Notebook

If you enjoy reading short stories, you might want to head over to shortstoryamerica.com and see what they offer. Besides archiving classic stories by master writers, they also publish a new story every Friday by contemporary writers. I have a story called "Regression" in that section. Short story writers are encouraged to send in theior best stories for consideration. Eventually they are planning annual anthologies, school writing contests, and so in, all with the goal of revitalizing interest in the short form of fiction.

My new book The Last Invisible Boy is being released today and should be available at your local chain bookstore and at many independents, or they can order it for you. Look for it in the new books and children's books sections. While written for the kid's market I do think this is a book many adults will be interested in reading. If you do check out my new book I hope you like it. If so, please considering giving it and/or other books you enjoy as gifts this holiday season. Good books make great and long-lasting gifts.

My new novel The Last Invisible Boy won't be released until October 21st, but the books have already been printed and will soon be on their way to stores and libraries, as well as to your house or apartment or castle if you pre-ordered one (there's still time!). I received my copies a few days ago and they look fantastic. The designer at Atheneum did a first class job, and I think the cover adeptly captures the theme of the book, a boy's struggle to not disappear from his world, despite suffering a crushing loss. Open the book and JP Coovert's excellent art really jumps off the page. Of course my words are there too! Speaking of JP I borrowed this picture from his website. If you get the chance to check out our book I hope you enjoy it. We had lots of fun putting it together.

The trailer for my forthcoming book The Last Invisible Boy is now up on YouTube. To check it out click here. I thought they did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the book in one minute and three seconds. You'll also see a fair sampling of the illustrations. If you like the trailer and want to include it on your MySpace or other major blog site click on the appropriate link in the Share section below the YouTube video. I hope you enjoy it.

The Last Invisible Boy, my second novel, will be published this fall by Ginee Seo Books/Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, but the advance reader's copies are ready and will soon find their way to reviewers. Featuring dozens of drawings by mega-skilled artist JP Coovert, this is going to be a beautiful book. While the subject matter, the loss of a father, is a heavy one, the art as well as the spirit of the young protagonist, Finn Garrett, help lighten things up a bit. For ages 10 and up. Check back again because soon I'll have an excerpt, sample art, and a video book trailer posted on this site (or linked). Thanks for your support.

Has a nice ring to it, eh? though the actual movie might be titled something else (according to one entertainment blog the project is called Untitled Wolf Boy Project). As you might guess I'm quite excited about the Weinstein Company picking up the film rights, especially with their reputation of making high quality, award-winning films, though since I'm the reserved type I'm mostly jumping up and down on the inside. Still, what a buzz. And what an honor to have Irwin Winkler (and Jill Cutler) producing the movie. I grew up watching the Rocky movies, and Goodfellas is on many lists of the greatest movies ever made. They are also good people, having nothing but nice things to say about my book.

While I won't be involved in the project, if I hear any news about casting, the director, etc. I'll pass it along. In the meantime have you read the book yet? Wolf Boy is available at libraries, bookstores, some comic book shops, and all over the Internet. You might have some trouble finding the hardback version but the paperback, which include bonus material, is widely available. If you give my book a try you'll notice that the family is named the Harrelsons, not the Wolfs. That was an error in the Variety article. In that article Harvey Weinstein said, "I was particularly moved by Wolf Boy's story about the power of art to enhance our lives." And Irwin Winkler said, "What appealed to me most was the young man who finds refuge in the creation of this graphic novel and how that impacts the process of healing between the boy and his father." Had they interviewed me I would have said, "Wowers! A movie!" Maybe it's a good thing they didn't interview me.

While I won't exactly be on the inside loop, I'm already starting to imagine the movie. Are you? Jeff Daniels starring as the distraught father, maybe?

During down time from some writing projects I made a silly short video about a homeless cat who bothers me every day for food. Several sound effects added! I used a relatively inexpensive digital camera and Apple's iMovie software. Not exactly a stellar cinematic achievement, but hopefully it's good for a laugh or two (works better with sound on). If you have a minute to waste check it out:



Or here's the youtube address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pZ9JyrIiMM

Note: If you have a Mac and online videos play silently, try this: go to applications - utilities - audio MIDI setup and then set the format to 44100.0 Hz. Worked for me!

I was quite saddened to learn of the passing of Kurt Vonnegut as he was one of my heroes. While I admired his writing talents, my favorite book of his was Slaughterhouse Five, I also appreciated the fact that he spoke his mind about writing, politics, war, the environment, and so on. Here was a man trying to make us all a little more sane and human, through his many "wake up" calls for greater decency and compassion. God love him for trying so hard, via his writing, interviews, and so on. He will be missed.

To read Vonnegut's Paris Review interview click here. In the interview he stated that he hoped for a military funeral when he died so he would finally receive the broad acceptance of his community. Kind of sad, eh? Other parts are a bit more upbeat.

I was tickled to see that Scholastic will be printing the final Harry Potter book on minimal 30 percent post consumer waste recycled paper. Read the CNN article here. Bravo to Scholastic. Earlier editions of Harry Potter books were "green" in Canada and some other countries, but this is the first time Scholastic has made such a huge commitment. I hope other publishers will follow their lead and engage in more earth-friendly practices. In this age of global warming awareness I think it's just a matter of time. Barefoot Books, an independent publisher of children's books, has probably made the strongest commitment, at this point. Please support green publishers and practices!

Speaking of environmental matters, I was unhappy to see that, at least according to Greenpeace, Apple Computer has fallen behind Dell and HP in both their commitment to phasing out toxic chemicals such as PVC, and in their aiding in the recycling or rehab of dead computers, keyboards, and other junk. I've long been a Mac user because of ease of use and I think the OSX software is superior, but that doesn't mean I'll stay loyal forever if they don't change their ways. If you want to join the greenmyapple campaign click on the above logo. Most computer junk, toxins and all, end up in China and India.

The popular online writer's magazine Absolute Write has posted an interview where I talk about Wolf Boy, the differences in writing comic books versus a novel, and more. Check it out by clicking here. If you are an established or aspiring writer you might consider subscribing to their free newsletter and/or joining in their forum discussions. The web address is absolutewrite.com.

I was happy to see Michael Arndt win the Oscar for best original screenplay for Little Miss Sunshine as it's a hell of a great movie, a true ensemble comedy where every character counts and contributes and is uniquely drawn. Like many, I was surprised that Alan Arkin won for best supporting actor, not because he wasn't deserving, he was, but because in the movie he is just one in a bus full of interesting souls. But good for him!

If you are into reading screenplays, and who isn't, you can find the Little Miss Sunshine script at simplyscripts.com. They also have the best adapted screenplay, The Departed, a movie I haven't seen yet but want to (there's a long list!). If you'd like to know more about Michael Arndt and his battles to get his movie made I'd suggest subscribing to the free podcasts at creativescreenwriting.com. They currently have two interviews with Arndt, and of course interviews with many other screenwriters and directors.

Fans of the graphic novel sections of Wolf Boy will be happy to know that artists Brian and Brendon Fraim have been very busy lately. Specifically they are drawing a comic strip for the weekly newspaper Antique Trader, and are drawing the daily web comic "America Jr." "America Jr." is the story of a small American town that forms its own nation, goofy anthem and all. Reading that comic is a great way to start the day (along with orange juice and a balanced breakfast). To see their latest Antique Trader strip and other art samples please visit their website. Custom art is also available. Hopefully I'll be working with these talented guys again someday.

If you are a frequent visitor to this website you may have noticed that I recently changed the design. I think this look is a bit cleaner and easier on the eyes. FYI I use Rapidweaver software (Mac only) to help in the site design. If you own a Mac and are thinking of building your own website it's a great and inexpensive tool. Check it out at http://realmacsoftware.com. Suggestions for site and blog content are always welcome.

In case you skipped past the home page and missed the news, the paperback version of Wolf Boy is now available in bookstores and online, and at some comic book shops. A mere $13! The perfect holiday gift? I think so. Includes bonus material -- a reading group guide and an article on creating the comic book sections of the novel. If you've been waiting for the more affordable paperback version that day has arrived.

My nephew Samuel was kind enough to lend me this movie, which was one of the best films I've seen lately. Nicolas Cage plays a TV weather man who is trying to live meaningfully in a "fast food world." As major studios go this is a rare character-driven film, so expect no car chases or explosions. I think Cage is at his best when he plays these "real" type characters, family men living lives of quiet or not so quiet desperation. Highly recommended.

This website and blog officially launch today. Thanks for visiting. My goal is to write occasional contributions to this blog as I am currently involved in multiple writing projects -- too many! Look for some guest mini book and film reviews in the future. Comments are not currently enabled so if you have any comments or questions please write me at wolfwriter22 at yahoo .com. Peace to you, web traveler.

Is the short-story collection Coronado by Dennis Lehane. I'm a big fan of Lehane's hard-hitting novels, especially Mystic River, but was surprised to learn that he's also a first-rate short story writer and that he also writes plays, the title piece in this book. Bravo to any writer who branches out in multiple directions. The book isn't getting a lot of great reviews yet but I think it's worth checking out, especially the stories "Running out of Dog" and "Until Gwen."