I mentioned a book on Friday in my blog that was published in 1872 by Samuel Butler. The novel was one a philosophy teacher often referred to during my undergraduate days. For some reason, I never forgot the weird plot about treating the sick as criminals. Friday, I wanted to referen

One of my favorite short stories is Edgar Allen Poe’s,“Masque of the Red Death.” The plot centers around a medieval prince and his courtiers who retreat to a walled castle, hoping to protect themselves from a plague that is raging across the land. “Magic Mountain” andCamu

Gothic Spring just received a wonderful review from another important book critic.  http://www.rebeccasreads.com/Reviews/ReviewMillerGothicSpring.html Sorry, just to good and important to be modest about

Louis H. Lapham published an article in “Harper’s” recently that cut through the current campaign rhetoric and brought a little common sense to all us hand-wringers. If we listen to political candidates or to the media, America is on its last legs. Our democracy is mortally wo

Not long ago, I read one of those lost dog stories that ends happily. As a plot, the narrative wasn’t remarkable except that it was true. What gave the account its cachet was that it happened in New York, a city famous as the home of the lonely crowd. I don’t agree with that lab

Technology seems to be advancing ahead of the words necessary to describe the resulting changes. One area has kept pace, however: the publishing industry. Laser printing has made publishing highly affordable. Self-publishing houses are thriving and thousands of books are being writte

Tomorrow’s blog separates the cons from the art.  Writer’s check in.

I sat down with my grilled cheese sandwich yesterday to read the winning essay from a women’s magazine contest. The woman wrote about her husband’s troubled return from Iraq. Certainly, her subject touched countless numbers of families and the opening paragraph was gripping. I e

May 31, 2012 TECHNOLOGY TO DREAD “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recovering from Identity Theft” by attorney Mari Frank is a far, far greater horror story than Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein.”  Given today’s technology crooks can invade your private records as easily as s

If I had another life, it might be fun to run a virtual book tour company, putting writers and readers together. The one I used to advertise my novel, “Gothic Spring,” could certainly use come a little competition. Here’s how I would start: To begin with, an organizer needs t