WWII in the American South: Ruth Francisco’s Camp Sunshine
Ruth Francisco’s WWII novel, Camp Sunshine, entertains and informs with clear, specific storytelling. Already a fan of WWII history and fiction, I greatly enjoyed this novel. Francisco animates a rather unattended war detail, an amphibious…
Mystery, History and Love: You’ll Find Them in the Details
My grandmother, Laura, died in 1997 and yet, she remains clear in my mind. From decades earlier, I feel her cool hands on my feverish forehead. When I was four years old and abruptly relieved…
Inside and Outside the Box
Despite rumors to the contrary, this writer has not been captured in or sealed in a box. Rather, I’m recuperating after a beneficial surgery. Before I raise further alarm (or indifference, which I fear more)…
On Bravery, by Nichole Bernier
Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D, is one of my favorite contemporary writers. She’s also a regular contributor on Beyond the Margins. Today I recommend her moving look at people who…
Who Doesn’t Like to Read?
Sometimes being an avid reader begins or ends in childhood…(click post title for video).
The Darkwater Liar’s Account as The Next Big Thing
Thanks to Kourtney Heintz for nominating me for The Next Big Thing blog award. She has inspired me to keep standing up when rejections smack me down. Thanks, Coach. I look forward to reading some…
Short Attention Span Summer Fiction
Our Iowa summer days seemed long and hot, due to drought, but the season stopped short of our expectations for rainfall and yield. It also held a few surprises. That’s not a cloud towering over…
History, Courage & Learning to Remember
In college, I was no history buff. Dr. Lynwood Oyos’ legendary Western Civilization class at Augustana College nearly sank me in terms of my grade point average. He was a brilliant and personable professor who…
Research and Information, the Old, Hard Way
In research for my fiction writing, I use primary sources when available. The internet is a wonderful thing but there are a lot of opinions flashing around, impersonating facts. Because of blatant plagiarism, bias and…
Migraines, Limitations and Laughing In Between
This week, all of the natural and artificial anti-blogging forces in the universe have conspired to keep me from writing here, so this is my attempt at defiance. I had a post half-finished on Tuesday,…
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