Bio

I know this should have been my first post but I had something to get off my chest and better late than never. Now that that’s over I can tell you a little bit about myself.

I’m a writer, photographer, and painter by avocation and a retired military man and full time pharmacy technician by necessity. My favorite writer is Jim Harrison. He wrote novels, poetry, short stories and screenplays and he did them all well. That is the type of writer I aspire to be. I am currently in the process of writing a book of short stories, trying to get someone to produce the play I’ve written, revising my memoirs, and developing a one-man show based on those memoirs. I’m not into all the technical aspects of photography but I have a good eye and keen awareness of the world around me that has allowed me to take some stunning photographs. I’ve never taken any painting lessons so my efforts sometimes seem amateurish but once in a while I produce a drawing or painting that I feel has a real artistic beauty. As with all my artistic endeavors, I don’t do it for accolades. I do it because the creative process gives me joy and sometimes if the subject is political it allows me to rail at the imposed impotence our unresponsive leaders have captured us in.

My political orientation is considered far left by many, and I’ve been call everything from a Putin lover, to antisemitic, to a communist. I usually piss off both republicans and democrats because I am highly critical of both. As a life long military man, it wasn’t until I had retired and my wife and I adopted a child that I realized I didn’t want him to die in some useless war for no good reason only the greed of the military industrial complex. By extension, I came to believe that I didn’t want people in other countries to lose their loved ones either, so the United States could keep hegemonic control of the world. I joined the peace movement and although I have deep sympathies with other causes that is my main focus. I support this cause with my writing, my art and sometimes in the streets at demonstrations when my health allows me to.

As someone who suffers from ADHD, systemic arthritis and chronic fatigue as well as working full time, I’ve found it next to impossible to keep up a consistent output so I’ve determined that my Substack will always be free but I will eventually set up a tip jar for anyone so moved. My plan is to post things from all areas of my output. I am willing to engage with anyone even those I disagree with but I do have a temper and tend to respond in the same manner that I am approached and this is very important: I HAVE VERY LITTLE PATIENCE FOR FAR RIGHT IDEALOGUES. I hope to meet many of you and hope you like my Substack.

Peace,

ED