(This essay was broadcast on Milwaukee Public Radio on August 9, 2011. Have a listen here. Or go ahead and keep on reading…) Flashback to the late ‘80s. The flight from Sydney to LA, still parked at the gate, is going to be full, I can tell. But I’ve lucked out and am comfortably perched […]
Posts Tagged ‘literary fiction’
Jane Eyre-ity
Sunday, July 24th, 2011Lightning strikes
Thursday, June 9th, 2011This review was published in the very cool, new Washington Independent Review of Books on June 9, 2011. WIRB is highly recommended. Lightning By Jean Echenoz, The New Press, 142 pages Thomas Edison, masterminding a dubious turn-of-the 20th century media event, staged the electrocution death of Topsy, an unfortunate Coney Island elephant, on January 4, 1903. […]
Hipper than you – A Visit From the Goon Squad
Thursday, December 16th, 2010Elvis Costello released his third album in the snowy winter of 1979. In those days, Elvis was known as a ‘new wave’ rocker, not ‘punk,’ not mainstream, but hard to define, left of center, quirky. Kicking off side two of Armed Forces was a vaguely martial, grim tale of trying to make it as a […]
Vonnegut’s shapes of stories
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010Somewhere, Kurt Vonnegut wrote that writers should begin a story, any story, novel, whatever, as close as possible to the end. At least, I think he said that. Did I dream that? Anyway, great advice. And here’s a fine little chalk talk by Mr. Vonnegut. He’s talking about the simple shapes of stories. Entertaining and […]
