Category Archives: Books
What’s Your Favorite Novel?
So what is your favorite novel? I don’t like to pick just one, but if I’m forced to do so, the answer is: “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. Why? Because the language is gorgeous. Think about it. Russian author. Written originally in English. French-speaking narrator. Wow. I hate Humbert. Yes, I hate the protagonist but love …
Salinger’s “Nine Stories”
I finished reading J.D. Salinger’s “Nine Stories.” Each one is unique and offers interesting characters and situations. I especially love it when fiction refers to poetry. Robert Stone does this in “Bear and His Daughter” with the short stories “Porque no Tiene, Porque le Falta” and “Bear and His Daughter.” For some reason it amuses …
Lapping Blood
We meet the brooding vampires first. Think about it. Sookie Stackhouse series—Bill. Interview with the Vampire—Louis. Buffy the Vampire Slayer—Angel. Twilight—Edward. Is there a vampire story with the non-brooding vampire introduced first? Don’t get me wrong. I love vampire stories. I’m not a zombie fan or up for werewolves often, but I’ve read all of …
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I finished the book. Rarely do I respond out loud when I’m reading or have a physical reaction, so when I say “No!” for example or cry or feel my heart race, I really know the story has moved me. In the last ten pages I started crying, even stopping in the middle of a …
Fear
Fear has been the topic of the last couple of letters exchanged between Theresa and myself. What is fear? Why do we let fear hold us back? I read “10 Ways to Harness Fear and Fuel Your Writing” by Sage Cohen in Writer’s Digest September 2011 issue. The sentence “Fear exists to keep us safe” …
Apologies/Updates
Sorry for my absence this past week. My access to internet has been sparse due to a (hopefully) broken ethernet. With a remedy on the way, it’s nice to get out of the heat and curl up with a book. I am still in the process of reading “Nine Stories” and “The Perks of Being …
Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway died fifty years ago today. NPR did a story on him, available online here: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/02/137540700/after-50-years-remembering-hemingways-farewell. I read some of Hemingway’s short stories in high school and did a book report on “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” If you haven’t read some of his work, you should check out the short stories “Indian Camp,” …
Reading Salinger and more
Today I read the short story “Just Before the War with the Eskimos” by J.D. Salinger. Last year I read “The Catcher in the Rye” and really loved it, especially the voice of Holden Caulfield in how he told a story. So the short story was interesting in how the small actions matter. The body language told so …
Welcome!
Welcome to the first post on Suzanna and Writing. It’s great to have you. I will post about my own writing and add links to other sites I discover. I read often, so I’ll also update what books I’ve finished. If you have questions or comments, please let me know. I’m a creative writing student …
Suzanna and Writing 