Tag: New York

“A Day in the Park” – a short story published in Glitterwolf Magazine

My short story, “A Day in the Park,” was published in Glitterwolf Magazine‘s special Halloween edition in October 2015.  Check out their website to find out more about the magazine or to order a copy.  You can also purchase the issue over at Amazon.

Here is an excerpt from my story (“A Day in the Park”):

I think of my day in the park, the hunt for inspiration, and the hope that a story would find me.  It found me alright, but I wasn’t careful.  An involuntary twitch, a nervous tick – a sharp, startling noise in the distance and it was all over; the firefly crushed in my hand, its neon mush warm against my palm.  I open my hand and find the sticky mess remains, still warm.  I’ll hold it there until it cools down.  It shouldn’t be much longer now – as long as it takes a dead body to go cold.  The image of a child’s body lying on a path in the park flashes before my eyes.  The blood pools along the backside as the flesh turns rubbery and cold.

The loss of such a tiny light is hardly noticeable in a night full of other lights, flashing on and flashing off. 

I take my notes from the park and rip them into tiny pieces.  The paper snow settles on the floor all around me. 

Want to read more?  Order your copy today!

[Glitterwolf Magazine]        [Amazon]

The Downside of Going Viral: Madonna, Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump, and the Alt-Right

Watching your YouTube video go viral isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. I learned that recently when a video I uploaded suddenly started getting thousands of hits in a very short amount of time. Back in September 2015, I attended Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour stop in Brooklyn, New York. During this tour, she always pulled a fan (often a celebrity) on stage during her performance of “Unapologetic Bitch.” It’s silly and funny and a real crowd-pleaser – in Brooklyn, she brought Anderson Cooper on stage. Here’s the link to the video I shot and uploaded:

Madonna – Unapologetic Bitch with Anderson Cooper

Recently, I started getting notices that there were new comments on the video. In less than a week, it garnered more than 1 million views. For me, that’s going viral! Most of the things I’ve posted have a tiny fraction of the views this one video has gotten.

The increase in views/comments came the week after the second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, which was moderated by Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz. The comments were quite negative; for the most part, they were vile insults directed at Anderson Cooper regarding his sexual orientation.

I did a Google search to see if my video had appeared in a news story (which would explain the sudden increase in views). I eventually found that some seemingly Alt-Right website posted a story centering around my video of Madonna and Anderson Cooper. Based on the comments and the poorly written story, it seems the people behind this site (and their audience) have a problem with Anderson Cooper playing around with Madonna on stage. They think he’s a hypocrite for asking Donald Trump legitimate questions about the infamous Billy Bush/Access Hollywood video during the second presidential debate. You remember that video, the one in which Donald Trump brags about being able to sexually assault women?

The website is called ‘Clash Daily with Doug Giles’ – go here for the story they ran on my Anderson Cooper/Madonna video.

Luckily, I have to approve comments on my video before they show up publicly. At first, I just deleted them since they were so ignorant and disgusting. As more and more came in, I decided to hold onto them without letting them appear on the video. Here are a few examples of the comments:

YouTubeComment1

YouTubeComment2

YouTubeComment3

That, folks, is how some of these Alt-Right / Donald Trump supporters think. They suggest that ISIS needs to come to New York to take out homosexuals; they call Anderson Cooper a faggot over and over again. This is vile, disgusting, cowardly, and completely unacceptable. It’s shocking to see people throw homophobic slurs around so casually. I realize the world of online comments is a cesspool of hate and ignorance, but to see it firsthand is truly sickening. I can’t help but feel disheartened with this glimpse into the darker side of human nature.

In many ways, Donald Trump has brought out the absolute worst in America.  I’ll be glad when the election is over. I just hope these Alt-Right types crawl back into their holes, never to be heard from again.

Going viral – it really isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

“Grow” – a short story published in ImageOutWrite v.5

My short story “Grow” was published in ImageOutWrite Volume 5 (September 2016).  Check out their website to order a copy: ImageOutWrite

You can also order your copy on Amazon

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

The botanical gardens look different at night, or so John imagined.  Even though the grounds were part of the university, only a mile or so down the road from his dorm, he’d never actually visited before.  As the trees rattled in the wind, he looked over at their crooked, knobby branches hanging over the gates like claws.  From there, his eyes landed on the thick, rusty chain padlocked across the front entrance.  There was something ominous about the place.  Still, seeing as how it was so removed from the bustle of campus life, it seemed like the sort of place one could use to take a break from all the noise – that is, in the light of day, during regular visiting hours.  At the same time, a certain comfort comes with the cold dark of night.  Beneath a silent, black sky, secrets can remain hidden in the shadows where they belong …