It's all that and more. Was that a little less than humble? Maybe. But I think Ewing would appreciate that. Anyway, it's also much appreciated. Excerpt? Word.

"We are hunkered down around the little white television we use to have.

The television was my then girlfriend Debbie’s when we were in college, and it fits our current surroundings: a somewhat dingy, much too small, yet hoping to be more, one-bedroom apartment, that is really just a studio with a wall.

It is June 17, 1994.

We are watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Knicks are playing the Rockets at the Garden, and we are hoping to watch them go up 3-2 in the series.

We want this win, we are focused on the game before us, and we are not moving.

The Knicks deserve our full attention and they must have it.

This is their night.

This is our night.

And we are taking no chances that we will inadvertently cause the Knicks to lose by getting distracted and not providing them with the proper dosage of the energy, positive Karma, and undiluted attention that only we can provide.

Their win depends on our ability to will it into being so, hence there will be no distractions, just hunker.

But then the chase happens.

Soon NBC is switching between the game and the L.A. Freeway, then they move to a split screen, and ultimately we are forced to do everything in our power to give the Knicks what they need, despite our inability to pretend in this moment that they are all we care about."

So please do check it out here. Or even here. Cool? Cool. And excerpt? Most definitely.

Welcome.

Thank you. I’m thrilled to be here, and I appreciate the chance to talk with you about my new essay collection Be Cool—a memoir (sort of) from Dock Street press.

Well, great, congratulations, truly, should we get right into the questions?

Yes, of course, soft ball questions, right, I hope.

Yeah, sure, anyway, so, navel-gazing…?

What?

You know, the activity of thinking too much or too deeply about yourself, your experiences, your feelings, etc. That’s from Merriam-Webster.

Is that a question?

No, not exactly, that was more of a reaction to your question, which was in response to my initial query. But if you don’t mind, I’m going to ask the questions here.

You know, I had a therapist say that to me once.

Yeah, how did that turn out?

Not so good. But to your non-question, question, am I concerned about there being too much navel-gazing in Be Cool, no, I don’t think so, that never even crossed my mind. Really, it seems like writing personal essays would almost automatically engender that.

Does that mean, that from your perspective, writing an essay collection, memoir (sort of) does not involve thinking too much or too deeply about oneself?

Oh no, it does, but writing, ideally, is still something else entirely to me. You are attempting to craft a narrative that taps into universal themes, which just might offer the reader insight into themselves, if not actual entertainment and escape. And these are good things, and certainly the reasons why I read what I read.

So, do you consider yourself an entertainer?

At times, yes. Am I consciously engaged in the act of amusing or entertaining, also Merriam-Webster, absolutely. I want the reader to be engaged, and moved, and in my head. Does that also mean there is pain and confusion? Yes, of course there is.

And big love to the Cross-Smith to her quite welcome Be Cool Goodreads review - which you can check-out here. There is also some excerpt below if that's your thing. Cool? Word. 

"I just ruheally love Ben Tanzer books, books by Ben Tanzer, when Ben Tanzer writes things and also Ben Tanzer. It's kind of (one of) My Thing(s)."

Love @BenTanzer's Rules for #Writers on #SocialMedia:

-Hype Yourself
-Hype What You Love
-Entertain Yourself#CWC2016 pic.twitter.com/kvWV8gv7WC

— Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) September 24, 2016

"You can't decide what your brand is. Your brand will emerge on its own." ~ @BenTanzer #CWC2016 #branding #amwriting

— Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) September 24, 2016

"You absolutely have to write the thing that excites you the most." - @BenTanzer #CWC2016

— Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) September 24, 2016

I have to say @BenTanzer and @racheldewoskin made my job so easy today. You don't have to choose, writers! Write all the genres. #CWC2016

— Ines Bellina (@ibwrites) September 24, 2016

And for more on all of that please do go here. Cool? Cool. Many thanks.

Which is to say that I greatly appreciate - and yes, love - Robert's recent Be Cool review - and yes Robert himself - at the Goodreads. Excerpt? Word.

"His pieces in this memoir are dripping with charm and wit, the whole thing is such an amazingly quick read—which is to say, it was hard to put down—and while I don't read a lot of memoirs, I tend to wish they were more like this: funny, awkward, earnest, sweet, salty, wonderful, gripping. I can't recommend this book enough."

I am happy to let you know that there is new episode of This Podcast Will Change Your Life and it stars the Leland Cheuk. So, please do check it out.

count on it (artifact) is quite This Zine Will Change Your Life actually and I am really happy to let you know that. So do hit it. There you go. Nice.

Be cool is also thrilled to be part of this truly fine line-up - Vu Tran, Gina Frangello, Dan Stolar, Doro Boehme - so please do Sunday Salon Chicago with us on September 25th at the Riverview Tavern at 7:00 pm. And for more information do go here. See you there.

And it really happened almost just like that. That said, we were travel, we were definitely Be Cool, there was much fun to be had, endless shout-outs to the Alan Heathcock, Cari Luna, Sean Beaudoin, Zoe Zolbrod, Josh Mohr, Christian Winn, John Barrios and Len Kuntz among others, and there is now a quite lovely podcast - the third in this series for those of you counting at home - for your Be Cool listening pleasure. So please do enjoy it.

I am happy to let you know that there is new episode of This Podcast Will Change Your Life and it stars the Susan Messing. So, please do check it out.

Big thanks to The Weeklings for making all good "Spring, Again" things happen. Also, a reminder that the "The Space Between" appeared in the Tortoise Books anthology Saudade. And excerpt? Word.

"I lace-up my running shoes and pull on my Dri-Fit shirt.

I fold my bandanna and wrap it around my forehead, spiky hair popping out like the logo for Shock Top beer, sans the sun glasses, big ass smile and orange hue.

I pop-in my ear buds and I fire-up the new episode of WTF with Marc Maron, who’s telling us about Garry Shandling’s wake.

Somehow every time I am ruminating about things, what might be, or has been, it seems to come back to Los Angeles, the city itself, someone there or how those lives are lived.

I was there, again, just weeks ago, it was warm where Chicago was not, and I ran under those piercing blue skies, shrugging off my lingering flu, and dreading my need to return home and re-embrace the cold that would be waiting for me.

I was however ready to re-embrace work, and my creative life, balancing day job, and writing, travel, telecommuting and finding peace with how it all might work together.

Maybe I’ve gotten ahead of myself though.

What’s important now is that it’s spring again, I am home, it is sunny, I have been ruminating on work and life, and I’m thinking that today I will run far, further than I have been anyway."

I am happy to let you know that This Book Will Change Your Life is Harbors. I also think you so want to check it out.