Category Archives: writing

On Reading Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”: Is It Really as Bad as They Say?

Posted on May 4, 2013 by williamjcobb

So in The Writer’s World (imagine an alternate universe of eggheads, wannabes, dreamers, drinkers, and too-often-self-obsessed thinkers) Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code (2003) has a reputation about on par with Ed Wood movies or, for a more … Continue reading →

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Review of Jim Crace’s “Harvest”

Posted on March 12, 2013 by williamjcobb

So my review of Jim Crace’s new novel, Harvest, appeared Sunday in the Dallas Morning News, here. I liked the book, mainly for its style more than its subject or story, which was taken to task in an interesting review … Continue reading →

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Review of Kevin Grauke’s “Shadows of Men,” Plus a Northern Harrier To Boot

Posted on December 19, 2012 by williamjcobb

So last Sunday my review of Kevin Grauke’s debut collection of short stories, Shadows of Men, appeared in the Dallas Morning News, here. It’s an excellent book—at times funny, at times touching, and pretty much hits the nail on the … Continue reading →

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Interview on Montana Public Radio About “The Bird Saviors”

Posted on November 27, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’m busy with writing a new novel and haven’t made much time for posting here lately, though I’ve been busy rereading Pete Dexter’s Paris Trout (1988) while also reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), as both are … Continue reading →

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Where Do You Live? What Do You Do? & Other Ways to Define a Person

Posted on November 14, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’m working on a new novel, which is really the only part about being a writer I like. I was just visiting a friend who went to one of my readings and commented on how cool it was to … Continue reading →

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On Jessica Karbowiak’s “These Things I Know” & Simon Winchester in the NY Times

Posted on October 3, 2012 by williamjcobb

So one of my former students, Jessica Karbowiak, has a knockout book out right now, titled These Things I Know. And though I know much about the book I don’t want to be a Spoiler and give it all away, … Continue reading →

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Review of David McGlynn’s “A Door in the Ocean”

Posted on August 27, 2012 by williamjcobb

So my review of David McGlynn’s just-published memoir, A Door in the Ocean, appears today in the Dallas Morning News, here. It’s a good book, and gives an interesting insider’s viewpoint of competitive swimming, how grueling and isolating it can … Continue reading →

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“The Bird Saviors” Imagines Another Dust Bowl: Could This Happen Again?

Posted on July 10, 2012 by williamjcobb

So one of the tricks of writing a novel set in the “near future” is that whatever reality you come up with should be relevant, conceivable, and interesting, and of course I hope I’ve pulled that off in my new … Continue reading →

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Fireworks for Summer People: A Tale of Summer Mayhem

Posted on July 6, 2012 by williamjcobb

So seeing as we’re living through the worst wildfire season in Colorado history, our annual fireworks show in the town of Westcliffe was canceled due to a Stage 2 fire ban. I missed it. As a kid, fireworks were a … Continue reading →

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Fires, Plagues of Locusts, and Chiggers: Signs of the Apocalypse in Colorado, Or Is That Global Warming in Your Pocket?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I believe in the biblical apocalypse as much as I do the Tooth Fairy, but replace the word “apocalypse” with “global warming” and we’re onto something real. The back roads of Custer County, Colorado are now covered with swarms … Continue reading →

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