"Reading is the creative center of a writer's life." — Stephen King
December 4, 2024
In 1999, the New York Times ran an article about “probably the most popular poet in America” – Billy Collins – and his unprecedented six-figure publishing contract for three books. The backlash … Read More
November 26, 2024
What is it like to be a poet? If you have the ideal education, can you make a career of it? This novel shows us four people who attempt to do … Read More
November 11, 2024
Like Pride and Prejudice, this book opens with a lie. It says, “This is the story of Bob Burgess.” The truth is that it’s the story of Bob, Lucy, Olive, Margaret, William, Jim, and Pam… Read More
October 31, 2024
There are two groups of readers who will love this book. Descendants of Norwegian immigrants (like me) who have grown up hearing about wanting to go back to Norway someday will recognize … Read More
October 24, 2024
As a writer, few things give me more pleasure than discovering an excellent writer. Kate Roberts wrote her novels, short stories, and autobiography in Welsh, which meant that most of the English-speaking world … Read More
October 10, 2024
This quote is from the poem “Fern Hill,” written by Dylan Thomas, one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time. My Welsh Airbnb host included it in his description of the changeable weather, which is … Read More
September 23, 2024
This sentence comes at the end of the first paragraph. We see that while everything seems okay, it’s not. Something has ended, and the protagonist is upset. Keegan is reluctant to spell it … Read More
September 12, 2024
The title of this novel comes from a gut-wrenching scene in Macbeth, where the central character mourns his wife’s death and wants his now-meaningless existence to come to an end. (And it … Read More
August 29, 2024
A review of “Poems from the Winter House” in 100 words by Catherine Stover
Daniel Smith’s poetry readings draw people who have never been to a poetry reading before. They come to hear him describe farming and his decision to finally sell his ancestral home and discontinue … Read More
August 21, 2024
Eva Gayle Six is an American author of historical fiction that few have heard of. Her novel, Jennie’s Tiger: A woman’s pioneering stand in an untamed corner of Washington state, is based on the life of … Read More
July 31, 2024
This book is not for those who like to keep things simple. Zadie Smith is curious, she asks questions, and she zigzags her way through ideas to explore multiple perspectives. Her great talent is to do this … Read More
July 18, 2024
This quote expresses the tension in Small Things Like These, which is about the terrible choice the Irish coal merchant, Furlong, must make between self-preservation and self-respect. Either way, he stands a chance … Read More
June 30, 2024
This is one of my favorite lines in American literature. It’s blunt and clear, even though it’s from a book that is neither blunt nor clear. Reading Requiem for a Nun requires participating in … Read More
June 15, 2024
When Kyoko Mori writes about her love for her cats and birds, she doesn’t hold back. Her devotion is unquestionably…well…obsessive. It’s tempting to see her in that light only. However, in an interview, Mori … Read More
May 31, 2024
In the weeks since Alice Munro’s death, I’ve been thinking about this paradox: While she won the Nobel Prize and the highest respect of reviewers, she never won the hearts of the mass market audience. Why? Hmmm . . . should we start by thinking about the … Read More