The punk scene is my main tribe. It was an important refuge for me in my youth, so much more than any of the other realms I inhabited back then, and it’s still a major part of my life now. It’s also the main topic of my writing. Almost all of my characters, especially my …
Author: termberkden
I am a writer, a software engineer, and a refugee from the punk/metal/new wave/my-God-what-did-we-do-last-night daze of the San Francisco scene.
I write, I run, I actually stop and smell the roses, I meow back at cats, and I pet strange yet friendly dogs.
The Pizza Connection – An Excerpt from my novel A Long Slow Aftermath
An excerpt from my recently published novel A Long Slow Aftermath,. Preston comes home and visits his neighbors, who supplement their working class income with a pizza connection. Preston walked Toshi back to the house so she could get back to work. He walked down the driveway and into the backyard to get to …
Quotes from my novel A Long Slow Aftermath
These are quotes from my recently published novel A Long Slow Aftermath,, the story of Preston, a working class punk who is trying to get his life together after leaving a drug rehab. Think of them as mini-excerpts! Preston deals, not only with a wide array of interesting and too-interesting characters, but also with his …
Definitions of Masculinity – Man Cards, Sheet Stays, and Stupid Sports
A woman once questioned my masculinity because she saw me eating a piece of biscotti. “What kind of man eats biscotti?” she asked with a sneer. I was a little confused. I looked at the biscotti and then looked back at her. “A man who likes almonds?” I volunteered in an unsure attempt to reaffirm …
Infused With the Spirit of a Goddess – My Friend and Muse Marian Anderson
I’ve met an impressive array of people over the years. From self-destructive punks, to big time drug dealers, to wild sex workers, to fire-breathing leftists, to people who went beyond grabbing life just by the throat. Having gone through everything I’ve been through in the club, drugs, and alt-underground scenes, it takes a remarkable person …
More Tik Toks Worth Your Time
This is a sequel to my blog post Eight TikTok Channels Worth Your Time TikTok is often derided as a platform full of fluff and nonesense, but there are smart, educational, and just plainj good channels that are not only worth your time, but could also change your mind about TikTok if you happen to …
Theta
My short story Theta, set in the very near future. Written in the hope that art will not imitate life, especially if we can all summon the collective clarity and wisdom to do what needs to be done. He sat down at his computer desk for a baked beans and toast lunch after …
The Blind Leading the Sighted: Help me develop a blind character for my novel!
My name is Jeffrey Matucha. I have six novels on Amazon and I am currently working on my seventh novel titled A Long Slow Aftermath. In this novel I have a blind character named Toshi who is significant part of the story. This is a questionnaire that I have created for blind people because I …
Coffee Walk – An excerpt from my novel-in-progress A long Slow Aftermath
This is an excerpt from my novel-in-progress A Long Slow Aftermath, coming out in January. This scene is the very beginning of the work in which we meet Preston and his friend Toshi, his friend-and-landlord’s girlfriend. This is a work in progress so any feedback appreciated! “She used to let me crash at her …
A Tale of Two Parents – Surviving, Resentment, and Redemption
Last September I lost my mother. She died unexpectedly one day, all at once. She was my last living parent, as my father had passed on a few years before. My father did not die unexpectedly. His body had been ravaged by cancer. It spread throughout his body and his death was drawn out and …