inspires me. My answer might surprise you.
Tag: #authormadness2026
Time Travels
Today is Day 4 of #AuthorMadness, and I’ve been asked to post something illustrating the time period when my story (Poe’s Last Lament) takes place. That time period is the California Gold Rush, which was a colorful and crucial, hopeful and horrible, time. Here’s my (one-minute) post:
Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
It’s Day 3 of #AuthorMadness2026, and the Poetastic Two at The Six Degrees of Poe offered participants this prompt: “Highlight the wonderful aspects of writing you enjoy.” And so I offer these thousand words, in a picture:
In the argot of acting, this would be considered “method.”
Kicking and Screaming
For many years I’ve avoided creating a Facebook page or an Instagram profile or a TikTok account. But that self-discipline ends today.
This is because the good people behind Six Degrees of Poe have designated this week as “Author Madness,” which plays off March Madness and highlights authors who have some connection to Edgar Allan Poe. Participants are supposed to post something each day on social media, which, in my case, necessitates creating a social media presence.
So, as you might expect from a Luddite like me, I’m doing the bare minimum here. I’ll be making the one requisite post each day this week, and I’ll be posting them on my spanking-new Instagram account. I’m also posting them on YouTube, and on this blog, which, as you might imagine, is more my comfort zone.
Anyway, check out today’s video, which highlights my recent short story, Poe’s Last Lament:
Chasing Phantoms 