Month: June 2006
-
Selected Shorts III
Here’s a review of an oldie – one of the last classics for awhile – The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar was largely autobiographical, its main character, Esther, like Sylvia Plath, bedeviled by depression. As the book began, I thought I was going to be in for a female version of F.…
-
More Thoughts on Non-fiction and Where Those Thoughts Lead
I recently received a copy of a litmag, Cooweescoowee, from Rogers State University, containing a personal essay of mine – a memoir. The magazine published it as fiction. I had told the editor twice that it was a nonfiction piece, but now here it is – fiction, proclaimed so in print. The piece has to…
-
Two Reviews and a Random Thought
House Made of Dawn, by N. Scott Momaday It's hard to critique a Pulitzer winner – if you’re a writer, you’ll probably be making the smacking sounds of one eating sour grapes. But any criticism I may have to offer of House Made of Dawn will barely register in comparison to what Momaday accomplished with…
-
My Son’s Story, by Nadine Gordimer
One wins a Nobel or a Pulitzer for the best of reasons. The recipients are selected for outstanding achievements in their fields, some for singular acts, discoveries, or stands for betterment of an imperfect world. At other times, the awards honor a lifetime of such achievements. I recently discovered South African writer Nadine Gordimer, who…
-
Writerly Helpful Hints, Part 1
I’m writing fiction again – until school begins again, that is – so I thought this would be a good time to share some of the most essential writing points I’ve amassed over the years. Most beginning writers develop their narrative skills first, but dialogue continues to plague the best of us. The rule of…