Mark profile picture

Mark

South of Heaven, West of Hell

About Me

I'm from Texas, but live/work in Los Angeles as a screenwriter. My home is up in Laurel Canyon, buried deep beneath the trees. You can often find me there, buried deep beneath hardbacks, comic books and deadlines.

My Interests

World history, politics, Godzilla, religion, traveling, baseball, comic book art, typing.

I'd like to meet:

Folks with unique perspectives.

Music:

I spend a lot of time listening to Ben Folds, Rob Zombie, Morrissey, Marilyn Manson, Death Cab, Spoon, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, Elvis Costello, David Byrne, the Tiger Lilies, Ministry, Ben Harper, Don Walser and his Pure Texas Band and just about anything else.

Movies:

I love movies of all kinds. Even worked as a film critic for awhile so I could watch every single one that came out for free.

Television:

Sadly, I don't even have cable.

Books:

Some of my favorite authors are George Orwell, Walter Mosley, Jim Thompson, Jonathan Lethem, John Hodgman, Joseph Conrad, Richard Halliburton, Harlan Ellison, Hunter S. Thompson, Chester Himes, Joe Persico, Thomas Hardy, Sarah Vowell, G.K. Chesterton, Joe Lansdale, Philip Roth, Franz Kafka, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker and many more. My favorite books are "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," Joseph Conrad's "Victory," Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris and London," Jim Thompson's "South of Heaven," and T.E. Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom."

Heroes:

Samuel Johnson, Tommy John, John Stuart Mill, Malcolm X, Vincent Price, George Orwell, Larry Dierker, Chuck Yeager, Tom Landry, Gene Roddenberry and Nolan Ryan.

My Blog

Writing While Hammered

(No, this isn't about writing while drunk - haven't done that since college)   When we had those gale force winds last month, it halfway blew down the fence separating my patio from my neighbor J...
Posted by Mark on Sat, 26 May 2007 05:37:00 PST

Broken Toe

So, yesterday I broke a toe: A. Because my bookie figured a $11.47 debt from the Preakness wasn't worth an arm. B. Doing a flying spin-kick into Van Damme's face after he insulted my tuna-steaks-with-...
Posted by Mark on Tue, 22 May 2007 09:33:00 PST

John Carney's "Once"

It can't really be overstated how great this new little Irish film that was the toast of this year's Sundance is.  Seriously, the less you know, the better.  It's the only movie this weekend...
Posted by Mark on Mon, 21 May 2007 09:38:00 PST

The Warbler's Pancake Tithing

I   When I was little I read about how the Chinese Ate all their birds to avoid starvation During the Cultural Revolution   When I was little I loved the robins, the jays, the cardinals And...
Posted by Mark on Sun, 20 May 2007 10:54:00 PST

Getting Out of Dodge...

I'm taking a break and heading east for a week next month, listening to a bunch of books on CD (the George Tenet, a few others), taking photographs in the middle of nowhere and finally visiting post-K...
Posted by Mark on Sun, 20 May 2007 05:04:00 PST

Ghost Town Snaps

So, Saturday brought a field trip to the Calico Ghost Town State Park - predominantly because of the bluegrass festival.  A little over two hours from L.A. (about 135 miles fr...
Posted by Mark on Mon, 14 May 2007 09:53:00 PST

House Finch Watch '07 - Day 44 - Bye Bye Birdie(s)!

It is with a heavy heart that I have to report that all four baby birds have left the nest, perhaps prematurely (in my uneducated opinion), but hey, they can all fly.  There was an emergency yest...
Posted by Mark on Sun, 13 May 2007 10:18:00 PST

France

I'm gonna try to go to France To get away, get away, To get away  to get away.   I'm gonna try to go to France To get away&  ...
Posted by Mark on Sun, 06 May 2007 09:01:00 PST

House Finch Watch '07 - Day 37

Here's what you've been waiting for.  Yes, these are the hastiest, long lens kind of snaps, but there are four - count 'em - four baby birds in Peter and Audrey's nest out on the porch.  Aud...
Posted by Mark on Sat, 05 May 2007 10:17:00 PST

The Warrior Squirrel is Denied Valhalla

It was dawn.   I snaked my way home When I caught a flurry of brown Dashing across my path And time slowed As I spun the wheel...   Sir. I beg you. Send me to Valhalla. The hallowed halls W...
Posted by Mark on Thu, 03 May 2007 02:43:00 PST