My college friend Deb Harkness came to Cleveland a couple of weeks ago, on her book tour for her #1 New York Times bestseller Shadow of Night.  She was originally scheduled to appear at a branch of our local library, but so many people signed up to attend, the library moved the event to the... Continue Reading →

A friend of mine complained about people who complain that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has no historical merit.   "No shit," he says.  "It's about vampires."This reminded me that, once upon a time, film critic Roger Ebert appeared on Conan O'Brien's show, and somehow the conversation drifted to *Kazaam,* starring Shaquille O'Neal, which Ebert described/describes... Continue Reading →

Okay.  Neil Gaiman just re-tweeted me.  NEIL FREAKING GAIMAN.He'd originally tweeted, "Dear god I'm up against Stephen Fry in the Anglo Fan Favorites tournament." How could one possibly choose between the two? If you haven't seen or read Gaiman's recent commencement speech to the University of the Arts, you really should.  If you need any kind... Continue Reading →

Earlier this year, the United States Postal Service issued a set of stamps honoring Dogs at Work, featuring dogs in familiar jobs -- guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs, military dogs, and search & rescue dogs.Despite their reputation for indolence and indifference, cats have jobs, too, and I felt they should be honored for... Continue Reading →