In my edition of The Hobbit, cheap mass-market paperback, there is an introduction by Peter S Beagle from 1973 that contains not one but two passages that are amazingly political and powerful. A Quote For Today, From 1973 The Sixties were no fouler a decade than the Fifties - they mere reaped the Fifties' foul … Continue reading Two Awesome Quotes From The Hobbit’s 1973 Introduction
"Sometimes the environment shapes the story. I know it's that way with me. This part of East Texas is thick with trees, damp with water, humid with sweat and the smell of rain-wet low lands. It's got snakes and gators and stickers and flies, mosquitoes and ticks, chiggers and lice. It's got the moon through … Continue reading Joe Lansdale on Where His Stories Come From
I have a few books that, despite holding them in my hands, I seem unable to believe actually exist. One of these is a book I picked up at a flea market, called Novelists on the Novel. It is a collection of the thoughts of some of the greatest novelists of yesteryear on all aspects … Continue reading 5 Quotes From The Old Masters
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
Kurt Vonnegut is an author people tend to love or ignore completely (I'm not sure anyone can hate Vonnegut). I count Slaughterhouse 5 among my all-time favorite novels, but am not really a fan of his other books. Whatever you may think of him, he said and wrote some wonderful things during his lifetime. Here … Continue reading 10 Rather Wonderful Kurt Vonnegut Quotes*
The following is a quote I came across this morning, while reading East of Eden. And the books that came into the house - well, Samuel rode lightly on top of a book and he balanced happily among the ideas the way a man rides white rapids in a canoe. But Tom got into a … Continue reading A Fun Little Quote on Reading Books… From a Book
I read Skull Session by Daniel Hecht WAY back in nineteen-ninety-something, and to this day I'm convinced that I am the only person who has done so. I had not heard of Hecht before I read the book, and I have never encountered any reference to him since. For a while I thought the man … Continue reading From Writer Daniel Hecht, Sensible Writing Advice
Some books are just better than others; some writers better. The following passage is taken from Michael Ondaatje's Divisadero, and is one of my favorite passages from the book. The clock-maker wiped the appearance of mildew or foxing off the white portal of the dial and then lifted it off the mechanism. I, in order … Continue reading Passages I Love, Volume 1
William Faulkner was a genius. This morning I got a package from Amazon.com, that included a set of three Faulkner books, an Orpah Book Club package titled A Summer of Faulkner, and a little pamphlet on his life and work. I'm looking forward to reading the books, as I have yet to complete a Faulkner … Continue reading Five Great Faulkner Quotes
