REVIEW OF MIDWINTER BY MARTIN PHILLIPS

REVIEW OF MIDWINTER BY MARTIN PHILLIPS – “Chad Schimke's tale of an ancient Welsh royal bloodline reads seamlessly and flawlessy, from generation to generation over many hundreds of years. You feel as though you know these ancient people, understand their primitiveness, their relation to, understanding of and worship of nature, of Mother Earth, and their ethereal bond with the blue stone, which, surprisingly, the reader learns is Stonehenge. You feel part of the family, sense how the people actually lived, feel a kinship with the lone pine (I won't wreck it, don't worry) and the savageness of tribal warfare for not simply dominance, but survival. The reader weaves in and out of the consciousness and thoughts of individuals like a waft of smoke or a gentle breeze. It is a story I simply could not stop reading once I'd started. You will, too! (Or Should).”

https://www.amazon.com/review/R11O49Q5M5EJ39/

A Day by William Trevor MP3

A Day by William Trevor MP3

ARTIST SURVIVAL GUIDE

ARTIST SURVIVAL GUIDE - Chapbooks featuring the artwork of @WeAreWildewood Antonio Torrez Solis (interior art, not the cover image) and a text article by @ChadSchimke have just been released! Go to Adobe Books Backroom Gallery on 3130 24th St in San Francisco for the opening night reception on July 12 at 7 PM. See you there!

SAUSALITO TO SAN FRANCISCO IN ONE MINUTE

1-minute Trip from Sausalito to San Francisco @ 300mph from Gary Yost on Vimeo.

DEATH CIRCLE

DEATH CIRCLE - This is a single page comic--from my collection of 70s/ 80s early horror comic books--which I find quite inspirational, in my writing. 

CHOMP! They Came from the Swamp

CHOMP! They Came from the Swamp - What would happen if you set a horror story in a greenhouse full of plants? “Little Shop of Horrors”, you might answer. A better answer is: “CHOMP! They Came from the Swamp”, which is a new exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. The exhibit is chockfull of meat-eating plants in a one-of-a-kind display like none other. Get a sense of the reasons why plants attract, capture, eat and hunt. There are several large models with a POV experience tiny insects feel when these voracious predators turn them into their next meal. The show runs through October 19, 2014, so make time to see it!

CAPOTE

CAPOTE - This is a trailer for the movie “Capote” for which Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2005. The scope of the movie is closely confined to Truman Caopte’s decision to travel to Kansas and write “In Cold Blood” with Harper Lee. Sadly, Hoffman died of an overdose in 2014, after a lengthy period of sobriety. 

WRITER FOR HIRE

Writer for Hire, 101 Secrets to Freelance Sucess by Kelly James-Enger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WRITER FOR HIRE - The author is a formidable freelance success with over 700 articles to her credit. With topics such as selling yourself, making the most of your time, building connections, running your business and balancing your life--there are a lot of gems in this book. With so many writing reference books devoted to formats, proposals, novels and creativity; this one delivers something quite different. Its sole focus is the creation, craft and business of being a freelancer. I do recommend it because there’s nothing else quite like it. Make sure to add Writer for Hire by Kelly James-Enger to your writing reference collection!

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PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - This month’s comic book, “The Instrument of Death”, reminds me fondly of my favorite musical, “The Phantom of the Opera”. This vid clip is taken from the Lon Chaney black and white version dated 1925. The musical and movie are based on the French novel entitled Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. Enjoy!

https://www.chadschimke.com/2014/06/ghosts-feat-instrument-of-death-73-pdf.html

SUMMER SOLSTICE

SUMMER SOLSTICE - Twice per year, the planet literally tilts on its axis, from one extreme to another. Winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, important in terms of culture (Saturnalia, Christmas, Hogmanay, New Year’s). But, summer holds a special significance as the longest day of the year. I was born in summer, it’s a season of long lazy days, catching fireflies in a jar and running through sprinklers, under prismatic cascading water droplets. Imagine Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream--in the realm of Fairyland, prancing around the woodland at dusk--under the light of the moon. It’s something I’ve been told more than once about my writing. And, I love hearing it, because that’s what I strive for! I hope to create stories with a sense of magic, as if they were being told around a campfire, on the shortest night of the year. 

IN COLD BLOOD

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

IN COLD BLOOD - Can you imagine the torrent of creativity, where two writers are confined to a Kansas motel room, penning what eventually became a sensation: “In Cold Blood”? All these years later, the vanguard non-fiction novel, endures not only for the story it tells. But, also for the creative process by which it was birthed. Many years earlier, Truman Capote and Harper Lee were next door neighbors, children that grew up side by side, in Monroeville Alabama. Truman stayed with cousins and “Nelle” had a father who was an attorney who owned the town's newspaper. “In Cold Blood” details the murders of the Clutter family by killers, Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith. Capote and Lee interviewed case investigators and locals taking thousands of pages of notes. Was the book as factual as Capote’s staunch assertions? Probably not, but who cares? The book is regarded even today as the definitive example of the true crime genre. However, Capote was bitterly disappointed that he did not win the Pulitzer. Soon thereafter, “To Kill a Mockingbird” (by Harper Lee), on the other hand, did win the Pulitzer. It was an overwhelming smash success. But, it’s said that was too much for her to handle. She never wrote another book. Which is yet another interesting facet to the mystery of Truman Capote and Harper Lee.

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Alabama Street Writer’s Group

The page for my writer's group meeting here in San Francisco since 2012 is now live. We are pleased to announce we will be on the program for the Litquake Festival here in San Francisco at City Art Gallery 828 Valencia Street. Come check it out! 

http://www.alabamastreetwritersgroup.wordpress.com

Enjoy an out-of-print horror comic book from my own personal collection as I find vintage comics from the 70’s and early 80’s very inspiring.