Letter to Amtrak’s CEO

On By Erik ArnesonIn Amtrak, Solari, Split-FlapLeave a comment

Earlier this week I mailed this letter to Richard H. Anderson, the CEO of Amtrak. More background on the issue I wrote about is available here.

December 17, 2018

Richard H. Anderson
Chief Executive Officer, Amtrak
60 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002-4285

Dear Mr. Anderson,

Thank you for your service to the United States as Amtrak’s CEO. My father worked for Amtrak for many years, and I’m a loyal customer. I ride Amtrak whenever possible. I very much appreciate what you do.

Dad worked as an accountant in Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. There is no building I love more than 30th Street Station. The building has a soul, and its soul is the split-flap timetable that has served more than 100 million travelers since it was installed in the 1970s.

In January, according to media reports, the existing split-flap board will be replaced it with video monitors. That breaks my heart, but it also sounds like there might be hope for a reprieve.

Anyone who has seen 30th Street’s split-flap timetable in person knows that it’s far more than a message board. It’s magic and beauty and hope and wonder and everything that’s good in the world. I vividly remember the feeling of awe I had when I first saw the Solari board as a young boy. Now, as a 47-year-old man, my eyes get more than a little dusty every time I think about the possibility that it will be replaced by video monitors.

Please do everything you can to keep a split-flap timetable in 30th Street Station.

We all need more magic.

Sincerely,
Erik Arneson

Noir at the Bar in Philadelphia – This Sunday! (Oct. 28)

On By Erik ArnesonIn Bernard Schaffer, Dennis Tafoya, Don Lafferty, Gregory Frost, Jon McGoran, Merry Jones, Noir at the Bar, Robb Cadigan, William Lashner, William Myers Jr.Leave a comment

Noir at the Bar Chilled to the MarrowI’ll be joining a crew of great writers in Philadelphia this Sunday night (Oct. 28) for another Noir at the Bar!

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. at Misconduct Tavern, 1511 Locust St, Philadelphia. Admission is free, and the restaurant serves great food and drinks, so join us!

This is part of a series of Noir at the Bar events called CHILLED TO THE MARROW. Authors around the world are participating in Noir at the Bar events to help raise funds to cover medical expenses for Evie Swierczynski, who was recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Evie is awesome, and she’s the daughter of Duane Swierczynski, author of a lot of amazing novels and comic books.

For more information about supporting #TeamEvie, visit this GoFundMe page.

Hosted by the inimitable Jon McGoran, the Philadelphia lineup includes these amazing authors:

There will be a raffle to help raise funds, and probably a few surprises…

Hope to see you there!

Noir at the Bar – A Great Night in Baltimore!

On By Erik ArnesonIn Andrew Novak, Damien Angelica Walters, Duane Swierczynski, Jessica McHugh, Kim Alexander, Nik Korpon, Noir at the Bar, S.A. CosbyLeave a comment

Noir at the Bar - Baltimore, Oct. 21, 2018Last night’s Noir at the Bar in Baltimore, part of the CHILLED TO THE MARROW N@B series, was fantastic.

Host Nik Korpon put together a great lineup of authors to to help raise funds to cover medical expenses for Evie Swierczynski, who was recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Evie is awesome, and she’s the daughter of Duane Swierczynski, author of a lot of amazing novels and comic books.

For more information about supporting #TeamEvie, visit this GoFundMe page.

The lineup of authors included:

The show was held at Zella’s Pizzeria, and I can personally (and heartily) recommend the calzone.

Noir at the Bar in Baltimore – Tonight! (Oct. 21)

On By Erik ArnesonIn Andrew Novak, Damien Angelica Walters, Duane Swierczynski, Jessica McHugh, Kim Alexander, Nik Korpon, Noir at the Bar, S.A. CosbyLeave a comment

Noir at the Bar Baltimore Oct 2018I’ll be joining a crew of great writers in Baltimore tonight for another Noir at the Bar!

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. at Zella’s Pizzeria, 1145 Hollins St., Baltimore. Admission is free, and the restaurant serves great food, so join us!

This is part of a series of Noir at the Bar events called CHILLED TO THE MARROW. Authors around the world are participating in Noir at the Bar events to help raise funds to cover medical expenses for Evie Swierczynski, who was recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Evie is awesome, and she’s the daughter of Duane Swierczynski, author of a lot of amazing novels and comic books.

For more information about supporting #TeamEvie, visit this GoFundMe page.

The lineup of authors includes:

And the whole thing is hosted by the great Nik Korpon.

I hope to see you tonight in Baltimore!

Noir at the Bar – A Great Night in Harrisburg

On By Erik ArnesonIn Beth Fantaskey, Cathy Jordan, David Nemeth, Gabriella Gill, John Austin, John Micek, Jon McGoran, Merry Jones, Nathan Froehlich, Noir at the Bar, Owen LaukkanenLeave a comment

Noir at the Bar in Harrisburg, PA, on May 20, 2018.

A stellar crew made the most recent Harrisburg Noir at the Bar one to remember. We took over the second floor at Sturges Speakeasy in Harrisburg, PA, on Sunday night, May 20, and had a blast.

Everyone read great stories. So many great stories! I want to thank all of the authors who came out for the event:

And last but certainly not least, singer-songwriter John Austin and trumpeter Nathan Froehlich, who helped end the night with the surreal experience of me performing a (mostly spoken-word) song (the very romantic “We’re Still in Love”).

If you want to know more about the authors, check out their full bios here.

Noir at the Bar in Harrisburg – Tonight! (May 20)

On By Erik ArnesonIn Beth Fantaskey, Cathy Jordan, David Nemeth, Gabriella Gill, John Austin, John Micek, Jon McGoran, Merry Jones, Noir at the Bar, Owen Laukkanen, Robb CadiganLeave a comment

Noir at the Bar returns to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, tonight!

Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Sturges Speakeasy, 400 Forster Street. Admission is free, the restaurant serves great food and great beer, and there will be book giveaways. So join us!

Join us for a great lineup (complete bios available here) that includes:

Owen Laukkanen, author of the brand new maritime adventure thriller Gale Force (which has been praised by the likes of Clive Cussler and Lee Child), along with six critically acclaimed Stevens and Windermere FBI thrillers.

Robb Cadigan, author of Phoenixville Rising and an upcoming second novel which is based on a true crime story and set in Pennsylvania.

Beth Fantaskey, author of five paranormal and mystery novels for young adults and middle-grade readers and (as Bethany Blake) the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries.

Gabriella Gill, author of Saving Metropolis, Behind the Mask, and the upcoming The Gentlemen’s Flying Club.

Merry Jones, author of Child’s Play, the third novel featuring unreliable narrator Elle Harrison, as well as a series of thrillers featuring heroine Harper Jennings, an Iraq war veteran.

Catherine Jordan, author of the paranormal thrillers The Book Seller’s Secret and Seeking Samiel.

Jon McGoran, author of eight novels including Spliced, a near future science fiction thriller, and the ecological thrillers Drift, Deadout, Dust Up, and Down to Zero.

John L. Micek, author of the upcoming novel Saving Time and the opinion editor and political columnist for PennLive/The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa.

David Nemeth, writer of the crime fiction blog Unlawful Acts and a columnist at Do Some Damage.

And last but certainly not least, singer-songwriter John Austin, who has released 10 critically acclaimed albums, will be performing a new song with… me. But don’t worry, I won’t be singing.

I hope to see you tonight at Sturges Speakeasy!

17 Games You Can Play Right Now!

On By Erik ArnesonIn Board GamesLeave a comment

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of board games. A few of my current favorites are Ticket to Ride (especially the Pennsylvania map), Betrayal at House on the Hill (can’t wait for the upcoming Betrayal Legacy), Pandemic (and its offspring), and Downforce (a wonderful auto racing game).

But there are times when you find yourself stuck somewhere without any games. No cards. No dice. Not even a coin to flip.

That’s why I put together the ebook 17 Games You Can Play Right Now!.

As long as you have a pencil and paper, you can play any of these 17 great public domain games, including laugh-out-loud party games, deep-thinking strategy games, clever word games, and more. I rewrote the rules from top to bottom to ensure clarity and consistency. (That was the goal, anyway. You can decide if I succeeded.) Here’s the full list of games:

  • Bulls & Cows (2 players)
  • Capture (2 to 4 players)
  • Categories (3 to 12 players)
  • Celebrities (4 to 12 players)
  • Charades (4 to 12 players)
  • Dots (2 players)
  • Geography (2 to 8 players)
  • Ghost (2 to 6 players)
  • Gomoku (2 players)
  • Hangman (2 players)
  • Labyrinth (3 to 6 players)
  • Paper Soccer (2 players)
  • Paper Telephone (6 to 10 players)
  • Poker Squares (2 to 8 players)
  • Salvo (2 players)
  • S.O.S. (2 players)
  • Word Squares (2 to 8 players)

17 Games You Can Play Right Now! is available as an ebook for Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Nook, Kobo and other e-readers.

And right now, it’s just 99 cents!