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Category Archives: books
Phillip Roth Hangs Up His Pen, While Kent Haruf and George Saunders Have New Books in the Offing
So on the literary beat there’s an interesting tidbit in the news this week (delayed, as you’ll see, from our attention), in that the great American novelist—he did name one of his books that: The Great American Novel (1973)—Phillip Roth … Continue reading
Interview on Montana Public Radio About "The Bird Saviors"
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
Posted in books, The West, Weird Science, Weird Weather, writing
Tagged Good Fiction, The Bird Saviors
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Reading Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" for the First Time (Maybe)
So I’m reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) for the first time ever (maybe: I might have read it in high school because we did get assigned books like that, but I’ve seen the film many times, and … Continue reading
Where Do You Live? What Do You Do? & Other Ways to Define a Person
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
Posted in books, Cormac McCarthy, The West, writing
Tagged Cormac McCarthy, Fiction Writing, Good Fiction, The Bird Saviors, The West
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On David Quammen's "Spillover," Today's Election, and the Great Horned Owls Beside Me
So I’ve been reading David Quammen’s new book, Spillover (2012), on emerging diseases (and particularly zoonotic viruses, a la Ebola, Marburg, HIV, SARS, etc.), and I keep feeling sicker and sicker. It’s like I’m catching Ebola from reading this book. But … Continue reading
Posted in books, Climate Change, Owls, Photography, The West, Water Crisis
Tagged Birding, Climate Change, The West, Water Crisis, Wildlife photos
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Peak Oil & Climate Change Loom, While We Keep Our Fingers in Our Ears
So Hurricane (or Superstorm) Sandy has put Climate Change back in the headlines, where it will probably disappear after a couple weeks, replaced by something that Kim Kardashian or Lindsay Lohan does or wears. But for now it’s heartening to … Continue reading
Posted in books, Climate Change, Politics, The West, Weird Weather
Tagged Climate Change, The West
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On David Quammen's "Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic": Viruses of the Future
So on this post-Halloween day I’m reading David Quammen’s just-published book of nonfiction, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, which is gripping from the get-go. He starts by describing the Hendra virus in Australia, one I had never heard … Continue reading
Posted in books, The West, Weird Weather
Tagged Climate Change, The Bird Saviors, The West
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Review of "The Bird Saviors" in the San Antonio Express-News, and Miles & Miles of Texas
So I’m on a book tour of Texas right now, and have actually driven 1,400 miles so far, from Texline in the northeast part of the Panhandle to South Padre Island at the very southern tip of the state. And … Continue reading
Posted in Birding, books, The West, Uncategorized
Tagged Birding, Book Reviewing, The Bird Saviors, The West
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"The Bird Saviors" Texas Tour 2012: Just like ZZ Top, Only Different
So starting on Thursday I’ll be promoting my novel The Bird Saviors at various events in Texas. Just like ZZ Top, only minus the beards, the guitars, the groupies, and . . . well, okay, nothing like ZZ Top. But … Continue reading
Posted in Birding, books, The West
Tagged Book Reviewing, The Bird Saviors, The West
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At the Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe, in Cormac McCarthy Country
So last weekend I was in Santa Fe, one of the coolest cities in the U.S., and did a reading at the Collected Works Bookstore, which is a beautiful, old-fashioned, high-quality, brick-and-mortar bookstore right off the plaza, on Galisteo Street. … Continue reading
Posted in books, Cormac McCarthy, The West
Tagged Cormac McCarthy, Good Fiction, Santa Fe, The Bird Saviors, The West
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