There are songs that seem to arrive from some impossible America that never really existed: railroad tracks vanishing into sunset, hobo camps glowing beside the rails, drifters who answer to nobody and sleep under the stars. Harry McClintock’s Big Rock Candy Mountain belongs to that world. For decades, it has been treated as a charming… Continue reading Sanitized madness
After a week off, I finally did some writing yesterday. And that break was just fine. I exercised and got some fresh air. This week, I'll get back into the swing of things while continuing those habits. The creation of The Sapphire Veil is playing out slowly. That seems to be my current M.O., though.… Continue reading May 10th, 2026 Update
James: I think my favorite piece of music is Wagner's vorspiel. It seems to encompass the joys, fears, terrors...everything of existence. Can you recommend any other classical music that carries this unique feel? CHATGPT You’re probably thinking of the Prelude to Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner—often just called the Vorspiel. And you’re not off… Continue reading In which AI teaches me about music, talks me off a (non-existent) ledge, and agrees with me completely. (Duh.)
You don't have to read my updates if you don't want to. This is more about me doing something to stay a little saner. I started writing the first scene today. The original plan was to start tomorrow, so (by my calculations) I'm ahead of the game. It's way too early to start thinking about… Continue reading The Sapphire Veil
The Sapphire Veil is the working title. You need a working title to give a project some permanence in your mind. Without giving any hints or spoilers, I can tell you it’s about a young, strapping lad who falls for the wrong kind of dame. Which femme fatale conventions I adhere to—and which I subvert—are… Continue reading Book 8 will be a novel
James Scott Byrnside 