Latest reviews
Two Novels that Strike Close to Home: On Finding Oneself in a Book
The novel Disclaimer uses a “book-within-a-book” literary device and that got my attention as I’m now finishing a novel in which I use the same literary device.
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The Philosophy of Marvin Goodspeed
The Regular, the new novel by Dave Buckhout, is a philosophical novel, and its main protagonist, Marvin Goodspeed, is a philosopher. That said, what is the philosophy of…
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Grave Seas and A Syrian Riddle
“For a Syrian, like myself, the whole road to my country has been, and always will be, filled with fatal riddles and dangerous words.”-Hussam Eddin Baramo
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Interviews
The Writer’s Journey
The Beach and the Blues
“A Train Whistle Blows” was my first short story that was not conceived and developed from first-hand experiences or any individual(s) that I’ve encountered, known, read about, interacted with, or heard about. I purposely veered away from farming and harvesting a story from the…
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A Matter of Serendipity
Today, I am reveling, writing in Edith Wharton’s house, The Mount. It’s quiet. I am sitting at a small table in front of a window in the room on the third floor that was Henry James’ bedroom.
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Any Road Will Take You There
In an album released after his death in 2001, George Harrison shared this wonderful observation: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” When I think about the past seven years and my writing journey, Harrison’s words resonate.
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Twenty-Eight Years and Counting
Seed of Doubt, my novel in progress, was inspired by a true crime that I researched for more than a year with the intention of writing an article for a Philadelphia Inquirer series. However, after reading 2,000 pages of trial transcripts, examining boxes of police records, and interviewing…
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Essays
Liu Xiaobo: Tyranny, Freedom of Conscience, and the Incompleteness of the Individual
After Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, I followed the news about him—this dissident public intellectual who had given the Chinese government a major headache. Having read many books about nonviolent thought and action, I sensed that Liu Xiaobo’s life and writing could deepen my understanding further: He believed that words followed by action could change the direction of a country.
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The End of the Beginning: Building the Structural Foundation
When I write, I have a plot sketched out in my mind and sometimes laying out the groundwork can be laborious and even boring. It’s essential, though, that I push my way through the initial drudgery and progress to the middle and the end of the story. When I finally type “The End,” I know I’m deluding myself. It’s only the end of the beginning. Usually at that point I am weary of the story…
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Tell Me a Fractal
Think of a snowflake forming around a molecule of water clinging to a tiny particle of something, how it blossoms and diverges as other molecules join in, seeking their hexagonal destiny, becoming a perfect thing of beauty. Then think of it melting, its sharp edges blurring, its interstices blotting out until it plops to earth. That’s a story, right there, in full surround. Matter, space…
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What is the longform book review?
The Longform Book Review
The longform book reviews on bookscover2cover are narrative, descriptive and analytical. Through a close reading of the text, the reviewer identifies themes and motifs embedded in the text and examines contextual information to verify facts. To develop a coherent argument in favor of the book, the reviewer offers readers insight, not mere judgement.
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What is the longform book review?
The Longform Book Review
The longform book reviews on bookscover2cover are narrative, descriptive and analytical. Through a close reading of the text, the reviewer identifies themes and motifs embedded in the text and examines contextual information to verify facts. To develop a coherent argument in favor of the book, the reviewer offers readers insight, not mere judgement.
Share