Gordon Osmond's Blog: Gordon Osmond on Writing, page 4
December 18, 2014
No Place for Race, a book review
Title: No Place For Race
Author: Rodney L. Demery
Publisher: The Demery Group LLC
ASIN: B00G2039SW
At a time when some prominent political leaders, community agitators, and major media outlets are conspiring to create the impression that law enforcement is engaged in a conscious and coordinated effort to profile and discriminate against racial minorities, Rodney L. Demery’s book, No Place for Race represents a refreshing, well reasoned, and antidotal minority report. It should be required reading for “Reverend” Al Sharpton and his lieutenants.
Demery addresses the conflicts between law enforcement and the criminal element by analyzing how each group can improve its situation by rational thought and behavior. The keys for improvement of the circumstances of the socially and economically disadvantaged are to forget about the historical causes of their lesser lot, to appreciate the wonders of free will with the concomitant capacity to choose between constructive and destructive actions, and to view education as the single most important step in their movement toward a better life. It is not difficult to imagine what Demery thinks of demands for reparations, which are totally backward looking.
Demery is equally critical of circumstances existing in law enforcement, focusing primarily on the lack of inspired and dedicated leadership.
Along the way, the author takes clear sides on many related issues—one-parent families, treatment of non-violent drug “offenders,” gun control, media influences, and the infirmities of those in a position of moral leadership. The treatments of these problems are so clearly and rationally expressed that it would be a disservice to the book and its readers to paraphrase.
The author does not hide his disgust for rappers and other contemporary musical expressions that degrade women and encourage drug abuse. Without disagreeing in the slightest, I think that earlier expressions of African-American musical forms—the blues, gospel--could have been cited as significant sources of inspiration for today’s youth, particularly as the major figures in these creative areas were themselves disadvantaged. Further guiding lights are the impressive minority contributions to the United States in the fields of letters, politics, classical music, and the visual arts. This backdrop of achievement should do much to dispel the notion of unavoidable and immutable despair.
For this reader, the most remarkable aspect of No Place for Race is the perspective from which it was written. Author Demery is a 25-year veteran cop serving in one of the most race-roiling sections of the U.S., is himself African-American, and is the brother of a lifer for murder (to whom the book is dedicated) and the son of a woman murdered as a result of domestic abuse. I don’t know what the opposite of Ivory Tower is, but Officer Demery surely lives there.
Much of the author’s valuable advice about the importance of education, two-parent family life, and enlightened life choices has been promulgated by TV icon Bill Cosby, much to the annoyance of those who seek to profit from the notion of ethnic fatalism. I think that Rodney Demery is well qualified and positioned to assume Cosby’s recently tarnished mantle.
Author: Rodney L. Demery
Publisher: The Demery Group LLC
ASIN: B00G2039SW
At a time when some prominent political leaders, community agitators, and major media outlets are conspiring to create the impression that law enforcement is engaged in a conscious and coordinated effort to profile and discriminate against racial minorities, Rodney L. Demery’s book, No Place for Race represents a refreshing, well reasoned, and antidotal minority report. It should be required reading for “Reverend” Al Sharpton and his lieutenants.
Demery addresses the conflicts between law enforcement and the criminal element by analyzing how each group can improve its situation by rational thought and behavior. The keys for improvement of the circumstances of the socially and economically disadvantaged are to forget about the historical causes of their lesser lot, to appreciate the wonders of free will with the concomitant capacity to choose between constructive and destructive actions, and to view education as the single most important step in their movement toward a better life. It is not difficult to imagine what Demery thinks of demands for reparations, which are totally backward looking.
Demery is equally critical of circumstances existing in law enforcement, focusing primarily on the lack of inspired and dedicated leadership.
Along the way, the author takes clear sides on many related issues—one-parent families, treatment of non-violent drug “offenders,” gun control, media influences, and the infirmities of those in a position of moral leadership. The treatments of these problems are so clearly and rationally expressed that it would be a disservice to the book and its readers to paraphrase.
The author does not hide his disgust for rappers and other contemporary musical expressions that degrade women and encourage drug abuse. Without disagreeing in the slightest, I think that earlier expressions of African-American musical forms—the blues, gospel--could have been cited as significant sources of inspiration for today’s youth, particularly as the major figures in these creative areas were themselves disadvantaged. Further guiding lights are the impressive minority contributions to the United States in the fields of letters, politics, classical music, and the visual arts. This backdrop of achievement should do much to dispel the notion of unavoidable and immutable despair.
For this reader, the most remarkable aspect of No Place for Race is the perspective from which it was written. Author Demery is a 25-year veteran cop serving in one of the most race-roiling sections of the U.S., is himself African-American, and is the brother of a lifer for murder (to whom the book is dedicated) and the son of a woman murdered as a result of domestic abuse. I don’t know what the opposite of Ivory Tower is, but Officer Demery surely lives there.
Much of the author’s valuable advice about the importance of education, two-parent family life, and enlightened life choices has been promulgated by TV icon Bill Cosby, much to the annoyance of those who seek to profit from the notion of ethnic fatalism. I think that Rodney Demery is well qualified and positioned to assume Cosby’s recently tarnished mantle.
November 1, 2014
A New York State of Mind
As an ex-New Yorker, I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this book for Bookpleasures.com and Bookideas.com
Title: A Very Good Life
Author: Lynn Steward
Publisher: Lynn Steward Publishing
ASIN: BOOITZ2RV
New York City has a well-deserved reputation for being at its most beautiful between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For tourists, it’s a time for carefree gawking and shopping. For affluent resident professionals, it’s a time for stressful party giving, ostentatious gift giving, and general showing off. Author Steward knows the latter demographic well and portrays its year-end holiday experience with authenticity and accuracy in this, her debut novel.
The book’s central couple, Brett and Dana McGarry, are striving for Masters of the Universe status in very different arenas. Brett is a Wall Street associate on the verge of partnership in his prestigious law firm; Dana is a rising star in the firmament of B. (the company liked the period even though Ms. Steward doesn’t) Altman, a prestigious department store that interestingly closed its doors over the very same holiday period in 1989, fifteen years after the action of the novel.
The year is not the only thing that is ending in this book, for the McGarry marriage is clearly in the throes of its own seven-year itch. The matter is hardly helped by the all-encompassing challenges Dana faces at her store and the temptations that Brett encounters at his office.
In very few pages, author Steward introduces and provides thumbnail sketches of an astonishing number of supporting characters. This sense of clear efficiency prevails throughout the novel. The author brilliantly captures the lifestyle of the affluent New Yorker—the obsession with prestigious brands, the iconic, indeed, biblical status of The New York Times, the addiction to costly daily pampering routines—all portrayed with equal effectiveness in the film, Diary of a Mad Housewife.
For this reviewer, some of the novel’s central conflicts were set up unconvincingly. It’s not lawyerly to indict without evidence, but to avoid the accusation of being a “spoiler,” I’m going to leave to the readers of this novel to decide whether some of the crises its protagonists face arise from believable circumstances or rather from unconvincing scenarios occasionally assisted by outright coincidence.
The book is beautifully edited with exceptions too niggardly to mention. My only show-stopper was the report that the novel’s obligatory gay mascot was having romantic trouble with a character whose name was that of a man whose heterosexuality had never previously been questioned. Also, chapter lengths, which start normally at twelve pages, become excessively short as the novel progresses. To be sure, initial exposition takes up time and space, but two-to-three page chapters toward the end look very strange.
The writing style is more straightforward than inspired. For every “she was pleased to hear the cash registers of B Altman singing their secular carols inside the store,” or “More like her snow globe, Janice thought. She pictured Dana standing in a tiny glass-enclosed world, snow gently falling around her. Her world could be shaken but never broken. She was far too insulated,” there are many more tired clichés and bromides, none more pedestrian than the title of the book itself.
But for readers who want to experience, from a most serviceable and knowledgeable pen, the successes and stresses of affluent New Yorkers at a critical time for their City and in their lives, A Very Good Life is a very good choice for reading material.
A
Title: A Very Good Life
Author: Lynn Steward
Publisher: Lynn Steward Publishing
ASIN: BOOITZ2RV
New York City has a well-deserved reputation for being at its most beautiful between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For tourists, it’s a time for carefree gawking and shopping. For affluent resident professionals, it’s a time for stressful party giving, ostentatious gift giving, and general showing off. Author Steward knows the latter demographic well and portrays its year-end holiday experience with authenticity and accuracy in this, her debut novel.
The book’s central couple, Brett and Dana McGarry, are striving for Masters of the Universe status in very different arenas. Brett is a Wall Street associate on the verge of partnership in his prestigious law firm; Dana is a rising star in the firmament of B. (the company liked the period even though Ms. Steward doesn’t) Altman, a prestigious department store that interestingly closed its doors over the very same holiday period in 1989, fifteen years after the action of the novel.
The year is not the only thing that is ending in this book, for the McGarry marriage is clearly in the throes of its own seven-year itch. The matter is hardly helped by the all-encompassing challenges Dana faces at her store and the temptations that Brett encounters at his office.
In very few pages, author Steward introduces and provides thumbnail sketches of an astonishing number of supporting characters. This sense of clear efficiency prevails throughout the novel. The author brilliantly captures the lifestyle of the affluent New Yorker—the obsession with prestigious brands, the iconic, indeed, biblical status of The New York Times, the addiction to costly daily pampering routines—all portrayed with equal effectiveness in the film, Diary of a Mad Housewife.
For this reviewer, some of the novel’s central conflicts were set up unconvincingly. It’s not lawyerly to indict without evidence, but to avoid the accusation of being a “spoiler,” I’m going to leave to the readers of this novel to decide whether some of the crises its protagonists face arise from believable circumstances or rather from unconvincing scenarios occasionally assisted by outright coincidence.
The book is beautifully edited with exceptions too niggardly to mention. My only show-stopper was the report that the novel’s obligatory gay mascot was having romantic trouble with a character whose name was that of a man whose heterosexuality had never previously been questioned. Also, chapter lengths, which start normally at twelve pages, become excessively short as the novel progresses. To be sure, initial exposition takes up time and space, but two-to-three page chapters toward the end look very strange.
The writing style is more straightforward than inspired. For every “she was pleased to hear the cash registers of B Altman singing their secular carols inside the store,” or “More like her snow globe, Janice thought. She pictured Dana standing in a tiny glass-enclosed world, snow gently falling around her. Her world could be shaken but never broken. She was far too insulated,” there are many more tired clichés and bromides, none more pedestrian than the title of the book itself.
But for readers who want to experience, from a most serviceable and knowledgeable pen, the successes and stresses of affluent New Yorkers at a critical time for their City and in their lives, A Very Good Life is a very good choice for reading material.
A
October 2, 2014
Book Review of European Son
Title: European Son: a novella
Author: Barry Stewart Levy
Publisher: Create Space
ASIN: B00A44ABFY
Very much in the tradition of literary existentialism, Mr. Levy has created a familiar but nonetheless fascinating lost soul searching for life’s true meaning through the relentless pursuit of pleasure without much direction from any moral compass.
The principal character of European Son, who coyly refuses to disclose his name, speaks in the first person. His story is told in choppy “chapters” which in turn are divided into even shorter sections. One such “chapter” consists of a single sentence, albeit a compound/complex one; another is comprised of a single simple sentence repeated dozens of times. Bits of poetry are sprinkled here and there as well.
The novella’s action alternates between present and past and bounces among the United States, Amsterdam, and finally France—where else?-- like pieces of a puzzle akin to the model-less jigsaw puzzle which occupies some of the players at one point. This highly fragmented narrative technique works well in maintaining reader interest throughout this short and stylish work.
The book’s “hero” is as compelling as a loose tooth. He’s irritating, but you can’t ignore or fail to be fascinated by him. Orphaned and adopted, he joins a “sister” already in residence, with whom he develops a tortured and gripping relationship. His sexual ambidexterity is well expressed as he fits easily into, and sometimes generates romantic triangles, in one case acting as a kind of pro bono pimp. On two occasions, he shows an inaptitude for drowning and both he and his sister approach bondage half-heartedly, binding only one ankle and one wrist of their respective playmates. And let’s not forget to mention that our European son is both a voyeur and narcissist. (Indeed, there may be some plain creatures on the Riviera, but none finds any place of importance in this novella.) He’s also a murderer, but only in italics.
The narrative is cadenced, airy, and very much on the minimalist side. No scene comes even close to wearing out its welcome. My only cavils were the author’s use of the exactly reverse expression, “We could have cared less” to express acute indifference and turning the noun “cup” into a verb when describing the fondling of a female breast. This “cupping” thing is ubiquitous in romance novels, which can’t hold a candle to Mr. Levy’s work. On the other hand, I found dropping coins in lieu of a handkerchief to attract a target’s attention absolutely charming.
If one is looking for confirmation that heroic good looks don’t guarantee happiness, and if one is not turned off by the longeurs of nouvelle vague films, European Son will deeply satisfy.
Author: Barry Stewart Levy
Publisher: Create Space
ASIN: B00A44ABFY
Very much in the tradition of literary existentialism, Mr. Levy has created a familiar but nonetheless fascinating lost soul searching for life’s true meaning through the relentless pursuit of pleasure without much direction from any moral compass.
The principal character of European Son, who coyly refuses to disclose his name, speaks in the first person. His story is told in choppy “chapters” which in turn are divided into even shorter sections. One such “chapter” consists of a single sentence, albeit a compound/complex one; another is comprised of a single simple sentence repeated dozens of times. Bits of poetry are sprinkled here and there as well.
The novella’s action alternates between present and past and bounces among the United States, Amsterdam, and finally France—where else?-- like pieces of a puzzle akin to the model-less jigsaw puzzle which occupies some of the players at one point. This highly fragmented narrative technique works well in maintaining reader interest throughout this short and stylish work.
The book’s “hero” is as compelling as a loose tooth. He’s irritating, but you can’t ignore or fail to be fascinated by him. Orphaned and adopted, he joins a “sister” already in residence, with whom he develops a tortured and gripping relationship. His sexual ambidexterity is well expressed as he fits easily into, and sometimes generates romantic triangles, in one case acting as a kind of pro bono pimp. On two occasions, he shows an inaptitude for drowning and both he and his sister approach bondage half-heartedly, binding only one ankle and one wrist of their respective playmates. And let’s not forget to mention that our European son is both a voyeur and narcissist. (Indeed, there may be some plain creatures on the Riviera, but none finds any place of importance in this novella.) He’s also a murderer, but only in italics.
The narrative is cadenced, airy, and very much on the minimalist side. No scene comes even close to wearing out its welcome. My only cavils were the author’s use of the exactly reverse expression, “We could have cared less” to express acute indifference and turning the noun “cup” into a verb when describing the fondling of a female breast. This “cupping” thing is ubiquitous in romance novels, which can’t hold a candle to Mr. Levy’s work. On the other hand, I found dropping coins in lieu of a handkerchief to attract a target’s attention absolutely charming.
If one is looking for confirmation that heroic good looks don’t guarantee happiness, and if one is not turned off by the longeurs of nouvelle vague films, European Son will deeply satisfy.
August 24, 2014
New Radio Show
Hello everyone and welcome to Gordon Osmond Presents.
This article will tell you what to expect from this new program, how you can listen to it, live or later, and how you can actually be a part of the live broadcasts.
Throughout my rather longish life, I have been very fortunate to become acquainted with an outstanding collection of individuals in various fields—family, the law, the theatre, and the visual and literary arts. I want to share these people’s stories, and sometimes secrets, with the program’s listeners and to provide those listeners with an opportunity to join me in chatting with my guests.
Gordon Osmond Presents will be broadcast live over the facilities of the BlogTalkRadio network every Sunday afternoon, between 4 and 4:15 pm, Eastern Time. You can listen to the live program on your computer by linking to: blogtalkradio.com/gordonosmond. You can listen to a podcast of the programs at any later time by going to the same easy link. You can join the live broadcast and participate in the live discussion by calling into the program using the number 646.652.2245. This is not a toll-free number, but you can reduce the cost to nothing or next to nothing by using your regular long-distance calling plan or by using SKYPE. Your call can be as long as you like. To encourage call-ins, I’ll be giving an electronic copy of either of my novels, Turner's Point or Slipping on Stardust to each caller.
I’m extremely pleased to announce that my guests for the first two broadcasts are set. On August 31, I’ll be talking to James F. Broderick, followed by Jean Joachim on September 7. These remarkable authors both started out writing things other than books, and their back stories are both inspirational and instructive.
Through their books, I have become good friends with both although up until last Thanksgiving, I had met neither in person. On successive dates, in Manhattan, I shared a wonderful meal with each. If the restaurants had picked up the bill, I’d mention their names, but as they didn’t, I won’t.
My list for future broadcasts includes two women who broke new ground in the worlds of Wall Street law and banking, two authors who introduced me to the world of internet broadcasting, two writers of successful TV sitcoms, and a woman whom I met as an actor in my plays who is now a princess. That, by the way, is what we call progress.
My principal objectives in undertaking these broadcasts are to share these wonderful friends and to provide them podcast platforms that they can use in their future efforts. I hope that a growing listening base will support the continuation of these portraits of truly remarkable personalities. You can show that support by commenting upon this post below. Feel free to suggest future guests and the fields in which you are most interested.
Thank you, and happy listening!
This article will tell you what to expect from this new program, how you can listen to it, live or later, and how you can actually be a part of the live broadcasts.
Throughout my rather longish life, I have been very fortunate to become acquainted with an outstanding collection of individuals in various fields—family, the law, the theatre, and the visual and literary arts. I want to share these people’s stories, and sometimes secrets, with the program’s listeners and to provide those listeners with an opportunity to join me in chatting with my guests.
Gordon Osmond Presents will be broadcast live over the facilities of the BlogTalkRadio network every Sunday afternoon, between 4 and 4:15 pm, Eastern Time. You can listen to the live program on your computer by linking to: blogtalkradio.com/gordonosmond. You can listen to a podcast of the programs at any later time by going to the same easy link. You can join the live broadcast and participate in the live discussion by calling into the program using the number 646.652.2245. This is not a toll-free number, but you can reduce the cost to nothing or next to nothing by using your regular long-distance calling plan or by using SKYPE. Your call can be as long as you like. To encourage call-ins, I’ll be giving an electronic copy of either of my novels, Turner's Point or Slipping on Stardust to each caller.
I’m extremely pleased to announce that my guests for the first two broadcasts are set. On August 31, I’ll be talking to James F. Broderick, followed by Jean Joachim on September 7. These remarkable authors both started out writing things other than books, and their back stories are both inspirational and instructive.
Through their books, I have become good friends with both although up until last Thanksgiving, I had met neither in person. On successive dates, in Manhattan, I shared a wonderful meal with each. If the restaurants had picked up the bill, I’d mention their names, but as they didn’t, I won’t.
My list for future broadcasts includes two women who broke new ground in the worlds of Wall Street law and banking, two authors who introduced me to the world of internet broadcasting, two writers of successful TV sitcoms, and a woman whom I met as an actor in my plays who is now a princess. That, by the way, is what we call progress.
My principal objectives in undertaking these broadcasts are to share these wonderful friends and to provide them podcast platforms that they can use in their future efforts. I hope that a growing listening base will support the continuation of these portraits of truly remarkable personalities. You can show that support by commenting upon this post below. Feel free to suggest future guests and the fields in which you are most interested.
Thank you, and happy listening!
July 9, 2014
A book about Brazil
Brazil’s World Cup—Not Totally Empty
Brazil awakened on Wednesday with an unwelcome awareness that Tuesday was not a nightmare but, indeed, its very real bad news day. The whole country is in a state of acute depression. It's very sad to see.
As one who always tries to look for the positive side of things, I see two rays of hope that may in time bring some relief to Brazil. One is born of vengeance, an allegedly less than commendable impulse although I’ve never totally considered it such; the other more wholesome.
The first is that IF Argentina loses to Holland in today's semifinals and loses again to Brazil in the following mercy-fuck match, Brazil’s having at least remitted its ancient rival to the basement of the Final Four may put some spring back in the Samba. (On the other hand, if Argentina wins today and goes on to beat Germany--the country that crushed Brazil yesterday—the current Brazilian depression may deepen into national psychosis.)
The other bright spot, totally invisible at the moment, is that although the World Cup was a miserable failure internally because of widespread dissatisfaction among Brazilians about how it was managed, most all visitors to this glorious country had a great time and were impressed with the generous and welcoming nature of Brazilians, a quality that has thrilled and sustained me for the past five years. Hopefully, down the road, this justifiable source of pride will have a palliative effect upon Brazil’s current malaise.
Brazil awakened on Wednesday with an unwelcome awareness that Tuesday was not a nightmare but, indeed, its very real bad news day. The whole country is in a state of acute depression. It's very sad to see.
As one who always tries to look for the positive side of things, I see two rays of hope that may in time bring some relief to Brazil. One is born of vengeance, an allegedly less than commendable impulse although I’ve never totally considered it such; the other more wholesome.
The first is that IF Argentina loses to Holland in today's semifinals and loses again to Brazil in the following mercy-fuck match, Brazil’s having at least remitted its ancient rival to the basement of the Final Four may put some spring back in the Samba. (On the other hand, if Argentina wins today and goes on to beat Germany--the country that crushed Brazil yesterday—the current Brazilian depression may deepen into national psychosis.)
The other bright spot, totally invisible at the moment, is that although the World Cup was a miserable failure internally because of widespread dissatisfaction among Brazilians about how it was managed, most all visitors to this glorious country had a great time and were impressed with the generous and welcoming nature of Brazilians, a quality that has thrilled and sustained me for the past five years. Hopefully, down the road, this justifiable source of pride will have a palliative effect upon Brazil’s current malaise.
July 7, 2014
Review of great new Shakespeare book
Title: Greatness Thrust upon Them—Non-professional Actors and Directors Discuss Their Encounters with Shakespeare
Author: James F. Broderick
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ISBN: ISBN: 1499268319 ISBN-13: 9781499268317
ASIN: BOOLFOJNIA
In certain quarters there is the perception that the study and performance of Shakespeare is a kind of theatrical medicine that is good for you but not necessarily good to you. For those who so believe, it is Shakespeare, not greatness, that is thrust upon its practitioners.
It is unlikely that this notion has any chance of surviving the publication of James F. Broderick’s outstanding collection of “interviews” with 27 persons involved in one capacity or another, frequently in more than one, with the poet and playwright whose works have dominated English literature for more than 400 years. I put “interviews” in quotes to emphasize that these questions and answers are not to be confused with responses to prefabricated queries but rather interactive conversations where Broderick’s questions are formulated largely as a reaction to a subject’s previous statements. This approach provides a freshness and spontaneity that makes Greatness Thrust upon Them—Non-Professional Actors and Directors Discuss Their Encounters with Shakespeare a reading experience that is as delightful as it is illuminating.“Delightful” and “illuminating” are, in fact, themes that pervade most subjects’ assessment of their own connections with Shakespeare. It is a rare interview that does not contain references to the “fun” had in exploring Shakespeare whether as student, actor, director, or producer.
Perhaps the most impressive accomplishments in producing this book took place before a single word was committed to paper—the formulation of concept and the assembly of subjects having such disparate backgrounds and theatre histories. Ranging widely in age, education, geographical exposure, and initial and final employment, each Shakespearean responds to Broderick’s respectful but never less than searching questions, all of which leaves the reader with a deepened understanding of just why and how intensely Shakespeare is alive and well in the 21st century.
The book is a great deal more than a group of practitioners paying tribute to a literary master, for in the course of doing that, they also illuminate such peripheral but no less fascinating issues as differing acting methods, styles, and role preparation, the relationships among actors, the director/actor dynamic, the challenges of production, and, perhaps most tellingly, the different feelings of all involved on the subject of text tinkering and “modernization,” subjects upon which the bard himself might have a view or two.
Although Shakespeare is clearly the principal focus of Broderick’s work, he has wisely allowed, indeed encouraged, his subjects to relate their experiences and opinions about their work with other plays. This book should also be required reading for contemporary playwrights who are often frustrated with the approach and results of actors and directors presenting their plays.
James F. Broderick
I doubt that any future viewer of a Shakespeare play will fail to benefit from the probing queries presented in Broderick’s book, for just as the actors are breathing life into the characters they are interpreting on stage, the audience member will have a much clearer and comprehensive appreciation for what is breathing life into the actor and others involved in the production.
Author: James F. Broderick
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ISBN: ISBN: 1499268319 ISBN-13: 9781499268317
ASIN: BOOLFOJNIA
In certain quarters there is the perception that the study and performance of Shakespeare is a kind of theatrical medicine that is good for you but not necessarily good to you. For those who so believe, it is Shakespeare, not greatness, that is thrust upon its practitioners.
It is unlikely that this notion has any chance of surviving the publication of James F. Broderick’s outstanding collection of “interviews” with 27 persons involved in one capacity or another, frequently in more than one, with the poet and playwright whose works have dominated English literature for more than 400 years. I put “interviews” in quotes to emphasize that these questions and answers are not to be confused with responses to prefabricated queries but rather interactive conversations where Broderick’s questions are formulated largely as a reaction to a subject’s previous statements. This approach provides a freshness and spontaneity that makes Greatness Thrust upon Them—Non-Professional Actors and Directors Discuss Their Encounters with Shakespeare a reading experience that is as delightful as it is illuminating.“Delightful” and “illuminating” are, in fact, themes that pervade most subjects’ assessment of their own connections with Shakespeare. It is a rare interview that does not contain references to the “fun” had in exploring Shakespeare whether as student, actor, director, or producer.
Perhaps the most impressive accomplishments in producing this book took place before a single word was committed to paper—the formulation of concept and the assembly of subjects having such disparate backgrounds and theatre histories. Ranging widely in age, education, geographical exposure, and initial and final employment, each Shakespearean responds to Broderick’s respectful but never less than searching questions, all of which leaves the reader with a deepened understanding of just why and how intensely Shakespeare is alive and well in the 21st century.
The book is a great deal more than a group of practitioners paying tribute to a literary master, for in the course of doing that, they also illuminate such peripheral but no less fascinating issues as differing acting methods, styles, and role preparation, the relationships among actors, the director/actor dynamic, the challenges of production, and, perhaps most tellingly, the different feelings of all involved on the subject of text tinkering and “modernization,” subjects upon which the bard himself might have a view or two.
Although Shakespeare is clearly the principal focus of Broderick’s work, he has wisely allowed, indeed encouraged, his subjects to relate their experiences and opinions about their work with other plays. This book should also be required reading for contemporary playwrights who are often frustrated with the approach and results of actors and directors presenting their plays.
James F. Broderick
I doubt that any future viewer of a Shakespeare play will fail to benefit from the probing queries presented in Broderick’s book, for just as the actors are breathing life into the characters they are interpreting on stage, the audience member will have a much clearer and comprehensive appreciation for what is breathing life into the actor and others involved in the production.
June 10, 2014
Twin Tributes
A Twin Tribute
In my case, 40 years of pouring over law books produced not exactly an aversion to books, but most certainly an appetite for competitive media of entertainment.
When, at a post-money-making stage in life, I turned to writing, I was shamefully deficient regarding exposure to contemporary writing. When my plays were likened to Wilde and Coward, I knew what was being said because, in my angel infancy, I had played the works of both on very small stages and was obviously seriously influenced by the dialogue it was my privilege to interpret.
But when comparisons to Vonnegut and Russo cropped up, I hadn’t a clue about the source material. I realized that there was a wonderful world of contemporary fiction that I had neglected.
The publication of my first two novels has brought me into contact with two contemporary authors whom I believe are outstanding to the point of miraculousness—James F. Broderick and Russ Woody. The works o each are fiction and non-fiction as are mine.
James F. Broderick wrote an extraordinary analysis of film and books called Now a Terrifying Motion Picture. He followed it up with a thriller called Stalked which has some of the best plotting and thematic and narrative brilliance a reader could ever hope for.
Russ Woody has written a touching memoir about the death of his father titled, Heroic Heart. Whether his Effin’ Up is fiction or memoir is irrelevant. It’s absolutely brilliant.
Intentionally, I give no biographical or credential background about either author; their books speak for themselves.
What started out as a new and highly speculative venture on my part has turned out to be one of rich rewards not the least of which has been reading and relishing the works of these two great authors.
In my case, 40 years of pouring over law books produced not exactly an aversion to books, but most certainly an appetite for competitive media of entertainment.
When, at a post-money-making stage in life, I turned to writing, I was shamefully deficient regarding exposure to contemporary writing. When my plays were likened to Wilde and Coward, I knew what was being said because, in my angel infancy, I had played the works of both on very small stages and was obviously seriously influenced by the dialogue it was my privilege to interpret.
But when comparisons to Vonnegut and Russo cropped up, I hadn’t a clue about the source material. I realized that there was a wonderful world of contemporary fiction that I had neglected.
The publication of my first two novels has brought me into contact with two contemporary authors whom I believe are outstanding to the point of miraculousness—James F. Broderick and Russ Woody. The works o each are fiction and non-fiction as are mine.
James F. Broderick wrote an extraordinary analysis of film and books called Now a Terrifying Motion Picture. He followed it up with a thriller called Stalked which has some of the best plotting and thematic and narrative brilliance a reader could ever hope for.
Russ Woody has written a touching memoir about the death of his father titled, Heroic Heart. Whether his Effin’ Up is fiction or memoir is irrelevant. It’s absolutely brilliant.
Intentionally, I give no biographical or credential background about either author; their books speak for themselves.
What started out as a new and highly speculative venture on my part has turned out to be one of rich rewards not the least of which has been reading and relishing the works of these two great authors.
May 26, 2014
Comparing Reviews
As noted in my prior “editorials” on book reviews, I make it a rule never to take issue with a review’s qualifications or reservations. However, I think it’s instructive to give reviews attention when particularly interesting contrasting viewpoints are revealed. To do so, reinforces the reality that readers approach a book with their individual backgrounds and values and that it is impossible to please everyone in every respect to the same extent.
I also try to spread the word when compliments are expressed regarding cover art and editing.
As for varying perspectives on heat content, consider the following reviewer excerpts:
“Didn’t care for the male sex scenes being described, but I made it through them. It fit perfectly with the story, it’s just out of my comfort zone.”
versus
“There is nothing explicit in this book, so if you are expecting some saucy scenes then be prepared for disappointment. Saying that though, every scene is very well written.”
versus
“This one was full of interesting elements that were shocking, even for me. Ha. Shocker…”
versus
“This book is written for adults, because there is graphic and vulgar material. Which is all very tasteful in my opinion, I would definitely recommend this novel.”
As for sophistication of language and reference to potentially obscure persons and events:
“Loved the storyline, travel and such a colorful blend of characters. Also loved the words you use, it’s not often I get to look up less used words and what they mean. I was at the dictionary many times throughout this book. Love to learn about new things so all the lawyer and plays were a bit entertaining.”
versus
“What was not appealing and took a star off was the language. (example:" With an expression that was part incredulous but mostly crestfallen" ) There were far too many phrases that were at a graduate school level. I actually looked something up because I was stumped…I did enjoy it and I would recommend it to the older readers (over 40) because there were quiet (sic) a few references to musicals and old time Hollywood actors that the younger audience wouldn't appreciate.”
versus
“He told the story using intelligent words, the story was well thought out and executed extremely well.”
versus
“I have to say that I found all the references to classic movies and plays a treat.”
As for editorial and cover kudos:
“This book is extremely well edited and I felt that the way it has been presented shows that the author is proud of his book and has spent time fine tuning it to make it perfect for the reader.”
“Turner's Point by author Gordon Osmond is deep. A lot is hiding beyond that chiseled chest of a cover. The author did a nice job with character creation and editing. 4 Stars for enticing cover and alluring plot.
“Mr Osmond definitely has a talent for writing, as his book is flawless. I just couldn't fault anything. Great cover, great story, great characters....yep great book!”
“Just finished and loved a few things about the book. Give the proofreader a raise, there’s only one error I found, punctuation a ? outside quote marks at the end of a sentence.”
Here, in defense of the editing of Turner’s Point, I must take exception to the notion that a question mark may not be placed outside of quote marks at the end of a sentence. Under American, as opposed to British usage, the only punctuation marks that must always precede quote marks at the end of a sentence are periods and commas. For example, this is correct: “Should he have called her a “bitch”? Equally correct is: “He shouldn’t have called her a “bitch.”
I should emphasize again that I have been treated with great generosity by all reviewers; I have nothing but gratitude to express to each and every one of them.
I also try to spread the word when compliments are expressed regarding cover art and editing.
As for varying perspectives on heat content, consider the following reviewer excerpts:
“Didn’t care for the male sex scenes being described, but I made it through them. It fit perfectly with the story, it’s just out of my comfort zone.”
versus
“There is nothing explicit in this book, so if you are expecting some saucy scenes then be prepared for disappointment. Saying that though, every scene is very well written.”
versus
“This one was full of interesting elements that were shocking, even for me. Ha. Shocker…”
versus
“This book is written for adults, because there is graphic and vulgar material. Which is all very tasteful in my opinion, I would definitely recommend this novel.”
As for sophistication of language and reference to potentially obscure persons and events:
“Loved the storyline, travel and such a colorful blend of characters. Also loved the words you use, it’s not often I get to look up less used words and what they mean. I was at the dictionary many times throughout this book. Love to learn about new things so all the lawyer and plays were a bit entertaining.”
versus
“What was not appealing and took a star off was the language. (example:" With an expression that was part incredulous but mostly crestfallen" ) There were far too many phrases that were at a graduate school level. I actually looked something up because I was stumped…I did enjoy it and I would recommend it to the older readers (over 40) because there were quiet (sic) a few references to musicals and old time Hollywood actors that the younger audience wouldn't appreciate.”
versus
“He told the story using intelligent words, the story was well thought out and executed extremely well.”
versus
“I have to say that I found all the references to classic movies and plays a treat.”
As for editorial and cover kudos:
“This book is extremely well edited and I felt that the way it has been presented shows that the author is proud of his book and has spent time fine tuning it to make it perfect for the reader.”
“Turner's Point by author Gordon Osmond is deep. A lot is hiding beyond that chiseled chest of a cover. The author did a nice job with character creation and editing. 4 Stars for enticing cover and alluring plot.
“Mr Osmond definitely has a talent for writing, as his book is flawless. I just couldn't fault anything. Great cover, great story, great characters....yep great book!”
“Just finished and loved a few things about the book. Give the proofreader a raise, there’s only one error I found, punctuation a ? outside quote marks at the end of a sentence.”
Here, in defense of the editing of Turner’s Point, I must take exception to the notion that a question mark may not be placed outside of quote marks at the end of a sentence. Under American, as opposed to British usage, the only punctuation marks that must always precede quote marks at the end of a sentence are periods and commas. For example, this is correct: “Should he have called her a “bitch”? Equally correct is: “He shouldn’t have called her a “bitch.”
I should emphasize again that I have been treated with great generosity by all reviewers; I have nothing but gratitude to express to each and every one of them.
May 14, 2014
Press Release for Turner's Point
Lawyer/Playwright Exposes Soft Underbelly of Law and Theatre in Second Novel
Gordon Osmond, award-winning playwright and author of his highly acclaimed debut novel, Slipping on Stardust, turns up the heat with his second novel, a taut sizzler called, TURNER’S POINT, described by a major critic as “a delectable dissection of small-town mores and big-city glories.”
TURNER’S POINT describes with Osmond’s unique blend of wit and wisdom the travails and triumphs of the members of a Mid-Western family as they face new personal and professional challenges while attempting to, in the novel’s words, “salvage some tolerable future out of the spilled milk into which their recent past had curdled.” The novel is set in Ohio, San Diego, Hollywood, and New York City.
James F. Broderick, Ph.D., author of Stalked and Now a Terrifying Motion Picture, says of TURNER’S POINT, “The dialogue is crisp and Coward-ly…profound and touching…prepare to be dazzled…a bi-coastal bonanza of sex, love, and death, Gordon Osmond has created a modern classic…if you like your plots served with a twist of sex and a side of unpredictability, this page-turning paean to love, law, and the pursuit of one’s true self with leave you breathless…a tour-de-force take on the intersection of life’s multiple plot strands…the real joys of the book for some readers will be the sublime and ridiculously good writing. One can simply groove on the poetic pulse of the language.”
NEW YORK – From the time his stage play, The Scales, won First Prize in the prestigious John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Contest sponsored by the New England Theatre Conference, critics have noted Osmond’s unique writing skills. “His play offers some of the best writing heard in any performing medium in years.”—Brad Bradley, Manhattan Mirror
“I kept thinking—Wouldn’t Noel Coward have loved to write something this open and unashamed in his time?”—The Raleigh News and Observer
Critics welcomed the release of Osmond’s debut novel, Slipping on Stardust, with encomiums such as:”will remind you of the best of Preston Sturges and George Cukor…a brilliant tour de force…he writes like Oscar Wilde…a masterpiece.” In the words of Grady Harp, one of Amazon’s Top 50 reviewers, “He writes with turns of phrase, witticisms, insights and polemics that are equal to the best of today's writers.”
True to Osmond’s iconoclastic style, Turner’s Point contains the following reader advisory:
Note:
“Turner’s Point contains some sexually explicit material that may be confusing to virgins and irritating to non-virgins who have achieved that status less excitingly than it’s portrayed in Turner’s Point.”
About the book:
Turner’s Point by Gordon Osmond
ASIN: B00JOWF2JY
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Date of publish: April, 2014
Pages: 183
Electronic version (all formats): $4.99
About the author:
Gordon Osmond is a Wall Street lawyer, playwright, author, lecturer, and teacher.
Note: A host and frequent guest of radio shows, the author is a skilled, entertaining, and unpredictable interviewee. Please reply to this e-mail for interview requests or for links to the author’s previous radio interviews.
There is also a prepared Q&A available upon request.
Note: Review copies of this book are available by replying to this e-mail. Only electronic versions of this book are available at this time. PLEASE NOTE YOUR FORMAT PREFERENCE.
Also, PLEASE INCLUDE THE WEB ADDRESS WHERE YOU POST YOUR REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS.
©2014 Bostick Communications | ops@bostickcommunications.com
Gordon Osmond, award-winning playwright and author of his highly acclaimed debut novel, Slipping on Stardust, turns up the heat with his second novel, a taut sizzler called, TURNER’S POINT, described by a major critic as “a delectable dissection of small-town mores and big-city glories.”
TURNER’S POINT describes with Osmond’s unique blend of wit and wisdom the travails and triumphs of the members of a Mid-Western family as they face new personal and professional challenges while attempting to, in the novel’s words, “salvage some tolerable future out of the spilled milk into which their recent past had curdled.” The novel is set in Ohio, San Diego, Hollywood, and New York City.
James F. Broderick, Ph.D., author of Stalked and Now a Terrifying Motion Picture, says of TURNER’S POINT, “The dialogue is crisp and Coward-ly…profound and touching…prepare to be dazzled…a bi-coastal bonanza of sex, love, and death, Gordon Osmond has created a modern classic…if you like your plots served with a twist of sex and a side of unpredictability, this page-turning paean to love, law, and the pursuit of one’s true self with leave you breathless…a tour-de-force take on the intersection of life’s multiple plot strands…the real joys of the book for some readers will be the sublime and ridiculously good writing. One can simply groove on the poetic pulse of the language.”
NEW YORK – From the time his stage play, The Scales, won First Prize in the prestigious John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Contest sponsored by the New England Theatre Conference, critics have noted Osmond’s unique writing skills. “His play offers some of the best writing heard in any performing medium in years.”—Brad Bradley, Manhattan Mirror
“I kept thinking—Wouldn’t Noel Coward have loved to write something this open and unashamed in his time?”—The Raleigh News and Observer
Critics welcomed the release of Osmond’s debut novel, Slipping on Stardust, with encomiums such as:”will remind you of the best of Preston Sturges and George Cukor…a brilliant tour de force…he writes like Oscar Wilde…a masterpiece.” In the words of Grady Harp, one of Amazon’s Top 50 reviewers, “He writes with turns of phrase, witticisms, insights and polemics that are equal to the best of today's writers.”
True to Osmond’s iconoclastic style, Turner’s Point contains the following reader advisory:
Note:
“Turner’s Point contains some sexually explicit material that may be confusing to virgins and irritating to non-virgins who have achieved that status less excitingly than it’s portrayed in Turner’s Point.”
About the book:
Turner’s Point by Gordon Osmond
ASIN: B00JOWF2JY
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Date of publish: April, 2014
Pages: 183
Electronic version (all formats): $4.99
About the author:
Gordon Osmond is a Wall Street lawyer, playwright, author, lecturer, and teacher.
Note: A host and frequent guest of radio shows, the author is a skilled, entertaining, and unpredictable interviewee. Please reply to this e-mail for interview requests or for links to the author’s previous radio interviews.
There is also a prepared Q&A available upon request.
Note: Review copies of this book are available by replying to this e-mail. Only electronic versions of this book are available at this time. PLEASE NOTE YOUR FORMAT PREFERENCE.
Also, PLEASE INCLUDE THE WEB ADDRESS WHERE YOU POST YOUR REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS.
©2014 Bostick Communications | ops@bostickcommunications.com
March 7, 2014
Midler and Minnelli
Midler and Minnelli
The surnames are eerily alliterative. And, as luck would have it, both appeared on the 2014 Oscar ceremonies, Midler as performer, Minnelli as audience member.
This is, perhaps, as good an occasion as any to contrast the careers of these legends. (In my unauthorized autobiography, Wet Firecrackers, I contrasted Liza’s more legendary mom, Judy Garland and Madonna).
The parallels are remarkable. Both Bette and Liza were born and bred in the gay culture. Bette started out performing with the expert assistance of Barry Manilow at the Continental Baths on Manhattan’s West Side. Liza married Peter Allen, a notoriously gay performer. Both had singing voices that could most charitably be described as mediocre. Both demonstrated superb acting skills for tragic-comedy. Liza clearly inherited her formidable comic timing, but regrettably not her vocal capacity, from her mother; the roots of Bette’s are less clear.
Liza’s star ascended more quickly, burned more brightly, and sank into the Icarian Sea more devastatingly than Bette’s which, if the Oscar performance is any barometer, is still gloriously aloft.
After Liza dazzled in Cabaret, New York, New York, and The Sterile Cuckoo, she not only rested on her laurels, she trampled on them. She seemed intent on duplicating the dissolute later years of her mom, forgetting that Judy had earned the right to do so by decades, not years, of disciplined devotion to her several crafts.
Bette built her career more methodically. While Liza was appearing most anywhere screaming into a microphone, Bette was producing stellar stage shows at Radio City Music Hall and elsewhere, exhibiting extraordinary stage craft and multi-layered entertainment.
The difference between discipline and indulgence was painfully evident last Sunday, when Bette, looking abfab, performed the socks off the by-now-very-tired The Wind Beneath My Wings, while Liza, looking a bit like a mortician’s work of art, was the deserving brunt of a hilarious riff by Ellen Degeneres.
The surnames are eerily alliterative. And, as luck would have it, both appeared on the 2014 Oscar ceremonies, Midler as performer, Minnelli as audience member.
This is, perhaps, as good an occasion as any to contrast the careers of these legends. (In my unauthorized autobiography, Wet Firecrackers, I contrasted Liza’s more legendary mom, Judy Garland and Madonna).
The parallels are remarkable. Both Bette and Liza were born and bred in the gay culture. Bette started out performing with the expert assistance of Barry Manilow at the Continental Baths on Manhattan’s West Side. Liza married Peter Allen, a notoriously gay performer. Both had singing voices that could most charitably be described as mediocre. Both demonstrated superb acting skills for tragic-comedy. Liza clearly inherited her formidable comic timing, but regrettably not her vocal capacity, from her mother; the roots of Bette’s are less clear.
Liza’s star ascended more quickly, burned more brightly, and sank into the Icarian Sea more devastatingly than Bette’s which, if the Oscar performance is any barometer, is still gloriously aloft.
After Liza dazzled in Cabaret, New York, New York, and The Sterile Cuckoo, she not only rested on her laurels, she trampled on them. She seemed intent on duplicating the dissolute later years of her mom, forgetting that Judy had earned the right to do so by decades, not years, of disciplined devotion to her several crafts.
Bette built her career more methodically. While Liza was appearing most anywhere screaming into a microphone, Bette was producing stellar stage shows at Radio City Music Hall and elsewhere, exhibiting extraordinary stage craft and multi-layered entertainment.
The difference between discipline and indulgence was painfully evident last Sunday, when Bette, looking abfab, performed the socks off the by-now-very-tired The Wind Beneath My Wings, while Liza, looking a bit like a mortician’s work of art, was the deserving brunt of a hilarious riff by Ellen Degeneres.
Gordon Osmond on Writing
Based on my long career as a playwright, author of fiction and non-fiction, editor, book and play critic, and lecturer on English,I am establishing this new blog for short articles and comments to ass
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