Category Archives: Whatever

A FOOLISH TOWN? OR JUST  SOME FOOLISH FOLKS?

Nobody’s Fool. Everybody’s Fool. Somebody’s Fool. Well, every book Richard Russo writes proves that none of those characterization apply to him. Russo earned the Pulitzer Prize when he wrote about a town called Empire Falls, but when he penned Nobody’s … Continue reading

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Tough, Beguiling, Captivating: The Somewhat Devilish Path of Ben Fountain’s “Devil Makes Three”

“The country has a coup, and Tommy Rittenhouse throws a fuckfest.” And there you have it. Early on, exactly at p. 12 of Devil Makes Three, Ben Fountain uses Matt, his major male character (of many, many important characters, both … Continue reading

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Vladimir Nabokov’s Enduring, Magical Lexical Flim-Flammery

Ah, words! Those of you who remember that I wrote a novel called Problems of Translation will hardly be surprised that the sounds as well as the meanings of those pesky little tools for constructing sentences are very close to … Continue reading

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Jim Story & Matthew Lansburgh -Tuesday, Dec. 4th at the Cornelia St. Café!

Hello, all! I hope you’ve had a sparkling Thanksgiving holiday weekend! It was certainly a cold Thanksgiving Day here in NYC! But here’s something that will warm your holiday season no matter what the weather! On Tuesday, December 4th  I’ll be … Continue reading

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On Jan. 29th, Come Brighten the New Year With Us!

Coming soon, an event about which I’m very excited!   On Monday, January 29th, 6-7:30 pm at the Cornelia Street Café, I’ll be reading from two works of fiction: my newly completed novel, The Condor’s Shadow (a story of twisted courage and … Continue reading

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Michael Chabon’s Moonglow: A Novel Shines From Within

Michael Chabon, of course, needs no introduction. But you may wonder whether his latest book, Moonglow: A Novel, is  actually a novel or a memoir. He calls this work a novel in the title itself and so it is, but … Continue reading

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“Maud’s Line”: A Terrifying, Heart-Tugging Tale of A Hard-Scrabble Life

Eastern Oklahoma in the 1920s, in an area inhabited mostly by Cherokees. This is the setting for Margaret Verble’s remarkable, heart-breaking yet ultimately life-affirming first novel, Maud’s Line. Why did this book’s title grab me so sharply? First, because I … Continue reading

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THIS JUST IN! FROM THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

“Exceptional, original, deftly crafted from beginning to end, “Problems of Translation: or Charlie’s Comic, Terrifying, Romantic, Loopy Round-the-World Journey in Search of Linguistic Happiness” is an inherently fascinating, unique, funny, and compelling read that is very highly recommended, especially for … Continue reading

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Colum McCann’s Wonderful Recent Collection

[I wrote this back in October. But after I mentioned it today to a fairly regular reader of this blog, and noticed the puzzled look on her face, I checked back and found that I’d actually never published it. So here it is now. … Continue reading

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Guess What! Cover of Publishers Weekly!

Hey, guys! Sorry to toot my own horn, but I’m on the cover of Publishers Weekly! Well, not me, exactly, but my book, Problems of Translation. I feel quite thrilled to see that image of my book staring up at … Continue reading

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