Category Archives: Commentary
The Great Sandwich Conspiracy, or I Need Instructions for THAT!?!
Has anyone else noticed that lunch-meat packages now include instructions on how to make a sandwich? I won’t pick on a brand, because its on most of them. Do people really need help to figure out how to slap some … Continue reading
Getting Messy: Some Thoughts on the Good Samaritan
I am not a Biblical scholar. Not even close. In fact, I have a friend I ask when I need a Bible reference for my writing. Nevertheless, I find myself thinking about the parable of the Good Samaritan and how … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Myself and I
Tagged connections, Good Samaritan, Kate Collins, Talk to Strangers
Leave a comment
(Don’t) Talk to Strangers!
Tonight, I participated in a great event organized by Kate Collins, a Ph.D. candidate in Art Education who is teaching an undergraduate class focused on the intersection of art, community, and dialog. I had been to a couple small events … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Myself and I
Tagged Art, Columbus, Kate Collins, Talk with Strangers
3 Comments
If you only read one book … The Silla Project
As some of you know, I spend part of my time editing works of other novelists. Different editors have different strengths – mine is word flow and characters. I try to make it so you forget that you are reading … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Review
Tagged Eric Hoffer Award, fiction, John C. Brewer, Montaigne Medal, North Korea, novel, Suspense, The Silla Project
Leave a comment
Book Review Integrity: My Pledge
Readers deserve better. The world of book reviews – those little snippets people scan when determining if a novel is one they might like – has turned nasty. I have never considered novelists to be in competition with each other … Continue reading
Random Thanks for Ripples
I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. I see no reason that my commitment to eating better or exercising will have more weight today than on any other day of the year. Nevertheless, today I find myself making … Continue reading
Evil is Among Us
Evil show its hand this week in the horrific form of a dangerous mentally ill young man gunning down six and seven year old children in a school. While we may never know the exact history or nature of this … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary
Leave a comment
New Adults (and the Rest of Us) Deserve Better
“So Tell me a Book That’s Like Your Latest Novel?” I dislike that question because I sound completely inept and uninformed when I fumble the answer. I know of very few “comparables” to Foreseen. More correctly, I am aware of only … Continue reading
Adversity: The Source of Contentment
I have a good life. An amazing life. A wonderful husband, a son who has grown into a fine young man, friends, health, a nice house, a home gym. I’ve got it all. I even took the entire summer off … Continue reading
Why I Cried at Beauty And The Beast
My son had turned one when Disney released its original Beauty And The Beast in 1991. I was enthralled with the fact that Belle – the main character in a mainstream animated movie – was intelligent. In fact, it was … Continue reading →