Tag Archives: Writing

Book Review:  Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters by Annie Dillard

I first encountered Annie Dillard while raising a family in Greece. I started with Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and then moved on to Holy the Firm, The Writing Life, and Teaching a Stone to Talk. I liked her blend of … Continue reading

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A Summertime Gift for My Blog Followers

As a summer gift to readers, I have enrolled digital editions of some of my books and stories in the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale, which runs through the month of July. (It is called the Summer/Winter Sale because it is summer … Continue reading

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On Rereading The Unknown Henry Miller: A Seeker in Big Sur by Arthur Hoyle

Before I begin this review, I have a confession to make: When I picked this book off the shelf on one of my rare forays to the Seattle Central Library downtown, it slipped my mind that I had already read … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Digital Inc: From Print to E-Book – Inside the Transformation of the Book Industry by Richard Curtis

In this fascinating volume, Curtis tells of the radical transformations within the publishing industry over the past several decades: the transition from mass market paperbacks to trade paperbacks; the absorption of hundreds of independent publishers into a few publishing conglomerates; … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd

I’ve never read any of Sue Monk Kidd’s books before this one, but then again, she probably hasn’t read any of mine either. Be that as it may, I was drawn to Writing Creativity and Soul because I hoped that … Continue reading

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Book Review:  Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean

To many people, Susan Orlean is a character played by Meryl Streep in the film Adaptation, which is based on Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief. Others know her for her decades-long work as a staff writer for the New Yorker. … Continue reading

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Book Reviews as Autobiography

A recent comment on one of my past book reviews points out, somewhat critically, that in the review I talk about myself as much as I do the book. By way of explanation, I offer this essay, which appeared in … Continue reading

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Book Review:  The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad

In a literary marketplace that is surfeited with imitations and imitations of imitations, The Book of Alchemy is a startlingly original book. It concerns the value of journaling, both as a therapeutic device and as an art form. However, it … Continue reading

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Sword Circle Pen: An Announcement

I’d like to give a shout-out to my son: author, veteran, mathematician, and adventurer Nestor Walters, who has recently opened a new website called Sword Circle Pen. As his website’s “about” page says, he was born in Bangladesh, raised in … Continue reading

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The Perennial Nomad

Introducing The Perennial Nomad, a weekly Substack newsletter. I began writing with a focus on science fiction stories. Many of the books I read as a teen and young man were science fiction and fantasy, and it was a science … Continue reading

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