This is a blog for journalists, authors, and those who enjoy reading and learning. Here you will find a variety of posts about all forms of writing–from fiction and non-fiction to the news media and journalism. It is produced by a former foreign correspondent and journalism school dean.
Today is Veterans Day. Given that only 7 percent of the people of this nation have ever put on a uniform, I am not sure Americans have any idea just why Veterans Day is a holiday. Yes, it means schools and most government offices are closed. But it means a … Read more…
I have updated this previously posted story to include the latest numbers and facts about books and the publishing industry. For those who may have missed it the first time around, I hope you enjoy it. For those seeing it for the first time, I hope you will find it … Read more…
Okay, the election is over. Well, maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. And maybe you are happy with the outcome, or maybe you are not. In any case, it can’t hurt to take your mind off it. One way to do that is to pick up a good book and … Read more…
Today, I am posting a Q & A with pollsters Arie Kapteyn of USC’s Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research and Robert Cahaly of the Trafalgar Group. In 2016 both men foresaw a Trump victory, while other pollsters were predicting a Clinton landslide. They say in 2020 most polls … Read more…
Like a lot of people, I wasn’t aware that there was a week devoted to banned books. There is. It runs between September 27 and October 1, which means you, like me, probably missed it. Not to worry. Below I have compiled a list of the most commonly banned books … Read more…
As the 2020 Presidential campaign winds down, the slurs and mud-slinging are picking up. Joe Biden calls President Trump a clown and a xenophobe. Donald Trump calls Biden corrupt and “sleepy Joe.” Liberals call conservatives white supremacists and racists. Conservatives call liberals leftist lunatics and fanatical communists. Pretty nasty stuff, … Read more…
I am honored to announce that The Lost Years of Billy Battles has won an NYC Big Book Award. Here is the Press Release announcing the award. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Author wins national recognition with the NEW YORK CITY BIG BOOK AWARD®! The NYC BIG BOOK AWARD has recognized The … Read more…
With the 2020 election a little more than two weeks away, I found myself speculating on how informed the American electorate is. Given a biased mainstream media, I wondered if American voters are able to make an informed decision when they mark their ballots. A few years ago during an academic … Read more…
Ernie Meggisen says he is a Canadian. I have no reason to doubt that. The other day I received a commentary he wrote for a Canadian newspaper. I’m not sure which newspaper, but that is beside the point. As I read through his commentary I was struck by his view … Read more…
Well, what do you know? The World Health Organization has urged world leaders, including those in the United States, to stop using lockdowns as the primary control method against the spread of the China Virus, aka, the novel coronavirus or Covid-19. This is a dramatic turnaround by the W.H.O. and … Read more…