I've moved.

Stopped blogging forever. Just started again, but more about improvisation than about writing. New place is called An Hour of Play.

Order This

Just found out I'm in this bad boy. It's a hell of a line up. Go order it.

Contributors:
DAVID AICHENBAUM
C. EDWARD ANABLE
CORBY ANDERSON
BILL BARR
RUSTY BARNES
LAUREN BECKER
ERIC BENNETT
CL BLEDSOE
BEN BROOKS
RANDALL BROWN
CHRISTY CALL (COVER ART)
DAVE CLAPPER
LYDIA COPELAND
SPENCER DEW
ROBERT A. DOLLESIN
NICOLLE ELIZABETH
KATHY FISH
TIMOTHY GAGER
MOLLY GAUDRY
ROXANE GAY
ALICIA GIFFORD
BARRY GRAHAM
KYLE HEMMINGS
JAMIE IREDELL
ALEXANDRA ISACSON
BRYAN JONES
HARDY JONES
DREW KALBACH
KIP KNOTT
CHARLES LENNOX
SEAN LOVELACE
ANTONIOS MALTEZOS
RAVI MANGLA
CORTNEY MCLELLAN
STEVEN J. MCDERMOTT
KYLE MINOR
KIM PARKO
JENNIFER PIERONI
SAM PINK
TED POWERS
S. CRAIG RENFROE, JR.
FORREST ROTH
EDMUND SANDOVAL
PETER SCHWARTZ
M. BARTLEY SEIGEL
EMILY SIEGENTHALER
ANI SMITH
CLAUDIA SMITH
AUDRI SOUSA
ATHENA STRICKLAND
ROBB TODD
ANIA VESENNY
JARED WARD
BRANDI WELLS
BLYTHE WINSLOW
XTX
ORLO YEAHBLIP
MIKE YOUNG

There's a whole lot of writers I love on that there list.

SmokeLong Quarterly issue 23

I'm really blown away by this latest issue. The new staffers did an incredible job of unearthing some absolute gems. Please have a look:

Issue Twenty-Three (December 15, 2008): Ants by David Aichenbaum «» Earthrise by Christopher Bundy «» The World Before This One by Jon Chopan «» Ghost Bike by Thomas Cooper «» The Sway of Trains by Lydia Copeland «» Impressionists by Debra A. Daniel «» Danseuses Nues by David Harris Ebenbach «» The Head Fields by Terry Ehret «» Shadows by Sherrie Flick «» Heroin Girl by Larry Fondation «» She Doesn't Ask Where He Goes by Stefanie Freele «» Caved In by Barry Graham «» Chicago World's Fair, 1893 by Kyle Hemmings «» Coat and Shoes by Tania Hershman «» Thirteen by Tai Dong Huai «» Phoenix by W.P. Kinsella «» Nearly Free by Dorianne Laux «» Alien Lunch by Liane LeMaster «» The Society for the Preservation of Everything by Kuzhali Manickavel «» 216 East Boalt by Jeannie Vanasco «» Potatoes by Spencer Wise «» Interviews: David Aichenbaum «» Christopher Bundy «» Jon Chopan «» Thomas Cooper «» Lydia Copeland «» Debra A. Daniel «» David Harris Ebenbach «» Terry Ehret «» Sherrie Flick «» Larry Fondation «» Stefanie Freele «» Barry Graham «» Kyle Hemmings «» Tania Hershman «» Tai Dong Huai «» Dorianne Laux «» Liane LeMaster «» Kuzhali Manickavel «» Spencer Wise «» Cover Art "morpheus" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor

SmokeLong issue 22 is live

As my kids like to say, "Pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny." Enjoy!

Issue Twenty-Two (October 2, 2008): Innocence, Briefly by Jenny Arnold «» Tapioca O's by Natalie DeClerck «» How Anything Got Done by Paul Elwork «» Tenderoni by Kathy Fish «» Breathing Oysters by Stefanie Freele «» The Mime's Dog by Steven Douglas Gullion «» Two Minute Silence by Sarah Hilary «» Constructing Birds by Jo Horsman «» Crazy Sun by Lauren Huckstadt «» One Night Out by Ashley Kaufman «» Asian Girl by W.P. Kinsella «» Fatback by Jeff Landon «» Bounty by Tricia Louvar «» Beautiful by Antonios Maltezos «» Private Room by M.E. Parker «» True Identity by Kevin Sampsell «» Campfire by Donna D. Vitucci «» Interviews: Jenny Arnold «» Paul Elwork «» Kathy Fish «» Stefanie Freele «» Steven Douglas Gullion «» Sarah Hilary «» Jo Horsman «» Ashley Kaufman «» Jeff Landon «» Tricia Louvar «» Antonios Maltezos «» M.E. Parker «» Kevin Sampsell «» Donna D. Vitucci «» Cover Art "November Leaves" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor

Biology class

Love this.

I want this button.

I haven't posted in forever...

Every now and then, I think I should do more with this here blog. Well, today at lunch, we were talking about various actors, which got me thinking back to my previous career, and I was curious to see whether any of the reviews of work I did turned up online anywhere. Sure enough! Here are the very few I could find, with relevant quotes:

"Criminals in Love" by New Mercury Theater
reviewed by Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"I don't know. It seemed funny at the time. Maybe it was just the inane cockiness that Dave Clapper whips up in his portrayal of the father."
reviewed by Seattle Times
"Thanks to his dense convict father (played by Dave Clapper), the hapless Junior (Christopher Thomle) gets enmeshed in the evil doings of Wineva (Kia Sian), a domineering mobster-moll."

"Salt of the Earth" by Bricolage
reviewed by Seattle Times
"Still, the ensemble cast is strong, each affecting poignant moments by turns, and Ada McAllister and Dave Clapper stand out in vibrant, varied characterizations."

"Peacekeeper" by Northwest Passage Theater
reviewed by Seattle Times
"By day, Hickey and his quirky fellow officer, Dave Clapper, sit in a bunker, 200 feet underground, hoping they will never have to do what they have been programmed to do - launch a nuclear missile."

Kinda disappointing that there aren't any reviews online for my favorite show from my stint in Seattle theater, John Godber's "Bouncers." Ah, well. Funny looking back at these: I was always clearly a character actor, rather than a leading man, and wouldn't have had it any other way. Would be great to get back at it some day.

SLQ issue 20

Issue 20 of SmokeLong Quarterly, guest edited by Claudia Smith, is now live.

Issue Twenty (March 15, 2008): The Cockroach by David Barringer «» Trestle by Matt Briggs «» Worried & Wondering by Aaron Burch «» Dead Dog Rising by Kate Hill Cantrill «» Tinder by Chanel Earl «» Scrape by Utahna Faith «» Arlo's Big Head by Stefanie Freele «» Wei-Ch'i by Vanessa Gebbie «» Last Fall by Katherine Grosjean «» David Dreams of Australopithecines by Savannah Schroll Guz «» The Last Stop by Jenny Halper «» Blue by Stephanie Harrison «» Cadet by Tiff Holland «» Slam by Liesl Jobson «» Beret by Darlin' Neal «» Camp by Elizabeth Oliver «» We by Patricia Parkinson «» Seconds Are Ticking By by Nik Perring «» Brother by Sue Powers «» Carol by Sophie Rosenblum «» Elizabeth Bishop by Glenn Shaheen «» Favorites by Gail Siegel «» Blank by Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau «» Medicinal by Girija Tropp «» Interviews: David Barringer «» Matt Briggs «» Aaron Burch «» Kate Hill Cantrill «» Chanel Earl «» Utahna Faith «» Stefanie Freele «» Vanessa Gebbie «» Katherine Grosjean «» Savannah Schroll Guz «» Jenny Halper «» Stephanie Harrison «» Tiff Holland «» Liesl Jobson «» Darlin' Neal «» Elizabeth Oliver «» Patricia Parkinson «» Nik Perring «» Sue Powers «» Sophie Rosenblum «» Glenn Shaheen «» Gail Siegel «» Claudia Smith «» Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau «» Girija Tropp «» Cover Art "Male Figure" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor

writing news

Although almost all of my blogging lately has been over at SmokeLong News, I actually do have some personal writing news to share, which seems better suited for posting here.

First off, a microfiction I wrote last month, "Nothing," has been solicted by Per Contra, and will appear in their Spring issue, which goes live some time in March. Yay! It had been a while since I'd written anything new, and longer still since I'd delved into the whole getting published deal. Per Contra is a great venue, so I'm really pleased.

Also, my flash Spike. Resonance., originally published in FRiGG, has been accepted to be published in a new anthology entitled "Freak Lightning," edited by Pamelyn Casto and Lawrence Greenberg. Not sure of the publication dates yet, but I'll post more when I know more. I've never really pursued getting into anthologies before, so this is pretty exciting.

And, later this month, I'll be traveling back to Chicago to speak to students at my alma mater, Fremd High School, about writing and editing as part of their annual Writers Week. I'm hugely looking forward to this. Weeding through my published work for stories appropriate to read at a high school is proving somewhat of a challenge, but I think I've got it covered. Can't wait!

Finally (and I probably will blog about this at SLQ News once I have the final schedule), I'll be presenting at Pecha Kucha again in about a week and a half. The theme is love, which is a challenge, since most of the stuff we publish in SLQ isn't really about love in the usual Valentine's Day sense. Had a blast when I did this in December, and really looking forward to doing it again. Looks like a stellar lineup this time, too. Woo!

snowy weekend

Since I'm doing all the kind of blogging I used to do here over on SmokeLong News now, I might as well use this blog as more of the personal space most bloggers do. Just had a crazy snowy weekend that was virtually perfect: it snowed like mad for two days and then melted before the week began, so my commute wasn't impacted in the least. Got to have snowball fights with the kids and they built (and destroyed) snowmen. Also swung by the office to show them where I work now, and my boss happened to be in and snapped a pic, which y'all can see here. Sunday, spent the day with Ellen, Kate, the boys, and my mom and her husband Jim, who are in town for a week to meet his first grandchild, who is now a few months old (son of his son—although Jim has two kids who both live in Seattle, I've never really thought of 'em as stepsiblings per se, since Mom and Jim married after I was already out of the house). Had a good time with them, and will be having dinner with them and Ellen again tonight.