ODE TO EAGER HEARTS IN AN ELECTRONIC WORLD In Shakespeare’s tragic/comic play, “Merchant of Venice” there is a song which asks:                          “Tell me where is fancy bred,                                 Or in

A few of you who have been following my blogs have asked about my new book, Trompe l’ Oeil.  Thank you for your interest and yes, there has been a delay in the publication dates due to production problems.  There will be an official announcement later but for those who asked,

RIDING THE WAVE There are a great many changes going on in the publishing world and Keith Gessen’s article, “The Book on Publishing” in the October issue of “Vanity Fair” documents that change pretty well. Technology is making it possible for publishers to reach vast audien

WHEN THE 1000 LB SHARK ISN’T SCARY A friend recently sent me an article from the “New York Times” concerning Amazon’s electronic bookstore. For those who pay no attention to such things, authors are ranked with the company based on the number of sales per day, per week

MY GRIPES OF WRATH  When I majored in philosophy as an undergraduate, I was introduced to the writings of Emanuel Kant. To this day, I remember his apparent glee as he wrote that his work would be unintelligible to most people, believing as he did, that he was too clever for the fool

A LITTLE HUMILITY, PLEASE Once I took a course on Ernest Hemingway from a professor who made us read all his writings and most of the significant criticism about him — of which there is a great deal. Like flotsam and jetsam more articles continue to appear in an incessant tide.

THE PRICE OF JUSTICE Farrah Fawcett earned a well-deserved Emmy nomination in 1984 for her portrayal of a battered wife who murders her husband in “The Burning Bed,” adapted from Faith McNulty’s nonfiction book. (Tisch/Avnet Productions) This gruesome story struck a nerve in the

INSECURITY: NOT JUST FOR WOODY ALLEN Sometimes a thing seems profound simply because it doesn’t make sense. I’ve already recounted my story about the mathematical genius who told me he knew he was crazy when he saw people sitting in their cars stopped at a red light.  To this da

FOR THE PRICE OF A BAG OF CHESTNUTS SHAKESPEARE BECAME KING  An acquaintance of mine, Jody Seay, recently released a memoir about growing up in Texas. It’s called “Dead in the Ditch.”  I haven’t finished reading it but I’ve enjoyed the journey so far and have smiled along

WHY CUCKOO BIRDS SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO FLY Sometimes I wonder “Is it me or has the world gone crazy?” At such moments I take comfort from the great works of literature that have asked the same question. David Wright asked it in his play, “Marat/Sade”  (blog post 8/3/201