Mr. Wilson's War: From the Assassination of McKinley to the Defeat of the League of Nations by John Dos Passos

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Novelist's History

Loved Dos Passos' USA novels. His take on history brings the novelist's story telling ability to the story telling of history. That said, the eBook needs some serious proof reading. There are serious scanning errors in it.



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The Collected Poems of Galway Kinnell by Galway Kinnell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Kinnell is one of the important poets from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. I'm not sure how many people remember his work now, but such is the fate of most poets and, for the most part, writers in general. I did have the pleasure of hearing him read in person in 1979/80 while I was a graduate student.

I don't find anything groundbreaking about Kinnell's work. He is, however, a solid representative of the period: an academic with unkept hair and a rich voice. Sometimes the vocabulary gets in the way of the music.



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Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was a bit of nostalgia for an old English professor. I've written more than a few letters of recommendation in my time, and while I was pleased to do it for some, that wasn't always the case. The novel was good fun, but I'm not sure how it would work for an audience outside of academia.



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Serena by Ron Rash

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Evil, thy name is Serena. I like reading Ron Nash, but, damn, bro, this is harsh. There is a bit of Macbeth in this novel, but don't expect The Lady to try to wash her hands clean. She wants to cut all the world's trees down, and I'm still trying to figure out why. In the end, the asp comes back to strike cleanly at her bosom. (Wait, that's another play.)

I'm still struggling to figure out why Jennifer Lawrence would want to play this character in a movie, but since I haven't seen the film, I have to guess it underwent considerable revision.

From the beginning, you have to be aware that you're reading a revenge play … and that's another play. Oh, well.



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The O. Henry Prize Stories 2018 by Laura Furman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What used to be a collection of U.S. short stories has become a collection of short stories written in English. This has happened with that other annual, Best American Short Stories. As a result, the stories are different. I find it difficult to put my finger on the change. One of sensibilities perhaps? I like the idea of it, but I'm still not sure I'm all that pleased with the delivery.



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