Lev Raphael's Blog, page 45

5 Easy Ways for Authors to Rock the House

T.C. Boyle once said that "Most writers are writers because they are introverts who have chosen a profession in which they don't have to deal with anyone." While it may be painful for them to be out in the public eye, it shouldn't be painful for people to listen to them read from their books -- but all too often, it is.

Here are five simple tools authors can use to become skilled at this essential side of the profession.

Get director's notes from someone tough but fair. A reading is a perf...

5 Simple Ways for Authors to Become Powerful Readers

T.C. Boyle once said that "Most writers are writers because they are introverts who have chosen a profession in which they don't have to deal with anyone." While it may be painful for them to be out in the public eye, it shouldn't be painful for people to listen to them read from their books -- but all too often, it is.



Here are five simple tools authors can use to become skilled at this essential side of the profession.



Get director's notes from someone tough but fair. A reading is a performa...

The Inspiring Professor Who Changed My Life

Yesterday was International Women's Day, but I think about the amazing teacher who changed my life just about every day because I wouldn't be the writer, the teacher, or the man I am today if not for her.



I had dreamed of being a writer since I was in second grade, but it wasn't until I took my first class with Kristin Lauer at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus that I fell in love with writing itself.







She was my first and best creative writing teacher and was endlessly inventive in her...

The Cure for 'Downton Abbey' Blues

It's a long way to Season Six. What do you do after you've watched all five previous seasons again?



Don't hesitate--redecorate!



Follow the lead of Congressman Aaron Schock. Never heard of him? He's the Illinois Republican best known for appearing on the cover of Men's Health , for his killer abs, and for being generally hunky. The "ripped Representative" loves talking about his workouts, though he doesn't seem to have done any heavy lifting on legislation yet.









Congressmen Schock is evidently a fa...

Down in the Dumps about 'Downton'?

It's a long way to Season Six. What do you do after you've watched all five previous seasons again?



Redecorate!



Follow the lead of Congressman Aaron Schock. Never heard of him? He's the Illinois Republican best known for appearing on the cover of Men's Health , for his killer abs, and for being generally hunky. The "ripped Representative" loves talking about his workouts, though he doesn't seem to have done any heavy lifting on legislation yet.







Congressmen Schock is evidently a fan of Downton Abb...

'Downton Abbey' -- Wild Predictions for Season Six!

Now that Season Five has ended with so much Christmas cheer and possibility, it's time to predict what will happen in what's going to be the final season. I expect developments worthy of Dickens.



Princess Kuragin will die after eating bad Pavlova (oh, that Denker!) and the Prince and the Dowager Countess will finally elope -- to Brighton. Lord Grantham will be appalled but his wife will be thrilled.







Rose will have twins and name them Romulus and Remus.



Mrs. Hughes and Carson will get arrested ri...

Spock Was My Hero

I was wild about Star Trek as a kid but unlike my school buddies, I wasn't fond of Captain Kirk. He was way too fiery and combustible, just like my parents.



Spock was my hero: calm, rational, and funny in that understated way. He didn't bluster, he observed, and he solved problems with Hemingway-style grace under pressure. Nothing fazed him. I admired that wonderful sense of balance.



He was intriguing for other reasons. He was Jewish--and not just in real life. He was a space Jew in a way: diff...

Spock Was My Guy

I was wild about Star Trek as a kid but unlike my school buddies, I wasn't fond of Captain Kirk. He was way too fiery and combustible, just like my parents.



Spock was my guy: calm, rational, and funny in that understated way. He didn't bluster, he observed, and he solved problems with Hemingway-style grace under pressure. Nothing fazed him. I admired that wonderful sense of balance.



He was intriguing for other reasons. He was Jewish--and not just in real life. He was a space Jew in a way: diffe...

'Fifty Shades of Grey' Is a Laff Riot

Waiting in a doctor's office soon after Fifty Shades of Grey was becoming a bestseller, I overheard two quite elderly women discussing it. One said, "We had it in our reading group." The other asked, "What did you think?" Without hesitation, the first woman replied, "I didn't learn anything new."







I learned a lot from it myself: how a book meant to be erotic, enticing, and exciting could actually be quite funny -- unintentionally. E.L. James writes badly enough to teach young writers a lot. Her...

Is Satire A Foreign Language?

When you publish a blog post in The Huffington Post's Comedy section, you assume people will get the obvious: It's meant to be funny, just like a fire truck hurtling down the street is a sign that, well, there's a fire somewhere, right?

But apparently not everyone is able to read obvious cues like that.



Last week I posted a satirical blog post in this section where I pretended to confess that everyone who reviews books does it for personal reasons only. Bad review? The author's pissed us off in...