As I read the latest edition of The New Republic which featured remarks about three writers — FranzKafka, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Virginia Woolf — I concluded they all agreed that writing is work. Kafka struggled deep into the night so that he might labor without distr
Silly as it seems, I’ve begun to feel a growing curiosity about the fate of my books. (See blog 1/13/14) I wonder where they go when they are sold. Did the readers enjoy them? Were the books shared with friends or left abandoned in the rain? (See blog 12/6/13) Recently o
It’s been 25 years since Salman Rushdie published his novel Satanic Verses and Iran’s head of state, the Ayatollah Khomeini, responded by charging him with blasphemy and placing a death sentence upon his head. Not surprisingly, Rushdie went into hiding when he heard the news. Th
A few day ago, Susan Stoner, author of the Sage Adair Mystery Series, her husband-cameraman husband George Slanina and I met to tape the first 4 videos of our new book series, Just Read It. Laurelhurst Village Assisted Living served as our host and we were joined by four guests to d
Writer Michael Kingsley thinks one reason print newspapers may be headed for extinction like the dinosaur isn’t because of electronic competition but because of demographics. According to him, the older generation, accustomed to print media, is giving way to younger readers who are
It’s official. Sherlock Holmes no longer belongs to Conan Doyle. He belongs to the world. So ruled a federal judge in Chicago last December when the estate of Sir Arthur sued Leslie Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, over copyright violations. The ruling fol
My last blog about Woman on the Scarlet Beast dealt with the endless rejections a writer must face. (4/8/14) In the case of my play, it would be more accurate to say it was not so much rejected as ignored. I can understand cronyism. In the tightly knit world of theater, an unknown
Whether it’s a box of cereal or George Clooney, branding is critical to break into the public eye. (See Blogs 1/21/13, & 8/2/13) But unless you’re a steer how do you manage it, especially if you’re a blogger working at home? I thought I’d find the answer in an article enti
I mentioned earlier that Susan Stoner, author of the Sage Adair mystery series, and I are preparing for our YouTube book program, “Just Read it.” Our first 5 airings begin with a review of top paperback sellers listed in the New York Times. Recently, she and I met to compare notes
Woman on the Scarlet Beast will be produced in January 2015 and since I made that announcement, readers have queried me about what it takes to get a play staged. As this will be my first and probably my last work for theater, I’ve decided to document the process and publish the epis