Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, flowers, nature, poetry, Spring, Thoughts on April 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The violets, along the river, are opening their blue faces, like
small dark lanterns.
The green mosses, being so many, are as good as brawny.
How important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly,
looking at everything and calling out
Yes! No!
— Mary Oliver, from the poem “Yes! No!”
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Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #EarthDay, collective action, good people doing good things, inspiration, nature, progress, Thoughts on April 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Today is Earth Day. If you were born before 1965 or so, you probably remember a time when there was no such thing. It was a time of smoky bars, trash littering the roadsides, choking smog, and Superfund sites masquerading as playgrounds, among other things. Rivers regularly caught on fire.
The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969
“The river was a scary little thing,” Donovan says. “There was a general rule that if you fell in, God forbid, you would go immediately to the hospital.”
And then publicity turned what was just the latest in a long line of “oops, the water’s on fire” stories into the seed of a new movement. The first Earth Day took place in 1970. The Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970. The idea that maybe we didn’t have to live in a toxic stew of pollution and dangerous chemicals slowly began to take hold. Crazy, I know!
Are there still plenty of places we could improve? Of course. But we’ve come a long way, and our successes are proof that we can take the next step, and the next.
Today, and every day.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Thoughts on April 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” — Rumi
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, beauty, inspiration, nature, Thoughts on April 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Mondays* are not great. (Gross exaggeration, but it feels true. Especially on a Monday.) So here’s a dose of beauty to help balance out the blah.
Recent images of people enjoying themselves on warm spring days, among groves of flowering cherry-blossom trees in cities and parks across the Northern Hemisphere
Even Darth Vader made an appearance!
* Or whichever day marks the start of your work week.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, science, Thoughts on April 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »
NASA reminded me that we have a new, if transitory, neighbor in the skies overhead. The comet PanSTARRS is making a quick visit and tonight is the closest it will come to the sun.
APOD- 2026 April 18 – PanSTARRS and Planets
This is a good weekend for northern hemisphere comet watchers to try to catch PanSTARRS an hour or so before sunrise, as the comet grows brighter approaching its perihelion on April 19. On April 26 the comet makes its closest approach to our fair planet but by then will be difficult to see in the solar glare. Good views of this comet PanSTARRS in late April and early May will be from the southern hemisphere.
If your skies are clear and dark, check it out!
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Thoughts on April 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.” — Bertrand Russell
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #wotf, books, contests, Fiction, science fiction, Thoughts, Writers, Writers of the Future, writing on April 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Congratulations to the latest class of Writers & Illustrators of the Future winners! Their workshop week in LA just ended and I’m sure they are chock full of interesting observations and ideas for future projects. They will certainly have met some terrific fellow artists and had a fascinating experience. (I’m also betting they’re exhausted because that week is intense, but they can sleep on the way home!)
I look forward to reading volume 42!
If 42 is the answer, these stories ask the questions worth thinking about.
Discover fifteen unforgettable science fiction and fantasy short stories—illustrated in full color—featuring twelve emerging voices alongside three acclaimed masters of the genre. From visionary sci-fi to emotionally rich fantasy and quiet horror, this collection delivers bold “what ifs” that linger long after the final page.
What if a perfect rescue went catastrophically wrong?
What if the “better you” doesn’t want to share your life?
What if love could survive inside a virtual reality?
Inside, you’ll encounter a flawless time-rescue gone wrong, a beauty treatment with terrifying consequences, a detective hunted by a body-hopping killer, and a homesteader uncovering a truth that rewrites Earth itself. You’ll also find dragons that defy myth, fairy-tale chaos, supernatural horror, and high-concept science fiction that blends heart, humor, and imagination.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, that sounds interesting, and also I am not a professional (yet) and might qualify for this competition,” I say go for it. The contest is free, accepts entries quarterly, and can be excellent as a motivating deadline. (And who knows, you may find yourself in a room with the writers of some of your favorite childhood books. Now that’s magic made real.)
Writer Contest | Writers & Illustrators of the Future (illustrators too!)
Enter a short story science fiction, fantasy, light horror.
Up to but not exceeding 17,000 words.
Free to enter and entrants retain all publication rights.
Enter 1 story per quarter, up to 4 per year.
Anonymous judging. This is a merit-based competition.
Here’s to this new round of winners, and to artists everywhere!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Thoughts on April 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #recommendedreading, #wotf39, taxes, Thoughts, Writers, Writers of the Future on April 15, 2026| 2 Comments »
A brief reminder: Today is tax day in the United States! (Canada’s day comes later to extend the fun.)
If you’ve finished your taxes, bravo. And if you have a little time for reading and relaxation, let me once again recommend David Hankins’ very funny book, Death and the Taxman!
After sharing an ill-advised cup of tea with IRS auditor Frank Totmann, Grim finds himself trapped in Frank’s life amid a world of dangers: love, betrayal, reckless cabbies, implacable demon hunters, and the incessant needs that keep his body ticking . . . for now.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, doing stuff, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts, Writers, writing on April 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity.” — Amelia Earhart
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