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BLUE SKIES IN THE BOOK REVIEW MIRROR

Blue Skies came to me via Twitter. T.C. Boyle mentioned a new novel and he delivered. What he delivered felt a little too close to home for me, which kept me reading. How close?

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: GRACIE GOES GOLFING

This sports book review comes via an author’s reading at Annie Bloom’s Books. Last night author Arran Gimba packed the house. From his daughters and their friends, along with their parents, they were a dream audience. What is it about an author reading that gets people out of the house? Let’s start with the joy […]

BEACH MUSIC BY PAT CONROY, A REVIEW

Beach Music sat in my TBR pile for years while I passed by. At over 700 pages it intimidated me. I like novels around 200-250 pages. The Great Gatsby clocks in at 208 paged; Catcher In The Rye runs 234 pages, more or less. Beach Music at 800 pages? I got a Harry Potter vibe […]

WRITERS SOCIALIZING WITH WRITERS

My aunt warned me about writers socializing. I’d taken the train from Philadelphia to Princeton, New Jersey for a visit. She was studying at the Princeton Theological Seminary to be a preacher; I was in the Army learning to be a writer. Since she had a degree in literary criticism she had a lot to […]

THE JEFF BAKER 500

Portland’s Old Church Organ And Jeff Baker. He’s In The Shirt. As THE book and movie reviewer of record for The Oregonian newspaper, Jeff Baker goes Against. The. Grain. Taller than expected, he worked the Old Church mic like a pro. Could have thrown in a “Take my wife…please” and got away with it. Willamette […]