My delightful new friend Aaron C. Wade – a talented photographer, designer, and filmmaker (check out his work here and his movie Possessive here) just asked me this intriguing question via Facebook (love my Facebook pals!).

My reply follows…

Aaron: “Though I haven’t yet gotten far into your book, I’ve wondered if you ever encountered the situation where an idea explodes to life in your mind while you’re stuck somewhere, like at work or out in public, and your yen to rush home so you can flesh out that brain baby becomes an insurmountable distraction?”

Inspiration usually strikes insomniac me while attempting to sleep on a pea which has been placed under a mattress. And IF I DO NOT TRAVEL BACK TO MY KEYBOARD ALL THE WAY DOWNSTAIRS AND AT THE BACK OF THIS HORRIBLY UPSIDE DOWN HOUSE, I cannot recall what went through my feeble mind by the next day IF I just roll over and go to sleep which I have a hell of a tough time doing anyway. Under normal circumstances.

MORE INFO THAN YOU WANTED MAYBE? And I do not recommend ever trying to write a book or anything of the kind. I have completely lost track of the life I once led. And no one gets that. Other than that, all is well that ENDS well?

Aaron, you sound like you will be famous! Me? I am engaged in a nervous breakdown and a meltdown because either I was in over my head or I know a bunch of [insert your own expletive of choice for a group of maddening people]. Or perhaps both are true.

I am too dull and nervous to ever become Edna Ferber. I do have a chance to be Vonneguttish IF I could come totally unleashed with no thought about the consequences of tomorrow. Keep creating. You are young and will not have the stroke I am headed for without a doubt! Scripts are the new plastics…from THE GRADUATE! Best of luck, fella!

Oh, and I have got to watch your movie POSSESSIVE. But I am on an animal rights warpath today … which leaves me all hulked out?

Surely by some mistake of Biblical/Shakespearen/Robert Redfordite proportions have I truly received a $125 ticket offer to dine at a “farm to fork” soiree??? One must know one’s potential donors, understand one’s audience – some of us have certain sensibilities which can easily be disregarded, even offended. Legions of us are trying to stop the slaughter and the unwise cannibalizing of sentient beings whom we believe are not unlike ourselves but rather instead other species in addition to human beings, a species unto itself.

Such an exercise of veganism and meat abstinence reverberating around the world would, so very many an ever-growing number of us believe, eliminate once and for all the root of all tragedy.

And, by the way, meals should probably not be that pricey (125 a ticket?!?) as many of the earth’s children are starving because the wheat fields and grain to which they are entitled is consumed by our country’s LIVEstock which sooner rather than later becomes dead STOCK.

Sad that I have two hobbies: 1) saving the world, the animals first though, and 2) writing. I wish like hell that the two could come together. And that I had an effing staff. And a helpful understanding person somewhere besides my son Roy, although he is the best ever. As are you I can tell. There are only about 23 really spectacular humans in the world. We have a corner on the market therefore. I am one also, but very few give me credit. Screw them I say!

I wish I could do hexes a little better than I can already. I need to improve … and I can also see the future … which is a horrible talent to possess. To be burdened with these gifts sorta makes me stand out and get my fanny in all sorts of trouble, but still I try to smile and soldier on, until the next meeting around the stake … not steak … stake.

So … Aaron … thanks for asking!? There’s your answer.