Tag Archives: Author

Howard’s Butt

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Howard's Butt
Howard’s Butt

Unless you’re one of his colleagues,  past students, on Brainstorms or are an Internet Junkie like me, you might not have heard about Howard Rheingold. I first heard about Howard in 1998 when I saw a link to his website on a Dan Bern fan’s online bookmarks. I followed it and saw he had recently started an online forum called Brainstorms. I applied for admission (I sent an email to him telling him about my studies and asking for admittance) and was allowed entry. I was delighted and announced it in class the next time we met. No one knew about Howard Rheingold nor did anyone know what Brainstorms was. No matter — I was in.

I’ve met Howard three times. The first time was at a dinner in Frederick, Maryland. We had Chinese food and I drove Howard back to his hotel via an unintentional  circuitous route through the Pentagon parking lot and Arlington Cemetery. [Note: these were the days before GPS devices and I was a little awed that a hero of mine was IN MY CAR].

The second time I saw Howard was after he’d done a book reading at Politics and Prose about his new book, Smart Mobs. He signed a copy for me mentioning something about “taking a ride” and then a group of us went to Guapos in DC for dinner.

Howard & Rupert
Howard & Rupert

The third time I saw Howard was when I visited San Francisco and he invited my family and me to  hike with him in the mountains near his home (close to Mt Tan).

I’m still a member of Brainstorms and have many friends from that forum, although I rarely visit. About two weeks ago I noticed a post on my Facebook wall that Howard had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the rectum and had begun a blog about it. Today I saw that his butt has been twittering updates.

Oh Howard…

One of these things is not like the others

Humor

If you think this post is weird, blame it on the fact I composed it in my head at 3:00 am when I couldn’t sleep.

One of these authors is not like the others,
One of these authors just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which author is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

So, which one of these Wisconsin Authors is different from the other three?

Michael Perry
Michael Perry

Peter Straub

Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman

David Wroblewski
David Wroblewski

Give up? The answer is Neil Gaiman — he was born in England and is still a British citizen.

What did you think I meant? The hair thing? Nah.

Brian Andreas and his Storypeople

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There is a wonderful store in Rockville called As Kindred Spirits. I’m not sure when I first knew about it — I think it was first a kiosk at a mall. It also was at National Airport. Their About Us page does not mention the kiosk in the mall, but I’m fairly certain that’s where I discovered them. I think one reason I liked the kiosk was because the owner reminded me of my best friend from middle school — Cindy. Another reason was their selection. They had unique jewelry and gifts. Their store in Rockville also has clothes — the classy but comfortable kind with brand names like Flax and Willow. I even bought a pair of hemp sandals from As Kindred Spirits a number of years ago. (and yes, I did wonder if I’d get high if I smoked them).

As Kindred Spirits also carries a unique line of books and artwork called “Storypeople” by Brian Andreas. Not long after the Rockville store opened — or at least not long after I discovered it — the store invited Andreas to do a book reading one evening. What a delightful man he was and what delicious stories he told. I remember feeling as if I’d made a friend that night. I’ve bought many of his books over the years and have given people gifts of his artwork. His artwork is unique because it incorporates his words with his rather primitive, yet colorful, drawings.

An example of Brian Andreas’ work.

I love his books and could read them over and over again (and do). They are small truisms with an eclectic drawing thrown in. They make me nod my head. They make me giggle. They make me snort. They make me laugh out loud. They make me a little sad sometimes. They even made me cry once.

A while back I found his work online and checked the sites out now and then. More recently the company began blogging. A few weeks ago I discovered that Andreas was on Twitter (@brineypup for you Twitterers) and Facebook.

I was most delighted, however, to see that Andreas began his own blog, Zen Bandit, where he posts stories, thoughts and sketches. He even uploaded an audio post and I’m pretty sure will put some videos of his work up on the blog as well.

He and I have exchanged a few words via twitter and I’ll post comments on his blog for sure. This is what I love about the Internet. A person can personally tell someone thanks for making their life a little better.

Thanks Brian!

Artwork by Brian Andreas [from somewhere off the Internet 🙂 ]