2: Someone said I must be a gang considering the various art I create: 50+ books, many stories, 16 screenplays, 4 albums of sound art and music, many tangible paintings and experimental videos, plus endless digital images and photographs. If you don’t know of these, I apologize.

3: When I was a kid, I wanted to be either a cowboy or a garbage collector. I became an artist instead. I think I made the right choice, but there’s still time to change. I still love the sound of a garbage truck. (The smell? Not so much.)

4: My earliest memory is sleeping in my parents’ bedroom with no AC and being so hot I still recall it. When Mom came home from work and turned on the air, that was glorious. I must have been three. Since then, the heat hasn’t bothered me. But I do hate the cold.

5: Speaking of my mom, here she is. Germany, WW II. Second from left is my mother out with friends in a boat on a peaceful day, brought back from the past with warm humor, and endless love.

6: Though I was always a top student, I never liked school, because schools make learning hard. I never liked the culture. I never liked being around people. That’s why I like the Internet. Everyone here is made of pixels. I’m good with pixels.

7: Instead of going to college, I went to work in construction. Friends said I should be able to create mentally while doing menial work because digging requires no thought. But it does require a lot of energy, leaving none for creative thinking. I never wrote a book while standing.

8: I began writing because I was good at it. My first novel, Inertia, is a single page 11-inches wide x 40-FEET long, the text in parallel columns. Here’s a tiny sample.

The book was the height of my creativity. I was 20.

9: My most famous novel is one of those rare books that is considered an ultimate read by its most fervent proponents. A reader told me, “I’ll take this book to the grave with me, and if I still have it in the afterlife, I know I’ll be in heaven.”

No one says that about JPEGs.

10: I think I started in photography because I liked the gear. My first camera was a 4x5 view camera. I didn’t use it much because it was a pain to lug around, but I wanted Maximum Image Quality, which is BS, I finally figured.

Here I am taking the photo on the right.

11: I began painting and photography at about the same time (while writing and holding down a real job). My acrylics are fastidious and no larger than 8 x 10 inches. My first were based on classical compositions; then I found my own style.

12: Soon after I bought a computer, I began manipulating photographs and scans of paintings. Then I started making pure digital art. Some years ago, I won the TORAY International Digital Art Award ($10,000 US) for The Expansion Of Desire:

13: Here’s a bittersweet truth: I’m nothing but an artist. And nothing less. Many of you know how it is to be alone with only your art. But many people can’t stand that solitude. I’ve always been a loner. I am the best company for me. I seldom argue, but always win a fight.

14: I think we’ve all had enough of this. You’ll notice that I haven’t stated my age, my ethnicity, sexual preferences, or political affiliation. And I won’t. You can see inside my head, but not inside my soul. Wishing all the best to my friends, including those I’ve yet to meet.