...courtesy of Jon Schwarz, who I hope is putting up his own blog soon:
""It appears to general observation, that revolutions create genius and talent; but those events do no more than bring them forward. There is existing in man, a mass of sense lying in a dormant state, and which unless something excites it to action, will descend with him, in that condition, to the grave. As it is to the advantage of society that the whole of its facilities should be employed, the construction of government ought to be such as to bring forward, by quiet and regular operation, all that capacity which never fails to appear in revolution."
Barry Trotter (Book 1)
The Hogwash School for Wizards was the most famous school in the wizarding world, and Barry Trotter was its most famous student. His mere presence made sure that every year twenty candidates applied for every open spot, no matter how rapacious Hogwash's tuition became. As a result, Barry and the school had come to an unspoken agreement: regardless of his grades, Barry could remain at Hogwash for as long as he wished. He had just begun his eleventh year...Freshman
Sleepy with boredom and gassy from lunch, Hart Fox sat in the hard plastic chair outside his dean's office. A kid walked in the door, pink detention slip in hand, bobbing his head a little so that the purple spikes of his mohawk didn't get bent on the transom. He slumped down next to Hart. Hart nodded--he remembered tis joker from sophomore American History, constantly arguing in favor of anarcho-syndicalism. Was his name Henry?...Sophomore
Arcing lazily through the air, the Frisbee smacked against the window. “Ooo-oo!” a chiseled and shirtless boy teased as it wobbleplummeted to the ground. “Sarah's in troub-le!”The beauty-boy was righter than he knew: Of all the windows on campus to hit, this one was the worst. It belonged to Stutts’ Professor of Clandestine Affairs, Glenbard North, who had destroyed more students than there were blades of grass on the freshly resodded Old Quad below...Coming Soon!
All you really gotta know is, I'm writing new things constantly and the more I write, the better my books get. So if you've read my earlier work--and millions of you have--we should keep in touch. This fall, at least one and maybe two new books will be available: a Dickens parody AND a comic mystery loosely based on The Beatles. Drop me an email at mikesnewbooks[at]gmail[dot]com, and I'll be sure to let you know release dates, special deals, etc.Saturday, July 19, 2003
The Final Degree of Separation
David Hampton, the con artist whose exploits among Manhattan's hoi polloi inspired the play and movie "Six Degrees of Separation," died last month. The Times has an interesting article about his life and crimes. That strikes me as an overly harsh word to describe what he did, but I suppose it's the one that fits...
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Friend Seth Oltman writes...
Pal Seth Oltman was Chairman of the Yale Record several years after I did my number on it. Now living in New York, training to be a lawyer (to, one hopes, protect his friend Mike from legal attack), he writes:
"Dear Mike,
Imagine my surprise Sunday night when I exited the 2 train at 96th Street, and noticed a guy on the platform wearing a HAMAS t-shirt. "That's pretty bold," was my first thought. "He's really out front there with his allegiances."
It was only when I got closer that I realized he was, in fact, wearing a BAHAMAS t-shirt. The two crucial letters were obscured by a backpack strap.
I guess the depiction of tropical scenery should have tipped me off..."
"Dear Mike,
Imagine my surprise Sunday night when I exited the 2 train at 96th Street, and noticed a guy on the platform wearing a HAMAS t-shirt. "That's pretty bold," was my first thought. "He's really out front there with his allegiances."
It was only when I got closer that I realized he was, in fact, wearing a BAHAMAS t-shirt. The two crucial letters were obscured by a backpack strap.
I guess the depiction of tropical scenery should have tipped me off..."
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