Helping out a friend of a friend here. Let's make Ken's day.
Narratives and Our Ways of Knowing Part II: The Middle Ages
The question of knowledge is a very old problem, going back to the ancients. What we can know about the world, and how we know it, is a huge puzzle. Now, we all love to tell stories, to tell people about things that have happened to us—or even stuff that happened to others, if it … Continue reading Narratives and Our Ways of Knowing Part II: The Middle Ages
“Deconstruction” and its misuses (and, yes, Nietzsche)
I’ve recently seen on Twitter and in blogs several misuses of the word “deconstruction.” I knew my students didn’t really understand that term; but now I realize the misconception is more wide-spread than that. In the instances where I’ve seen it misused, people are treated it as a synonym for “analysis,” which means to break down, … Continue reading “Deconstruction” and its misuses (and, yes, Nietzsche)
A Frank Koenig Story: “The Stolen Car”
Frank’s partner, Carl Gibson, had a large waistband and chubby cheeks, with his hair cut into a dirty blond flattop. He wore a cheap Sears and Roebuck suit with a white shirt and a chocolate striped tie. He always smelled of Aqua Velva. Carl sat behind the wheel of his new De Soto, a pale … Continue reading A Frank Koenig Story: “The Stolen Car”
Chicken and Vegetables in the Dutch Oven
I love food, and I've gotten pretty good at cooking. (Okay, pretty damn good.) And as I promised in my inaugural post, I'm going to offer the occasional recipe here. For this dish, I use chicken thighs, since I think they’re the best part of the chicken. As for vegetables, I mix it up. I … Continue reading Chicken and Vegetables in the Dutch Oven
A Review of David Baldacci’s The Hit
Last month I took a quick trip to San Diego for a conference, and as is my usual habit, I picked up a suspense novel at one of the airport shops. I normally don’t go out of my way to read people like Baldacci, Michael Connolly, or Lee Child. They’re solid story-tellers, but I’ve read … Continue reading A Review of David Baldacci’s The Hit
A Frank Koenig Story: “The Meridian Lounge”
The Meridian Lounge The Meridian Lounge on West 125th Street in Harlem featured local and up-and-coming jazz acts. The venue, smoke-filled and done in brass, contained a dozen tables, and the varnish had worn off the floorboards where the waitresses trekked from the bar to the patrons in the tight space. Alma Boudreau stood on … Continue reading A Frank Koenig Story: “The Meridian Lounge”
Plato’s Forms
I had a request to post more about Plato’s Forms. So, here you go, Jess! UNIVERSALS Plato’s theory of Forms is a proto-theory of universals. What are universals? They’re characteristics that individual things share. The quality of being blue, blueness, for instance, isn’t an individual thing. It’s a characteristic shared by many individuals. Universals also … Continue reading Plato’s Forms
Flash Fiction: “Caution”
Here's a bit of flash fiction. The character, Ray Stendon, comes from my novel Killer's Coda. I always liked that character, so I decided to put him into action again. Hope you enjoy this! “Caution” Mark T. Conard Ray Stendon fell back against the headboard, breathing hard, and wiped sweat off his forehead. His … Continue reading Flash Fiction: “Caution”
Film Noir Roundup
After yesterday's introductory post, I had a request to do a list of classic films. In partial fulfillment of this request, here's a film noir roundup I did with my fellow Rogue, Court Haslett at The Rogue Reader. It's in two parts. Part I: http://theroguereader.com/2014/01/film-noir-fantasy-draft/. Part II: http://theroguereader.com/2014/01/film-noir-fantasy-draft-part-ii/. Enjoy!
Mark T. Conard 