Short Story Review: Nelson Algren's "how the devil came down division street"

I have a review that went up today on the wonderful website, www.shelfactualization.com

A link to my review is available at the link below. Next up, I'll be reviewing a short story by American writer, Terry Southern. Thanks for reading folks!

http://www.shelfactualization.com/2013/04/short-story-club-how-devil-came-down.html

Faulkner and DeLillo

I spent the last two weeks reading these two literary heavyweights, between William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" and Don DeLillo's short novel, "Point Omega" and while the difference between the writing styles and subject matter could not be more stark, somehow the transition between the two voices was a smooth one. Both works had a distinct vision and regardless of how that vision was expressed in words, I felt both authors achieved a sort of "beyondness" to the story, writing outside of the expected realm usually inhabited by fiction, particularly American fiction, at least in my thinking.

My expectations with Faulkner were understandably high but I didn't have any expectations one way or the other with DeLillo. So, I was impressed and as a result have spent a considerable amount of time researching the studies and writings of the Jesuit thinker and paleontologist [Pierre] Teilhard de Chardin, a huge influence on DeLillo's writing and basic philosophy.

And THIS is why I read literature, for the rabbit holes, for the tunnels into nowhere or better yet, into everywhere. I mean really, a Jesuit paleontologist...how could I not take the bait, google it and google it and google it some more?? I'm hooked on these two novelists and although these authors are not often talked about alongside one another, there is something about them that meshes and I'm ready for Round Two with these grizzly bears so that I can discover what that something is.

First Quarter Down

As I closed out my first quarter of the year, I read two novels in its last week which has me super proud except for the fact that it slowed down my writing for that week.

But, but it was sunny outside and there was a slight breeze and, there was this great lawn chair where I got to sit by this great guy while he read and wrote and soaked up the sun too...so, yeah, I read my butt off for the last week, especially over the weekend, adding books ten and eleven to my list for the year's reading thus far!

Here's to next quarter!


For now, here is how my 2013 reading year is shaping up:

1. "The Paper Men" William Golding
2. "Tinkers" Paul Harding
3. "Wild" Cheryl Strayed
4. "The Long March" William Styron
5. "Reading Lolita in Tehran" Azar Nafisi
6. "Everyman" Philip Roth
7. "Border Crossing" Pat Barker
8. "Beasts" Joyce Carol Oates
9. "Ironweed" William Kennedy
10. "The Misalliance" Anita Brookner
11. "The Rum Diary" Hunter S. Thompson