Will Smith is effervescent—of course. Smith seemed to sacrifice his vitality for seriousness in Six Degrees of Separation, and he seemed to walk through his other early roles in search of the obviously comic and dramatic moments, almost until the…
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A review of The Shakespeare Miscellany by David and Ben Crystal
The Shakespeare Miscellany is that rarity, an educational work that is also wonderful entertainment. This book will be a great boon for beginning students of Shakespeare as well as seasoned “bardolators” (a word coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1901)…
A review of Double Forté by Aaron Paul Lazar
Although described as a mystery, Double Forté is more properly described as an action thriller. There is no detection as such, the climax of the book resulting from a gratuitous confession. Gus LeGarde, a professor of music and head of…
A review of Misdemeanor Man by Dylan Schaffer
The style is exceptional and funny. The story – or layers of interrelated stories – never falters. The result is a mixture of exciting tale and moving incidents that create a unique work. One is surprised to note that to…
Interview with Dylan Schaffer
Dylan Schaffer has written three books: Dog Stories (with photographs by Jon Weber), Misdemeanor Man and I Right the Wrongs. The first is a book for dog lovers, a work of great charm, wit and insight but the other two are mystery novels that belong in the very top rank of this kind of writing and as such have universal appeal. This funny and in-depth interview looks at his influences, his dogs, the relationship between law and writing, Barry Manilow, boiled eggs, and lots more.
A review of I Right the Wrongs by Dylan Schaffer
This is abundant material for an author to keep moving and free of tangles. Schaffer manages to keep the mixture interesting and allows enough interplay to keep all parts of his groupings functional. Seegerman’s father, for example, was a former…
A review of The Wealthy Writer by Michael Meanwell
This book contains the latest trends in web writing, communication tools, the use of the Internet as a marketing tool, with lots of links for more information, websites to use to obtain work, and a whole lot of templates, samples…
A review of Book Marketing From A-Z by Francine Silverman
Francine Silverman, more editor than author on this project, has produced a book which is unique in its approach, even in this suddenly crowded market. What it does is to provide a series of examples, anecdotes or advice from experienced…
A review of Oh, Play That Thing by Roddy Doyle
Henry is larger than an ordinary man, and his longing and failings are so beautifully conveyed that it pulls the whole novel together. The story is almost breathlessly engaging at times, especially when Henry is facing the gun, and Doyle’s…
A review of Songs of the Last Chinese Poet by Ouyang Yu
This collection, which was short-listed for the 1999 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for multicultural writings, is not an easy read. Nor will it leave the reader with a warm sense of transcendence. The language is confronting, defensive, and graphic. But…