Blog Archive

for posterity and whatnot

Month: April, 2004

The Mayor of Casterbridge

A story of unbridled emotions, rivalry, betrayal, and tragedy that depicts both the weaknesses and foibles of the human heart but also its potential for determintion and dignity.

Past Due by William Lashner

A crime/legal thriller set in Philadelphia tackles drugs, money, power, and sex as well as family dysfunction and the corrosive effects of regret.

Things I should have learned in college; Part II

As if to prove my point about things I should have learned in college, Aaron Haspel offers a discussion of “Free Verse Scansion” over at the God of the Machine. I am able to intellectually understand what he is saying in this post but I don’t really “get it.” MY pathetic knowledge of English as [...]

How well read are you?

There is a new “meme” running through the lit blog community (see here and here) that involves revealing how many literary “classics” you have read. I did this awhile back with the Modern Library’s top 100 English language novels. To further reveal my lack of culture I will use the list provided this time. The [...]

Things I should have learned in college

One of things I became aware of as I got older was a melancholy nature, a sort of soft under-current of regret, about opportunities I passed up when I was younger. Some are rather trivial: why didn’t I learn golf when I could have more easily grooved my swing, or why didn’t I learn to [...]

Quote/Thought of the Day

[I]t is childish to identify with a cause. To advance a cause is fine (depending on the cause); it’s when you weave it into your own self-image that it’s dangerous, because then you can no longer think of it objectively. – Doug at Bandarlog. True or not? Discuss . . .

Talking To Richard by Gary Sherbell

A satirical romp through men’s obsession with sex leaves the reader looking for something more.

Thoughts on amateur book reviewing

Thoughts on the tensions involved in writing book reviews.

From the archives: The Human Factor

A brief review of Graham Green’s The Human Factor. The Cold War fought from behind a desk but just as treacherous.

Truth Spoken in Love

As a follow up to the post below allow me to quote from an interesting book review. In a review of The President of Good and Evil by Peter Singer, Douglas Kern offers some ideas worth pondering. His introduction mirrors my gut feelings: I’m closed-minded. I’ve made up my mind on most major issues, and [...]