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Category Archives: books
Does Sarah Palin Know Where Germany Is? and a Shout-Out for Mark Leyner's new novel, "The Sugar Frosted Nutsack"
So last night I caught HBO’s film Game Change, about Sarah Palin’s (improbable? nightmarish? absurd?) role as John McCain’s veep in the 2008 election, and it’s surprisingly good. Why surprisingly? I’m not a huge fan of biopics/reenactments of contemporary events, … Continue reading
Posted in books, books/film, Good TV, Politics, writing
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Mitt Romney as The Feckless Male
So one thing fascinating about being a professor is that you notice over a span of years the changes in student behavior and trends. While I’m of the mind that human behavior doesn’t change all that much across the ages, … Continue reading
Posted in books, Education, Politics, writing
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The Effect of Reading Nicholas Carr's "The Shallows" on E-Reading: Just Say No to Distractions
So here’s a little (naive) gem in the NY Times this morning, an article about the lure of online distractions while e-reading titled “Finding Your Book Interrupted … By the Tablet You Read It On,” which contains this quote: “Can you concentrate … Continue reading
Posted in books, Uncategorized, Weird Science, writing
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Did William Gay Really Write His Books? Meddlesome Neighbors Want to Know
So there’s an obituary of Southern Gothic master Wiliam Gay in last week’s daily NY Times (Feb 29th) that I almost missed, which has a few illuminating details and quotes, such as describing his novel Twilight (2006) as “textbook Southern … Continue reading
Posted in Art, books, books/film, writing
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R.I.P. for William Gay, Contemporary Southern Gothic Fiction Master: the Day the Banjo Music Died
So a friend sent me this notice this morning, and I’m sorry to hear it: William Gay, author of The Long Home (1999), which my editor, Greg Michalson, edited and published; I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down … Continue reading
Posted in books, books/film
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On Charles Murray's "Coming Apart": It Comes Apart at the End
So I have to say this about Charles Murray’s just-published, semi-controversial look at the state of White America, Coming Apart: The State of White America1960-2010: I read it all the way through to the end, rather quickly, too—in a few days. … Continue reading
Posted in books, Education, Politics, Uncategorized
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Review of Thomas Mallon's "Watergate" in the Dallas Morning News
So I’ve reviewed Thomas Mallon’s new novel Watergate in the Dallas Morning News today, and it can be found here: http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/books/20120217-book-review-watergate-by-thomas-mallon.ece Janet Maslin reviewed the same book this week in the daily NY Times book reviews, and I thought her … Continue reading
Posted in books, Politics, writing
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The Year Without a Winter, and Just How Many Republican Voters Does It Take to Pick a Kook?
So as we slide down the (snow-free) hill that is the rest of February 2012—usually the coldest month here in central Pennsylvania, temperatures usually below freezing, and often in the single digits at night—I think we should (un)officially start dubbing … Continue reading
Posted in books, Climate Change, Education, The West
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On Reading Charles Murray's "Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010": Changes in College Attendance and the Blue-Collar Work Ethic
So I’m reading Charles Murray’s much-talked-about analysis of the state of our States, Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010, and I have to say that so far it’s fascinating. I’m on the opposite end of the political spectrum … Continue reading
Posted in books, Education, Politics
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Update on "Contagion" Post and Fears of a Bird Flu Pandemic: Researchers Have Cooked Up Super Bird-Flu in a Lab!
So after mentioning that I had watched Contagion recently and posting some musings about pandemic/bird flu fears, which is in the background of my new novel, The Bird Saviors, I was slightly taken aback by the recent news that two … Continue reading
Posted in books, Climate Change, Weird Science
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