Riding Along – Part 1

Fri, Oct 30 2009 12:30 AM | Field Report | Permalink

Last week, thanks to the generous cooperation of the Oklahoma City Police Department, I spent an evening shift with a patrol unit from the Will Rogers Division on the south side of the city. I probably don’t need to tell you that there’s not a huge correspondence between most TV cop shows and real life. Big Difference #1: the Straight Answer.

Adequate Sex

Tue, Oct 20 2009 06:05 PM | Craft of Writing | Permalink

My copy editor for GUTSHOT STRAIGHT is a woman named Maureen Sugden, who is smart, hilarious, and ruthless. Every single thing I deserved to be busted on, she busted me on. And she did this busting in such an artful, good-cop/bad-cop way that while I felt ashamed of my mistakes, I also felt immense relief that Maureen had protected me from them, and from myself.

State of the State Fair

Wed, Oct 7 2009 10:12 PM | Field Report | Permalink

The carnie ride operators didn’t seem quite as toothless, seedy, and doped-up as I remember. Nor did they seem to take the same demonic delight in their jobs.