Mark Stevens's Blog, page 43
October 4, 2014
Willy Vlautin – “The Motel Life”
Where is the Willy Vlautin fan club? I’d like to join. I read Lean on Pete first. I found it mesmerizing. Vlautin writes like he’s searching for the unvarnished, cold truth in each moment. With Lean on Pete and The … Continue reading →
September 25, 2014
Q & A with Gail Storey – “I Promise Not to Suffer”
I took my first hike on the Pacific Crest Trail two years ago. This year, I did it again. The first time, Cheryl Strayed was my guide (Wild) and I thought her account was just okay. I didn’t understand why … Continue reading →
September 13, 2014
Willy Vlautin – “Lean on Pete”
This started with a song. Every year, the SXSW festival posts one song from every band that plays the week-long shindig in Austin. There are at least a 1,000 songs to go through—sometimes more. I listen. A couple years ago, … Continue reading →
August 31, 2014
George Pelecanos – “The Double”
And I come again in praise of Dion Graham. Graham is the ideal narrator for the gritty streets where George Pelecanos sets his stories, in the underbelly of Washington, D.C. I wish Graham could read every book I “read” on … Continue reading →
August 20, 2014
Jason Kendall – “Throwback”
A recent Wall Street Journal story (July 16, 2013) found that the game of professional baseball involves a lot of standing around. “By WSJ calculations, a baseball fan will see 17 minutes and 58 seconds of action over the course … Continue reading →
August 16, 2014
Warren Hammond – “Kop”
Start “Kop” and you will feel right at home in a dark story of dirty justice, mean streets, creepy thugs and embedded corruption. These streets just happen to be on a planet named Lagarto where the reptiles, both the human … Continue reading →
August 3, 2014
Norman MacLean – “Young Men & Fire”
Published 22 years ago, Young Men & Fire still crackles today. Norman MacLean’s account of the Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters in 1949, is a powerful piece of narrative journalism. But MacLean warps the form—fearlessly. … Continue reading →
July 26, 2014
Stacey D’Erasmo – “Wonderland”
Fiction struggles to capture rock and roll on the page. What’s up with that? Jennifer Egan? Nick Hornby? Camden Joy? Roddy Doyle? Bits and pieces here and there, sure. Good stories. Put Stacey D’Erasmo right up there. “Wonderland” is knock-out … Continue reading →
June 26, 2014
Q & A With Rex Burns – “Body Slam”
When I first started reading mysteries in the early 1980’s, my taste ran to James M. Cain, Patricia Highsmith, Raymond Chandler and Rex Burns. I loved reading mysteries with the local (Denver) setting. Strip Search. Avenging Angel. The Killing Zone. … Continue reading →
June 24, 2014
Nick Hornby – “Juliet, Naked”
Reading Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, I was reminded of the lyrics to “Superfan” by Cracker, written by Johnny Hickman: I heard the words, now here I am You were talking to me, I’m your super fan I loved you … Continue reading →
