Ulysses Adventure Begins

My #FridayReads (as the Twitterati likes to hash tag) is going to be the same for the next year. Choosing to study James Joyce's ULYSSES. 2.5 pages (total of 783) a day. Have annotated version backup and a graphic novel for assistance.

Memorable sentences so far:

"Parried again. He fears the lancet of my art as I fear that of his. The cold steel pen."

"He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers."

"It is a symbol of Irish art. The cracked lookingglass of a servant."

'You behold in me, Stephen said with grim displeasure, a horrible example of free thought."

"History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."

And here's the reason why Joyce's legend endures:

I'm Reading...

Valuing again, the inverted (at times discordant) panache of Times's Arrow by Martin Amis. In the top five of his best with Money, London Fields, The Information, and The Zone of Interest. And what is your current read?

Decompressing

The sun is finally striking through and that will give me an opportunity to clear out some brush on our property (nicknamed the High 'Chalet') and plant a lilac we bought last week. Landscaping gives me a welcoming decompression after a long day in front of the screen. Also, I'm learning to break off at 5 p.m. and just not think about deadlines and relax. (That's MUCH easier said than done when you work for yourself.) Family times goes into full swing with board games like backgammon, Scrabble. Or reading something purely for entertainment that has nothing to do with reviewing like my current evening diversion, The Little Book of Mathematical Principles by Robert Solomon. Also, Little d and I are slowly whittling our way through the first season of Raising Hope and the final season of Doctor Who featuring Peter Capaldi as Twelve. So as I like to say from time to time: "Easy, you know, does it, son."

—and now let me spin around the web and see what everyone else is doing.

Past Voices

I'm reading a Harvard Classics featuring Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Hobbes. Most days on Twitter I follow accounts dedicated to Samuel Pepys, Richard Burton, and actively contribute to a Thomas Paine page. Waiting to be read are memoirs by Anais Nin and Charles Darwin. Put bluntly, I enjoy reading dead people ruminating about the minutiae of their daily lives, cultural events of their day, and whatever else passed their radars. Question: I'm looking to expand beyond the mostly white guys and looking for women essayists before the 20th century and writers from countries outside the US. Any suggestions?

Books for Consumption

Here are the main books of February that have occupied my waking (and often sleeping) thoughts. 361, Backshot, Dali, A Universe From Nothing, Basic Math and Pre-Algebra, and The Bible a biography are 100% recreational. The Posthumous Man, Six Guns at Sundown, and Torn and Frayed are BEAT to a PULP releases being spruced up and readied for public consumption. Dust Up I’ll be reviewing for Macmillan’s Criminal Element blog. Neale’s Tricks of the Imagination is for a short story called “Room for Death.”

What are you digesting?

Constant Reader: January 1-10 2016

Heavy Water: and Other Stories by Martin Amis

Enjoyed several novels in 2015 from the younger Amis, and my captivation with his work stretches into 2016. This is a fine collection of older short stories that originally appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, New Statesman, and other distinguished publications. Many of these nine tales are way, way, off-center which is perfectly fine by me. Here’s my article on Martin Amis published at Criminal Element.

The Gun and Beyond the Door by Phillip K. Dick

Grabbed these two shorts free from the Gutenberg Project. Early—and still evolving—PKD, but the quirky genius is already on display. “The Gun” finds travelers landing on a distant planet with no inhabitants though a significant piece of tech is still active and very lethal .... Next up, a husband buys a cuckoo clock for his wife who becomes obsessed with the possible living entity in“Beyond the Door.” Both pieces have an O. Henry style ending that, like William Sydney Porter, doesn't feel gimmicky.

Carnosaur Weekend by Garnett Elliott

A reread because I’ll be proofing the forthcoming sequel “Apocalypse Soon” that continues the adventures of Kyler Knightly and Damon Cole through space and time.

To Kill a Dead Man by Icy Sedgwick

A western I’m proofing this week and that I should be releasing in the coming weeks through BEAT to a PULP. Also currently working on an interview with the engaging Ms. Sedgwick.

And Yet by Christopher Hitchens

Hitch, onetime Trotskyist, a lifelong Socialist, and mistaken for a Neocon during the Iraq War, had a way with words not just when he appeared on TV but was a dazzling stylist on the page. This smorgasbord of collected essays runs the gamut from dire warnings on why not to vote for Hillary Clinton to his unadorned respect for George Orwell. A liberal who was no ideologue and had few peers.

Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer

From the Left with Hitch to the conservative side of the aisle with Krauthammer. A pundit who quite often leads the discussion within the GOP and currently one of Donald Trump’s strongest critics. But his best essays (many of which first appeared in The Washington Post) are when he’s talking chess, baseball, space exploration, and his late brother.

Opticks by Isaac Newton

My family has been watching Neil deGrasse Tyson’s narrated Cosmos and I was so intrigued by the section devoted to Newton that I decided to read one of his books. Not easy, per se, but I stuck with it because I wanted to spend an hour with this great theorist.

“First Impressions” by Judith Thurman

I’ve added Werner Herzog’s film Cave of Forgotten Dreams to my queue after reading this 2011 New Yorker piece.

Damn! a Book of Calumny by H.L. Mencken

Always heard how revolutionary a political thinker Menken had been, and he remains a very compelling read. Every other page finds a quotable that seems relevant to our modern times. However, the anti-Semitism thread running through his body of work is jarring and I’ve read elsewhere he had a racist strain that Dorothy Parker found (as I would) inexcusable. 

Of All Things by Robert C. Benchley

An almost forgotten humorist though he once loomed large on the American scene as a member, along with the aforementioned Ms. Parker, of The Algonquin Round Table. Dated in passages but still sharp in insight, especially as he pokes fun at an obsessive woman of letters when he imagines that even if she were kidnapped it would hardly slow down her incredible high word count ... reminded me a bit of certain Facebook/Twitter aficionados who don’t miss an opportunity to let the world in on the small minutia of their lives.

The Sandman, Volume 1, Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

In my top ten of the greatest graphic novel series ever produced and decided it was time for a re-read. The plot concerns Morpheus and his quest to regain his dream kingdom that has wasted away while he has been held in captivity for over a century.

Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Current read. Tyson’s style is very accessible and it's given me a platform from which to discuss scientific topics with my daughter.

A Brazilian Kick

THE DOUBLE DEATH OF QUINCAS WATER-BRAY by Jorge Amado

A pithy (seventy-one pages) comedic story recounting the tale of Joaquim Soares da Cunha who abandons his respectable life to become Quincas Water-Bray, a “champion drunk” and leader of various bums, prostitutes, and other dubious people his prissy family view as lowlife. When he dies (with a content smile on his face) his family outfits him in respectable garb and prepares for his funeral. However, his drunken friends decide to swipe the body—after putting the deceased's more comfortable clothes back on—and gives him one last jaunt about town. A laugh out loud read especially toward the end when Quincas somehow gets into a bar fight and the best passages finds his loopy friends viewing him as very much alive conversing, drinking, and laughing with them.

Note: The original 1959 Brazilian title is THE TWO DEATHS OF QUINCAS WATERYELL.

Vladimir Nabokov

A book left behind on the front seat of Kyle's car was Speak, Memory--an autobiographical memoir by writer Vladimir Nabokov. Of course, I knew of the prominent Russian author and his impact on the world of literature but had never read anything by him. I corrected that this week and am now five chapters into Speak. Immediately the book captured my attention with:

"The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness."

I found a short interview with V.N., who died thirty-six years ago this week. The unusual clip caught me off guard with its 50's format (though oddly refreshing) and V.N.'s voice, but once I got past that, what he said about his most famous creation, Lolita, and his answer to, "Has sex become a literary cliché?" has me even more intrigued by this 20th century juggernaut. Onward I read.



Vladimir Nabokov discusses "Lolita" part 2.

The Reading Habits Of A Tired Traveler

I’m pooped. I’ve been in, like, twelve states in two weeks. Published one book during that time and working on publishing three others. Not complaining, just letting you know the reason I haven’t made my usual round of the blogs. We’re trekking again this weekend, and I hope to play catch up when we get to our destination. Many of you know I read several books at the same time. Odd, but that’s me. (And, hey, I still knock on wood religiously and carry a bottle of holy water just in case.)

During my travels—and whenever I can steal some time—these are a few that I’m reading. ALL THE WILD CHILDREN by Josh Stallings. Because I just bought this book, it’d normally be farther down on my TBR list, but the opening chapter hooked me good. An interesting life well-told. HOME INVASION by good friend, Patti Abbott. Do I need to say more? This novel in stories has all the dramatic power you would expect from one of the finest short story writers of our time.

I’ve been on a kick of recent reading letters written by various writers, most recently Charles Bukowski’s SCREAMS FROM THE BALCONY: SELECTED LETTERS 1960-1970 and Hunter S. Thompson’s FEAR AND LOATHING IN AMERICA (GONZO LETTERS).

Rounding out the list is THE KILLER IS DYING by James Sallis. I started reading this one a year back, but circumstances with day job distracted me, and the book ended up in storage. I was rummaging through boxes this week when I rediscovered it, and I’m savoring this fresh, unique novel.

So that and several ARCs—for blurbs I’m working on—is what I’m reading. What’s on your nightstand?

Kids and Reading

How to Kill the Love of Reading at January Magazine and my buddy Charles Gramlich with To Make A Reader.

Book Group: King Solomon's Mines

A few of us are reading KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1885) for the first time. We're taking it one chapter a day and just starting Chapter X: The Witch Hunt.

I have to admit my enthusiasm dipped for MINES during the eighth and ninth chapters. I try not to judge a book by 21st century sensibilities but the constant looking down their noses at the “savages” and killing animals for the hell of it doesn’t make for the most enjoyable reading.

However, some fun was had when Allan Quatermain and his troop entered a cave and discovered the corpse of a man who just so happened to be the man whose map they were following. Highly improbable but a nice touch just the same.

My interest has peaked again toward the end of chapter nine with the introduction of "a bald vulture-head witch doctress" who warns King Twala and his people that the white man is no good and shouldn’t be trusted.

What stood out to everyone else? And was I overly critical of these last chapters?

The above drawing by Thure de Thulstrup is of another Quatermain adventure called Maiwa's Revenge: or, The War of the Little Hand.

Book Group: SOLOMON’S Chapter One

Maybe because I’m close to that half century mark, I find it refreshing the KING SOLOMON’S MINES protagonist—Allan Quatermain—is fifty years of age, not the current hero standard of twenty to thirty something.

Also welcomed is the easy to read narrative from A.Q. that doesn’t seem all that dated. Other books I've read from this period have left me scratching my head as to what was being said. Amusingly, the introduction has Mr. Haggard as A.Q. stating:

And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand literary flights and flourishes I see in novels...

Of course, there is language and ideas that reflect the times. Of particular note in chapter one is the use of the N-word. From Wikipedia:

Although the book is certainly not devoid of racism, it expresses much less prejudice than some of the later books in this genre. Indeed, Quatermain states that he refuses to use the word "nigger" and that many Africans are more worthy of the title of "gentleman" than the Europeans who settle or adventure in the country.

So, even though Haggard is advanced in his thinking for a 19th century man, he's obviously not perfect. I’m interested to see how later chapters handle descriptions and motivations of the locals.

Your thoughts?

If Marilyn Could Find the Time to Read Ulysses...

I was told as a kid, "You make time for what you love." I forgot who told me but I’m betting it was my mom. (Sidebar: she was born on the same day and year as the lady in the picture.) The reason I bring it up is my current pet peeve is folks who say they can’t find the time to read. They usually mention that chestnut after they spot me with a paperback or Kindle in my hand. I’m, of course, polite but inside I’m thinking: I have a day job, baby daughter, writer, run a webzine, and blog a few times a week. Yet I still find the time because I love to read. True, it's harder these days but usually I slip it in by carrying a book with me in the car for idle moments and planning an extra half hour before bedtime for a couple of chapters. Bottom line, I make time. These non-readers watch endless hours of tv, surf the net, gaming, or whatever they truly love which is fine... just don't try to tell me there's no time because that's silly.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Reading to Ava

I can't imagine life getting any better. The sun rises and sets for her.

PFF is the creation of Leah J. Utas.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Nick of Time

Alyssa Goodnight reviewed this young adult novel and I purchased it for my trip and I've been savoring reading a chapter a night. One highlight (of which there are many) is when our protagonist, Nick McIver, ropes a German submarine! Mr. Bell is a wonderful writer who knows how to engage both young and mature audiences alike. I recommend reading Alyssa's post for a brief overview of this fine adventure and then snagging a copy for yourself. I'm on chapter twenty-four and enjoying the heck out of it.

Have Read, Reading or Will Read

I grew up a hardboiled kid reading Chandler, Hammett, and Parker. Now I spend most days on the range writing western fiction. Point being, I've never read a romance novel but had no qualms about picking up Unladylike Pursuits by Alyssa Goodnight. I've said before a good story is a good story regardless of whether it's about worms on Terpsichore (there's some BTAP foreshadowing) or early 19th century romance. What jumped out at me with Ms. Goodnight's book were the rich descriptions and the ease of the storytelling. My first romance perhaps, but not the last.

Fellow-blogger friends Alec Cizak and Brian Drake have books out. I haven't read either yet, but I'm looking forward to both. Also, a few of you may have missed the latest Charlie Byrne grind. Head over to ATON to check it out.

Super duper congrats to Paul Brazill for being included in The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime.

Also, another friendly reminder about the second issue of NEEDLE mag which happens to have a story of mine, "The Sins of Maynard Shipley."

The Affair of the Wooden Boy, Boss's “Coercion," and Reindeer Love

I’m reading Mel Odom’s The Affair of the Wooden Boy. The plot is best described from Mr. Odom’s own website:

Dead things are drawn to James Stark, Lord Gallatin. His beautiful wife Mina knows this is true. But that doesn't stop him from pursuing supernatural evil throughout their city, and Mina will never leave her husband's side.

The night that a small wooden boy came knocking at their door and told them his body had been stolen, James Stark immediately took up the investigation. His quest takes him to the brink of death, and Mina is only one step behind.

I’m three chapters in and thoroughly enjoying the read. Mr. Odom has also been nice enough to comment on ROUND ONE and BTAP here.

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Chris Rhatigan has some kind words to say about Mark Boss’s “Coercion” that BTAP published earlier in the year. If you missed it, after reading Mr. Rhatigan’s kudos, I’m betting you will want to check it out.

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In totally unrelated news: Deer Steals Man's Wife is the funniest and most disturbing video of the week.

A Hundred Years Ago: Holmes Debuts and O Henry Departs

A century ago today, the play version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" debuted at the Adelphi Theatre in London (written and produced by Doyle, retitled The Stonor Case starring H. A. Saintsbury as Sherlock Holmes).

For more details, check out Wikipedia. And if you'd like, you can watch the marvelous Jeremy Brett in "The Speckled Band" on YouTube.

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One hundred years ago tomorrow, the master of the twist ending, O Henry, died following a life that was every bit as colorful as any of his characters. "After Twenty Years" was assigned reading for me back in my school days, and it forever changed my taste in storytelling. Click on the link and come back to tell me what you think of this pithy tale of about twelve hundred words.

O Henry bio.

Short Story Length

I'm sure this question has been asked many times before in the blogoshere, but here goes. How long do you like your short stories? In the guidelines over at BEAT to a PULP, we say no more than 4000 words, though we have stretched that a few times. As a writer, I prefer the 5000-6000 range for plot and character development. On the other hand, as a reader, if I pick up an anthology of shorts, I will read the 1500-3000 yarns first and gradually get around to the others.

Your thoughts?

Zeltserman's "Julius Katz"

I’ve read the first two pages of Dave Zeltserman’s “Julius Katz” in the Sept/Oct issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and have set the story aside because I’m annoyed. Why didn’t I think of this? Brilliant. Unique. Refreshing. What am I referring to? Well, I’m not going to spoil it so let's just say that PI Katz has a very interesting sidekick. For years, I’ve been tired of the same old detective stories with retreads of Marlowe, Spade, and Archer. Not now. Mr. Z has created a character--no make that two, Katz himself is interesting all by his lonesome--that will have even the most jaded of readers recharged by this new take.

I must be going, my chariot awaits. But thankfully I have the rest of Zeltserman’s short to finish reading on the ride. Then I will stew some more... why didn’t I think of this?!