Rita and her husband have read all my books, including the latest, Dark Currents. Naturally, they’re big fans of Aruba, too, and happened to be on the island last week. Since they toted Dark Currents all the way from Connecticut, it was time for an impromptu book signing at Scott’s Brats, one of my favorite joints on Palm Beach.
People are always smiling when they’re in Aruba. The island has that effect on you. So does a good book! Enjoy the reading.
The Daily Gut is Greg Gutfeld’s blog. I highly recommend it. The man knows what he’s talking about and writes with wit and flair. His latest post struck a chord with me, in particular because he mentions how socialism is never portrayed for what it is in the popular media culture. He hit the nail on the head with a big hammer and here’s the link to that post:
http://www.dailygut.com/?i=4478
At the risk of shameless self-promotion, let me say to Greg and the world, that my novel, Universal Coverage, portrays socialized medicine for what it may become here in the United States. So there is at least one canary singing the coal mine of culture. It is an interesting analysis to ask why more media elites don’t establish residency in the socialist worker paradises of Venezuela, North Korea, or even France. Truly these places embody the values of socialism and that’s what the elites of the United States advocate. I mean, if there’s a party going on and they’re your type of crowd, why not join in? Well, because then you’d have to give up the palace in Malibu, the penthouse on Madison, and the drivers, jets, clothes, tortured food, and baubles that make your elite life the stuff of proletariat ire.
Wait a minute! Was that a contradiction in what you want for yourself versus the rest of us? Uh, oh. Now what?
Don’t worry, fly private back to your hypocritical lair where you can sip that spectacular Bordeaux, discuss your newest Hermes scarf, and dream of another propaganda piece to convince the masses that you’re really looking out for them.
Here is a photo taken at the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad yard. It’s of a massive steam engine that is undergoing a complete rebuild.
I wrote a short story called, Big Iron Holiday. In it, two friends (Ellsworth Botcher and Ned Fry) reunite after the end of the First World War. One is a railroad superintendent, the other is a pilot. I intend to use this short story as the basis for a novel titled simply Big Iron. The novel will follow these two characters and their lives as the United States evolves through the boomtimes of the 1920’s, the Great Depression, and the lead-up to D-Day. There will be some other characters, too, ranging from Hollywood stars to the men who kept the railroads running through all types of conditions.
As readers of this blog know, I like long books. Big Iron will be a long book. It is my hope that it will run more than 750 pages. Good characters, like the ones I have in mind, should easily be able to carry it that far.
What’s your favorite long book?
The Bent Page 
The Alchemist (video review)
The Alchemist is a fable worth reading more than once. Author Paulo Coelho takes the reader on a fantastic journey with his lead character, Santiago, and along the way everyone learns some lessons, all hidden in the context of an eccentric narrative. Here’s my video review.
I recommend this book for younger people, those just leaving middle school into high school. The captivating action will keep them interested, and they’ll never notice how much they’re learning. Few books are like that. Enjoy this one.
- Books
- Commentary
on February 19, 2012 at 3:39 pm Leave a CommentTags: book review, Books, fable, fantasy, fiction, literature, Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, video, video blog, video review