Mark Stevens's Blog, page 11

Bob Dylan, “The Philosophy of Modern Song”

I listened on audio (an A+ plus experience) and my only wish was to hear each track as a preamble to Bob Dylan’s dissection. I’m sure it would have been a nightmare in terms of tracking down rights to include … Continue reading →

Art Taylor, “The Adventure of the Castle Thief”

Art Taylor is a short story machine, except “machine” sounds much too mechanical for a guy whose writing so fluidly adapts to whatever creative idea comes into his head. Take “Mrs. Marple and the Hit & Run,” for instance, the … Continue reading →

Morgan Sjogren, “Path of Light”

Are you beguiled by Bears Ears? Are you desperate for time in the desert? Are you enraptured by hiking and camping in extreme conditions, eager to hike with 25 pounds of water strapped to your back so you don’t die … Continue reading →

Q & A # 98 – Stephanie Kane, “True Crime Redux”

The decades-long sequence of events that led up to the publication of Stephanie Kane’s True Crime Redux is mind-blowing. Here’s the essence: A young woman is about to be married. She witnesses key moments in the murder of her fiancé’s … Continue reading →

Nell Zink, “Doxology”

The New York Times called Doxology “bliss.” I call it head-scratching. At first, I was in with all the music and clubs and bands and CBGB and rock critics and references to everything from Todd Rundgren to Minor Threat, Sonic … Continue reading →

Chrissie Hynde, “Reckless”

From “Precious” to “Mystery Achievement,” the first Pretenders album was rock and roll perfection. It seemed edgy (“Up The Neck,” “Space Invader”) but not without a nod to pop (“Kids,” “Stop Your Sobbing.”) You would think that lead singer Chrissie … Continue reading →

Don Winslow, “City On Fire”

One beautiful woman walks out of the water (sentence number one) and sets a city on fire. Danny Ryan is watching the woman in the black bikini. At first, he thinks she might be a vision. Don Winslow (sentence number … Continue reading →

James Sallis, “The Moth”

Lew Griffin lives in a rich world of ideas and memories and haunts and searching. At the beginning of The Moth, he’s mourning. But he might be always mourning. If not for a person, for the state of affairs all … Continue reading →

Adrian McKinty, “The Island”

Yeah, maybe they should have gone back to Melbourne. The warning was right there. They were told the island was like “Jurassic bloody Park.”  But the kids want to see a koala. The kids are Olivia and Owen. Dad is Tom. … Continue reading →

Tara Westover, “Educated”

“Tell me, why have you placed this comma here?” Tara Westover, improbably enough, is working with Professor Jonathan Steinberg at King’s College, Cambridge University. “What relationship between these phrases are you hoping to establish?” he says. That simple question and … Continue reading →