Blessing of the Storm
There is a snow storm coming, and The Best Beloved is leaving this afternoon for a business trip. (I forecast dreadful weather by his business trips.) This makes me restless and nervous. I used to love storms and filthy weather of all kinds. But as I grow older and worry about falls on icy roads,…
Read MoreA Year In Books (2015) Part 2
Okay… here’s the next whack of books from last year’s reading. (You can see the first 25 by clicking here.) 26. THE PARIS REVIEW BOOK OF PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS — Wonderful addition to any library. Denis Johnson’s story is BRILLIANT. Masterclass for writers. 27. AWAY by Amy Bloom. – As big, complicated, beautiful, awful, funny, despairing and…
Read MoreA Year In Books, Part 1
I love reading other people’s book lists, learning what they liked and didn’t. It makes me feel I know them a bit better, and often alerts me to books I may have missed (or helps me avoid books I won’t like). So, in that spirit, here’s the first 25 of the 71 books I read…
Read MoreWhat a Year.
As 2014 comes to an end, I feel an urge to slam the door and say, “Good riddance!” It’s been a difficult year for many people, myself included, starting on Jan. 2, 2014 with the death of my mother, and quickly thereafter the death of a dear friend’s father, and then another dear friend’s father,…
Read MoreYear End Literary Pressure
It’s that time of year again — all the “Best Of” lists are coming out, and the annual reading challenges are coming to an end. Oh, the pressure. I have found at least a dozen books I must read, books I long to read… and that means I have to find yet another bookshelf to…
Read MoreThe Life That Is Waiting For Us (might just be here)
E.M. Forster wrote, “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Change is inevitable, and the wisest words in all the world are these, this, too, shall pass. For better for for worse, nothing lasts. We live in a…
Read MoreWhat You Were Meant For…
Perhaps it’s not surprising, given the state of literature these days, but I’m often asked why I write, you know, in that sort of, Why bother? What are you, a masochist? sort of way. Well, the easy answer is that I can’t seem to stop, and speaks of a certain mental compulsion, perhaps neurosis. I’m…
Read MoreBecause We All Doubt
In my office I have a wall on which My Best Beloved has hung various highlights from my career as a writer. Great reviews, awards, newspapers articles, photos from meaningful events and so forth. At first, I didn’t want him to do this. It seemed like boasting. I feared if anyone saw it, they would…
Read MoreBooklikes Interview — Part II
Last week I told you I was interviewed by the kind folks at Booklikes.com (You can read Part I of the interview here.) Well, the second part of the interview is now up, and if you’re interested in things like book recommendations, a couple of inspirational quotes and some writing advice… just click here! Thanks,…
Read MoreBooklikes Interview
I love Booklikes.com. I hopped over there after Amazon purchased Goodreads, since I didn’t like the idea of the monster retailer using the site to gather reader data. Booklikes.com continues to grow and to add features every week. They are responsive to readers and lovely to deal with. You can look up reviews, follow people…
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