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Columnists

Sources of Inspiration: Gratitude

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What are you thankful for? It’s a question many people ask this time of year, before tucking into a holiday feast. Discovering something I or my characters feel gratitude for, when we’re on the verge of losing it can release a flow of poetry or prose, especially when it’s truly precious. How sinister and ominous it feels, writing of such loss. Most of us hope never to face such jeopardy, let alone such loss. Too many of us will.  If we can save or protect whatever was in danger, we may experience a wave of gratitude for our whatever (or … Read more

Jeff Baker, Boogieman In Lavender–On Being A Good Kitty Daddy. November 2025

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On Being A Good Kitty Daddy by Jeff Baker File this one under “Things To Be Thankful For.” After my husband died, the house was too empty and quiet. I’ve always loved cats and so when my Brother and his family adopted two pregnant strays I decided to adopt a brother-and-sister pair from one litter. An inquisitive ginger male and a sweet calico female. And I wound up adopting an affectionate and vocal tortoiseshell female from the other litter. (Two mothers, but probably the same father.) My house became lively and warm and felt like a home again. The kitties … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Vampires

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A figure appears from the mist, right outside your window as you lay in bed, unable to sleep. You recognize the stranger from the gathering, the one who kept catching your gaze. You tried to look away, a thrill of danger running down your spine, as alluring as it is terrifying.  The feeling returns as you see the stranger at your window. It’s just a dream. How you long to let them in, even as you shrink from the possibility. For if you do, the vampire will have you, giving you a kiss that will suck your life away.  These … Read more

Jeff Baker, Boogieman In Lavender—Oscar Wilde’s Canterville Ghost. October 2025

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Oscar Wilde

And Peace Shall Come to Canterville: Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost” by Jeff Baker For Halloween, a look at a story by the legendary Oscar Wilde. Maybe his most famous story. A tale that blends laughs, chills, wonders and a tale of redemption. It’s been adapted in various media with varying degrees of success, but there’s nothing like the original short-story. “The Canterville Ghost” was first serialized in 1887 in “The Court And Society Review” and collected in Wilde’s book “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime” a few years later. It takes the classic ghost story and turns it on its ear. … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Writer’s Block

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Writer’s block has been both vehemently denied and felt all too keenly.  I found myself thinking; what does writer’s block mean to me? What can it be? A barrier, a sinus headache, exhaustion. Writer’s block may manifest as a box in which my ideas are stored, which solidified into an actual block I cannot access. Writer’s block are stories floating away in sludge, a sludge I cannot enter or retrieve them from. Writer’s block is reality distracting me, a curse brought on by jealousy or angry gods. Writer’s block is the muse dumping me for someone far more interesting.  Huh, … Read more

Mightier Than The Sword, And It Fits In Your Pocket A Lot Easier! Jeff Baker, Boogieman In Lavender

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Mightier Than The Sword And It Fits In Your Pocket A Lot Easier by Jeff Baker “I’ll call for pen and ink and write my mind.” —–Wm. Shakespeare. A review for Goodreads and my recent flash fiction story about superheroes. What they have in common is they weren’t initially written by my typing them up on a laptop but by writing them up by hand in a spiral-bound notebook. So why is it that I do not always opt for the convenience of a laptop, where I can create quickly, edit easily and with less onscreen distractions. But electronics aren’t … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Positivity

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It’s been a challenge, staying positive this year. Too much is happening that scares the living daylights out of me.  The world has never felt like a safe place, even though I’ve been fortunate enough to live in safer places than some of my friends. Safety has felt more and more precarious. Too many loved ones have been threatened with health issues. I’ve been threatened with health issues.  A good friend advised me to stay positive. If I start to get depressed, take a breather, Take a walk, if I can. Look at the beauty of the flowers or anything … Read more

John Van Druten: His Closet Was The Stage—Jeff Baker; Boogieman In Lavender

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John Van Druten: His Closet Was the Stage by Jeff Baker “Oh, Pye, Pye, Pyewacket, what’s the matter with me?” —–from “Bell, Book and Candle” I grew up reading plays. Part of that came from my watching a lot of TV shows and movies. In High School I had the run of the Library as my Mom was one of the Librarians and I read plenty of plays as well as a lot of books about plays and TV and Movies. (I didn’t get on stage until college, but I digress.) As I liked movies and TV shows with sci-fi … Read more

“Look! Up In the Sky!” Jeff Baker, Boogieman In Lavender. June 2025

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Superman Goes Woke by Jeff Baker AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following column is an expanded version of something I posted on my blog (link below) a day or so ago. I am indebted to J. Scott Coatsworth for allowing me to share it here. —-jeff “I cut my teeth on you Ratzi scum…” —–The Golden-Age Superman, in a 1973 Justice League comic book. Far-right activists are screaming that Superman has become “Woke.” Having read comics for almost sixty years, I can vouch for our favorite Kryptonian. Of course, Superman is “woke!” He always has been! Of course, today’s conservative MAGA crowd … Read more

Sources of Inspiration: Less Than Thick Skin

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All of my life, people have been telling me; I need to develop thick skin to truly be a writer.  I’ve never had thick skin. I felt everything intensely. Ever triumph on the page was an emotional high. Every failure was a blow, laying me low.  How could I develop this thick skin I needed? I had no idea how to get it. Besides, my sensitivity gave my writing power. Did I really have to lose it? The answer came to me while watching a Japanese anime called Naruto, named for its main character.  Naruto had a short temper. He … Read more