I'll Drink to That...Not Any More.

An inseparable component of writer lore is drinking. Ernest Hemingway and his daiquiris. Charles Bukowski and his boilermakers. Dorothy Parker and her scotch. To celebrate the drafting of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers consumed legendary quantities of wine. 

When we think of nostalgic writer tropes, there's the typewriter, a wooden desk, wads of discarded manuscript paper, smoke curling from a cigarette parked in an ashtray, and a bottle of hooch nearby. The typewriter and paper have been replaced by a laptop, the wooden desk exists in one form or another, few of us smoke, but a bottle of some adult beverage remains at hand. I remember fondly the opening and closing parties of Lighthouse Litfest, with dozens of us writers crammed on the porch, drinks at the ready. Seems like the best conversations at writer conventions happen at bar con, us scribes nursing cocktails, either bellyaching about the publishing industry or trading gossip. Good times. 

Which for me have come to an end, sadly. About a year ago I began to get a headache after consuming even small amounts of spirits, followed by a mild hangover. I tried different alcohols and mixes but the results were the same. I laid off drinking for several weeks, hoping it might be a passing reaction. Unfortunately, no. The evening after I buried Dirk, if there was ever an occasion for a drink, this was the time, so I sipped a half-glass of red wine. The headache made its dreadful appearance, and the next day I suffered a double whammy from the hangover plus the guilt of losing my sweet, handsome dog.

Teetotalers relentlessly preach the evils of King Alcohol. The ethyl alcohol in liquor is toxic to your liver. A hangover is symptomatic of the poisoning. The long and heavy consumption of alcohol can cause cirrhosis. Also consider the effects on your brain not to mention impaired decision-making and lives ruined by alcoholism.

On the other hand, before the first bread was ever made, people were already imbibing beer or mead. The early cavemen looked forward to their daily cups to celebrate surviving the prehistoric wilderness. Every culture in the world has some form of fermented beverage. Few things smooth the rough edges of putting up with our fellow human beings like a little sauce.

Despite the screeching by modern-day Temperance scolds, people who drink light to moderate amounts of booze tend to enjoy longer and happier lives. Why? Because alcohol is a social lubricant. Those types of drinkers are better adjusted, more emotionally grounded, and more fun to be around. And frankly, I miss wine tastings and happy hour cocktails.

If you're not drinking and are in the Denver area, mark these events on your calendar.

The Scorned Lovers Anti-Valentine's Show at Prismajic. 

Erotic readings from the works of Kim Kennedy and Helen Hardt with interpretive burlesque. Romance advice from the Love Sultan. Fire dance. The bashing of the Scorned Lovers Piñata, filled with naughty gifts. Fashion. Music. Cocktails. An Immersive Art Experience.

Friday the 13th, February, 2026. 7-10pm  Tickets online $20. Get them here.

Check out the Jefferson County Library's In Conversation with Lisa Gardner, emceed by Carter Wilson, along with a panel of local authors, including me.

Saturday, February 21. Noon to 4pm. Mile Hi Church, Lakewood, CO. Register here.   

 

 

 

 

The Bedrock of the Publishing Industry

When it comes to books, we writers like to interview other writers, editors, literary agents, publicists, but how often do we pick the brains of those representing the bedrock of the publishing industry? Without whom, the entire enterprise would collapse? Who am I talking about? Readers! Or rather in this case, one particular reader, my neighbor Eric Knoll.

He and his wife Kathy (and their two sons) are front porch people, so we see each other quite a bit. Since Eric is usually huddled with a book, I got into the habit of asking him what’s he reading. From that, we’ve had many discussions about books and authors. Turns out, not only is he very knowledgeable about a wide range of books, he and I have similar interests, mostly crime novels and edgy nonfiction, and we’ve shared recommendations. So I used this opportunity for him to share his thoughts.

Eric, give us a bit of your background.

I’m 49 and was raised in Rockford, Illinois. It’s where the Sock Monkey and the band, Cheap Trick, came from. Aside from that, it’s a typical Midwestern town. Once it was a thriving manufacturing center but automation and NAFTA have gutted it. Sadly, because of high unemployment and crime, Rockford keeps popping up on those lists of worst American cities. I majored in English and for the next few years worked as a copywriter, substitute teacher, an associate at Whole Foods, barista and assistant manager at Starbucks. Kathy is a nurse and a career opportunity for her brought us to Denver. After more hopping from job to job, a friend suggested that I become a public school teacher, which intrigued me because then I could reconnect with my English degree. Interestingly, my father was a school teacher and though my mother had a BA in Education, she was a stay-at-home mom. After getting my teacher’s license, I roved about the metro area in various schools before settling in where I am now. I had taught English to 8th graders, but now teach in a pathway school, attended by students who haven’t had success in a traditional setting for a variety of reasons. This summer I’m completing my Master’s in Special Education. 

When did you start reading? What did you like to read then? How did those books and what else you liked to read influenced you and your outlook on life?

As a kid, I loved reading those Garfield books, comics, and the newspaper sports column. I suppose the book that really opened my eyes to the world was Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. His adventures seemed romantic and daring, especially considering my Catholic upbringing. From there, my interests kept growing. I’d keep my ears open for new titles or read author interviews to see what they had on their nightstands. I’m an avid follower of Goodreads and love to talk about books and music.

What are your favorite genres? 

 About 80 percent of what I read are novels, the other 20 percent are nonfiction. Of fiction, it’s mystery, thriller, and occasionally sci-fi or fantasy. Of nonfiction, it’s mostly historical. However, currently, I burned out on books about World War Two, there’s been so many.  

What makes you stop reading a book?

I read for escapism. I generally jump right in and go with the flow. I give a book about a hundred pages to reel me in but if I haven’t connected by then with either the characters or the plot, and no matter how sparkly the prose, I just stop reading.

What have been your all-time favorite books?

There have been many and I’ll start with the novel that hooked me because it’s so weird and well-written: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. Other books include The Dharma Bums, also by Kerouac, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown.

I enjoy southern Gothic mysteries for their gritty, swampy atmosphere. Some of my favorite mysteries are from Joe Lansdale, Michael Farris Smith, SA Cosby, James Lee Burke, and the Australian writer, Michael Robotham.

For nonfiction, my go-to author is Erik Larsen. However, I can’t offer enough praise to The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough or Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams a biography of Dean Martin by Nick Tosches (combining my love of music and books).

What’s on your nightstand?

I just finished The Big Empty and thanks to Mario for introducing me to Robert Crais. Right now, I’m about halfway through Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson. Next up is Dead In The Water: A True Story of Hijacking, Murder, and a Global Maritime Conspiracy by Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel.

Thank you, Eric, for your insights and adding to my TBR pile. Happy reading.

On the Pulse of Things

 Like any serious writer, I read a lot. The latest from my TBR pile are mysteries by two of my favorite authors, The Big Empty by Robert Crais, and Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson. Both novels lean into themes resonating in pop culture: wildly successful young female social media influencers and serial killers. Another similarity between the books is the design aesthetic of the covers: burnt orange fading into an abrupt dark foreground, each black space presenting a relevant element to draw you further in. The curve of highway in The Big Empty, alluding to movement and isolation amid urban clutter, and in Tell Me What You Did, the voyeuristic allure of a woman's silhouette framed within a yellow window. From those junctures, however, the stories differ quite a bit. 

Wilson's forte is the psychological thriller and he masterfully plucks at the narrative, driving the momentum with staccato beats that tighten the suspense with each new reveal. The protagonist, famous podcaster Poe Webb, is no angel and has plenty of skeletons in her closet, which the serial killer is keen to exploit. The ambiance is claustrophobic, and the mood stifling with menace and dread.

Crais delivers another episode in the exploits of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, two PIs digging into intrigue and murder in the sweeping landscape of Los Angeles. In this quest, the influencer is the MacGuffin who draws Cole into the crosshairs of the serial killer. The plot unravels as a good noir mystery should, through the eyes of the detective as he peels back each rotten layer of lies and misdirection. There's much that I admire about Crais' writing: his sharp turns of phrase, his ability to present characters as they collide egos, his concise descriptions of time and place that put you right in the scene.