Being the public relations person for the Ku Klux Klan must be a thankless job at best. At worst, it's probably any PR person's living nightmare, somewhat akin to persuading the public that anthrax has many convenient household uses, or that, despite the unpleasantness, Hitler did encourage strong economic development. Charlie Watkins always marveled at … Continue reading Klan Candy
Category: Satire
Troll
Roscoe Delahunt is a troll; there seems little doubt of that. For years, he has surfed the Internet, looking for someone's parade to rain on, and he has rarely lacked people to torment. In the heady days before the World Wide Web, when Usenet was the primary vehicle for Internet discourse, Roscoe, starting as an … Continue reading Troll
The Miracle of the Magic Dollar
Carlton walked into the third-floor break room of the Atlanta offices of Bickering Plummet and approached the snack machine in the far corner. It was six-thirty in the afternoon and Carlton had been at his desk since seven-ten that morning, with no signs of his day ending anytime soon. Fortunately, for Carlton, the machine contained … Continue reading The Miracle of the Magic Dollar
A Tale of Two Sisters
For most people, being brutally murdered is the end of the story, but for Victoria Wells, it's only the beginning. Follow along as Victoria goes from being a prostitute in the East End of London in 1888 to a wealthy philanthropist in current-day New York, and meet Victoria's sister, Allison, a renowned clothing designer in … Continue reading A Tale of Two Sisters
Unsung Heros of Rock
Bickering Plummet, An Introduction
Bickering Plummet, Inc. is a vast, multinational corporation based in Atlanta. Its business touches nearly every sector of the economy, manufacturing, distribution, consulting, and government contracting, and it has major offices on nearly every continent. William Wordsworth Bickering, founder of Bickering Textiles, the parent of Bickering Plummet, was born 29 November 1840 in Springfield, Ohio. … Continue reading Bickering Plummet, An Introduction
Oscar Wilde
I can't recall exactly when I first discovered Oscar Wilde's preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I cannot think of a single piece of writing that's had more of an impact on my development as a writer. I have yet to find a more concise set of principles on art in general, and … Continue reading Oscar Wilde
Money, Money, Money
Ah, yes, it was the 90s and all anyone thought about was making money, not like these altruistic times we live in today. Once folks found the Internet, they saw it as a guaranteed way to gain cash, so they resorted to those time-honored money-making traditions, chain letters. Here's my take on some of the … Continue reading Money, Money, Money
Pardon me, I seem to have lost my pants
One might think that a naked man walking down Peachtree Street in the afternoon would be easy to spot, but Doyle Pendergast wasn't the typical naked man. He strode along with confidence, almost daring anyone to call him out. He made eye contact, greeted those who bothered to notice him with a boisterous, "Howdy!" If … Continue reading Pardon me, I seem to have lost my pants
Boom Town
This is part of a work in progress, to be entitled Boom Town, about the late-nineties technology boom in Atlanta. In this excerpt, the lead character, David Cairo (pronounced Kay-ro) enlists the aid of a local public relations firm, to help him deal with his new-found fame. Before starting his own company, Cairo had been … Continue reading Boom Town