Reading Books Together: A Podcast with Deborah Brothers & John Paul Jaramillo Music “Viv” by Joel Styzens from Relax Your Ears John Paul Jaramillo and Deborah Brothers sit for a 40 minute discussion of 2022’s novel Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. The August “Reading Books Together” podcast discusses young people and reading, historical fiction and ColoradoContinue reading “reading books together: a podcast with deborah brothers & john Paul jaramillo episode 4”
Tag Archives: writing
reading books together: a podcast with deborah brothers & john paul jaramillo–episode 3 July 2022
Reading Books Together: A Podcast with Deborah Brothers & John Paul Jaramillo Music “Viv” by Joel Styzens from Relax Your Ears Join John Paul Jaramillo and Deborah Brothers for a 30 minute discussion of Peter Wohlleben’s 2016 non-fiction work The Hidden Life of Trees. Our July “Reading Books Together” podcast dives into the mysteries of undisturbed forests and what author, aContinue reading “reading books together: a podcast with deborah brothers & john paul jaramillo–episode 3 July 2022”
reading books together: a podcast with deborah brothers & john paul jaramillo–episode 1 may 2022
Reading Books Together: A Podcast with Deborah Brothers & John Paul Jaramillo Music “Viv” by Joel Styzens from Relax Your Ears For their first foray into book review podcasts, Deborah Brothers and John Paul Jaramillo feature the 2021 novel by Canadian-American author Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness. They discuss aspects of postmodernism metafiction, Buddhism, and bildungsroman.Continue reading “reading books together: a podcast with deborah brothers & john paul jaramillo–episode 1 may 2022”
a visual history of chicano/a/x literature site
So pleased to be included in A VISUAL HISTORY OF CHICANO/A/X LITERATURE site https://faculty.ucmerced.edu/mmart…/index_files/vh2017.htm
quick review/recommendation–consider this: moments in my writing life after which everything was different (2020)
Chuck Palahniuk’s new book might be one of the most down to earth texts on the craft of writing. And I’ve long admired Palahniuk and his craft of writing–his fiction and his non-fiction. And back in the day when I started teaching fiction, I started using his lessons from litreactor.net and his compiled 36 WritingContinue reading “quick review/recommendation–consider this: moments in my writing life after which everything was different (2020)”
father fragments
A quick nonfiction excerpt from a project I’m working on: The dark haired boy, bare footed and tired takes the reins of the mare and throws his leg over with a kick. He’s been waiting for hours to ride. His lips widen and then he nearly lets himself giggle as the mount kicks and stridesContinue reading “father fragments”
inside llewyn davis and the mobius strip narrative
Teaching a film as lit class this term and spending some time this week closely studying Joel and Ethan Coen’s pre-Bob Dylan period film Inside Llewyn Davis. I am particularly interested in the themes of crisis and purposeleness. I also like the feel that the narrative is a mobius strip trapping the main character. I am seeingContinue reading “inside llewyn davis and the mobius strip narrative”
quick review of junot díaz’ this is how you lose her
I’ve long read and admired Junot Diaz‘ style of prose. I’m almost embarrassed to say how much I’ve modeled my own work after his. This latest collection of work contains all the themes of trouble and failure at its heart. And also the redemption. I continue to admire how the work follows a consistent universeContinue reading “quick review of junot díaz’ this is how you lose her”
stuart dybek’s the coast of chicago
We’re discussing a few stories tomorrow from Stuart Dybek‘s collection The Coast of Chicago. I admire “The Woman Who Fainted” and “Pet Milk” (4:27) and I was happy to find this reading for my Lit 50 students. So important to hear the author’s voice. I was lucky enough to hear him read years back atContinue reading “stuart dybek’s the coast of chicago”
quick review of daniel chacon’s hotel juarez
A few months back I wrote a quick review of Daniel Chacon’s book Unending Rooms. I admire Chacon’s aesthetic and overall writerly choices. I look forward to picking up his novel and his other work Chicano Chicanery. His work at times is surreal and also thought provoking. I find his work here playful and intelligent. AndContinue reading “quick review of daniel chacon’s hotel juarez”
quick thought on the man with the golden arm
Finished reading through Algren’s The Man with the Golden Arm and I’ve enjoyed the story of self-destruction. I can see why this book is such a classic. Does feel a bit overwritten at times but Algren’s Chicago is a gritty and dirty place–very naturalistic. I most enjoyed the sweeping third person narration.
a book and a labyrinth
Rereading Borges’ The Garden of Forking Paths this morning. And the idea of a chaotic novel or a novel with confounding paths of time consoles me as I’ve been thinking Semi-Orphaned is a mess of vignettes and scene/organization that spirals. Hopeful that I have found a plan for the chaos. “No one realized that the bookContinue reading “a book and a labyrinth”
margaret atwood’s the handmaid’s tale
Prepping to discuss Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale tomorrow in my Lit 111 course. We’ll discuss more dystopian elements, feminism and watch some scenes from the film adaptation.
tom spanbauer and literary minimalism
Preparing for Lit 150 and discussion of Amy Hempel’s stories “The Cemetary Where Al Jolson is Buried” and “The Harvest”. This morning I’m reviewing Tom Spanbauer’s notes on literary minimalism: Notes on Literary minimalism—(exemplified by Mark Richard, Amy Hempel and Chuck Palahniuk) Literary minimalism is characterized by an economy with words and a focus on surface description. Minimalist authorsContinue reading “tom spanbauer and literary minimalism”
quick review: orwell’s down and out in paris and london
Drafting and revising semi-orphaned novel project but had some time to finish reading Orwell’s memoir/nonfiction/autobiographical novel about a young writer’s time in the ghettos of Paris and London. He works in restaurants and sleeps in homeless hostels. Pawns his clothes for food and also closely observes the down and out people he encounters. What strikesContinue reading “quick review: orwell’s down and out in paris and london”