THIS UNNAMED GEOLOGICAL formation is the likely result of wind, rain and time eroading away surface material to expose what at one time would have lava (magma) that had cooled and solidified. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
COMING INTO OR out of the Chisos Mountains, this is the northwest view and is several miles south of Panther Junction and the headquarters for Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THE CLARET CUP is covered in barbed spines and blooms a reddish, cup-shaped flower from about April to June or July in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THIS VIEW FROM a formation called, “The Window,” looks out from the westside of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
INDIAN HEAD MOUNTAIN and its southern region offers this “leaning” wall of geology at the western boundary of Big Bend National Park. The rocks of the foreground are boulders ranging from man-sized on up. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
MASSIVE AND TOWERING, this wall of the geology is at least a couple of hundrend feet high and situated in the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
WIDE-OPEN PANORAMAS and mountainous terrain such as this are routine along roadside in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THE SOUTHWEST SIDE of the Chisos Mountains, also known as the Chisos Mountain Basin and home to the lodge in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2011 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A FALLEN TREE is an impassable barrier in an otherwise debris-free dry riverbed in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
INDIGENOUS TO TEXAS, New Mexico and Arizona, Javelinas in Big Bend National Park genetically differ from swine. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
LOST MINE TRAIL in Big Bend National Park, looking southward over Juniper Canyon, the Chisos Mountain’s Northeast Rim and into Mexico. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A TREE SILHOUETTED against the night sky as seen from Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
THIS VIEW EAST of a volcano is an illusion of the setting sun streaming through the Chisos Basin area behind Casa Grande Peak in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
WRIGHT MOUNTAIN in background at Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A VIEW WESTWARD after sundown from the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson. All Rights Reserved.
A CAMERA COMPENSATION for the limited light after sundown provides this view westward from the Indian Head area of Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson/Camera One. All Rights Reserved.
SANTA ELENA CANYON after sunset, as seen from the Chimneys in Big Bend National Park. Copyright © 2010 by DL Tolleson/Camera One. All Rights Reserved.

DL Tolleson.com

Author, Photographer, Researcher, Artist, Adventurer and Buccaneer Extraordinaire

“Or at least that’s the plan each morning after coffee.”

Compendium. (Kŏm•pĕn′dĭ•ŭm) also (kəm-'pen-dē-əm), noun; A brief compilation, or composition containing the principle heads, general principles or substance of a larger work, system or body of work. Refer to the drop-down menu at the above link, Compendium (or if the page is collapsed, the link, Open Navigation and then the link Compendium). Every title, description and link of the Compendium drop-down menu is also linked from the Map page of this website.

The Great American Novel Blog

JANUARY 21, 2021

• The Storm, Hollywood, Censorship and Vitamin C

2020 was a heck of a year and 2021 is already turning out to be more than capable of making life suck. To paraphrase a meme I recently saw: “I don’t need the full 30-day trial period. I am returning 2021 for a refund.” Or as I wrote on Facebook yesterday...

My phone just buzzed.

      I looked to see the message reading, “Emergency Alerts. This is a test of the Commercial Mobile Alert System...”

      Whew, I thought. Thank God. 2021 is only a test!

—https://www.facebook.com/dl.tolleson/posts/10157511414866373

Not to scare the wits out of you, but I expect this year to be 2020 on steroids. It’s the “slain” movie villain on which the protagonist has turned his back. And you know how that goes; much worse than before. So buckle up and batten down the hatches. There’s a storm coming and like Sarah Connor, I know it is not a weather event. Just sayin’.

At any rate, for the past couple of years I’ve been busy with just about everything but writing the sequel to The Gray Stopgap. Oh, sure, I’ve been occasionally chipping away at it. But I don’t feel any closer to the end than the range of 75% to 90% that I think I’ve reported. And recent events have repeated the same problem that plagued The Gray stopgap. In other words I have to really work at it to avoid reality from catching-up to my plots before publishing.

Other than this, there hasn’t been any novel-related news since the movie surprise of 2016 and the website update of 2019—both described in the 2019 entry that I’ve left on this page below (even though it is now, finally, archived).

It took me quite a while to get over that news. I guess it doesn’t hurt anyone to now report the name of the production company with which I corresponded. It was Josephson Entertainment, the production company of Barry Josephson. Among titles in their list of films is, Ricochet, The Last Boy Scout, and Wild Wild West (all in the 1990s). A couple of their more “recently” recognized film productions are Enchanted (2007) and Dirty Grandpa (2016). Their list of television production credits is even longer and titles you may recognize are episodes of Fantasy Island (1990s), The Tick (2001-2002, and again 2017-2019), Turn: Washington Spies (2014-2015), and Bones (2005-2017).

I was surprised and pleased with their initial interest in my novel as a potential film project. The only thing exceeding that surprise was my having not heard back from them in spite promises to the contrary. I expected a little more professionalism from such a major Hollywood producer. If my film agent had still been living (God rest her wonderful soul) she would have given them what for!

Oh well, c’est la vie.

I have been fairly active in social media commentary at my Facebook account (linked at the top of this page). But the current atmosphere of censorship is concerning. (Read the introductory commentary about Facebook in my article entitled, Texas Doctor Announces Better Covid-19 Protocol and Cure.) I’m toying with the idea of using a new social media platform.

One thing I’m really worked-up about (still) is Vitamin C. No, really. They stuff is miraculously amazing. For years I have taken, as well as recommended it. However most people simply do not believe in the curative power of this stuff. And the public’s disbelief has been reinforced by the ignorant arrogance of many physicians. And by “ignorance,” I mean that many of them haven’t actually researched the clinical documentation regarding successful high dosage treatments. “Arrogance” of course means just that; the stereotypical hubris that seems part and parcel of the medical profession.

But the information is out there for the reading.

So I decided to make some of that information more readily available. I am collecting and indexing high dosage Vitamin C data so that it may easily be shared. After all, Vitamin C can literally save your life. That is worth knowing.

This will be an ongoing effort and an ever-enlarging collection. I am making available on this website a master list of the titles and including all sorts of related information (including links). I highly recommend it to everyone. It is called Vitamin C Index: Publications, Research and Videos. Or for short, The C-Index.

Well, that’s it for this go-around. More news later.

MAY, 2019

• A New Website and Hollywood...Again

Even though I have been absent from this blog since 2016, events have been neither uneventful nor undocumented.

So, the first and most obvious thing is the new website layout. It has been completely overhauled using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). DLTolleson.com should now adapt to whatever device you use to visit the site (desktop, laptop, pad, phone, etc.).

CSS is amazing but the overhaul was such a massive undertaking that I’ll never have the time, energy or desire to personally do it again. Also, in the past the website was backward compatible with older browsers. But on this go-around it is unknown how far “backward” or with what older browsers the site is now compatible.

The only pages absent from the new site are the film review pages (and I may add them later).

I haven’t shifted my focus for the site, per se. But my absence from this site was the result of my using social media (Facebook) in lieu of this blog and the aforementioned overhaul, which was influenced by film industry interest.

Yes, once again Hollywood came knocking and this last time was—well, judge for yourself…

On February 23, 2016 an e-mail sent to the Mirabella account of this website arrived from a representative of Josephson Entertainment out of Hollywood. The relevant portion of that message read as follows (I’ve redacted names):

Feb. 23, 2016
Re: Film/TV Rights to THE GRAY STOPGAP

I hope this message finds you well. My name is *REDACTED*, I’m an assistant at Josephson Entertainment. I am writing to inquire upon the motion picture rights to your book, above. Are the rights currently available? Do you have an agent we should speak to? And, if possible, could we take a look at the manuscript?

A little more on us:

Josephson has recently produced such films as ENCHANTED and LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. We recently released DIRTY GRANDPA starring Robert De Niro and Zac Efron. We work with all the major studios and TV networks. We currently have two great shows on the air, BONES and TURN.

I think there is great potential in this piece for a film or TV show and would love to speak with you further. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best...
*NAME REDACTED*

Well, that was certainly a bolt out of the blue. The August 2005 death of the wonderful girl who was my film agent (Cynthia Kramer of Lucky Star) kind of took the wind out of my sails and neither my publisher nor I had since solicited Hollywood. The 4th edition was released with no fanfare and no advanced copies for review.

But then here was this inquiry from Hollywood. Surprise. Stunned. Shell-shocked. Take your pick and the word probably describes what everyone from the publisher on down was feeling. But stupid we were not. Mirabella responded, to wit…

Feb. 24, 2016
Re: Film/TV Rights to THE GRAY STOPGAP

Thank you for your interest in the film rights to The Gray Stopgap.

My name is Mirabella and I’m Mr. Tolleson’s assistant.

To answer your questions: Yes, film rights are available. He currently does not have an agent. While I’m not certain of all the details, the only manuscript available is the book, which is now being re-released. I’d be happy to send you a copy. To whom and where would you like it sent?

Neither a film treatment or a screen play has been written. If I recall correctly, at one time Mr. Tolleson did attempt to write a film treatment. But he quit while he still had hair on his head...

I have to tell you that I did see Dirty Grandpa with my best friend a couple of weeks ago to celebrate my birthday! It just happened to be showing right after our hibachi lunch plans. Painful belly laughs when you’re full!

Anyhow, I’m positive that Tolleson will be interested in regard to film rights for his novel. I am forwarding your message to him and his publisher, The Lighthouse Press LLC.

May I inquire how you came to hear of The Gray Stopgap?

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Sincerely,
Mirabella

Sure, the response was a little chatty, but then no one on this end expected to be dealing with Hollywood.

At any rate, one hour and forty-one minutes later the representative responded! She was pleased Mirabella had enjoyed Dirty Grandpa and indicated they would love to review an electronic copy of The Gray Stopgap. In the alternative she provided their mailing address should we prefer to send a physical copy. She also reported that their Director of Development was the one to find the book and thus was unsure how the book was found. And finally, she wrote that her initial contact was to ensure the book was actually available and that they would read, discuss and get back to Mirabella “ASAP.”

Mirabella sent the electronic copy the next day (February 25, 2016) and just under an hour later the representative confirmed receipt of same. Leaving nothing to chance, I authorized the shipping of the finalize book, Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested on April 2nd, which arrived there on April 4th. Mirabella e-mailed the following morning and received an e-mail confirmation that evening.

And that, dear reader, was the very last we ever heard from Josephson Entertainment. That’s right, this relative giant in the film industry never again contacted us. Zip, zero, nada.

Oh, we tried, alright. I managed to identify the Director of Development—the same person who had taken receipt of the mailed novel—and made note of this in e-mail follow-up correspondence on October 6th and 20th.

All to no avail.

As disappointing as that producer proved to be, the affair is what influenced my decision to again start soliciting Hollywood. And as a result of that, I figured film agents and Hollywood should be able to review the website when we start soliciting them.

Of course all of this impacted the long-awaiting Karns Gray Sequel—as in, pushed it back even further. I’m still working on it and let’s just leave it at that for now.

When I have more to report, it will show up here or on the News page. I hope you enjoy the new website layout and design.