Writing, The New Yorker, and Christmas

This is a not-so-usual Christmas editorial from my SharingwithWriters newsletter. True to my time-saving advice to recycle (no one person--even one with a paid publicist) has enough time to do everything they want to!), it is never too late to download a pdf copy my newsletters from the archive at http://bit.ly/SWWNewsletter--or subscribe so you don't miss a single issue!

Dear SharingwithWriters subscribers and New Book Review readers, authors, and reviewers: 

I love The New Yorker. My son Trenton sent a subscription to me for Christmas for a couple years, but I told him not to do it anymore because I always felt guilty when I couldn’t read it from cover to cover.

Recently I reconnected with my cousin who had gone AWOL for a while and she sent me a link to a lovely essay on dying (and living!) in The New Yorker. It was written by a well-known memoirist, Cory Taylor. I love how that she wove the pleasures of writing into the other joys of her life. It made me think of the publisher who told my agent that he loved my memoir, but couldn’t publish it because it was just too sad. It also made me think of what I have come to think of as California’s Christmas fires. I have been affected only slightly (breathing smoke and getting less done because of time taken to help fire refugees), but the misery is everywhere. The sky, the freeways, the news.

It seems to me a memoir has no value without the sad parts that make us grateful for life’s delights. So, the upsides and downsides, the yin and yang of The New Yorker? Hard to believe there is too much of a good thing! And the fires? Well, maybe we have had enough of those!

You may already subscribe or decide to subscribe to The New Yorker after reading this. (You may be better at picking and choosing from an overabundance of readable material than I!) Even if The New Yorker has never been your cup of tea, you will want to read this essay. To absorb the author’s wisdom now, when gratitude is such a big part of the holiday season or take a lesson from this author’s writing style. I am sure that it will renew your appreciation of your chosen career.

The essay is “Questions for Me About Dying” by Cory Taylor. An interesting title, but one that in no way does justice to what is contained therein.

Happy writing, editing and promoting and happy holidays,

Carolyn Howard-Johnson,

http://HowToDoItFrugally.com 

PS: I know we think of Dec. 25 as a bit too late to be doing Christmas shopping, but that's why e-books were born.  The chapbook I wrote with Magdalena Ball is available today on Amazon and it's part of Amazon's Matchbook program for prime members--meaning the e-book is free when you buy the chapbook. Wouldn't one of your friends who loves literature like to have a e-greeting card of poetry in their e-mail box today? Here is more about it.  

Blooming Red:

Christmas Poetry for the Rational

Coauthored by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Artwork by Vicki Thomas

Self-Published in the fine tradition of poets everywhere

Awards: USA Book News finalist, Silver Award from Military Writers’ Society of America

ISBN: 9781449948245

To order paperback or e-book on Amazon: http://bit.ly/BloomingRed

Celebration Series fan page on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CelebrationSeriesPoetryChapbooks

Part of the Celebration Series by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, this little $6.95 book was written with passion and love for those who understand all the ramifications of the holiday that dominates celebrations throughout most of the English-speaking world. It is a lovely tuck-in gift that goes beyond the typical greeting card and is available in quantity discounts to use as a holiday greeting by contacting the authors at HoJoNews@aol.com.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Nicole Brown Reviews Clifford Browder's Historical Novel

Title: Bill Hope

Subtitle: His Story

Author: Clifford Browder

Blog link: No Place for Normal: New York 

Genre: Historical fiction

Paperback:157 pages

ISBN: 978-1-68114-305-7

Purchase links: 

https://www.amazon.com/Bill-Hope-Story-Clifford-Browder/dp/1681143054

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bill-hope-clifford-browder/1125807910

https://anaphoraliterary.com/catalogue/novels/historical/clifford-browder/

Reviewed by Nicole W Brown  Originally for Amazon.

 "A real yarn of a story about a lovable pickpocket who gets into trouble and has a great adventure. A must read. "

The book opens with Bill Hope in jail writing down the tail of his life starting with the first time he got arrested. He tried to pick the pocket of a great detective who came and visited him in jail. He told him that he would drop the charges if Bill would come and see him after he was released. He took Bill's prized onyx ring to ensure that he would come. When Bill came the man, Mr. Minick, asked him to do a job for him in return for dropping the charges. A notorious pickpocket prince's girl friend who has a habit of shoplifting and taking things from the dearly departed and mourners at funerals. She took a one-of-a-kind stick pin from someone who wants it back. Mr. Minick would like Bill to lift it off of her without her knowing it. Bill succeeds in this and Mr. Minick offers him work as one of his street informants, or as Bill calls them the League of Snitches. He won't have anything to do with it, but the two part on good terms.

Bill finds a rather expensive, yet highly unusual Tiffany ring. He goes to the local dealer and finds out how much he could get for it, but decides not to sell it. Soon he sees in the paper that someone is looking for it. He meets with a person to give the ring back and finds out that the ring belongs to someone new and big in town and instead of taking the money now he tells him that he'd rather have him owe him. This will prove to be a smart move later on when he gets into trouble and needs bailing out. He winds up working for the ring's owner, Mr. Vail then embarks on a dangerous adventure.

This book is a really good yarn of a story. Bill Hope is a sweet rascal of a character who doesn't give up on people once he's invested in them. He's an honorable thief who never steals from women or kids just rich men. He is always trying to improve himself by working on his speech to make himself sound better and buying clothes to make him look smart. Trouble still manages to always find Bill, though and it's great fun to read about how he gets out of it. I can't recommend this book enough.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clifford Browder has a blog titled No Place for Normal: New York with the tagline by T. S. Eliot, "Humankind cannot bear very much reality." He signs himself, "Geezers rock."   

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.