This is a preview of my next novel, Don’t Mess Up My Block. It’s a parody of self-help books like Who Moved My Cheese. Look for it after the holidays!
Friday Photo: We're All Famous Edition
This is from the Audio Warhol concert at the National Gallery of Art. It was a beautiful and weirdly moving, as the strings played with a DJ accompaniment of sound clips from the 1980s.
HARD ART DC 1979 and the Art of Possibility
Washington in 1979 was a scarred metropolis just ten years removed from riots that had hollowed out the city. It was a grim time, with hundreds of buildings boarded up just blocks from the White House.
1979 was a tough year for the county too, as the Carter presidency ended in economic malaise and the humiliation of the Iran hostage crisis.
In these dark times, however, some people saw opportunity. Artists and musicians saw empty houses that they could turn into art galleries and practice spaces. Rents were cheap because few people wanted to live in neighborhoods filled with junkies and prostitutes.
HARD ART DC 1979 by Lucian Perkins documents some of this fascinating story. It chronicles the nascent punk rock scene in Washington, featuring seminal bands such as Bad Brains. Continue reading “HARD ART DC 1979 and the Art of Possibility”
DC Shorts Screenplay Competition Open for Entries
Can you write a simple ten-page film script? Enter the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition and you could win $2000 and see your vision on the big screen.
And I’ll help – here are my tips on how to win the competition. I’ve been a judge for the competition for several years now.
You’ve got all winter to put your story on the page. The early deadline for the competition is March 31.
First Place in the Fotoweek Mobile Phone Image Contest
I recently won first place in the Fotoweek Mobile Phone Image Contest. Here’s how I came up with the winning photo.
The theme of the competition was “Fotoweek Through the Mobile Lens”:
Mobile devices allow you to get up close to capture intimate moments, abstract macros, candid street photos, night projects, and what FotoWeek DC Festival means to you this year as you walk around DC and experience all of our events.
I went to several Fotoweek shows but was so busy seeing amazing photos that I hardly took any pictures at all. Continue reading “First Place in the Fotoweek Mobile Phone Image Contest”
Cyber Monday – Murder in Ocean Hall for $0.99!
Get my book Murder in Ocean Hall for just 99 cents in this holiday offer exclusively for Kindle owners.
My novel is a murder-mystery set in Washington, DC. Inspired by my experience in the city, Murder in Ocean Hall follows a veteran detective as he investigates the death of the world’s most famous explorer.
My book takes you behind the scenes of our nation’s dysfunctional capital, revealing the real place beyond the monuments.
Amazon reviewers call it:
“a fun, quick read”
“a howdunit with some good research on the author’s part.”
Get Murder in Ocean Hall today!
InstantDC Returns
I’ve become a huge fan of iPhoneography. While I have a “real” camera (a Canon T2i), my iPhone is with me all the time. It’s great to capture the little moments of life that you might otherwise miss.
Somehow, it’s also more fun, less serious than taking out the big camera.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the iPhone is the most popular camera on Flickr. That’s quite an achievement for a device whose primary function is to make calls.
And now iPhone photos are making their way into art galleries. And I have a picture in one of them (see above). My photo is one of fifty photos selected by judges for the InstantDC show on November 9. There are some great photographers represented – Jim Darling, Keith Lane and Greg Schmigel, among others.
DC Shorts Filmmakers Share Tricks of the Trade
Directors are auteurs, in charge of hundreds of people and with millions of dollars at their disposal, right? Think again. Easy-t0-use cameras and Internet technology allow anyone with a story to tell to make a movie. This was highlighted by the recent talk by four Washington-area filmmakers at the Apple Store in Georgetown. They’re all alumni of DC Shorts, with films or scripts that appeared in this local festival.
Arlin Godwin wanted to make a short film but didn’t want to deal with actors. Over a couple of weekends, in his own apartment, he made the delightfully creepy Man in 813. It won Outstanding Local Film at DC Shorts. Fascinating to me was the fact that he shot it with a Canon T2i (a digital still camera) and primarily used the “nifty fifty” lens, a $100 prime lens beloved by photographers. Continue reading “DC Shorts Filmmakers Share Tricks of the Trade”
The "Now, Discover Your Strengths" Approach to Social Media
Now, Discover Your Strengths is one of the very few personal improvement books worth the money. It’s been superseded by the awkwardly-titled StrengthsFinder 2.0 but the message is the same in the new book:
You should concentrate on what you’re best at. Don’t try to improve your weaknesses, instead sharpen the skills that you do better than anyone else. It’s a countervailing message in this age of self-improvement. It says to drop what you suck at (I’m never going to be a great basketball player) and work on what you do best (writing and photography). Continue reading “The "Now, Discover Your Strengths" Approach to Social Media”
Friday Photo: The Road Ahead
This is from one of my favorite places – New River Trail State Park in southwest Virginia. It’s an old rail-trail that follows the river for miles. It’s scenic and sparcely-used, especially in late fall. I was lucky to get this picture (and bike ride) in before the weather turned. This is where the trail goes over a road which looks like it could be the cover of a country album.
It’s an iPhone pic modified in Instagram.
Bonus: here’s a video of biking down the trail.