I came to Santa Fe to see the eclipse on Saturday. My lovely hostess and I had a conversation about eclipses we and others have seen. She was worried that after the long journey there would be clouds. We have a story of my father saying, “Hell’s Bells. I forgot my passport.” He said it [...]
Category: books
oh, yes, that book…
TL:DR A) I don't really like books about people with no faith. B) A man can be a terrible husband but a good father. C) Romeo and Juliet is an eternal trope but the people involved, parents included, can get very annoying and stupid. Please note that I took one class in literature in college. [...]
Steam punk and modesty
My mind works in a spiral, moving through different topics over time. As I struggle to finish a story about sheep and shepherds several problems have been evident. This particular story involves a LOT of animals, and I am not and never have been an animal person. That’s a steep, if fascinating, learning curve. I’ve [...]
Writing practice and a book recommendation
There’s a lot of advice out in the wild for people who are trying to write. Unfortunately, making this advice usable often requires figuring out what writing niche you belong in. Fiction or non-fiction? Poetry? Literary or genre? What’s the difference between the last two? Women’s fiction? Cozy mysteries? Why does ‘cozy’ sound so insulting, [...]
England or Australia, aka Nevil Shute, author
I just finished reading a Nevil Shute book, The Far Country, that showed up on Amazon for 99¢. Nevil Shute wrote novels in the evening. By day he was an excellent aerospace engineer. His career started in England but he moved to Australia after World War II. I have read Trustee from the Toolroom and [...]