Robert Detman's Blog, page 3
June 9, 2015
A Variation on the Writing Path: Part I
When I first began writing, on my
own, with no teachers, no schools, no resources other than the friends I gave
pages of carefully formatted prose to, I didn’t know even the tip of the
iceberg when it came to the business of writing. In fact, it might be said that
finding the resources for tapping into this information were scarce. This has
been nearly 25 years ago. It’s often a wonder to me
own, with no teachers, no schools, no resources other than the friends I gave
pages of carefully formatted prose to, I didn’t know even the tip of the
iceberg when it came to the business of writing. In fact, it might be said that
finding the resources for tapping into this information were scarce. This has
been nearly 25 years ago. It’s often a wonder to me
June 2, 2015
The Life of Reading
I recently finished volume four of Karl
Ove Knausgaard’s beguiling and satisfying My
Struggle. I was reluctant to get to the end, feeling the immense, possibly
false affinity that I get as a reader, believing I’ve found a friend in the
writer. (It didn’t help that I pitched him my novel when he was at City Arts and Lectures, and he graciously heard me out.) Eventually, I had to finish the
Ove Knausgaard’s beguiling and satisfying My
Struggle. I was reluctant to get to the end, feeling the immense, possibly
false affinity that I get as a reader, believing I’ve found a friend in the
writer. (It didn’t help that I pitched him my novel when he was at City Arts and Lectures, and he graciously heard me out.) Eventually, I had to finish the
May 25, 2015
Getting Out of My Own Way: A Note About Hubris vs. Perseverance
For the longest time, though I desperately wanted to be a writer, I was convinced that I was incapable. It took me a ridiculously long time to prove to anyone that this wasn’t true.
Many years ago, in Chicago, my first writing gig was reviewing books for a popular weekly. Somehow I had the confidence to land this plum position, which possibly could have led to a career. But I had no sense how
Many years ago, in Chicago, my first writing gig was reviewing books for a popular weekly. Somehow I had the confidence to land this plum position, which possibly could have led to a career. But I had no sense how
April 1, 2015
"Anger Management" New Experimental Fiction at (ĕm)
My experimental short fiction, "Anger Management", leads off issue #3 of (ĕm): A Review of Text and Image, which can be downloaded as a free PDF from their library. Thanks to my fellow contributors to this terrific magazine, and to editor Jim Miller.
February 12, 2015
My Review of Jacob M. Appel's Einstein's Beach House
My review of Jacob M. Appel's short story collection Einstein's Beach House is up at Nomadic Press. I first discovered Mr. Appel's work when I began submitting my own efforts many years ago--and found his terrific stories published in nearly every journal I came across. So I was intrigued to finally get to review one of his outstanding collections. Check out the review here at Nomadic Press.
January 18, 2015
Wide Ranging Interview with Robert Detman at Wisdom of the West
Many thanks to generous fellow blogger Jim at Wisdom of the West, who over the years has left insightful comments on items in this blog. Jim is publishing a serial interview with me about my novel, Impossible Lives of Basher Thomas. This interview took place last month, and covers a variety of items, mainly concerned with character development, themes in the novel, politics in literary production
January 11, 2015
Rave Review of IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF BASHER THOMAS from Nomadic Press
Nomadic Press has provided a rave review for Impossible Lives of Basher Thomas:
“This is a novel that will stick with you because of its poetical means of exploring the human condition and Detman’s uncanny ability to weave beautiful, and haunting, imagery.”
Full review here: http://www.nomadicpress.org/reviews/i...
“This is a novel that will stick with you because of its poetical means of exploring the human condition and Detman’s uncanny ability to weave beautiful, and haunting, imagery.”
Full review here: http://www.nomadicpress.org/reviews/i...
December 18, 2014
Review of Nell Zink's The Wallcreeper at Nomadic Press
The terrific Nomadic Press and editor J.K. Fowler have published my irrepressible review of Nell Zink's charming The Wallcreeper, in the reading of which I learned more about bird watching than I ever thought possible.
November 20, 2014
Publishers Weekly's glowing assessment of IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF BASHER THOMAS a novel by Robert Detman
Here, in its entirety, is the review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on the novel:
"Detman pulls
together various forms and styles in an ambitious novel composed of
transcripts, letters, and footnotes, told in sharp prose. On August 17, 1982,
renowned photojournalist Nathan “Basher” Thomas is fatally shot. Decades later,
Harry Ogletree, one of Basher’s closest friends, decides to write a screenplay
"Detman pulls
together various forms and styles in an ambitious novel composed of
transcripts, letters, and footnotes, told in sharp prose. On August 17, 1982,
renowned photojournalist Nathan “Basher” Thomas is fatally shot. Decades later,
Harry Ogletree, one of Basher’s closest friends, decides to write a screenplay
November 13, 2014
Free giveaway of IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF BASHER THOMAS a novel by Robert Detman
Doing a free giveaway here. For the first five people who contact me, (contact info available on this site) I'll send you a copy of IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF BASHER THOMAS, my novel, which has received the following glowing praise from Publishers Weekly:
“An
ambitious novel…layering various methods of storytelling to create a
fresh and intriguing work.”
You just have to follow these instructions:
“An
ambitious novel…layering various methods of storytelling to create a
fresh and intriguing work.”
You just have to follow these instructions:
