The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has reinstituted Shira law in his largely Muslim country.  Now, the likelihood a child could lose a hand for stealing an apple is real.  Sex without a marriage license will carry the death penalty as will homosexual behavior.  The weight of t

A roman a` clef is a story of real people and real life but one given the gloss of fiction. Somerset Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence mirrors the life of artist, Paul Gauguin, for example. Tender is the Night by Scott Fitzgerald and Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe are two other n

Lucille, a character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, that classic exploration of power and money, shrugs when her expensive dress is torn at a party. “I never care what I do, so I always have a good time.” (3.23-25). Not caring seems to be the hallmark of som