Category Archives: Newsletters
Newsletter -1
DrakeNews #-1 September 2024 Even after 9 months it is difficult not to imagine that Dave is outside downstairs on the lower deck with his books and computer. If he were writing this newsletter he would probably report how Hurricane … Continue reading
Newsletter #137
DrakeNews #137 November 2023 Dear people, The long view: covid and my series of mini-strokes have caused me to revisit items from my past. For example, the Library of America recently reprinted crime novels of the fifties. Some of them … Continue reading
Newsletter #136
DrakeNews #136 October 2023 I just turned 78 (September 24). I used to have a big pig-picking at our house in the country, but Covid made a large gathering a bad idea. So, for several years I took family and … Continue reading
Newsletter #135
Dear people, I don’t go to many movies in theaters, but recently I saw Oppenheimer and Barbie and I found both excellent. They both address major issues: nuclear weapons and gender equality respectively, but the films are about people. The … Continue reading
Newsletter #134
DrakeNews #134 August 4, 2023 Dear People: One of the things a father is likely to think about is what field of work should my child go into? My answer was ‘whatever he pleases.’ I didn’t advise my son Jonathan. … Continue reading
Newsletter #133
Dear People, In the 1960s when I was just starting to write fiction, I was drawn to ancient history as a subject. I liked ancient history and knew nothing about the writing business, but it struck me at once the … Continue reading
Newsletter #132
DrakeNews #132 May 24, 2023 Dear People, A couple of things happened to me around 1970 that changed my future in major ways. I was drafted in 1970 and sent to Nam. I hadn’t expected that. I was in the … Continue reading
Newsletter #131
Dear People, The pond has frogs, but nothing more exciting so far. That’s okay, and if it continues to hold water we’ll consider stocking fish. I continue to train with Dave Colisanti who was Jonathan’s work-out partner thirty years ago. … Continue reading
Newsletter #130
Dear People, We have a pond and also have redone the gravel drive after construction equipment drove over it. This has been a long run but we seem to have gotten somewhere. I joked with my trainer that as soon … Continue reading
Newsletter #129
DrakeNews #129 December 20, 2022 Dear people, Life hasn’t changed a lot for me personally since #128. I continue to be much less smart than I used to be. I can no longer hold a complete idea in my head. … Continue reading
Newsletter #128
DrakeNews #128: October 14, 2022 Dear people, I am now 77. I had a modest dinner party in a restaurant for family and a few old friends. Jonathan and his wife were present, also grandson Tristan, now a sophomore at … Continue reading
Newsletter #127
DrakeNews 127: August 2, 2022 Dear People, A problem with getting old is that you’re increasingly likely to die. If you don’t die, you’re likely to lose old friends. I’ve just lost two, most recently Eric Flint, whom I met … Continue reading
Newsletter #126
Dear people I’ve got mildly good news! I was looking up a book on amazon and ran into mention of a book in the Winston sf series from the ’50s: Danger: Dinosaurs. I had read and liked a number of … Continue reading
Newsletter #125
DrakeNews #125 for March 11, 2022 Dear people, I’ve been taking Genaire ReBuilder for some while now. At this point I can endorse it. In combination with working out on machines with my son Jonathan, I am in better shape … Continue reading
Newsletter #124
Dear People, I’m not back to writing, but I thought I’d do another newsletter. Karen tells me she just meant for me to pause in the regularly scheduled newsletters, and Christmas seems a good time for an update specially since I was … Continue reading
Newsletter #123 – the last one
DrakeNews #123, the last newsletter, November 17, 2021 Dear People, Karen suggested I title this newsletter last, so I’m doing that. My health problems continue, whatever they are. I can’t concentrate enough to write a novel and I even had … Continue reading
Newsletter #122
DrakeNews #122 for September 2021 Dear People, I had an MRI which seems to say I don’t have Parkinson’s. My brain however has shrunk, and there’s evidence of ministrokes of which I knew nothing. My sister tells me that our … Continue reading
Newsletter #121
Drake News #121: July 6, 2021 Dear people, Things have been rough for me for a while now and I’ve decided that the Parkinson’s has won. I’m unable to concentrate mentally and my typing has gone completely to hell. I … Continue reading
Newsletter #120
DrakeNews #120: May 11, 2021 Dear People, Things are getting better! The catheter is out and I can pee normally. It took a while and I was doubtful to the end that shrinking my large prostate by embolization was going … Continue reading
Newsletter #119
DrakeNews 119: March 4, 2021 Dear People, This will be different (and maybe more data than you want). It was certainly more than I wanted. This has been a very rough two months. I had my eyes tested for glasses. … Continue reading
Newsletter #118
DrakeNews 118: January 11, 2021 Dear People, I hope you’re well and not too bent outa shape about the election (regardless of the result you wanted). We’ve got to get along with one another people. The US Civil War is … Continue reading
Newsletter #117
DRAKENEWS For November 2020 Dear People, I hope y’all have voted. My wife and I waited to vote on election day for tradition’s sake. I hadn’t been worried about the result (I never worry about that; I did my part … Continue reading
Newsletter #116
Dear People I sent off The Serpent, third book in Time of Heroes Series and it has been accepted by Toni for Baen Books. My submission wasn’t nearly as clean as mine usually are. I’ve been having printer issues too. I had many … Continue reading
Newsletter #115
DRAKENEWS #115: July 3 2020 Dear People, I hope you’re all doing okay. I am but I sure wish I were doing better. A friend has taken to slugging her e-mails In this time of plague. This is a useful … Continue reading
Newsletter #114
Drakenews #114 May 4, 2020 If you are well, it is good. I too am well. Above is the standard opening for a Roman letter, frequently reduced to initial letters like an acronym (Actually, I guess it is an acronym). … Continue reading
Newsletter #113
Dear People, No really exciting news this time, which isn’t entirely bad (given the content of my excitement the past couple years). Basically I have been writing The Serpent, a novel in sequence with The Spark and The Storm (in … Continue reading
Newsletter #112
Dear People, Parkinson’s Disease runs in my family. I’m showing active signs myself and am now on a light dose of levodopa. My bigger bike (a Suzuki DL650) is not especially heavy but it has a high seat. Coming back … Continue reading
Newsletter #111
DRAKENEWS 111: September. 2019 Dear People, This is a bit early because my webmaster, Karen, is going on a genealogical trip to get in touch with her German roots. (These, by the way, are in Hesse, not Bavaria, so I’m … Continue reading
Newsletter #110
DRAKENEWS #110: July 9, 2019 Dear People, I’ve been relaxing the past two months, which sounds like a more pleasant business than it’s been in my head. The trouble is that rushing the most recent book put me so far … Continue reading
Newsletter #109
DRAKE NEWS: May 1, 2019 Dear People, TO CLEAR AWAY THE SHADOWS, the latest RCN novel, is complete! Thank goodness. This has been a very rough passage. The problems basically go back to the wreck in May, 2018. [Newsletter 104] … Continue reading
Newsletter #108
Dear People, As of writing this I still haven’t finished TO CLEAR AWAY THE SHADOWS, but it’s getting close. I’m on the final planet of the plot, and I’m on course to meet my own deadline. When I got far … Continue reading
Newsletter #107
DRAKE NEWSLETTER #107: January 4, 2019 Dear People, I’m at work on To Clear Away the Shadows. I’ve got a good chunk (20 texts which average over a thousand each), but it sure isn’t racing along. Getting back on track … Continue reading
Newsletter #106
DRAKE’S NEWSLETTER #106: November 9, 2018 Dear People, I’ve started writing TO CLEAR AWAY THE SHADOWS! Really writing it: not taking notes, not plotting, not even putting pieces of the plot together. I’ve done all those things, for much longer than … Continue reading
Newsletter #105
Dear People, There’s only ordinary news this time: I’m seriously into the plotting of my new RCN novel TO CLEAR AWAY THE SHADOWS. I’d like to be farther along–indeed, I’d like to be well into writing the book–but things are … Continue reading
Newsletter #104
NEWSLETTER #104: June 27, 2018 Dear People, For once, the big news hasn’t anything to do with writing. On May 9 I pulled up behind an old Jeep Cherokee at a traffic light in Carrboro. I was on my way … Continue reading
Newsletter #103
NEWSLETTER #103: May 8, 2018 Dear People, This is slightly late because my webmaster (who does everything about the website except create original content) is off sharpening her genealogical skills. I mentioned in the March newsletter (102) that Though Hell … Continue reading
Newsletter #102
DRAKE’S NEWSLETTER #102: March 3, 2018 Dear People, I have finished my novel: The Storm, a sequel to The Spark. (Both titles come from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, if you were wondering.) I worried about this one more than I do most, … Continue reading
Newsletter #101
DRAKENEWS #101: January 2, 2018 Dear People, My plaque for the Hawkeye Distinguished Veteran Award came. I’m starting out with this because I’m extremely proud of it. Moving on: I don’t normally talk about my health because it’s normally fine, … Continue reading
Newsletter #100
NEWSLETTER #100: November 9, 2017 Dear People, This is late because I’m just back from World Fantasy Con. I think it was the 43d WFC, and I was at the first one. (More proof if such were needed that I’m … Continue reading
Newsletter #99
DRAKE’S NEWSLETTER 99: September 5, 2017 Dear People, I’ve almost roughed out the plot of the next novel. It will need to be polished and greatly expanded before I begin writing. The current working title is Storm and Courage, and … Continue reading
Newsletter #98
NEWSLETTER #98: July 5, 2017 Dear People, I’m just back from Libertycon, so this newsletter is a hair late. The biggest news since #97 is that the novel I’ve been working on–THOUGH HELL SHOULD BAR THE WAY–has been edited into … Continue reading
Newsletter #97
DRAKE’S NEWSLETTER 97: May 9, 2017 Dear People, I’ve finished the rough draft of THOUGH HELL SHOULD BAR THE WAY. The process didn’t kill me, but it sure ate my life for the past few months. Part of this is … Continue reading
Newsletter #96
DRAKE NEWSLETTER 96: March 1, 2017 Dear People, Well, the big news is that I seem to have gotten up to normal production in my writing. Though Hell Should Bar the Way is above 70K in draft and is proceeding … Continue reading
Newsletter #95
DRAKE NEWSLETTER 95: January 5, 2017 Dear People, I seem to be starting the new year with a notable lack of enthusiasm. This is my fault, not that of the world. There’s certainly enough bad with the world, but there … Continue reading
Newsletter #94
DRAKE NEWSLETTER 94: November, 2016 Dear People, Usually my big news is what’s happening with my current work. This time the big news is what happened to my most recent work, the novel I completed for Tor. It will instead … Continue reading
Newsletter #93.5
Newsletter #93.5 October 3, 2016 Dear People, All is well, but there won’t be a real newsletter till next month. The main reason for the delay is that my webmaster Karen, who does the work of getting it out, is … Continue reading
Newsletter #93
NEWSLETTER 93: August 4, 2016 Dear People, I’m not exactly back to normal from our trip to Greece, but I’m getting there. Still no trip report, but that will come. I did do the absolute top priority, though: finish Reconquest, … Continue reading
Newsletter #92
NEWSLETTER #92: June 8, 2016 Dear People, This is a trifle late and will probably be short, for the same reason in both cases: my wife and I just got back from two weeks in Greece. That’s the big news … Continue reading
Newsletter #91
Drake Newsletter #91: 6 April, 2016 Dear People, You know, one of the things I’ve told myself for the past few years on New Year’s Eve is, “Well, nobody close to me died this year.” Then this January David Hartwell, … Continue reading
Newsletter #90
NEWSLETTER #90: February 3, 2016 Dear People, I guess my big news is that I’ve completed the plot for the new Tor series (which is space opera in the same fashion that Northworld is space opera). (No, it isn’t anything … Continue reading