Discussion about “American Lightning”

                                        What makes a book good?  That’s one of the questions we asked at book club last night (after we’d asked about what was on the menu at Yia Yia’s.)  We’ve asked this same question throughout the more than twenty years I’ve been in this book club, and I’m sure it was one of the [...]

“American Lightning,” book for November 2008

The book for November 2008 is “American Lightning” by Howard Blum.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In 1911, Iron Workers Union leaders James and Joseph McNamara plea-bargained in exchange for prison sentences instead of death after bombing the offices of the Los Angeles Times—killing 21 people and wounding many more. The bombing had been part of [...]

Tom Wolfe

Tom Wolfe was recently featured in the Sept. 8, 2008, Time Magazine.
In 1998, we read Tom Wolfe’s recently published “A Man in Full,” a heavy tome that I’ve just gotten from the shelf and dusted off. I remember it was hot enough off the press then that I had to buy the thing. The waiting list [...]

George Orwell is in the news again! (with Evelyn Waugh)

Some people just can’t keep out of the news.  I recently wrote in this blog about George Orwell’s new blog, which is on the blatherblog blogroll – that’s a tongue twister! 
Now Orwell is the subject of a new book along with Evelyn Waugh.  The book, The Same Man: George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh in Love and [...]

George Orwell is a Blogger!

George Orwell’s diaries are now available in blog form.  A prolific writer, Orwell wrote about everything, including everyday life, writing, and, of course, politics.  The blog posts mirror his diary entries from seventy years ago.  On Sept. 7, his political entries from 1938 begin on the blog.  We all know what terrible events were happening in Europe [...]