Published in The Book Cafe·1 day agoI can’t go on, I’ll go onI am doing a deep dive into Samuel Beckett, and I feel that I must come up for air. I can’t go on, but I must go on. I just finished reading The Unnamable, the third novel in the trilogy after Molloy, and Malone Dies. There have been about 20…Books2 min read
Jul 29Philadelphia Story — Tony’s WayThere are a million stories in the semi-clad metropolis, and this is just one. Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, and in each neighborhood, there is a distinctive culture or ethnicity. Neighborhoods have gradually become more mixed and diversified. In South Philly, you have the Italians, in Fishtown the Irish…Journalism5 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·Jul 20Book Review: Madame Bovary, by Gustave FlaubertSpoiler alert! Plot point giveaways straight ahead! She was discontent. She was married to a country doctor and lived in a small town in France not far from Rouen. Her husband would do anything for her and loved her dearly but he was just a country bumpkin and he bored her. Emma Bovary had two love affairs…Books4 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·May 26Book Review: Recessional by David MametThe Death of Free Speech and the Cost of a Free Lunch David Mamet is a good writer. That is not to say that he is a brilliant writer. I think not. Although, his plays might be considered so. Who can doubt the brilliance of Glengarry Glen Ross or The Verdict or Wag the Dog. However, these little essays of three or…Books4 min read
May 2War and Rumors of WarLessons From History — Once we are through with the 1619 project perhaps, we could move on to the Vietnam War Project. While we are at it and are stressing over our fighting a proxy war with Russia and fearing the possibility of a nuclear confrontation let us remember that we (the USA) are…War2 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·Apr 29Book Review — Nelson Algren’sSomebody in Boots — The miners came in ‘49 The whores in ‘51 They jungled up in Texas And begot the native son -Old Song Somebody in Boots was originally titled Native Son, but Nelson Algren gave this title away to Richard Wright who used it to his great advantage. Boots were a symbol…Books4 min read
Apr 21Fear and Loathing on the Way to GalvestonA journey to the heart of the American dream — I drove the 117 miles to Owensboro and arrived at Buddhas in the early afternoon. This was the first leg of our journey to the heart of the American Dream. I gassed up the White Whale, a 2011 gas guzzling Nissan Maxima, the day before, and put together a road…Gonzo7 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·Apr 15The Weight of InkA Novel by Rachel Kadish — The Weight of Ink is a historical novel superbly crafted by writer Rachel Kadish. It is not the sort of book I would normally have picked out for myself, but it was gifted to me by someone special and is so well written that I honestly couldn’t put it down. …Books2 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·Mar 19AftershockThe first thriller in a new series — Andrew Vachss writes like an avenging angel who has just been through hell. I have long been a fan of Vachss and have read all the Burke series. He is sort of a guilty pleasure for me, not exactly literature, but a compelling read nonetheless. The man can write! I…Books2 min read
Published in The Book Cafe·Mar 8Norwegian WoodA Novel by Haruki Murakami — Norwegian Wood is the second Murakami book that I have read. The first one was Kafka on the Shore. I was looking for a second book to get into when I landed on Norwegian Wood. I understand that it is a bit of a departure from his other books, but…Books2 min read
