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April 26, 2007
Bob the Freelancer Update
It's been over two months since I last did this and since there's been a little progress, I figured it was time to review.
Completed and Awaiting Publication
Not a blessed thing.
Delivered to Editor and Awaiting Edits or Proofs
Predator: Flesh and Blood –co-written with Michael Jan Friedman, finallydelivered to editor this month
14 essays in You Said What? (William Morrow), made editor’s corrections 1/8; awaiting galleys
“Ghost Hunting” in untitled Phantom anthology (Moonstone Books); King Features approved, made copy editor and King Feature corrections 2/14; awaiting galleys
Essay for untitled Wonder Woman collection (BenBella Books); awaiting copy edited ms.
Media tie-in comic book – script in, awaiting approval before announcing
"Only the Best for Cristina Yang" -- essay for BenBella Grey's Anatomy collection – made copy editor’s changes 1/6 and am awaiting galleys
Back Issue and Write Now!: Round table discussion about Star Trek comic books, delivered to editors 2/14
“Steel and Chrome” in untitled BattleTech anthology; editor indicates project back on line, may see a contract and editorial notes soon
Writing Projects
Batman Essay for BenBella – topic pitch to editor December 4; finally got the go ahead to write this in April, due May 1 (yikes!)
“Fantastic Island” – Captain Midnight story for Moonstone anthology. Outline approved, writing to begin.
“Jazz, Cigarettes and Murder” – The Avenger story for Moonstone anthology. Outline submitted, awaiting feedback.
Zorro anthology for Moonstone. Awaiting writer’s guide before prepping pitch.
"Things That Aren't"-sequel -- Michael A. Burstein and I hashed out a rough story and he’ll do the first draft over the next few months.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Slings and Arrows Book Five – Paramount asked for revised ending, awaiting go ahead from editor.
Back Issue guest editorial with my recollections on the formation of the Suicide Squad.
Actionopolis novel – currently being written
Media tie-in novel – second pitch nixed, editor asked for new ideas
Media tie-in book – Publisher investigating license
Media tie-in book 2 – writing begun in December, due June 15 (40% written)
Original novel – revising proposal
Non-Fiction book collaboration – prepping outline and sample chapter
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:29 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 24, 2007
Last Night's Meeting
Monday did not start well. Before I even left for the train, I had a moment and checked the Connecticut Post. And there, splashed across the top of page 3, was a piece about my Special Committee and our ordinances. In typical sloppy fashion, the reporter quoted no one from the committee and only the vocal folk for and against it. He even got some of the facts wrong. Still, I was annoyed.
When I got the office and checked e-mail, there was a note from one of the vocal opponents who got my name wrong and continued to twist the committee’s intent beyond recognition.
Nope, not happy at all.
Knowing I needed to speak on the subjects at the evening RTM meeting, I decided to draft my remarks and have them approved by my colleagues prior to speaking. Here’s what I said last night:
Thank you, Mr. Moderator.
As you know, the Special Committee has been meeting regularly since late July. In February, based on comments from the Body and the public, I recommended the three ordinances be referred back to the Special Committee for additional consideration.
Our committee met several more times, taking extensive comment from the public. Despite a desire to enact an ordinance that would serve the dual purpose of addressing a local safety issue in addition to the larger issue of historic preservation, we have yet to find Demolition Delay language that we feel would best benefit the town.
The Tree and Stone Wall ordinances were tidied up based on the commentary received to date but as they were dissected at the Standing Committees this month, it was clear that further work was required. Additionally, the three ordinances, designed to benefit and enhance Fairfield, have since become a political football between two diametrically opposed citizens’ groups -- for once, we can be thankful, not Republicans and Democrats -- that have vigorously lobbied through the press, much to the detriment of both the ordinances and the committee’s efforts.
Therefore, I now move that the three re-submitted ordinances once more be referred back to the Special Committee for further consideration and the committee will report back to the RTM on a date certain, three regular meetings from now.
Just like that, a divisive debate was short-circuited. I have no problem with the public speaking and having their opinion heard. I encourage it. The problem is, what FPLAN’s proponents and CSTOP’s adherents would have said last night was nothing new and we’d all heard it before. What I kept reminder myself was that the general public has been silent. No letters to the editor, no e-mails or calls to me personally, nothing.
Our Special Committee will meet again, with public comment taken, and figure out what our next step will be.
Meantime, the rest of the meeting went off without a hitch, including our one public review of the $200+ million budget. There was a token question and suddenly, we were adjourned. Our socialable soda began before 9:30, which was outrageous. Then again, maybe everyone did their jobs better than usual and there was less to be contentious about. I’m not really sure.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 22, 2007
Take me out to the Ballgame
Things have definitely improved. The last of the virus seems to have worked its way through the system and I am back to a normal diet. Did lose six pounds, though, so that wasn’t too bad.
Meantime, on Thursday, Peter David called and posed an interesting hypothetical question: if I were free did I want to tentatively want to attend Saturday’s Mets game with him and Kathleen. Everything was contingent on plans that would either allow Ariel to join them or not. After checking with Deb, I said, “sure.”
Saturday at 8 a.m., Peter called. “Kiss your wife goodbye and meet us at Shea,” he said.
Neither one of us had trouble getting to the stadium or parking near by – for a gorgeous, warm, Saturday afternoon that in itself was a miracle. The Mets are building a new stadium in the parking lot of the current building so 2100 spaces have vanished which will make parking this season and next a challenge.
Peter was waiting for me at Gate B and we strolled right in, collected out souvenir luggage tags and took our seats. OK, they weren’t our seats, they were really Joe Quesada’s box seats. Joe had proposed his darling daughter Carly that the family could be a part of the Mets’ annual Dog Parade. Families and their pets strolled along the perimeter of the field, entering from the Center Field wall, and were then invited to enjoy the game, pets in tow, in the picnic section. He passed the box seats to Peter and well, here we were.
During the parade Joe, Nansi and Carly looked our way, so we waved and got to see a typical American family doing something fun.
Now, the game was a delight. Oliver Perez had his good stuff and excellent concentration so mowed through the Atlanta Braves for 6 2/3 innings. Nine strikeouts, no walks. Carlos Beltran had four hits, Jose Reyes, Damion Easley and Ramon Castro all homered. The Mets won 7-2 on the perfect spring afternoon. During the ninth, I turned to Peter and commented, “For a team known for making double plays, I’d like to see one today.” Two batters later, the game ends on the only double play of the day.
I love being at the park and these seats afforded us an excellent view. It’s great being a part of the atmosphere, to cheer lustily when things go right, to keep score as a private souvenir of the day, to eat all manner of food I don’t normally eat and to be with good people. Yesterday, I managed all of that.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 07:56 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 18, 2007
Some Good News
It’s called a norovirus, it’s new and it’s going around. Not only do I have it, but so does Maddie Blaustein, a mere two cubicles down from me so they’re right when saying it’s very contagious. My doctor said it would linger upwards of ten days and so far there’s nothing to prove her wrong. It’s been clear liquids and pretzels for a few days now. Last night the chicken soup stayed with me and the general discomfort is slowly, very slowly, fading. I did make it to work yesterday and today, but it’s been sluggish and I have to be careful with the work. My lousy typing has been even worse.
Having said, that, yesterday brought the kind of news freelance writers love.
First, Chris Mills, my Captain Midnight editor gave me the thumbs up on my story so I’m cleared to write that.
Then, Moonstone Books’ Richard Dean Starr invited me to join his Zorro anthology. I’ll be in very good company there with old pals Peter David and Max Allan Collins already signed up.
Over at BenBella Books, my kindly editor Leah Wilson got in touch, inviting me to write an essay for their 2008 Batman collection. I like writing these essays and I think I know a thing or two about the Caped Crusader.
Finally, for something completely different, I was asked to copyedit a graphic novel for Grand Central Books.
No single of the above projects will make me rich or put me on a bestseller list, but I’m using different writing and thinking muscles and the variety is very appealing.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:31 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 16, 2007
Home Sick
The nor’easter came through the Northeast yesterday and we were prepared. Saturday we saw to it we had done everything out of the house that needed doing so Sunday we could hunker down and stay dry.
With heavy rains, two different corners of the basement tend to get damp. All day long we watched carefully, the shop vac at the ready. When the water started seeping into my office, we started soaking it up. As the day progressed, we were vacuuming my office every 30-45 minutes until we went to bed.
In between loads of laundry and writing, I was feeling pretty poorly. In fact, it got worse with every hour until around 3 I called it a day. I read for a bit, watched plenty of TV but by 8:30 I was done. It’s some sort of stomach bug but unlike any I’ve had before which meant I had a rather sleepless night. I’m home today, which would be swell if I felt better and could really take advantage of the day.
Upon awakening, I dreaded seeing what the basement looked like because the rains were really coming down hard in the dark hours. To my surprise and relief, the office was damp but not too bad and the other corner was dry.
Speaking of the writing, I did manage to polish off a proposal for a Captain Midnight story and sent it off to Moonstone as well as made further progress on the Project that Still can’t be Named. On that, I have well over 30% of the material written but nearly 60% of my word count so there will definitely be adjustments coming.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:18 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
April 14, 2007
Talking about Lost
I can’t remember who said it, but someone recently commented to me that they were looking forward to my comments on Lost. Truth to tell, I haven’t written anything about the series’ third season is that we’ve been behind. Last night, though, we watched the last three episodes and are finally current.
J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and company keep telling us they know where they’re going and have it all mapped out from beginning to end. They even told ABC they know when to end the series, probably after five seasons.
Quite a bit of the series holds together and feels as if it is following that roadmap. Yet, so much of it also feels written on the fly and one can argue that as long as the ending satisfies the beginning’s expectations, the road in between can be fluid.
The spotlight on the Others’ during the mini- season in the fall was badly organized so as to inspire viewer disappointment. I suspect they recognized that and adjusted things accordingly. Similarly, the producers admitted in the latest Entertainment Weekly that they changed their plans for Nikki and Paulo once audiences bitched loudly about how they were needlessly shoehorned into the story. Having said that, I thought it shows how strongly the series is plotted that their final episode wonderfully used continuity implants to enhance familiar moments. The bit between Ben and Juliette at the Pearl was a nice insight to Ben’s M.O., especially since he did just that to her to keep her on the island.
I find Juliette fascinating since it’s hard to say which side she’s truly on. We’ve seen how desperately she wants off the island and yet she’s now working with Ben to subvert the 815ers for unknown reasons. Jack sees something in her eyes convincing him she’s one of them – is she that good an actress?
If I were Ben, I would be doing what I could to contain the castaways. After all, they’ve already destroyed two of the Dharma stations, cost them the sub and a boat (the one with Michael and Walt) and could easily wreck everything else. I’d be corralling them and bringing them into the process rather than set up the continuing confrontation.
The last few episodes have resolved a few things for us such as the great story behind Locke’s paralysis and how the Others know so much about those aboard the flight. And as some answers arrive, new mysteries turn up such as what gave Ben cancer and kills pregnant women in addition to the black smoke creature which we now know has nothing to do with Dharma.
Lost, to me, works best when we get characters matched up for great scenes and moments. The parallels to Kate’s disastrous acts with her mother and Jack were nicely done but to me one of the season’s highlights remain the verbal chess match between Locke and Ben as both played mind games with the other. Beyond what Dharma has in mind for the island and its residents, it’s interesting how many of the survivors’ lives have intertwined before they boarded Oceanic 815. In fact, I commented prior to the most recent Kate flashback that there really hadn’t been a lot of that subtle crossing of paths in this season’s flashbacks so the connections there was a treat. Locke says the island has its own reasons for things to happen and I tend to agree there is much more than meets the eye.
The show continues to entertain and captivate, delight and surprise. It’s no longer “Oh my god did you see that?” television but they have yet to break faith with the viewership and for that I’m grateful. From all hints, it sounds like the last few episodes this season will maintain that level. Opinion?
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:46 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
April 13, 2007
Wasted Night?
Last night was one of those evenings when it seemed everything was going to go wrong. It was our monthly Cable Advisory Council meeting and we needed to be in Woodbridge by 7. The four of us from Fairfield were going to carpool together with me driving and we were rendezvousing around 6:10.
This was the first time our CAC chairman was riding with us and this where things started to go wrong. He likes to get there in plenty of time and would have preferred leaving by 5:45. No one told me so he’s sitting and fuming, calling my house to seek me and being rude to Deb. Additionally, the member whose house we all met at couldn’t make it at all.
Around 6:15, we’re all in the car and the chairman rides shotgun reading the directions. I’m told take I-95 to Exit 59. Seems kind of far but okay, I’ve never been to Woodbridge, what do I know? We get off; start following the directions and nothing is matching up. Finally, we pull into a gas station and as Jody is asking for help, I look at the directions. Our navigator missed the line that said take I-95 to Exit 38, the connector to the Merit Parkway, and take that to Exit 59.
As I’m approaching warp speed, the chairman is working his way through our contact list, desperately trying to reach anyone already at the meeting, to let them know we’re late, but still planning to arrive.
Finally, after a wrong turn or two, we arrived a mere 45 minutes late. The CAC graciously took a recess so we could settle in and grab some of the sandwiches that were provided. Then, we got down to business.
The CAC is in an odd place right now as we struggle to make SoundView conform to their charge from the DPUC with regard to spending $60,000 to help the six towns be outfitted for more town-specific public access programming. The Mayors/Selectmen of the six towns are give public access different weights so some towns, like Orange, are way ahead of the curve, while Fairfield is just getting off the ground. On top of that, the state legislature is considering additional laws that would more than likely further diminish what little authority we have.
And honestly, the CAC right now acts as the cable ratepayers’ advocate group but we have no teeth. We tell the state Sound View is not worth a renewal; they get renewed. We tell Cablevision they should offer seniors a discount; they say no. So, as I drove home, without incident, I was thinking about what good we can accomplish and what purpose does the CAC currently serve. Worse, one of the bills being considered would create a statewide CAC, which seems even more pointless.
We got back to Fairfield only to find our chairman locked the keys in his car. Fortunately, I was able to dash a few blocks away for tools that allowed him to access his emergency key, allowing him to go home. What a night.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 10, 2007
Committee Night
The old adage, “you win some, you lose some” seems to have morphed into “you lose some, you lose some.” Last night my Special Committee began presenting our revised Tree Preservation and Stone Wall Ordinances to the RTM Standing Committees for comment. With Julie DeMarco unable to attend her usual committee, I presented on her behalf prior to chairing and presenting to my own committee.
Legal & Administration had not had a proper presentation on either one during the first round back in January so I began from scratch. I got some good questions and some issues were raised that, surprisingly, the committee had never considered. I was amazed that after 8-9 months of meetings, there are still areas we somehow missed to explore. They were generally nice about it all so I that things were off to a good start.
At my Finance Committee, things went less well. In addition to some procedural questions, several of the committee got hung up on the word “flanking” and we got all bollixed up on whether or not a homeowner cold build a new stone wall in the Right of Way (final answer: no). Even the tree ordinance, the one we all thought would sail through, got some serious grilling.
After my committee adjourned, I headed over to Public Works & Planning to hear how it was going there. It was no surprise that the two ordinances were getting raked over the coals there. Our RTM Moderator, Joel Green, is also a lawyer, and he really went through the language, parsing things for clarity. Now of course, one member of the special committee is a lawyer and the assistant town attorney was intimately involved with crafting these current drafts but even so, another lawyer was shredding entire paragraphs.
Then, an outspoken member, who seemed to be on a crusade last night, began wondering why we were bothering at all with these three ordinances given how little public support there appears -- beyond FPLAN. His point was that Fairfield is too large and too diverse for the historic look and feel to be truly representative of the town so while saddled all 57,000 people with ordinances that benefit a small section of the populace.
I have to admit to wondering if these will ever make it out of committee and ever get voted into existence. In all, it was a frustrating and disappointing committee night.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 09, 2007
Opening Day
So, I’m sitting here, eating my lunch and watching the Mets-Phillies game courtesy of CBS Sportsline. What’s wrong with this picture?
Well, anyone who knows me knows that if it’s Opening Day, Deb and I are usually found at Shea Stadium.
This year, though, the Mets decided to make tickets to Opening Day and Subway Series available via on line lottery. That meant in addition to Mets fans, a ton of Yankees fans flooded the lottery pool. No one, not a single one of the usual suspects, won the lottery. In my family, we were 0-for-9.
Through the years, going to Opening Day became a ritual. In 1988, Deb and I watched the home opener from the hospital, as she rested from having delivered Robbie. Ever since, from 1989 through 2006, we haven’t missed one.
At DC Comics, you could count on me arriving to work in full Mets regalia, putting in half a day and then hightailing it to the stadium. In time, we started going in a group, often with area freelancers along for the fun.
When they began limiting the number of tickets an individual could order, we went in a group then split up, trashing talking and sharing good times via cell phone. Along the way, we endured:
The year three of us from DC Comics were stuck in the elevator for half an hour and arrived during the first inning.
The rare Saturday home opener that meant we could finally bring the kids along only to have the game called on account of rain, learning this while stuck in traffic on the Throg’s Neck Bridge.
The year Deb drove from Connecticut a little later than she had hoped and circled the vicinity for something like half an hour and going back home since she couldn’t find any parking.
Last year when we allowed Robbie to skip a day of school and come for Opening Day only to be stuck in even worse traffic and arriving in the sixth inning.
And now this indignity.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 07, 2007
A Better Week
Things are definitely calming down.
We got this week’s issue of Weekly World News closed ahead of schedule, which is a vast improvement from last week. Everyone was calmer, more confident in their work and methods. AMI Production is being terrific, slowly showing me each new element I need to master as part of the closing process. It’s all feeling good.
I spent three hours or so this morning cleaning through my desk and office, paying bills, answering correspondence and all the other activities that have been given short shrift given the last month’s schedule.
I then managed to research and find a new venue for my proposed Avenger story and got that off to Moonstone. Now, I can return my attention to the big project which remains nameless, but has been patiently waiting for me. I lost more of March to life than I expected putting me behind but over the last few days things have been falling into place so the decks are clearer.
This is not to say I have time to fritter away. My Comics to Be Read pile grows, TV shows and movies await my attention; and the magazines are starting to fill the in basket.
My Special Committee met this week and passed revised ordinances which we get to defend all over again at Monday’s Standing Committees plus I have my Cable Advisory Council meeting later in the week. We also have Robbie home for Easter, which happens to be his birthday. We’ll be celebrating with all manner of food of his choice plus presents and some relaxed time. My son turns 19, which is starting to feel old. Our dinner conversation last night was interesting as it was more about subjects learned in school than his former list of topics that covered everything but academics.
All in all, my mind and spirit feel to be in a better place.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 03, 2007
A Thought About Community
The past week has had me thinking a lot about community and the differing communities we all belong to.
Of course, there’s the community of blood – family. Many people take comfort here and nowhere else. If it works, great.
Others, myself included, actually seem to have several overlapping circles of friends or “adopted “families.” When David died last week, the community pulled together and Alexandria was never alone. There were those there to make sure she ate and rested. Others took care of arrangements and the usual details. Friends flew in from the other coast and the funeral, I’m told, was wonderful. A packed house to honor a fine man. We were all given pause to marvel at this community of ours and be thankful we have each other. When it counts, we’re there for one another. That’s pretty terrific.
Another circle I’m in is a political one. On Sunday, that community gathered to honor two of its own. This was the excuse for a Democratic fundraiser and being an local election year, the push was on to get attendance. Fortunately, the recipient of the Eunice Postol Community Service Award was someone beloved by all, even from the other side of the aisle. Mary Tinti moved from Fairfield over the last year and had to give up her work with the DTC and the RTM, but her years of service demanded recognition. The other award was the Young Turk, given to someone regardless of age, for being a rising star within the party. This year it went to Tom Drew, our state representative from the 132nd district. Tom has also been active in town politics before moving up to the state level is one of the most honest and hard-working politicians you will find in America.
I attended the brunch even on Sunday and was pleased to see so many people active either in the DTC or town government. We all too rarely get together when there is no agenda or requirement under the FOI rules. It was socialable, the food was pretty good, and the speeches to the point and poignant.
And at work, despite a corporate decision not to do things as a whole company, I was pleased to see our own sort of community pull together. If our production and pre-press teams had not stepped up to aid us, last week’s issue would have missed its press time. We just met with them to do a quick post-mortem and figure out how to smooth systems. They came with ideas, not accusations, and we had a good give-and-take session.
Every so often, it’s good to pause and realize how lucky we have it; that we have people we can count on when necessary.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack