A Confederacy of Dunces — An Absurd Classic

I just finished reading A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for my book club this weekend. It is a funny, strange, and unforgettable.

Set in New Orleans, the story follows Ignatius J. Reilly, an overweight, overeducated, spectacularly self-important man who considers himself intellectually superior to nearly everyone he meets. The world refuses to recognize his genius.

Ignatius is a magnificent literary disaster. His misadventures, outrageous opinions, and complete inability to function in ordinary society make for a hilarious parade of absurdity and Hot Dog consumption. The supporting characters are equally eccentric, and New Orleans practically becomes a character itself.

What makes this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel special is its combination of outrageous comedy, sharp social satire, and surprisingly perceptive observations about human nature.

It's not a book for everyone. But if you appreciate intelligent humor, eccentric characters, and beautifully constructed chaos, A Confederacy of Dunces is a winner.

“I am at this moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century.” --Ignatius 

He says as he gets a meme from the internet...

 

Great Quotes About Writing from Famous Authors

Ernest Hemingway

Writing is a strange profession. We spend hours alone, inventing people who don't exist, putting them in terrible situations, and then trying to figure out how to get them out.

Fortunately, some of the greatest writers in history have shared a little wisdom about the craft. Here are ten of my favorite quotes about writing, creativity, and storytelling.

1. Ernest Hemingway

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

2. Stephen King

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

3. Mark Twain

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

4. Ray Bradbury

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”

5. Toni Morrison

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

6. George Orwell

“Good prose should be transparent, like a window pane.”

7. Neil Gaiman

“You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored.”

8. Dorothy Parker

“I hate writing, I love having written.”

9. E. L. Doctorow

“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”

10. Jodi Picoult

“You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.”

---

My favorite thing about these quotes is that they remind us that even the greatest authors struggled with the same things we do: procrastination, self-doubt, inspiration, and the occasional stubborn character who refuses to cooperate.

The lesson? Sit down. Start writing. Keep writing.

And remember, the first draft doesn't have to be good. It just has to exist.

BLOOD HERETICS: A new twist on Vampires...

Vampires have always been hunters. Until now.

In BLOOD HERETICS, a former priest and a detective seeking revenge join a secret government-funded team hunting vampires.

But when an ancient vampire returns, the hunters may discover they're the prey.

If you enjoy dark supernatural thrillers, action, and vampires who are genuinely terrifying, give Blood Heretics a look.

Already read it? An honest Amazon review would mean a great deal to this independent author.

Scifi Friday: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) — Free on YouTube!

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.

Released in 1977, it captures the mystery and wonder of humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Richard Dreyfuss delivers a memorable performance, John Williams provides the unforgettable five-note theme, and the spectacular finale at Devils Tower still holds up nearly 50 years later.

Currently available to watch free on YouTube.

We are not alone.

Too Old to Write? Nonsense.

I published my first novel when I was 55 years old.

I'm 66 now, and I'm about to publish my 14th book.

If I'd listened to the little voice telling me I was too old to start a writing career, those fourteen books wouldn't exist. All those characters, adventures, strange worlds, and terrible things I've done to imaginary people would still be rattling around inside my head.

Here's something I've learned: Age isn't a disadvantage for a writer. It's ammunition.

By the time you've accumulated a few decades, you've experienced love, loss, triumph, failure, heartbreak, and enough human stupidity to fill an entire library. You've met heroes, villains, fools, and people who somehow manage to be all three before breakfast.

That's a lifetime of material.

Sure, I wish I'd started publishing earlier. I could have written more books by now. But I also know that the writer I was at 25 wouldn't have had nearly as much to say as the writer I became at 55.

And at 66? I'm still learning, still improving, and still coming up with more stories than I have time to write.

The wonderful thing about writing is that there's no mandatory retirement age. Nobody comes along and takes away your keyboard because you've qualified for Social Security.

So, if you're 50, 60, 70, or 80 and you've always wanted to write a book, write the damn book.

Don't worry about whether you're too old to become a successful author. Don't worry about how many years you have left to write.

Worry about getting that first sentence onto the page.

I started at 55. Eleven years later, I'm about to publish book number 14. I have 3 more in first draft!

And I'm nowhere near finished.

Way More Drama!