It may seem strange that, in a book where so much is tied together in ways that have to do with physics, a contrary motion coming from the same source is also possible. The key to the book is discontinuity.…
Interview with Ruhama Veltfort
The author of The Promised Land talks about the extensive research she did for her novel, her unusual structure, her characters, Jewish mysticism and mysticism in general, the “little gremlins” which affected her book sales, her unpublished novel, her company…
A Review of The Promised Land by Ruhama Veltfort
While the novel slouches towards magic realism, the double voice enables the reader to maintain enough of a distance to create a tension. It is quite possible that Yitzhak is a visionary. It is equally possible that he is either…
A review of Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
The mixture of everyday life, and a very common set of tragedies coupled with moments of transcendence makes for a fast paced read. In the end, we are left with the permanence of love in the face of the temporarily…
Interview with Christopher Klim
In this candid interview, the author of Write to Publish talks about his latest book, about the basics of story and structure, the modern writers’ market, memoir writing, about his decision to leave the corporate world, about writing with young…
A review of Write to Publish by Christopher Klim
For beginning writers, or young people wanting to take their work to the next level–including publication–Write to Publish will be helpful in both a practical sense, as well as inspirational, without suggesting that writers try to run before they can…
A review of Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Atwood’s world is thoroughly formed, her imagination extraordinary, but only just one step in front of the world of today. She touches on serious biological concerns, terrorism both individual and corporate, and big philosophical concerns, without losing the beauty and…
A review of The Light of Day by Graham Swift
Go deep below the surface of any person, and you will find Swift’s narrator, George Webb, a man for whom the normal movements of life have become odd, and replaced by a kind of quiet obsession – love perhaps, or…
A review of Can Poetry Matter By Dana Gioia
The reader will not need to agree with Gioia to enjoy this book. It constitutes by the nature of its subject a wandering into both the unknown and the unknowable. But Gioia seldom goes so far into speculation that he…
A review of Hermit in Paris – Autobiographical Writings by Italo Calvino
Hermit in Paris, along with The Road to San Giovanni comprises the extent of Calvino’s autobiographical writings, at least in English. There is still a mystery about Calvino, and that will remain; you won’t be able to understand, from the…