David Barr Kirtley

Science fiction author and podcaster

  • Home
  • Bio
  • Stories
  • Books & Magazines
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Contact

Subtlety

February 1, 2007 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

My mind is still boggling from the fact that someone in my fiction workshop last night was able to utter the following comment without detecting any double entendre: “I liked the sex scene. It was subtle. You didn’t try to shove anything down our throats.”

Speaking of, I don’t normally read the Daily Trojan (the campus paper), but I picked up one recently on a whim and read the following headline: “Pantsless Man Caught Masturbating in Leavey Library.” The story is full of odd details, such as: “He told us that he had left his pants in Doheny Library earlier in the night. To this date, the pants haven’t been found.” Also: “Witnesses then positively identified him as who they had seen in the library,” which makes me imagine a lineup and a witness saying, “Boy, I’m really not sure, officer. It was dark. If I had to guess, I’d say maybe it was that one there, number 4, the one with no pants.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by author David Barr Kirtley and produced by Lightspeed Magazine editor John Joseph Adams. The show features conversations about fantasy & science … Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

David on Social Media

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by author David Barr Kirtley and produced by Lightspeed Magazine editor John Joseph Adams. The show features conversations about fantasy & science … Read more

“The Skull-Faced Boy”

By David Barr Kirtley

View Book

“Family Tree”

By David Barr Kirtley

View Book

  • Home
  • Bio
  • Stories
  • Books & Magazines
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Contact

Recent Posts

  • Roger Barr
  • Noah Manners
  • Top 10 Geeky YouTube Videos
  • Felicia Day Issues a Geek Call to Arms
  • Alpha Workshop Readings 2013

Roger Barr

My grandfather Roger Barr passed away early this morning at the age of 98. He was my mom’s father, and was my last surviving grandparent. He was being cared for by my uncle Steve (his son) and aunt Denice — both medical professionals — and was still sharp and good-humored in his final days. Yesterday […]

David on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Deviant Art
  • Goodreads
  • Amazon

David Barr Kirtley

David Barr Kirtley is the host of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast, for which he’s interviewed over four hundred guests, including George R. R. Martin, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, Simon Pegg, Margaret Atwood, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin. His short fiction appears in the book Save Me Plz and Other Stories.
Content © 2025 David Barr Kirtley unless noted. Site by Sunray Computer.