On Monday, 1/20/2014, I signed off on the final proof copy of Zendoscopy, and on Thursday, 1/30, the book appeared on, and is available from, the Inkwater Press website (http://inkwater.com/books/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1116). It’s also available from Amazon.com, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and just about every other online bookseller. It can also be ordered from any four-walled bookstore. Please note that the cover photo may not appear on some websites for another week or so, but this does not affect the ability to order the book.

   Zendoscopy is the story of a young man’s life from the time of his highly unusual birth through his somewhat stressful youth and into marriage. It is a coming of age tale told in discrete episodes, some serious and some, as described by one advance reader, flat out hilarious. For anyone who’s ever felt that, somehow, he or she didn’t quite fit in with the zeitgeist of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s or, for that matter, any other period in history including the present, Zendoscopy  should ignite a spark of recognition, and maybe just an empathetic frisson as both the miseries and the joys of growing up are recalled in stories that will bring you to tears as you remember your own awful, wonderful youth. (Okay, that’s my pitch and, hey, I’m begging you: buy the book – I can really use the royalties.)

Next step, moving copies. Stay tuned over the coming weeks (months?) as I wade nose deep into the wilds of marketing. It should be an “interesting” ride.

Today’s Annoyance

People who don’t understand that “criteria” is the plural of “criterion”. In other words, many criteria are, but one  criterion is.

In similar fashion, I’d harp on “media” and “medium”, and on “data” and “datum”, but commonly accepted usage unfortunately works against me with these. Maybe I have to grit my teeth over them, but I refuse to yield on ”criteria” and “criterion”. Hearing someone use “criteria” as a singular is like scraping fingers on a blackboard, especially when it’s someone who really should know better.