The Southern Extension was a podcast that went into production in late 2022 and was released in early 2023. It focused on stories behind my books. If you wish to avoid spoilers then I do not recommend this podcast before reading my books.
The podcast was halted after the sixth episode due to a message I received that seemed threatening and related to my childhood. As of late May 2026, I remain undecided as to whether to produce more episodes, but I would like to do it.
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Episodes:
Episode One - Eight Years
In the premiere episode of The Southern Extension, Eight Years, I tell the story of what became of the person that the character Oliver was based. It is the true story. The story begins on New Year's Eve 2009 in New York. A feeling comes over me and I renew my final search for Oliver that began decades before. It is a search that concludes in 2018 as I was writing my first novel, Dweller On The Boundary.
Episode Two - Straight From The Heart
This episode is about what character in my books is my favorite and why. I discuss the real person that inspired the character, how they were in person and where we fit on the social spectrum of the mid 1980s. The character may or may not have been my favorite person growing up, but I loved basing a character on them. This person was very similar to me. I also discuss one of the themes behind my novels that may not be so obvious.
It is impossible to capture an entire life story no matter how much we might try. In my books I condensed many stories from my life into more compact and cohesive narratives. Life is not always cohesive and it does not always speak to a larger theme, but through art we try. In this episode of The Southern Extension, Faith, I tell an important true story from 1983 that I edited out of Dweller On The Boundary. It is a story about faith, dreams, hope and loss.
This story is from 1984 and is the true story of how I met the character named Rowe and the events that precipitated Blackout Log from Dweller On The Boundary. Possibly without any one of these events happening then I might never have met three boys in the woods.
In the sixth episode of The Southern Extension, This Is Not A Game, I discuss the unexpected pressure, questions and other reactions that came after Dweller On The Boundary. I thought I was prepared for them, but I was mistaken. My life became a game to some readers and I never imagined that perspective. I became disillusioned, hurt and angry. It gave me pause from sharing some stories in Terminal Wake and Uncivil X. It meant that I could not write as honestly and fearlessly as I wanted.