A Narrative Grid Meets The AI Future

 July 24, 2026

   Headin' up the hill this afternoon. Going to be giving a talk on The Importance of Art in Print at the Phippen Art Museum tomorrow. When I go there—in my mind—I invariably hit on a certain crossroads in my past.

E.J. Montini's Arizona Republic column

   This was in 1994 after an eight year run as a Morning Drive Personality on KSLX in Scottsdale. I came in on a fluke (as a guest on the show) and went out on a fluke (tepid ratings). But god bless E.J. because he was correct, the firing forced me to get serious about my art and it led indirectly to here.

Daily Whip Outs: "A Narrative Grid"

     Not to mention this little fledgling publication:

Just one of the 260 covers I helped create

   One important aspect of my professional life was never far from the surface and it has haunted and taunted me ever since.

Daily Whip Out: "A Drummer In Darkness"

Yes, I was a drummer in many an Old Pueblo honkytonk (1966-1977) and I certainly got an eyeful—and an earful—of sordid scenes.You can expect to see a story or two about this infamous chapter in my life on a narrative grid. Well, beyond what I have already done.

Donna Jean and Honkytonk Sue

make a toast to our AI future

My Checkered Past Meets The AI Future

   I am not afraid of AI and, in fact I am excited about taking this new machinery and conjuring meaning out of predictable nonsense and unleashing stories we can't quite yet imagine. 

   I am simply fulfilling my earlier edict to my staff: tell better stories.

"Why worry about history being erased when we're all so busy repeating it?"

—Old Vaquero Saying