An Interview with Cedar Sanderson
By Tamara Wilhite
I had the opportunity to interview science fiction and fantasy author Cedar Sanderson shortly after her novel The Violet Mouse became available.
An Interview with Author Kevin Trainor
By Tamara Wilhite
According to Kevin Trainor’s bio, he’s an Army Security Agency veteran. He is a Russian/German/Spanish linguist and did signal intelligence and electronic warfare. He served four years active duty and another twelve years in the National Guard and Reserve. This is what led to his memoir What Did You Do in the Cold War, Dad? He’s also an avid anime and science fiction fan as well as a published sci-fi author.
Celebrating a Lost Classic Album: Ashley Cleveland’s Big Town
The 30th anniversary of one of the most criminally underrated recordings of all time came and went this week without fanfare.
By Chris Queen
On February 12, 1991, Atlantic Records released Ashley Cleveland’s Big Town. Cleveland had spent years making a name for herself as a session singer, working with artists as diverse as John Hiatt and Margaret Becker. She even landed a song on the soundtrack of that cinematic masterpiece Ernest Goes to Camp, but Big Town was supposed to be her big break.
Big Town is brilliant heartland rock with some country and gospel flavors thrown in. If you listen to it today, it’s mostly timeless, although a couple of synth lines give its date away. But you get an idea of what sets Big Town apart from the first measures – an acapella taste of Andraé Crouch’s “Soon and Very Soon.” Cleveland’s voice, equal parts raspy rock and smooth soul, let you know what you’re in for. And it’s an exhilarating ride.
Captain Marvel Vs. Rey Skywalker: Who Is the Bigger Mary Sue?
By Tamara Wilhite
On the surface, the two characters have a lot in common. Both have amnesia about their past, while their hero journey is tied to the discovery of it. Both come into their powers and play a role in saving the galaxy. And both are called Mary Sues. But which one is the bigger Mary Sue? Let’s compare the two to come up with an answer.
Training In Bias Elimination Can Be a Good Thing
By Robert Arrington
Last week, I took a short on-line course on recognizing and eliminating bias. The course was and required of arbitrators and mediators on the roster of the American Arbitration Association.
It turned out to be a good course. It was not directed at “actual” bias. The Codes of Ethics for arbitrators and mediators already require that if you are biased in favor of or against a party, you must decline appointment. It was directed, rather, at subliminal, or subconscious bias.
An Interview with Elizabeth Bennett
By Tamara Wilhite
I had the opportunity to interview Elizabeth Bennett, also known as CatwomanTheGoddess, shortly after her fantasy novel Wartime came out. It is the first in her planned The Immortals series.
Poem: “I Am A Church…”
By David Churchill Barrow
This poem was first published at Liberty Island in February 2017…
