Barry Stewart Levy's Blog, page 4
May 31, 2021
Book Review #122
Step Out of Your Story: Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life
by Kim Schneiderman
This is one of the best self-help books I've ever read. As someone who has been in therapy, is into self-improvement and is also a novelist, I related to the book and its exercises on all of these levels. Reading the book I often felt as though I were in a therapy session and that Kim had insights into exactly what I was thinking and feeling. The exercises were challenging and also engaged me on a creative level, which as a writer, I both enjoyed and appreciated. In all honesty there were times when I resisted doing the exercises because I felt uncomfortable. And, of course, I realized that those were the times when I needed most to step out of my comfort zone. In the end I'm glad I did. If you are willing to do the work, this book and can be both insightful and very helpful.
by Kim Schneiderman
This is one of the best self-help books I've ever read. As someone who has been in therapy, is into self-improvement and is also a novelist, I related to the book and its exercises on all of these levels. Reading the book I often felt as though I were in a therapy session and that Kim had insights into exactly what I was thinking and feeling. The exercises were challenging and also engaged me on a creative level, which as a writer, I both enjoyed and appreciated. In all honesty there were times when I resisted doing the exercises because I felt uncomfortable. And, of course, I realized that those were the times when I needed most to step out of my comfort zone. In the end I'm glad I did. If you are willing to do the work, this book and can be both insightful and very helpful.
April 28, 2021
"The Great Procrastinator"
When it comes to film, I'm The Cinema kid. But as to my writing, I am, unfortunately, The Great Procrastinator. I really need to get to the desk more often because when I do I remember who I am. I recapture that sense of Self. And I'm in touch with my passion and purpose. And nowadays with this pandemic stifling our lives it's even more important to be as creative and vibrant and adventurous as possible. Even if it's through our imagination.
Whoever You Are...
Whoever you are, thank you for visiting my novella's Facebook page and keeping it alive. Your interest has led me to return to it and to express some of my thoughts and feelings. It's been awhile since I've posted anything here. Sometime ago I contacted artist and photographer and blogger of magical worlds Rima Staines, seeking her permission to use a photograph of hers for the cover of the short novella I am writing. When I didn't hear from her, I offered to purchase the photograph. She declined but expressed her appreciation that I admired her work. I immediately wrote back, saying I respected her decision but again asked if I could I use her photograph for my book cover. I never heard from her and frankly did not expect to. And while I do respect her decision, I can't help
feeling disappointed. I have done, by my count, nineteen revisions of "A Solitary Landscape." Hard to believe. And I know I'm not done. I need to spend more time at the desk but stuff gets in the way. And so do I. Recently I was in the Village and purposely went over to Idlewild Books on Seventh Ave. South & Perry Street. A really nice store with many travel books as well as literature by authors from all over the world. They were kind enough to put my book, "European Son: a novella," on their shelves. And I, in turn, bought a book of poetry by Pasolini, "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway and Umberto Saba's coming of age novel, "Ernesto." When I looked through the window that day in the Village, my heart sank. All the shelves were empty of books. In the back were the classrooms where French, Italian and German had been taught. Now those classes were available only online. As for the hundreds of books, I have no idea of their fate. About a year ago a second Shakespeare & Co. opened on the Upper West Side. That store and its sister store near Hunter College have been kind enough to stock my "European Son." And for that I am grateful. Life goes on.
feeling disappointed. I have done, by my count, nineteen revisions of "A Solitary Landscape." Hard to believe. And I know I'm not done. I need to spend more time at the desk but stuff gets in the way. And so do I. Recently I was in the Village and purposely went over to Idlewild Books on Seventh Ave. South & Perry Street. A really nice store with many travel books as well as literature by authors from all over the world. They were kind enough to put my book, "European Son: a novella," on their shelves. And I, in turn, bought a book of poetry by Pasolini, "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway and Umberto Saba's coming of age novel, "Ernesto." When I looked through the window that day in the Village, my heart sank. All the shelves were empty of books. In the back were the classrooms where French, Italian and German had been taught. Now those classes were available only online. As for the hundreds of books, I have no idea of their fate. About a year ago a second Shakespeare & Co. opened on the Upper West Side. That store and its sister store near Hunter College have been kind enough to stock my "European Son." And for that I am grateful. Life goes on.
March 28, 2021
A Quote Both Lovely and True From a Book I Just Read
The book: "Paris, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down." The quote: "Never let the heart languish."
February 18, 2021
Book Review #121
Notes on the Cinematograph
by Robert Bresson
This is a lovely book and one to savor as you re-read and ponder each sentence and sentence fragment. Bresson compresses his art, purifying it, crystalizing it in his search for the essence of the image, the soul of the model, his word for actor. Reduction. Simplicity. Truth. Honesty. Never artifice. And all of it leading to a discovery, a surprise, where the hidden, the unexpected, is suddenly revealed!
by Robert Bresson
This is a lovely book and one to savor as you re-read and ponder each sentence and sentence fragment. Bresson compresses his art, purifying it, crystalizing it in his search for the essence of the image, the soul of the model, his word for actor. Reduction. Simplicity. Truth. Honesty. Never artifice. And all of it leading to a discovery, a surprise, where the hidden, the unexpected, is suddenly revealed!
January 10, 2021
Book Review #120
The Art of Description: World into Word
by Mark Doty
A highly intelligently written, academic, thought-provoking, intellectual critique on descriptive writing in poetry and prose. All in all a commendable addition to literary criticism by Mark Doty.
by Mark Doty
A highly intelligently written, academic, thought-provoking, intellectual critique on descriptive writing in poetry and prose. All in all a commendable addition to literary criticism by Mark Doty.
Book Review #119
Paris Spring
by James Naughtie
Despite some good descriptive writing, this is a second rate spy novel with many of the chapters ending on a melodramatic or hyperbolic note promising a lot but ultimately leading to a letdown. Also, there is virtually no suspense and no action, though there is a lot of padding. The editor could have cut about a hundred pages. I am being generous giving it a three star rating. I'd give it two and a half if I could. But the final conversation/confrontation between the lead character and his adversary was nicely written, so I'll be generous in spite of a mostly slow slog of a read towards a rather uneventful conclusion.
by James Naughtie
Despite some good descriptive writing, this is a second rate spy novel with many of the chapters ending on a melodramatic or hyperbolic note promising a lot but ultimately leading to a letdown. Also, there is virtually no suspense and no action, though there is a lot of padding. The editor could have cut about a hundred pages. I am being generous giving it a three star rating. I'd give it two and a half if I could. But the final conversation/confrontation between the lead character and his adversary was nicely written, so I'll be generous in spite of a mostly slow slog of a read towards a rather uneventful conclusion.
December 30, 2020
Book Review #118
The Late Show
by Michael Connelly
This is the first book I've read by Michael Connelly. Now I know why he's so popular. He's a very good writer, and this is a very well-written book. The word that kept coming to mind was "authentic." Reading this was like watching an excellent police procedural TV show with a female protagonist. This guy could teach James Patterson a thing or two.
by Michael Connelly
This is the first book I've read by Michael Connelly. Now I know why he's so popular. He's a very good writer, and this is a very well-written book. The word that kept coming to mind was "authentic." Reading this was like watching an excellent police procedural TV show with a female protagonist. This guy could teach James Patterson a thing or two.
December 24, 2020
Working on My Manuscript
I've been working on my latest work of fiction, a very short novella, "A Solitary Landscape." Several times I contacted an artist living in a coastal town in England, seeking her permission to use one of her photographs for the cover of this book. I didn't hear from her, so I wrote again, this time offering to buy the photograph, while again seeking permission to use it for the book cover. Eventually she did contact me and said, in a nice way, that the photo was not for sale. So I immediately wrote back, asking once again for permission to use it for the cover. I've not heard from her. So, when I'm up for it, I am going to go through dozens and dozens of snapshots I've taken, seeking something similar I can use instead. In the meantime I am rereading my manuscript for the nth time, making changes, tightening sentences, while surprising myself with connections I wasn't even aware of in the writing.
November 26, 2020
Book Review #117
Sleep of Memory
by Patrick Modiano
This is the fifth memoir/novel by Patrick Modiano that I have read and it may well be his best. Each book is a variation on basically the same tale: an older version of himself (or a reasonable facsimile) recalls episodes from his youth where he encounters a mysterious woman, a femme fatale of sorts, and ominous male figures, putting both of them in danger. Time, memories, dreams, reminiscences and events meld and flow in a kind of stream of consciousness, as if we were watching a New Wave film noir written by Alain Robbes-Grillet or Marguerite Duras as directed by Alain Resnais.
by Patrick Modiano
This is the fifth memoir/novel by Patrick Modiano that I have read and it may well be his best. Each book is a variation on basically the same tale: an older version of himself (or a reasonable facsimile) recalls episodes from his youth where he encounters a mysterious woman, a femme fatale of sorts, and ominous male figures, putting both of them in danger. Time, memories, dreams, reminiscences and events meld and flow in a kind of stream of consciousness, as if we were watching a New Wave film noir written by Alain Robbes-Grillet or Marguerite Duras as directed by Alain Resnais.
