Category Archives: Books Publishing and Writing

The Brits Really Know How to Design a Book Cover

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: My copy of Nassim Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness arrived today to match my copy of The Black Swan. I specifically tracked down the UK editions b/c the covers are so wonderful. Bold, colorful, hazy, eye-catching. They have a visually consistent … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Commercial art | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Curiosity is one of the lowest of the human faculties. You will have noticed in daily life that when people are inquisitive they nearly always have bad memories and are usually stupid at bottom. The man who … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , | 5 Comments

What do you look for in a short story?

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Brundle Guy

Brundle Guy writes: A couple of months ago a good friend of my family’s passed away. I helped partake in a search through her house for her will, and while we didn’t find the legal papers in question, I did … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Personal reflections | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

What Makes for a Compelling Protagonist?

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: A while back The Question Lady asked: Question: Do you as a reader or writer need a “likeable” protagonist? We just read a blog review of a Donald Westlake Parker novel. Now, we LOVE Westlake. But they complained … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Book Notes: My Reading List So Far This Year

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: What books are you guys reading right now? Here’s what I’ve managed so far in 2012: A Renegade History of the United States — Thaddeus Russell What the Dog Saw — Malcolm Gladwell Sin in the Second City: … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged | 8 Comments

Stoya Storytime

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PQuT-Xfyk3o Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Sex | Tagged | 3 Comments

Book Notes: Sherlock Holmes

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: “There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.” Everyone knows the character, but have you ever read … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

A Way with Words

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: The term rhetoric is an evocative one for an Ivy wannabe like me.  It summons up all the mysterious virtues of a classical education, the kind of education that some of the co-authors on this blog suffered through … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Education | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Mmmmm, Puritan Spread

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Glynn Marshes

Glynn Marshes writes: @Fenster– Years ago I picked up a book, “The Development of Central and Western New York,” from Gutenberg Books on Monroe Ave. in Rochester. It’s a collection of “contemporary accounts,” compiled by Clayton Mau, published in 1958 … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Travel | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Book Notes: The Lost City of Z

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Just as Into Thin Air made me never, EVER want to go anywhere near Mt. Everest, this story makes me never, EVER want to go anywhere near the Amazonian jungle. The two landscapes are so different it’s hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Travel | Tagged , , | 3 Comments