Chabon has fashioned from initially unpromising material and after a wobbly beginning a book that should appeal to every reader. How well it will thrive as a book labeled for young readers is another matter. It is unfortunate that it…
Interview with China Mieville
The author of The Scar talks about his latest novel, major themes like scarring, hunger and his unique “monsters,” his drawings, Quantum physics and its relationship to his work, literary snobbery, science fantasy and political commitment and his future work. Interview by…
A Review of The Scar by China Mieville
Much of what makes Mieville’s work so appealing to readers not normally enamoured with fantasy literature is classic literary technique. His settings are very well mapped out, his characters are complex and, strong and very real, even when they are…
A Review of Baudolino by Umberto Eco
In this, his fourth novel, professional liar Umberto Eco spins the yarn of Baudolino, a fellow artificer hailing from Eco’s hometown of Alessandria and possessing more than a bit of the author’s personality. Like Eco, Baudolino is a master of…
A Review Of Harkening: A Collection Of Short Stories Remembered by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Carolyn Howard-Johnson has the magical way with words that makes her a great story teller. She has the talent and determination to succeed that all writers strive to achieve. Her descriptions of characters and places are so real that her…
A Review of Buongiorno by Norman Kolpas
Buongiorno is full of easy and delicious meals that make for a lovely family brekkie on the weekend, or something special and different for guests who like being entertained in the am (if you have young kids, its a lot more…
A Review of A Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals by Moira Anderson Allen
If you have a serious piece of work like a novel to sell, The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals is a necessity in order to ensure you maximise your chances of getting your book read by an agent or publisher.…
A Review of At the Crossroads by Frankie Schelly
Through the eyes of these four women many of the controversial issues of today’s Church are discussed. Schelly perceives accurately the crisis of an institution built heavily on medieval theology inadequate for today’s social problems. Women are accepted as equals…
Interview with Michael de Valle
The author of Going Home talks candidly about his collection of stories, the beauty of the short story as a writing form, his characters, the relationship between stories and poetry, his voice, the impact of parenting on his work, his greatest achievement, and lots more.
A review of Going Home by Michael de Valle
But it is when de Valle brings death itself directly into the story that his prose really shines. The complex relationship between life and death are the centre of action in “Two slices of blue”, a story about a child who is given back his eyesight from a donor’s corneas. The tightness of the narrative is superbly handled as de Valle moves back and forth between the moment of death/damage, a wife’s realisation that she’s lost her husband, and a parent’s experience of their child’s accident and subsequent operation.