tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76036942024-03-16T12:52:14.730-07:00Meredith Sue WillisNotes on Books, Culture, Politics,
Weather, my Personal Weather, and the GardenMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.comBlogger841125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-36244755795473707792024-03-16T12:51:00.000-07:002024-03-16T12:51:40.766-07:00New BOOKS FOR READERS # 232!!!<p><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></strong></p><h3 style="font-size: large;"><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></strong></h3><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="margin-left: 80px;"></div><div style="margin-left: 120px;"></div><div style="margin-left: 80px;"></div><h2 style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 200px; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></h2></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">A new issue of <a href=" https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive230-234.html#issue232" target="_blank">Books for Readers # 232</a> with</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> r<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">eviews of books by<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jim Minick, Clarice Lispector,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><em style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Porch Poems,</em><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">George du Maurier, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Louise Fitzhugh, Natalia Ginzburg, Marilynne Robinson; Kathleen Watt; Hambly, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Connelly, Alison HRubbard, Imogen Keeper, James McBride, Jenny Offill. R</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">eviews by Hilton Obenzinger, Eddy Pendarvis, Diane Simmons, Suzanne McConnell,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">and Christine Willis.</span></span></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-38226079763702940412024-01-14T14:04:00.000-08:002024-01-14T14:04:13.273-08:00New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's BOOKS FOR READERS #231 January 15, 2024<p> </p><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px; text-align: center;"><br /></h2><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px; text-align: center;"><br /></h2><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html" style="color: #484884; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">New Issue Of Books For Readers #231!</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"></span></h2><h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Reviews of books by Anthony Burgess, S.A. Cosby, Eva Dolan, Janet Campbell Hale, Barbara Hambly, Marc Harshman, P.D. James, Michael Lewis, Mrs. Oliphant, Paul Rabinowitz, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Strout, Olga Tokarczuk, and more.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Review by Dreama Frisk.</strong></div></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></strong></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-11117915971413399722023-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:002023-12-16T19:24:16.042-08:00<p> <span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Well, I asked ChatGPT to write a passage in my style, and it came back with this (Actually, more than this, but I can't stand even this much):</span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rtn:" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px;"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto" style="color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> In the hazy embrace of a West Virginia morning, where mist clung to the rolling hills like whispered secrets, Clara ....a woman of quiet resilience, traced the worn spine of a paperback novel with calloused fingertips. The words within held a sacred resonance, echoing the stories of those who had tread the same path before her. Outside, <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>a lone crow cawed from the branches of an ancient oak, its melancholic song carrying across the valley...In the distance, the river carved its course through the rugged terrain, a silver ribbon woven into the landscape's tapestry. Clara's thoughts, like the river's meandering flow, navigated the twists and turns of memory....Clara, with a reverence reserved for the familiar, stepped onto the worn porch. The rocking chair, an heirloom handed down through generations, creaked in rhythm with the sway of her contemplative thoughts.</i></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Mist like whispered secrets?" Yuck-a-poo. "A reverence reserved for the familiar"? Puh-lease.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What does that even mean?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It did a little better with a request for a short science fiction story.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x168nmei x13lgxp2 x30kzoy x9jhf4c x6ikm8r x10wlt62" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; 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display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen x1s688f xi81zsa" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like</span></span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h" data-visualcompletion="ignore" role="none" style="border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; 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color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 6px;"></div></div></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-4039071626013992622023-12-02T20:03:00.000-08:002023-12-02T20:03:14.297-08:00New Short Story Published<p> </p><h4 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://coldmountainreview.appstate.edu/current-issue/" style="color: #484884; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">New Short Story by Meredith Sue Willis just up at <em>Cold Mountain Review</em>: "The Sweetest Man Who Ever Lived."</a> (Scroll down).</h4><div class="submission-block" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; display: flex; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"><div class="submission-details" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 416.25px;"><p class="submission-author" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #888888; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 30px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://coldmountainreview.appstate.edu/submission/the-sweetest-man-who-ever-lived/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #006ce0; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Meredith Sue Willis" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://coldmountainreview.appstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/5-31-22cropped-150x150.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" width="150" /></a></p></div></div><div class="submission-block" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; display: flex; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"><div class="submission-details" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 416.25px;"><a class="submission-title" href="https://coldmountainreview.appstate.edu/submission/the-sweetest-man-who-ever-lived/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #006ce0; display: inline-block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">The Sweetest Man Who Ever Lived</h3></a><p class="submission-author" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #888888; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: 30px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">by Meredith Sue Willis</p></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-85432845356987564102023-11-14T07:45:00.000-08:002023-11-14T07:45:31.529-08:00Latest Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers #230<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The latest issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers #230 (https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive230-234.html#issue230) is now available. </span></p><h5 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Books by Henry Adams, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Jonathan Lethem, Magda Teter, Mary Jennings Hegar, Chandra Prasad, Timothy Russell, Carter Taylor Seaton, Edna O'Brien, Martha Wells, Thomas Mann, Arnold Bennett, and more. Reviews by <strong>Mary Lucille DeBerry, Joe Chuman, John Loonam, Suzanne McConnell, </strong>and <strong>Edwina Pendarvis</strong>.</span></h5><h4 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></h4>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-13962780149931751132023-09-10T17:55:00.003-07:002023-09-10T17:55:48.986-07:00New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers Newsletter #229 Now Available!<p> </p><h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px; text-align: center;">A New Issue of<a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue229" style="color: #006600; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;"><em><br />Books for Readers # 229</em></a><br />Now online!</h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 40px;"></div><h5 style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 80px;"><strong>Reviews</strong> of books by Douglas Stuart, J. Nozipo Maraire, Camille Perri, William Makepeace Thackery, Larry Schardt, Rex Stout, Martha Wells and more! <strong>Diane Simmons</strong> reviews Erik Larson's book on Churchill; there's a <strong>poem by Dreama Frisk</strong>; and a special list of books to introduce us to Africa from <strong>Tinashe Chiura</strong>!</h5><div><br /></div><div><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html#blackorchids"><em><img border="0" height="267" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/maraire.jpg" width="213" /></em></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html#munchtremblingearth"><img border="0" height="267" hspace="0" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/thackery.jpeg" vspace="0" width="221" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html#runawaysummer"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/Larry%20Schardt.jpg" width="304" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html#elementoffire"><em><img border="0" height="267" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/marthawells.jpg" width="178" /></em></a></h4></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-44804987352769185222023-08-26T07:30:00.002-07:002023-08-26T07:30:39.760-07:00BILLIE OF FISH HOUSE LANE by MSW published in Iran!<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) has just announced that "Juvenile fiction book Billie of Fish House Lane by American author Meredith Sue Willis has been published in Persian and is available to Iranian Children."</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">See announcement here: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://www.ibna.ir/en/tolidi/345252/billie-of-fish-house-lane-introduced-to-iranian-children?fbclid=IwAR1HxJDeACK0vtuQxbikW3dmgotU2lBRY3ytEhqXaKkykVIEIJDtne23YUY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.ibna.ir/.../billie-of-fish-house-lane...</a></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1w2PtBYuFWDtXYZ1j19DErHYojyZPA4NLWYijv9Jm1rWIK1xi3cVnSJ07HGy6r8TvGaTFIKlpz5CeURxYW0fRcO4fc7Po5Ln3BImTtJ-Eqru_JHTCt30e9JZ80CBOcibbnqZqxH7BFx3fy02FYeW-F5s5Svbx-6I_wt6-iNSnnaHDh87OLfnWw/s750/Billie%20in%20Persian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1w2PtBYuFWDtXYZ1j19DErHYojyZPA4NLWYijv9Jm1rWIK1xi3cVnSJ07HGy6r8TvGaTFIKlpz5CeURxYW0fRcO4fc7Po5Ln3BImTtJ-Eqru_JHTCt30e9JZ80CBOcibbnqZqxH7BFx3fy02FYeW-F5s5Svbx-6I_wt6-iNSnnaHDh87OLfnWw/w518-h363/Billie%20in%20Persian.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What the??? </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">News <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>to me and my publisher! I once had a short story translated and published in Arabic, also without anyone telling me in advance. In this case, I heard about it from a friend in alumnae relations at Barnard College.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just think how we might share our work and ideas if all the nations spoke to each other directly....Or maybe even (fantasy time) concentrated on sharing books for young people rather than threatening each other militarily and financially. Forgive the childish dreaming!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More information about Billie of Fish House Lane: (<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmeredithsuewillis.com%2Fcommentary.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3XF8Esk746iKtaSEQRm5MKeATgLOckgojHL8I6MbAZlw68HvtXKeTj9IY%23billie&h=AT15SEB0FJk0LS0rCwaZYNCwIC4mSmR_x_Q4PVmvYe1slCuVJWmd90jocvYLjlgc_LmQc0cUw_pzdf-uX1HBALvW6O537AUI428MLCfayUcSpfmRbNrcGHZNGS7WJGjl4Q&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT2rU-geDUb_2isH2Med1On6ZecGnmr4PjJHnL2TBUjbcvuvzYMwp9PyiflSneVgSffV-W-ClCf9ithtgG6-0lAaknHcHClSOuxWIUZ6JKBqLyE8cD7ik78k3zcMwKHEgO19" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://meredithsuewillis.com/commentary.html#billie</a></span>)</span></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-7098498698255264672023-08-04T11:27:00.002-07:002023-08-04T11:27:40.283-07:00<p> </p><h1 align="center" class="red" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><strong>Meredith Sue Willis<br /></strong><strong>Fall 2023 Teaches<br />Novel Writing at NYU</strong><br /></h1><blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><blockquote><blockquote><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 30px;"> </p></blockquote><h3 align="center" class="red" style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ONLINE</h3></blockquote></blockquote><h3 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a class="green" href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/topics/writing-and-communications/fiction/WRIT1-CE9357-novel-writing.html" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">WRIT1-CE9357<br /></a><span class="green" style="color: #006600;">New York University<br />School of Professional Studies</span><br /></h3><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><strong>10 Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.</strong></h4><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><strong>September 13, 2023 - November 15, 2023.</strong><br /></h4><h3 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></h3><h4 align="center" class="green" style="background-color: white; color: #006600; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><strong>Click <a href="https://meredithsuewillis.com/Fall%202023%20Novel%20Writing%20at%20NYU" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">for More</a></strong></h4><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><img height="350" src="https://meredithsuewillis.com/images/5-4-23%20%20reduced.jpg" width="242" /></h4><h4 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> </h4>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-60395173257592094072023-07-17T08:06:00.003-07:002023-07-17T08:06:26.778-07:00Meredith Sue Willis's BOOKS FOR READERS NEWSLETTER #228 now online!<p>Meredith Sue Willis's BOOKS FOR READERS NEWSLETTER #228 now online at <a href=" https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue228">Books for Readers #228</a> !</p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">Reviews of Books by Edward P. Jones, Denton Loving, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. Lee Martin, Jesmyn Ward, Michelle Zauner, Valérie Perrin, Philip K. Dick, Burt Kimmelman. Reviewes by </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">Ernie Brill</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;"> </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">Joe Chuman, Eddy Pendarvis, Diane Simmons</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">, &</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;"> </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">Danny Williams</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-indent: 30px;">. Also special links for writers, things to read online, and more</span></p><p align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 30px;"> </p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-20154792428223497192023-05-16T07:07:00.000-07:002023-05-16T07:07:24.971-07:00MSW's Books for Readers # 227 Available Now!<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue227" style="color: #000099; text-decoration-line: none;">New Issue of Books for Readers # 227!</a></h3><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;">Reviews of Books by Cheryl Denise, Larissa Shmailo, Eddy Pendarvis, Alice McDermott, Kelly Watt, Elmore Leonard, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Suzy McKee Charnas, and more. Also special links for writers, things to read online, etc. etc.</p><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> </h4>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-24758018529138510472023-03-28T06:32:00.004-07:002023-03-28T06:32:38.736-07:00New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers #226<p> <span style="font-family: arial;">New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's <i>Books for Readers #226 </i> (<a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue226">https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue226</a>) with reviews of books by <span style="background-color: white;">J</span><span style="background-color: white;">im Minick, Gore Vidal, Valeria Luiselli, Richard Wright, Kage Baker, Suzy McKee Charnas, Victor Depta, Walter Mosley. David Hollinger reviewed by</span><strong style="background-color: white;"> Joe Chuman</strong><span style="background-color: white;">, and more.</span></span></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-4261778795136753912023-02-13T10:14:00.001-08:002023-02-13T10:14:27.429-08:00Spring 2023 Novel Writing Class with Meredith Sue Willis<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> Private Classes with Meredith Sue Willis</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60yPznZbS8DX5YkMfUqJ0UdKEg5NWEq1MakDQaRf57R95EcCoN3LKsOfioNlGYx1XfKe0-Skm0rDIcQLzswDITSWUD52sQaa4fnSk5nXCdFEA_kvCxFtl5wklPrcTNn71lmY6szNdTOokJoBQAyKAxbhrMf2DTROEVqN7SRwxWnMm-GbB47s/s270/books%20in%20a%20stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="228" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60yPznZbS8DX5YkMfUqJ0UdKEg5NWEq1MakDQaRf57R95EcCoN3LKsOfioNlGYx1XfKe0-Skm0rDIcQLzswDITSWUD52sQaa4fnSk5nXCdFEA_kvCxFtl5wklPrcTNn71lmY6szNdTOokJoBQAyKAxbhrMf2DTROEVqN7SRwxWnMm-GbB47s/s1600/books%20in%20a%20stack.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">New Class with Meredith Sue Willis</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Spring 2023!!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Starting March 1st!!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Starting and Sustaining Your Novel Part II</span></p><p>This is a six session Novel Writing class appropriate for beginners and for those who want to restart or continue working on novels. The teacher will critique up to 50 pages per student during the six weeks. The sessions will be 6 Wednesdays from March 1 - April 5, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $360 dollars, payable in advance by check, money order, PayPal or Venmo.</p><p>For information about how to sign up and other questions, please look at <a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/mswclasses.html">MSW's online Classes page</a> and/or e-mail <a href="mailto:msw@meredithsuewillis.com">msw@meredithsuewillis.com</a> (This is the business e-mail).</p><p><br /></p><p>Online Writing Classes with Meredith Sue Willis are creative writing classes taught by Meredith Sue Willis through e-mail and the Internet, usually by Zoom. (To get a free Zoom account, go to Zoom). The classes include short lectures, online readings, writing & reading assignments in class and out, oral discussions and peer critiques for live (Zoom) classes, and one-on-one responses to homework from the teacher.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-83650256025454954992023-01-30T06:37:00.004-08:002023-01-30T06:37:50.915-08:00<p><br /></p><h3 style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue225" style="color: #000099; font-size: x-large; text-decoration-line: none;">New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's</a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive225-229.html#issue225" style="color: #000099; text-decoration-line: none;"> <em>Books for Readers #225</em></a>!</div></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlC6tg1bgZJ8b07LX3VqhMwqwWVRNGX2qS7_SztHoHMY7x3Ee_v779k6YGZR4wURvuQtLBl4TaLmaggAfevzgf2jUY_ryUmXnTcHwNnxLItnC7qtQHwPLtz9a62CR6bLLuNsZbqZNa_H1kCQYKqWAWhk8TsZHf3A9gsJ_Eb8L809nWYOe8y4/s522/balladsadcafevanessaredgrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlC6tg1bgZJ8b07LX3VqhMwqwWVRNGX2qS7_SztHoHMY7x3Ee_v779k6YGZR4wURvuQtLBl4TaLmaggAfevzgf2jUY_ryUmXnTcHwNnxLItnC7qtQHwPLtz9a62CR6bLLuNsZbqZNa_H1kCQYKqWAWhk8TsZHf3A9gsJ_Eb8L809nWYOe8y4/s320/balladsadcafevanessaredgrave.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"><br /></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"><br /></p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;">Reviews of <em>Demon Copperhead</em>, Thomas Hardy, Miriam Toews, Kate Chopin, Alberto Moravia, Elizabeth Strout, Carson McCullers, Garry Wills, Valerie Nieman, and Cora Harrison. <strong>Troy Hill</strong> on Isaac Babel; <strong>Belinda Anderson</strong> on books for children; <strong>Joe Chuman</strong> on Eric Alterman; <strong>Molly Gilman</strong> on Kage Baker; and l more.</p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-50435800251774200432022-12-25T07:54:00.001-08:002022-12-25T07:54:54.232-08:00For Writers and Everyone Interested in Good Writing!<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="nH V8djrc byY" style="align-items: flex-start; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 20px 0px 8px 72px; text-align: left;"><div class="nH"><div class="ha" style="background-attachment: inherit; background-clip: inherit; background-image: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-position: inherit; background-repeat: inherit; background-size: inherit; border-right: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.375rem; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="J-J5-Ji" id=":1jm" style="align-items: center; display: inline-flex; flex-wrap: wrap; min-height: 28px; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom;"><div aria-label="Not important" class="pG" data-tooltip-align="b,l" data-tooltip-contained="true" data-tooltip-delay="1500" id=":1v4" role="img" style="align-items: center; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; height: 20px; justify-content: center; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 20px;"><div class="bnj " style="height: 10px; left: 5px; margin: 1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 4px; width: 14px;"></div></div></span></div></div></div><div class="nH aHU" style="color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; position: relative; text-align: left;"><div class="nH hx" style="color: #222222; min-width: 502px; padding: 0px;"><div class="nH" jslog="20686; u014N:xr6bB" role="list"><div aria-expanded="true" class="h7 ie nH oy8Mbf" role="listitem" style="clear: both; max-width: 100000px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px;" tabindex="-1"><div class="Bk" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-radius: 0px; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 0px; float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; position: relative; width: 1576px;"><div class="G3 G2" style="border-bottom: 0px rgba(100, 121, 143, 0.12); border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-radius: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div id=":1f8"><div class="adn ads" data-legacy-message-id="18549ddbfc5db712" data-message-id="#msg-f:1753199723111364370" style="border-left: none; display: flex; padding: 0px;"><div class="gs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; width: 1504px;"><div class=""><div class="ii gt" id=":1fk" jslog="20277; u014N:xr6bB; 4:W251bGwsbnVsbCxbXV0." style="font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL " id=":1lx" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms", cursive;">For writers and those who like to think about the process of writers, take a look at some of these articles on everything from writing using Artificial Intelligence to learning how to write about war--even if you aren't a veteran.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms", cursive;"> Above all, enjoy the winter and have a healthy, productive, and hopeful 2023!</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms", cursive;"> Meredith Sue Willis</span></span></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img align="left" alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd a6T" data-bit="iit" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhrzqutmqF5V0hdzgtbocgGcI1Ame8bNqz4dOyiM4dNlpuLBURk1ZGFBKrk5iks3LpXFCDLMM1tJqhWgfi97hVuOZJ_8wK7prxlv7NUm6F2m4pTtp0Gm3jd2SaBdH0Or8Ei1jV88xTlSNrmiZaXXLslsXQ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 286px; outline: 0px; width: 150px;" tabindex="0" width="150" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/0d504euuwyalaewhjwagaujbagauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949497000&usg=AOvVaw3B6L0H7RA5xgD7tNJPWSXO" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/0d504euuwyalaewhjwagaujbagauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Nikolas Kozloff sends us another article on writing by AI</a>--a pretty even-handed piece-- an interview of indie para-normal cozy writer Jennifer Lepp who sees the bad and the good. </span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- "What I Learned from 90 Queries!" by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/82428euuqsalaewhjwagaujbaoauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw3Vcq82Kzvyj6F5WNxEuQNq" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/82428euuqsalaewhjwagaujbaoauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Eva Langston via Jane Friedman's blog</a>.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- Also, one of the best ways to learn writing is by reading. As always, I and others have lots of suggestions at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/9321feuuqualaewhjwapaujbapauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw2aHC3KjDquHUy5xk5BEM2V" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/9321feuuqualaewhjwapaujbapauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Books for Readers</a>, and Emily Temple has a good list of books she read in 2022--from the past!</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- <strong>Learn from the Victorians and their children</strong>: I just read Thomas Hardy's <em>Far from the Madding Crow</em>d. And if you haven't read it, maybe now is the time to read it or Henry James' <em>The Portrait of a Lady</em>. Or Virginia Woolf's <em>To the Lighthous</em>e. So many big old books from the end of the nineteenth, early twentieth centuries.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- <strong>Yiun Li in Lithub </strong>on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/03b3ceuuqeaxaewhjwalaujbacauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw2YyKNN31t82N9JZzaS_O9W" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/03b3ceuuqeaxaewhjwalaujbacauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">what writers can learn from <em>War and Peace</em></a>.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- <strong>Philip Klay</strong> on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/96d8beuuqmalaewhjwadaujbanauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw1kkvc3q0oG1D0MaZfmubhS" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/96d8beuuqmalaewhjwadaujbanauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">how to write about war</a>.</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- An article with <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/21fcaeuuqjagaewhjwagaujbazauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw3G4LjMr_itjm8jZPyuoar1" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/21fcaeuuqjagaewhjwagaujbazauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Writing Tips from young, British writers</a>: <strong>Andrew O'Hagan</strong>, Esquire editor-at-large and author of books including <em>Mayflies, The Illuminations and Our Fathers </em>offers these:</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Look past your first idea.<br />2. Your first thought is never your best thought. It's just your first.<br />3. Most of your ideas are banal. Dig deeper.<br />4. Go and find things out. Make a fetish of research. Most of the things worth hearing aren't already sitting in your head.<br />5. Stop bothering people with your early drafts. Bother yourself with your early drafts.<br />6. Work every day. It's not an amateur's game.</span></span></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">--Various types of<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.janefriedman.com/understanding-third-person-point-of-view-omniscient-limited-and-deep/?utm_source%3DJane%2BFriedman%2B/%2BElectric%2BSpeed%26utm_campaign%3Deb8e640833-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_30_COPY_01%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_term%3D0_b84a4334ba-eb8e640833-332665817&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw0QHY8VN6UTObRTki4V8wyW" href="https://www.janefriedman.com/understanding-third-person-point-of-view-omniscient-limited-and-deep/?utm_source=Jane+Friedman+/+Electric+Speed&utm_campaign=eb8e640833-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_30_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b84a4334ba-eb8e640833-332665817" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"> <strong>third person in fiction</strong></a><strong>. </strong></span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- Check out my big collection of random <strong><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ymlpcl1.net/7075deuuqhaiaewhjwapaujbarauwj/click.php&source=gmail&ust=1672067949498000&usg=AOvVaw0LYb83ZQKCmMA5IThOy85u" href="https://ymlpcl1.net/7075deuuqhaiaewhjwapaujbarauwj/click.php" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Articles for Writers</a>!</strong></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-80634118943012841892022-11-21T12:29:00.000-08:002022-11-21T12:29:03.202-08:00New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers (#224) now online!<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">New Issue of </span><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#issue224" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Meredith Sue Willis's</a></div><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#issue224" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Books for Readers (#224</a>) now online!</div></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Reviews by Joe Chuman and Ed Davis; reviews of books by Valerie Nieman, E.M. Forster. Elmore Leonard, Erika Erickson Malinoski, Emily St. John Mandel, Nikole Hannah-Jones, John O'Hara, Tom Perrotta, Walter Tevis, Sarah Waters, and more!</span></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-64500828267303300652022-11-13T11:17:00.001-08:002022-11-13T11:17:10.459-08:00HOW TO HELP WRITERS IF YOU LIKE THEIR WORK<p> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 20px;"> </span></p><p align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><h3 align="center" class="red" style="background-color: white; color: #ff3333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>HOW TO HELP WRITERS IF YOU LIKE THEIR WORK</strong></h3><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">Do you have a favorite author? Are you a writer who wants to do a favor for other writers–and maybe they'll do a favor for you? </p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"><span class="red" style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Here's how</strong></span><strong>:</strong></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• <strong>Write an Amazon review.</strong> Go to Amazon.com and search the book you recently (or a long time ago!) read. <span class="red" style="color: #ff3333;"><img align="right" height="250" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/Amazon-Logo-1995.png" width="371" /></span>Click through to its Amazon catalog page. Scroll down below the ads and the editorial reviews and product details to Customer Reviews, and then scroll a little farther to REVIEW THIS BOOK.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• You don't have to have bought the book from Amazon.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• They may ask you to set up a reviewer's account. You only have to do it once, and you can stay anonymous if you choose or make up a handle.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• Give the book as many stars as you reasonably can. I rarely review books I can't give five. Inflated grades? For sure, but this is about <strong>publicizing </strong>books we enjoyed and admired.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• Write a review. Short is fine. In fact, short is probably better than long on Amazon. You can reuse the review on GoodReads and Barnes & Noble and anywhere else</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">• Don't use foul language. They won't publish a review if they don't like the words in it, and they can be heavy-handed. It's a 'bot "reading" the review, not a person.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;">You will be doing literature a favor, and all of us with books in print thank you in advance!</p><p align="left" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-2638033952386664532022-09-17T07:38:00.001-07:002022-09-17T07:38:10.210-07:00Issue # 223 September 17, 2022 of Meredith Sue Willis's BOOKS FOR READERS<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now available at <a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#issue223">Books for Readers Issue223</a> : reviews of books by Amor Towles, Emily St. John Mandel, Raymond Chandler, N.K. Jemisin, Andrew Holleran, Anita Diamant, Rainer Maria Rilke, and more, as well as notes and reviews by Joe Chuman, George Lies, Donna Meredith, and Rhonda Browning White. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There is also a piece with MSW's thoughts on updating an older novel.</span></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-41667327795225563282022-08-22T10:33:00.006-07:002022-08-22T10:37:39.230-07:00Irene Weinberger Books Publishes New Edition of LOVE PALACE!<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ireneweinbergerbooks.com/"> </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.ireneweinbergerbooks.com/">Irene Weinberger Books</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">h</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">as just jublished a new. updated edition of my novel LOVE PALACE!</span></p><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">Buy it from </span><a class="qi72231t nu7423ey n3hqoq4p r86q59rh b3qcqh3k fq87ekyn bdao358l fsf7x5fv rse6dlih s5oniofx m8h3af8h l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk srn514ro oxkhqvkx rl78xhln nch0832m cr00lzj9 rn8ck1ys s3jn8y49 icdlwmnq cxfqmxzd ezidihy3" href="https://bookshop.org/books/love-palace/9780983666851" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: arial; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> or any of the usual online hardcopy suspects. It is also </span><span style="font-family: arial;">available as a </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Palace-Meredith-Sue-Willis-ebook/dp/B09XGF9GLS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4S0BDYURY5M4&keywords=Love+Palace+by+Meredith+Sue+Willis&qid=1660927372&sprefix=love+palace+by+meredith+sue+willis,aps,56&sr=8-1" style="font-family: arial;">Kindle book on Amazon </a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and for most e-reader formats at </span><a class="qi72231t nu7423ey n3hqoq4p r86q59rh b3qcqh3k fq87ekyn bdao358l fsf7x5fv rse6dlih s5oniofx m8h3af8h l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk srn514ro oxkhqvkx rl78xhln nch0832m cr00lzj9 rn8ck1ys s3jn8y49 icdlwmnq cxfqmxzd ezidihy3" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FSmashwords.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR03JI9pn9W2Ly8VZYR2rXS5AXjRjJcWuW66eX2IJRuVqjvKnVH1V5mM4Qk&h=AT3U3Xw9YVYrLNTYzOyYFZC7hTQpMtZKxQ5jEG8YfiVOE69gUBItdpkbm683lPRHGlROP6f7TlKvVGfLOIBwMkotSCgz8iHaHpNNoWwoqjOw-5dtAj-mMYx0tcfsBCph5A&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT20d8goYsRWGvBz4NzOrb4ydQJ-vVytKr5b5_Z_ki4RMmd-1ed_rHz61C8MdtzYiSgdBMccGs8L2MlkyHCDUJmofhSPUbbBdSVQ4I9rrlKiVURxf7jK3cNlAvCd9vEoBCH5KaxTvqeeB0nzq9ngqEFDlVfffUM1bQ5WBKALNIuqrhRDgzfMIRQxQ8sIScq9SA" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: arial; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">Smashwords.com</a>.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><b><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">If </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">you buy the e-book from <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1140602">Smashwords</a>, use code VF64S at checkout to buy for only $1.00!</span></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One Five-Star Reviewer wrote: </span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Just finished reading this book on my iPhone via Kindle. It is written with such wit, and she brings her characters to life.... before you realize it you care about them and want to know what's next. Although a light read in many ways, the book is really about issues of the attraction of money, the role of sex and </span><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial;" tabindex="-1"></a><span style="font-family: arial;">compromise, and control. The author has a wonderful way with with the English language, and her books should be a must for anyone who wants to write.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ou buy the e-book from Smashwords, use code VF64S at checkout to buy for only $1.00!</span></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-82588185861609119432022-08-10T05:45:00.003-07:002022-08-10T05:45:13.202-07:00Global Greening Sounds Better Than It Is!<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I am Facebook friends with an old high school classmate who is politically a Trumpist right wing Christian. He has been a missionary in Africa, and is proud of his work there and his friends. Half the time he writes posts that are mini-sermons, advising prayer and self-examination. Half the time he reposts essays from people like Gary Bauer and Lew Rockwell. Sometimes he reposts jokes praising how families knew how to handle kids in the old days, and occasionally really ugly memes about democrats.<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He and I go back and forth from time to time pretty politely. Most recently he quoted a post about "global greening," a rightist idea based on the fact that indeed the vastly increased carbon dioxide in our atmosphere does increase photosynthesis. The problem is that this increased photosynthesis and increased oxygen no where near balance out the carbon dioxide. <br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Barry challenged his Facebook friends to "research" the issue for themselves. I almost immediately found article a couple of years old in the New York Times and came up with this: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/science/climate-change-plants-global-greening.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/science/climate-change-plants-global-greening.html</a>. <br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The thrust of the article is that Global Greening is real enough, but a minor factor in a complex situation. It says: "Despite global greening, carbon dioxide levels have climbed over the past two centuries to levels not seen on Earth for millions of years. And the carbon dioxide we’ve injected into the atmosphere is already having major impacts across the planet." Those major impacts almost certainly include more devastating fires in the West and more devastating floods like the ones in Eastern Kentucky.<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The thing that scares me, along with global warming itself, is how my friend and so many others depend on these highly misleading and tendentious sources (I'm sure Barry would say, "So's the <i>New York Times</i>"). There is in many of the sources he uses a nugget of truth, some facts that they like to report with lots of statistics, but not the whole picture.</p><p><br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the best responses I ever saw to climate deniers who claim science on their side was John Oliver's <i>Last Week Tonight</i> piece from 2017 that made the point that a balanced presentation about climate change should have one scientist who questions climate change versus 97 who agree it is happening.<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He makes his point hilariously by setting up a debate with two real scientists, a climate change denier and a climate change affirmer. Then he brings in 96 more real live scientists to back up the affirmer. It's a wonderful visual explanation at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154625121922026">https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154625121922026</a></p><div><br /></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-82663744986760589442022-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:002022-07-20T12:36:00.596-07:00Podcasts on Living Racial Equity and Integration<p> <span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those of you interested in issues of racial equity, here are links to an ongoing podcast series about a New Jersey Integration organization I have been associated with since the nineteen nineties, The South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://www.communitycoalitiononrace.org/?fbclid=IwAR1SFHcJq7S3GvCVlhVi6cabi3Gd6WUhWt4Cq1SzKvpU91Ncn4MJKWHT-rE" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.communitycoalitiononrace.org/</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first two podcasts can be found here: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://www.communitycoalitiononrace.org/light_the_way?fbclid=IwAR0YihzaPD_2DR72NzNYauMZc7wfOY_wUYxGkZ9x2nFHz_NTTE6mks7Ve2k" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.communitycoalitiononrace.org/light_the_way</a></span></span></p><div class="" dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 12px;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_bo" style="padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">The series, hosted by Rev. Liz Testa, is about one community's commitment to racial equity and integration, where people of different backgrounds are welcome and active in all aspects of civic life. Each interview is a candid conversation that dives deep into personal experiences and shines a light on the relentless work of the South Orange-Maplewood Community Coalition on Race over the last quarter-century.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"> One of the podcasts features Maplewood, New Jersey native, singer Sza, and her mother Coalition Program Director Audrey Rowe!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_bp" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 12px; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="position: relative;"><div><div class="b3i9ofy5 l9j0dhe7" style="background-color: var(--comment-background); position: relative;"><div class="j83agx80 soycq5t1 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="display: flex; line-height: 0; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gmql0nx0 gpro0wi8 datstx6m k4urcfbm" href="https://www.communitycoalitiononrace.org/?fbclid=IwAR1u63wC_VnX-RXqHEB0WNgvR0-cUscwYmIcyD3OYeoQFINTj43N33VUHlI" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; height: 354.948px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; width: 680px;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><div class="bp9cbjyn cwj9ozl2 j83agx80 cbu4d94t ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 k4urcfbm" style="align-items: center; background-color: var(--card-background); display: flex; flex-direction: column; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 680px;"><div style="max-width: 100%; min-width: 500px; width: calc((100vh + -325px) * 1.91571);"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 354.948px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="height: 354.948px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 680px;"><img alt="South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm bixrwtb6" height="261" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://external.fewr1-5.fna.fbcdn.net/emg1/v/t13/1693218635044304825?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nationbuilder.com%2Fcommunitycoalitiononrace%2Fsites%2F2%2Fmeta_images%2Foriginal%2Fcommunitycoalitiononrace_logo.png%3F1607685489&fb_obo=1&utld=nationbuilder.com&stp=c0.5000x0.5000f_dst-jpg_flffffff_p500x261_q75&ccb=13-1&oh=00_AT9CnvguKAqgcKnQzHH-3tL2oxMWWATg90UneGI9hnjZoA&oe=62DA1CDD&_nc_sid=c504da" style="border: 0px; height: 354.948px; inset: 0px; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; width: 680px;" width="500" /></div></div></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></div>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-72967050910625925002022-07-10T18:54:00.008-07:002022-07-10T18:54:45.824-07:00<p> </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">New Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#issue222">Books for Readers #222</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">July 10, 2022</span></p><p><br /></p><h5 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#wivesanddaughters"><img border="0" height="179" hspace="0" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/Mrs.Gaskell.gif" vspace="0" width="179" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#citywebecame"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/N-K-Jemisin.jpg" width="278" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#normalpeople"><img align="baseline" border="0" height="172" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/sallyrooney.jpg" width="134" /></a> <a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#familyfurnishings"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/munro%20alice.jpg" width="122" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#carsonmccullers"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/carson%20mccullers.jpg" width="158" /></a><a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive222-224.html#janeandprudence"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/images/pym.jpg" width="278" /></a></h5><p><b>Reviews of Books</b> by Octavia Butler, Elizabeth Gaskell, N.K. Jemisin, Joseph Lash, Alice Munro, Barbara Pym, Sally Rooney, and more.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-8664869132260431182022-06-30T19:02:00.001-07:002022-06-30T19:02:29.555-07:00August Saturday One Day Workshop on Structuring the Long Prose Narrative<p> </p><h1 align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #663399; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", "Book Antiqua", Palatino, serif; font-size: 36px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">New <a href="https://meredithsuewillis.com/mswclasses.html" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">Online Workshop</a><br />with Meredith Sue Willis</h1><h4 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Saturday, August 13, 2022 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. by Zoom!</h4><h2 align="center" class="red" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://meredithsuewillis.com/mswclasses.html" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">The Big Picture:</a><br />Structuring the Long Prose Narrative</h2><p align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><p align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"><img height="375" src="https://meredithsuewillis.com/images/hammock2.JPG" width="532" /><br /><br /><img align="absbottom" height="88" src="https://meredithsuewillis.com/images/arrow%20curved%20red.gif" width="97" />$100.00 fee includes a critique by MSW<br />of up to 1,000 words from your project.</p><p align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0.09em auto; text-indent: 20px;"> </p><blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><h2 align="center" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;">For information, <a href="https://meredithsuewillis.com/mswclasses.html" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">click here</a>.</h2></blockquote><h3 align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </h3>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-30154385534212685422022-05-26T06:39:00.006-07:002022-05-26T06:39:51.339-07:00Military Massacre Machines and Musket Loaders<p>One of the talking points I see repeatedly on Facebook and elsewhere is essentially the old "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument. </p><p>These writers put the blame for the mass murders on bad moral values and mental illness. Of course there will always be people who go out and kill other people. They will kill in grocery stores and schools and churches. </p><p>But if they are forced to do it with, say, musket loaders and machetes, fewer will die because those weapons are less efficient. They were invented for hunting and chopping underbrush. Getting military machines engineered for massacre off the street and out of people's closets and trucks will save lives.</p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-10495081824407894022022-05-15T14:08:00.003-07:002022-05-15T14:08:38.432-07:00May 15, 2022 Issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers Newletter #221<p>Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers Newletter #221 now up at <a href="http://www.meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html">Books for Readers</a> or in its permanent location at <a href="https://www.meredithsuewillis.com/bfrarchive219-221.html#issue221">#221</a></p><p>Reviews of books by Victor Serge, Greg Sanders, Maggie O'Farrell, Ken Champion, Barbara Hambly, Walter Mosely, Anne Roiphe, Anna Reid, Randall Balmer, Louis Auchincloss. </p><p>Reviews by Joe Chuman and Chris Connelly</p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603694.post-58323628153328252932022-04-25T05:52:00.010-07:002022-04-26T19:33:13.049-07:00My Comments on DON'T LOOK UP<p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We watched <i>Don't Look Up</i>, the Netflix original with a ton of excellent acting (DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep. Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Mark Ryland as a tech king--slightly autistic, totally megalomaniacal–all excellent and tiny parts for our Shakespeare Co. friends Annette Miller and Allyn Burrows, and apparently Tamara Hickey was in there somewhere too maybe on the cutting room floor). Anyhow, the acting was excellent, the so-called production values fine, and the wit and sarcasm and jokes all really really funny. And then, with Hollywood aarrogance and abandon, they just blew up the world. There was an afterward with the wealthy survivors arriving on a perfect planet 22,000 years later, and a funny ending for the totally obnoxious president, Streep. Apparently a nice bit after the credits too, said Andy, but I didn't wait around.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Anyway, the point is, I appreciated and enjoyed and giggled as I watched, but it left me with a bad taste. When I first saw <i>Dr. Strangelove</i> all those years ago I was terrified, and this one was more obviously hokey-jokey (or I'm just more mature) but I am still critical of Hollywood's arrogance in just ending the world when they don't have any better ideas. I get it, point well taken: Look, you jerks, it's real, we truly can see disaster coming at us and we're doing nothing. But it's going to come much slower, and they totally ignore, of course, Hollywood style, the people who are painstakingly, step by step, working on change. I think the people who make it in Hollywood no longer or never even saw it: the people in organizations, medium level government jobs, in hospitals, labs, organizing vigils and demonstrations, installing solar panels, switching to more sustainable farming practices– so many of us out here doing more than going on media tours. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Maybe that's what I didn't like most: that the only way to fight the Powers That Be, says Hollywood, is to lean out a window and shout I'm mad and I'm not going to take it anymore, or, as in this one, just shout on a live t.v. show or go viral on social media, etc. Etc. We're all going to die. And then we all die.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There's actually so much more going on in the world. I think Octavia Butler's <i>Parable of the Sower</i> etc. gets it much better. Or Cormac McCarthy's <i>The Road.</i> If the world ends with a bang, it's over. Far more likely will be the little struggles, as in Ukraine today, day by day, small decisions.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So, just to repeat, it was well done, it was funny, I'm glad the folks from Shakespeare & Company are getting some outside work. Performances were hilarious. Meryl Streep and her movie son Jonah Hill as a Trumpish family were really fun to watch. But the message I don't like is not so much It's hopeless, as the only people with any juice are the ones with media wattage– like us clear-headed movie makers.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p>MSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08330168174377476054noreply@blogger.com0