ROBERT W. SERVICE: THE MAN WHO DIDN'T FIT IN by Michael Rigg

Robert W. Service (1874 - 1958)

“Gold!” One of the few words to spark bouts of mass hysteria—group insanity some might argue. And so it was just before the turn of the twentieth century. Discovery of gold near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory in August 1896 unleashed a three-year epidemic known as the Yukon Gold Rush.

In total, “gold fever” infected over 100,000 people. They came from every corner of the continent, intent on reaching Dawson City, epicenter of the mining effort, where they hoped to find their personal end-of-the-rainbow. Of those starting the journey, only thirty or forty percent (approximately 30,000 to 40,000) made it to Dawson City, turned away along the route by a combination of expense, hardship, and death. Only about half of those who made it to the gold fields became prospectors. Only a few hundred became rich.

But this mass hysteria produced some unplanned riches—a bonanza of novels and verse describing the rush, the challenges, the victories, and the defeats. Among the authors tapping into this rich vein of success and heartache were Jack London (The Call of the Wild and White Fang), Tappan Adney (The Klondike Stampede), and my favorite, Robert W. Service.

Born on January 14, 1874 in Lancashire, England, Service spent his formative years in Scotland. He grew up reading the works of Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson and briefly studied literature at the University of Glasgow. In 1894, Service went to western Canada, where he worked in a variety of jobs, including as a cowboy and later as a bank teller, first in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and in 1908—well after the Klondike Gold Rush had run its course—in Dawson City.

While the fever was gone, the memories remained. And Service drilled into the reminiscences of former miners and others, extracting material that formed the basis for the works earning him a reputation as “Bard of the Yukon.”

Service published numerous collections of poetry during his lifetime, including Songs of a Sourdough or Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses (1907), Ballad of a Cheechako (1909), and Ballads of a Bohemian (1921), as well as two autobiographies and six novels. He was a correspondent for the Toronto Star during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, and served in World War I as an ambulance driver in France. After the war, he married Germaine Bougeoin and they resided mainly in the south of France until his death on September 11, 1958. Several of his novels were made into films, and he also appeared as an actor in The Spoilers, a 1942 film with Marlene Dietrich.

Were I to ask you to name some of his poems, you’d likely respond with “The Shooting of Dan McGrew,” “The Spell of the Yukon,” or “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” All excellent tales, indeed.

But my favorite is “The Men That Don’t Fit In.” It highlights a group of men (and women) captured by wanderlust and the need for adventure. And it serves as a reminder that, often, “It’s the steady, quiet, plodding ones” who survive life's struggles:

The Men That Don't Fit In

There's a race of men that don't fit in,

A race that can't stay still;

So they break the hearts of kith and kin,

And they roam the world at will.

They range the field and they rove the flood,

And they climb the mountain's crest;

Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,

And they don't know how to rest.

 

If they just went straight, they might go far;

They are strong and brave and true;

But they're always tired of the things that are,

And they want the strange and new.

They say: "Could I find my proper groove,

What a deep mark I would make!"

So they chop and change, and each fresh move

Is only a fresh mistake.

 

And each forgets, as he strips and runs

With a brilliant, fitful pace,

It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones

Who win in the lifelong race.

And each forgets that his youth has fled,

Forgets that his prime is past,

Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead,

In the glare of the truth at last.

 

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;

He has just done things by half.

Life's been a jolly good joke on him,

And now is the time to laugh.

Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;

He was never meant to win;

He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone;

He's a man who won't fit in.

Haunting, don’t you think? 

To learn more about Robert Service and the Klondike Gold Rush, check out: Robert W. Service | The Poetry Foundation and What Was the Klondike Gold Rush? - Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). 

PROMPTS TO INSPIRE YOU, PART THREE, by Max Jason Peterson

With so many tasks, it can sometimes feel challenging to take time to create. For me, participating in creativity sessions with others helps free my brain. Sharing new creations without judgement, and getting to hear others' wonderful works, sparks joy for me. 

I have more prompts for you in this post, but especially since the new workshop season is right around the corner, I'm first sharing the details on the upcoming live workshops.

As I've mentioned, I regularly run micro poetry and prose workshops every spring and fall, newly retitled Max's Writers Cafe. They're free, hosted by Hampton Public Library, and held entirely online. We have five fall sessions coming up (ages 18+, free, but registration is required for each individual session via Eventbrite).

Fall 2025 Eventbrite Collection (You’ll need to register individually for each event you wish to attend)

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/maxs-writers-cafe-micro-poetry-prose-3651389

Max’s Writers Café: Micro Poetry & Prose

Fall 2025

Every Wednesday from Oct. 29-Nov. 26

Noon-1 PM Eastern

 

Max’s Writers Café: Micro Poetry & Prose, Fall 2025, every Wednesday from Oct. 29-Nov. 26, Noon-1 PM Eastern. Join us via Zoom (free, ages 18+) to make & take tiny poems and flash fiction. Prompts provided by host Max Gardner, award-winning poet & writer. Attendees must register via Eventbrite for each individual session. The theme for Oct. 29 is Micro Horror.

For more details about how this works, and to enjoy more prompts, check out previous blog posts in this series:

Part One

Part Two

We write for ten minutes per prompt, so set a timer and see that if it works for you. For me, having a short, set time gives me focus. I don't expect to finish it during that time, but it can help me get started. Ten minutes also feels like a welcome break, a treat for myself between other tasks—so especially if you're stressed and short on time, you might enjoy a creativity break!

So, here are some more prompts that I've created for your enjoyment! Try making a poem or piece of flash fiction, or even exploring your current protagonist's feelings on any of these subjects (to include in your work in progress, or just for greater depth). You might be surprised by what comes out!

Long Time: Think about time’s duration. What makes time long? Is a long time a good time (or not)? Time separated from someone can be painful, but can make reunion all the sweeter. Long-lasting relationships and connections provide meaning—good or bad. For long-lived beings, time might move at a different pace. Or explore an expression: “It’s been a long time.” “Longtime companion.” “A long time ago.” “A long time coming.” “Long gone.” “Long time, no see.” “Longtimer.” “Long-standing.”

High-scoring tiles: K, J, X, Q, Z: These are the letters that earn 5-10 points in the crossword-style word game Scrabble. Try writing a poem using some of these letters! Bonus points if you write an acrostic, in which the first letter of each line, read vertically, spells something out—using at least one of these letters.

The Shadows: What lurks in this old house, behind this mirror, in the back of your mind? Think about what would scare your character the most if they entered an old house that had clearly seen better days. At night. Alone. Because they heard a distant scream and wanted to help. Alternatively, write a ghost story or something uncanny; the ghost can be positive if you prefer; the story can be happy or touching—or scary or sad.

Motive/Motivation: We all need it: motivation to create or get through things; motivation for our characters to drive the plot. It’s also the “motive” in a mystery. In the moment of acting to save someone (including ourselves), we don’t often have time to stop and think about why. But afterwards the realization can be all-important. Focus on motive or motivation in some way.

Who Was I? Your character wakes up after a long absence from themselves. Maybe they were under a sleep spell for a century, or in a long coma. Maybe they’ve been deep undercover for so long that their prior self seems like a distant memory. Maybe they had amnesia, were possessed, or underwent a magical disguise or body swap that temporarily turned them into someone else. Or maybe they’re recovering from something (physical, mental, or both), or awakening to new revelations about themselves, their life and how to live it. How do they experience who they were then, in the context of who they’ve been recently and/or who they want to be now?

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Under byline Adele Gardner, Max's poetry collection Halloween Hearts is available from Jackanapes Press:

https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/halloween-hearts

Themes of Halloween, horror, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ray Bradbury. The press has seasonal discounts.

Max Jason Peterson has two stories in the new anthology Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation from Wildside Press.

HEADGEAR MAKES HEADLINES by Judy Fowler

 

Sometimes it's not what's in a politician's head but what's on it that makes all the difference, historically speaking. Thanks to author Claire Cock-Starkey's illuminating 2016 article, “Eight World-Famous Historical Hats,” I finally see what's been right before my eyes.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes, the Englishman who fomented the Gunpowder Plot, encouraged his followers to wear the same tall, black sugarloaf-shaped hat that he wore. Aristocrats in feathered Puss in Boots-style hats  expected men of lower rank to remove their hats as a sign of respect. These fops found Fawkes' followers appearing everywhere in big, black hats, which they refused to take off. It worked as provocation. Look, we’re still talking about it.  

Benjamin Franklin's court appearance in Versailles, France in 1776 rocked the entire country. A city boy himself, Franklin entered court sporting a long-tailed furry Frontiersman's cap. His “look” popularized the American cause in ways Franklin's words could not accomplish. French people bought all kinds of touristy trinkets with his  fur-hat portrait printed on them. Although neither Franklin, nor Davy Crockett, born in 1786, could profit personally without international copyright laws, it was just as well: Native Americans designed the originals. But the look caught on, and in 2025 you can still "be" Davy Crockett for a hundred bucks on eBay, or get Walmart's women’s version for $15.

A French person in 1799 could still buy a bicorne hat for the price of fifty small cheeses until Napoleon Bonaparte wore his bicorne in public appearances. Then the price went sky high. Napoleon wore his sideways to make it easy for people to spot him in a crowd. During battle, an added-on  gold band helped troops see him better. The band, Cock-Starkey suggests, caused the hat to resemble an emperor’s crown. Talk about subliminal branding. Bonaparte owned 120 bicornes at his death. One that still carried his DNA brought in $500,000 at a 2018 auction.

Let's fast forward to the 1850s. Why would a 6'4" man choose to add 8 more inches to his height? Abraham Lincoln used his stovepipe hat to store papers and speeches to "fish out" when he needed them. The one he wore the last night of his life is part of a popular display at the Smithsonian. Keep that under your hat in case it makes Trump jealous. Or has it already?

Iconic photos from 1906 show President Teddy Roosevelt  personally digging out the Panama Canal. Poses of TR running a steam shovel or shoveling dirt at the ground-breaking on the Panama Canal don't seem over the top to those of us who've watched a president pretend to know how to drive a garbage truck or shovel fries at McDonald’s. Teddy’s photos got him credit not only for “building” the Panama Canal but also for popularizing “the Panama hat.” The hat in the photos was actually made in Ecuador—there's one on the head of every working stiff in the steam shovel photo. Having the hat on at all may have been a happy accident. I can imagine Roosevelt’s public relations person saying, “Grab one of those guy’s hats before we take the picture—Teddy’s forehead’s all sweaty.”

My annoying AI buddy, Gemini, wants me to add that “the hat’s black band symbolized Roosevelt’s solidarity with the Ecuadorian president, a champion of equality, progress, labor rights, tradition, culture, and sustainability.”

Who needs a PR guy when you've got Gemini? But I get it. Masters of self-promotion understand that hats can be brands and branding is powerful. A picture really is worth a thousand words. My friend Rex, who recently returned from a four-day cruise, brought back a paper “Bermuda hat” made in China. It certainly makes him look like he spent more than a day and a half in Bermuda.

Winston Churchill claimed that his signature homburg hat, first worn in the 1940s, gave photographers something distinguishing to focus on. Apparently, his bland face didn't read as “Here I am over here.” The hat made history, and one from his large collection brought in $11,750 in 1991.

I passed a advertising billboard in Tennessee last month alerting me to the exit for The Trump Megastore. A recent iteration of President Trump’s iconic red ballcap proclaims, “Trump Was Right About Everything.” It will, no doubt,  be sold with other versions of the cap in the megastore.  Why wait to auction off one's memorabilia when, like in Guy Fawkes' scheme, you can get lots of people to wear them right now, right along with you? China can mass-produce cheap knock-offs of the official 'Made in the USA’ hat—before tariffs, they were made for $3 and sold for $14; after tariffs, they're made for $3 and sell for $20.

Hats pay off. Leaders who don caps make history—if not for being right all the time, then for making sure they’re seen.

HOA DRAMA, SHENANIGANS, AND MYSTERY by Sheryl Jordan

 A homeowner’s association (HOA) governs and manages a housing community, setting rules and bylaws (with the assistance of a hired attorney) for its residents. Residents pay fees to cover the cost of amenities and services provided, such as swimming pools, landscaping of common areas, clubhouses, gyms, etc.

My first experience living in a community with an HOA during the late 1980s – early 1990s was relatively uneventful. Everything was organized, and communication of changes and updates was timely, even though it was done by postal mail, or letters and flyers placed on your screen doors.

Two years ago, we purchased a home in a beautiful golf course community. I love living in our community, as most residents are friendly, and I have built close friendships with some of them. Our HOA offers numerous committees for residents to get involved in, as well as activities for children, adults, and families residing here.

After attending several meetings and reading some of the comments in their aftermath, I was prompted to write a fictional mystery short story or novel about the shenanigans and cutthroat drama that occur in a fictitious HOA community.

I began researching HOAs and community posts on various websites. I found there is dissatisfaction with HOAs across the United States. Not just with the HOA, but discord amongst the people living in these types of communities.

I read about instances where arguments between HOA Board members and residents escalated into full-blown fights during meetings, acts of revenge, and sabotage among committee members and neighbors.

Although I won't be sharing many details of my story in progress, rest assured that it will include drama, revenge, and a deceased body or two.

What were your experiences with an HOA or neighborhood you’ve had the pleasure of residing in? Please share your story, good, bad, ugly, or funny.

COUNT DRACULA, THE LEGENDARY VAMPIRE by Teresa Inge

As October approaches, a month often associated with Halloween, numerous horror films begin to air on television. Iconic characters such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers signal the onset of the season dedicated to suspense and fright. In my childhood, I enjoyed classic movies like Frankenstein, works by Alfred Hitchcock, and stories featuring Count Dracula. My siblings and I often repeated lines such as “I want to suck your blood,” showing how much the character influenced us.

Dracula is one of the most enduring and iconic creatures in gothic literature and popular culture. Originating from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, this vampire has become synonymous with the myths and legends of the undead, shaping the portrayal of vampires in literature, film, and media for over a century.

Origins of the Novel

Dracula tells the story of Count Dracula, a centuries-old vampire from Transylvania who travels to England in search of new blood, spreading his undead curse. The novel is presented through a series of diary entries, letters, and newspaper articles, chronicling the efforts of Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Dr. Van Helsing, and others as they attempt to stop Dracula’s reign of terror.

Bram Stoker’s creation was inspired by Eastern European folklore and historical figures such as Vlad the Impaler, a 15th-century Romanian prince known for his brutal methods of punishment.  

Characteristics of Dracula

Dracula is often depicted as a charismatic yet terrifying figure. He possesses supernatural abilities including immortality, shapeshifting into a bat or wolf, control over animals, and the power to mesmerize his victims. Traditionally, vampires like Dracula cannot endure sunlight, must drink blood to survive, and are vulnerable to garlic, holy symbols, and stakes through the heart.

Dracula in Popular Culture

Since the publication of Stoker’s novel, Dracula has been adapted into countless films, television shows, and theatrical productions. Throughout my childhood, I watched the 1931 Universal Pictures film starring Bela Lugosi who popularized the image of Dracula with his slicked-back hair, a high-collared cape, and an Eastern European accent.

From Hammer Films featuring Christopher Lee as Dracula in the mid-20th century to more recent adaptations such as the TV series Dracula and the movie Hotel Transylvania, the character continues to appear in popular culture.

Dracula’s Legacy

Dracula’s impact extends beyond entertainment; he has become a cultural symbol representing fear, eternal life, and the struggle between good and evil. The novel also sparked interest in vampire lore and gothic fiction as literary genres.

As Halloween approaches in the next few weeks, viewers will remain drawn to Dracula for its enduring vampire legend. Are you watching?

 

I'M GONNA SPILL THE TEA BY: KIMBERLY R. THORN

I'M GONNA SPILL THE TEA                                By: Kimberly R. Thorn

I am sure that you have heard it said, “the book was better then the movie.”  Probably more times than you could count.  But what if, (and just hear me out on this one before you get mad).  What if…..you hadn’t actually read the book?  (Gasp!)  I know, I know!  I am confessing.  I just started hearing about The Thursday Murder Club when the movie was announced as showing on Netflix.  I had never heard of this movie before, and I certainly didn’t know that it was from a book series.  (I know, shame on me).  I apologize to all the book readers everywhere, especially all of those UK mystery fans.  You will be happy to know that I HAVE ordered all the books in the series, so far and am ordering the new one when it comes out, September 30, 2025.

The Movie   

I watched The Thursday Murder Club last week.  I was curious because even though I had never read the books I had heard so much about it.  I was also a little leery as it was 2 hours long.  Could I sit still that long to watch it?  Would it hold my attention for 2 hours?  I mean, it’s not Agatha Christie, right?  Although, I was so looking forward to seeing Helen Mirren and Pierce Bronson back on the screen and working together!  I am sad to say that she was no queen, and he was no 007, this time.

My Reaction

I really enjoyed the movie.  I felt like the two hours flew by and I was surprised that I didn’t have as much time as I thought I had to figure out who did it.  There were parts that I found were a little hard to follow so I missed some important clues.  Sadly, no I did not figure it out. 

I thought it was a brilliant murder mystery.  I liked the cast and felt that the four main characters had great chemistry.  They really were believable in their roles as good friends living in a senior retirement home.  In what many would think would be frail septuagenarians and octogenarians living out their last days, they really used their wisdom and knowledge of human nature to investigate and solve a fifty-year-old murder.  There were several parts that were funny and cute.  These seniors had not lost their sense of humor, while getting to the bottom of a bloody, dirty murder but having some fun, getting into shenanigans along the way.  There were several heartfelt moments as well, as the characters worked through their own personal and family difficulties.

Would I Recommend?

Yes!  Especially if you like English mysteries.  Also, if you like mysteries with some humor, then you will love this movie as well.  If you like both things, then this movie is a must for you to see.  Sorry, I cannot comment on the books…… yet!  I will certainly let you know once I read them.

Murder, She Wrote

The next item I want to bring to your attention… well, I want to scream it from the rooftops, actually.  You probably already know but welp, here it is.  A remake of Murder, She Wrote is being made now!!!!!

In my research, it appears that it will be a stand-alone movie, but I don’t know about you, I will take the remake as I can get it, at this point.  Personally, I was hoping it would be a TV show, but I’ll settle for a movie.  Maybe if the movie does well, they will bring it back as a weekly show.  The fact that Jamie Lee Curtis will be playing the iconic character, Jessica Fletcher, I am ecstatic about!  I love her and think that she will not only do a great job with the role, but I also think that Angela Lansbury is smiling from Heaven!  Could the tide be changing to include casting some older, well-known, legendary actors and actresses into newer roles?

Let me know, what do you think?

SO YOU WANT TO BE A BONNY PIRATE? by Yvonne Saxon

As a young girl I always wanted to be a pirate--I wanted the adventure, the travel, the high stakes and intrigue that life on the high seas might bring. Books like Treasure Island and swashbuckling old movies watched late at night fueled my romanticized, rose-colored glasses version of what a pirate's life might be. I also wanted a pirate birthday party for the longest time.

Could I have been a pirate during the "Golden Age"? Were there actually women pirates outside of fiction? How did they fare? What were their stories? Let's weigh anchor and examine history for some real-life examples.