Over the weekend, I read a story by Steve Rasnic Tem called "The Company You Keep" from last year's anthology Outsiders. It's the only one of Tem's stories I've read, but I won't be able to say that for much longer. The writing is very clear, very restrained, yet full of stunning images that match perfectly the story's ponderings on alienation and culture. Great story, great writing. If this is representative of all of Tem's work, why isn't he talked about more?

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Sometimes writing a new story is like driving a car on an abandoned highway. (Certainly a dream around the Baltimore/DC area.) You want to go faster and faster and think about putting on the brakes at some point, but you really shouldn't. This story is taking me to places I'm not comfortable being, but I can't put on the brakes - I've got to go there for the truth of the story to come out. I think my best stories have come from facing the darkness (or danger or whatever) head-on. Who knows what I'll find?

Now Reading = A Drink Before the War - Dennis Lehane
Listening to in the Car = Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
In the DVD Player = Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season One