Category Archives: writing

"The Bird Saviors" Imagines Another Dust Bowl: Could This Happen Again?

Posted on July 10, 2012 by williamjcobb

So one of the tricks of writing a novel set in the “near future” is that whatever reality you come up with should be relevant, conceivable, and interesting, and of course I hope I’ve pulled that off in my new … Continue reading →

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Fireworks for Summer People: A Tale of Summer Mayhem

Posted on July 6, 2012 by williamjcobb

So seeing as we’re living through the worst wildfire season in Colorado history, our annual fireworks show in the town of Westcliffe was canceled due to a Stage 2 fire ban. I missed it. As a kid, fireworks were a … Continue reading →

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Fires, Plagues of Locusts, and Chiggers: Signs of the Apocalypse in Colorado, Or Is That Global Warming in Your Pocket?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I believe in the biblical apocalypse as much as I do the Tooth Fairy, but replace the word “apocalypse” with “global warming” and we’re onto something real. The back roads of Custer County, Colorado are now covered with swarms … Continue reading →

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Reading Stephen Graham Jones's "Growing Up Dead in Texas," While Colorado Burns, Plus an Interview on ShelfLife@Texas

Posted on June 21, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’m reading Stephen Graham Jones’s new novel, Growing Up Dead in Texas, which has a wicked description of a cotton-bale fire in West Texas. It’s a bit eerie to read right now, as I’m in Colorado, which seems to … Continue reading →

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Standoff With Sam Shepard at Ten Thousand Waves: Guest Blogger Elizabeth May's Brush With Greatness

Posted on June 18, 2012 by williamjcobb

Standoff with Sam Shepard at Ten Thousand Waves On a recent trip to Santa Fe I took my mother to Ten Thousand Waves, a gorgeous, serene Japanese spa located on Hyde Park road. I first read about the spa when … Continue reading →

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"My Father's Guns": An Essay for Father's Day, Plus Good Reviews of "The Bird Saviors" in the Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle

Posted on June 17, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I woke up this morning to read two good reviews of The Bird Saviors, which of course makes my Father’s Day: One in the Dallas Morning News, here, and another in the Houston Chronicle, here. And in honor of … Continue reading →

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"The Bird Saviors" Playlist at Largeheartedboy.com, Live From the El Rey Inn in Santa Fe

Posted on June 13, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’m at the El Rey Inn in Santa Fe, a supercool motel in the (greatly upgraded) motor-court mode on the historic Route 66, on this the official debut day of The Bird Saviors. Part of the debut is a … Continue reading →

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Review of "The Bird Saviors" in Booklist, With Bonus Bird Pics

Posted on June 10, 2012 by williamjcobb

So there’s a good review of The Bird Saviors in Booklist, which is another one of the pre-publication review entities: Booklist: May 15, 2012 The Bird Saviors./Cobb, William J. (Author)/Jun 2012. 320 p. Unbridled, hardcover, $25.95. (9781609530709). “The dusty town … Continue reading →

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Alex Prud'homme's "The Ripple Effect" Excellent Summation of Western Drought/Drying Out, as NOAA Notes This Spring Was Warmest on Record, by 5 degrees!

Posted on June 8, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’m continuing to read the tome (a word I rarely use) that is Alex Prud’homme’s The Ripple Effect, on the myriad water problems we face in the 21st century, and I’m up to the chapters on drought and the … Continue reading →

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A Bear Sighting, With a Literary Twist

Posted on June 5, 2012 by williamjcobb

So this evening as I was finishing a salmon dinner (note the subtle motif about to emerge), a bear showed up in my yard–actually he kind of shambled up. Ever the amateur shutterbug, I grabbed my camera and snapped a … Continue reading →

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