Writing Blog
Beach reading season 2019 officially begins…
Last weekend was the first weekend of spring. The sun was shining. The temperatures were rising. And a trip to the beach was far too tempting… My younger son and I took off to one of our favorite beach hangouts south of Rome – the beautiful, medieval beach town of Sperlonga. And …. it was…
Read MoreBook review: Middle England
I somehow missed this novel by Jonathan Coe, and only learned about it when a colleague suggested I read it, and lent me her copy. This novel is set in London and ‘Middle England’, which I learned to be Birmingham, opens in 2010, in the wake of the worldwide financial crisis, and as London is…
Read MoreLibri come … liberta’ – Rome
Books are like … freedom. This is the title of the literature festival taking place in these days in Rome, Italy. Held at Rome’s Auditorium – Renzo Piano’s structure located in Rome’s Flaminio neighborhood, this literature festival has a lot on the agenda, including scheduled book talks with Italian and foreign authors. Each author taking…
Read MoreOn Women’s Day, celebrating women writers
Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate, I thought I would play homage to some of my favorite female authors. Of course, there are my perennial favorites – Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Edith Wharton. But I decided to celebrate some of my favorite contemporary authors, by including some of the book reviews I’ve written…
Read MoreChasing perfection
“None of my work has met my own standards.” -William Faulkner Hard to believe one of my favorite authors could be so critical of his masterpieces. William Faulkner (1897 – 1962), one of the great American writers in the southern tradition, was a prolific novelist, short story writer, playwright and essayist. He was the recipient…
Read MoreIt’s Friday. What’s on your reading list?
The weekend is upon us, and it’s time to turn to serious topics. What books do you have on your nightstand? The weekend is always a good time for me to catch up on pleasure reading – and I’m always up for recommendations, so do share what you’re reading now. Here’s what I’ll be reading…
Read MoreWriting as a way to free your mind
“A writer should be able to express himself easily, naturally, copiously in a form that frees his mind.” —Saul Bellow Wise words by Canadian-American author Saul Bellow (1915-2005), and I’m certain a concept with which most writers are familiar. As writers, how many times do we struggle with a story we’ve had simmering away in…
Read MoreBook review: A Gentleman in Moscow
I adored this novel, the story of “former person” Count Alexander Rostov. In 1922, Count Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club and Master of the Hunt – is declared an enemy of the state and informed he will be shot if he ever ventures out of his…
Read MoreSeven year itch?
No, I’m not actually writing about the film perhaps best known for this iconic subway grate scene with Marilyn Monroe. No, my seven year itch post refers neither to the Monroe film nor marriage (I’ve been married much, much longer that seven years), but to blogging. I received a little reminder from WordPress.com that it…
Read MoreNovels in the mountains
I always love reading, but there’s something special about books I take with me to read when I’m out in the mountains. I spend a lot of time out in the mountains, both in the spring and summer for hiking and in the winter for skiing. On a recent skiing escape in Abruzzo, I read…
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