Manhattan in the Fall

RETURN TO MANHATTAN Manhattan in late May was quite lively; Manhattan in October is brimming with energy.  Yes, there are a sad number of empty storefronts, but people are out and about and bustling here and there.  Outdoor dining structures remain popular while many restaurants seem to have been re-discovered.  Having to show proof of Covid vaccination to …

Tidy Tidbits: A Novel & A Film

A FORTHCOMING NOVEL INDIAN WOMEN AND RELIGIOUS POLITICS Honor by Thrity Umrigar I received this novel as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) through BookBrowse, an e-mail newsletter that I recently discovered.   It will be published in January 2022.  I devoured the book in a day and a half and loved it! Indian American journalist Smita reports on gender …

Tidy Tidbits: Gander, Oxford, New York

This week’s blog brings together several compelling works. One is a musical related to 9/11 while the other two are books. One book is a wonderful novel about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, while the other is a cancer memoir, painful yet ultimately redeeming. POWERFUL VIEWING: Remembering 9/11 Come from Away (Apple TV+) I …

Maine Writers: Yesterday & Today

Addendum to Part 1: Contemporary Authors Richard Ford The author of short stories, novels, and nonfiction, Richard Ford is probably best known for his four novels featuring Frank Bascombe.  Bascombe first appears in The Sportswriter (1986) and next in Ford’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Independence Day, published in 1995, then in two later novels.  I read and very much enjoyed Independence Day.  Richard …