Alexi Ivanovich and the Mind of a Gambler A good number of stories that are centered on gambling tend to either glamorize or demonize. The protagonist is often portrayed as an individual we should either envy or pity. One exception to these extremes is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Gambler. Dostoevsky’s protagonist is a gambler we neither... Continue Reading →
Literature, movies, and music serve as fossil records in the timeline/history of art and society.
A long ago Friday night at Borders reading Charles Willeford's The Shark-Infested Custard. Books serve as markers on the timelines of our lives.
The Purpose of a $.50 Book
A teacher in high school taught us that a reader, a serious one, should always, "read with a purpose." That lesson had a profound impact on how I approached both fiction and nonfiction. It's an approach I still use whenever I open a book, my Nook, or the Libby app. But sometimes that purpose for... Continue Reading →
On Writing
"The writing's easy, it's the living that is sometimes difficult." -Charles Bukowski-
The Beauty of Bourbon
You don't need an excuse to drink Bourbon, and nobody should ask you to provide a reason for wanting to drink bourbon on a random Friday afternoon. But if you do find yourself wanting excuses and/or feeling pressured to provide reasons "Bourbon" by Walker Percy is worth a read. Percy provides the reader with an... Continue Reading →
Reels, Records, & Reads
With a National Championship in the books and a Superbowl a few weeks away here's a Football quick list: North Dallas Forty with Nick Nolte, Charles Duning, and Mac Davis "Boys of Fall" by Kenny Chesney Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger
Rewinding and Watching Tape
Second Viewings and Perspective It’s amazing what you can find on streaming services when you're coping with winter doldrums. I found Tape a few nights back while clicking around for a bit. I remembered seeing it around ’05 and liking it. I figured it was worth a second viewing. Tape is a reminder that indie... Continue Reading →
On Fiction
"There is, in fact, only one rule in writing fiction. Whatever works, works." -Tom Robbins-
The kind of place you find out of print first editions next to pulp novels.
Reels, Records, & Reads 
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