On the Power of Silence

This weekend I was stunned when Emma González read her deeply emotional remembrance of each life taken in the Parkland shooting. After she named each person murdered, she lifted her eyes to crowd, put her speech to the side, and stood in silence for nearly 5 minutes. The effect was devastating. In a culture accustomed…

A short Spoiler Free FAQ for ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

My novel, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED is out now and I’d love for you to read it. The concept of a world where everyone has to pay for every word they speak has a lot of people curious and with curiosity comes questions. I thought it might be helpful to answer a few. If you are…

How we see color makes us human

Most of us wonder, at one time or another, how the world appears in other people’s eyes. Does the red I see look like the red you see?  If not, how are they different? If you are not colorblind, you have probably wondered what the world looks like to those who are. You have probably…

On Freedom of Speech and Silence

In two weeks, my first novel arrives. It takes place in a future without free speech — where speech literally costs money — where every word has a dollar value and people can only speak as much as they can afford. Rather than pay, the protagonist, Speth, exercises the only power and autonomy left to…

TSA screening

Book Covers for the TSA

The TSA recently began, and now claims to have ended, a program to screen books pulled from carry on bags. On the TSA website, under an article titled “Let’s Close the Book on Book Screening Rumors” the TSA goes on to confirm the rumors and then asks us to just forget about it. It is…

Complaints to the FCC

The FCC does not exist to censor broadcasts. I am very glad that is the case. They do, however, take complaints from consumers and, if they have merit, they investigate and have the power to levy fines or, in theory, revoke broadcast licenses. At present, they are “investigating” complaints about Stephen Colbert jokes about the…

The Big Squeeze

I am so baffled by Juicero™ I don’t entirely know how to articulate it. I guess I could start by explaining what Juicero™ is: Juicero™ is a $700 $400 machine that squeezes expensive, proprietary bags of juice-mash (purchased via an expensive and, frankly, wasteful subscription) into a juice glass that I don’t think Juicero™ provides.…

But the Humans…

When I was twelve I imagined a future full of sleek spaceships, visits to beautiful alien worlds, and endless wonders. A peaceful, verdant, healthy Earth was not a concern for me. I presumed it simply would be. We couldn’t get to that other great stuff I was anxious to see if we had to worry…

Choose your own Adventure – To fear or not to fear

I walked last night to a 24 hour pharmacy to pick up Tamiflu™ and “lots of fluids.” Good times, for sure. I brought a backpack to fill with Gatorade, by special request of my wife. As I walked to the 24 hour pharmacy, footsteps were approaching me from behind, gaining on me. I tightened my…