Author Archives: williamjcobb

Review of Stefan Merrill Block's "The Storm at the Door"

Posted on July 1, 2011 by williamjcobb

My review of Stefan Merrill Block’s novel The Storm at the Door appeared in the Dallas Morning News last Sunday, and can be found at this url: http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/books/20110624-book-review-the-storm-at-the-door-by-stefan-merrill-block.ece It’s an earnest novel about his grandparents’ lives, and at times I … Continue reading →

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Yellowstone Snow, Hungry Wolves, & the Tumble Inn

Posted on July 1, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been traveling in Wyoming for 11 days, kayaking & hiking, not to mention buying stuffed animals for my daughter—dinosaur (diplodocus), river otter, deer, yellow horse, dinosaur (pterodactyl), and something I’m forgetting I’m sure. We camped in the Grand … Continue reading →

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The Silence of the Swedish Lambs: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” or Our Misbegottten Love of Serial Killers (Stories)

Posted on June 14, 2011 by williamjcobb

So a year ago I picked up the Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo novel in paperback just to see what all the fuss was about, and I couldn’t really get into it and become a fan, mainly because … Continue reading →

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Dream Hooey: Inception Island, or a Contrarian’s View of “Inception” and “Shutter Island”

Posted on June 10, 2011 by williamjcobb

So none other than knockout writer Susan Orlean (whose book on Rin Tin Tin is coming out soon, I believe) turned me on to the world of streaming video last fall, telling me that she finds that much better than … Continue reading →

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Arizona Is Burning, and We're Breathing It

Posted on June 7, 2011 by williamjcobb

Smoke from the Bear Wallow Fire in Arizona—several hundred miles away but over 233,000 acres in size—is so thick here we can’t see the valley floor from our hillside home, just a mile or so away. We’re all coughing and … Continue reading →

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The Summer of the Bears, Hungry & Marauding

Posted on June 1, 2011 by williamjcobb

So in my corner of Colorado there was a bit of snow drought (March was dry), which caused the bears to come out of hibernation early, before there was food for them. Now there are roving gangs of hungry bears … Continue reading →

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HBO's Film of "Too Big to Fail" a Great Cast

Posted on May 26, 2011 by williamjcobb

So last year I was trying to read Andrew Ross Sorkin’s Too Big to Fail, which I admire much, although I did find it ‘too long to read,’ essentially because my schedule is too busy. It’s all about the financial … Continue reading →

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S.C. Gwynne’s "Empire of the Summer Moon"—Great Comanche History

Posted on May 25, 2011 by williamjcobb

So if you’re interested in Native American history, S.C. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon (Scribner 2010) is a great read. Most of it concerns the Comanches, who essentially ruled and terrorized the Great Plains of Texas/Oklahoma areas during the … Continue reading →

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The End of the World, Yawn—Or a Stupidity Gauge

Posted on May 22, 2011 by williamjcobb

So last night I’m watching ABC News (which I do just to keep an eye on what idiocy is in the mainstream media—answer: plenty) and they actually interviewed some craggy old nutcase who is apparently the “prophet” behind today’s Rapture … Continue reading →

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Christo's "Over the River" Project, Art in My Back Yard

Posted on May 19, 2011 by williamjcobb

So there’s a piece in the NY Times today about Christo’s latest art installation project, Over the River, which is (figuratively speaking) in my Colorado back yard: It will be located, if it happens, in the Bighorn Canyon between Salida … Continue reading →

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