by mike | Jun 11, 2018 | Books, Life, Thrillers, Uncategorized, Writing |
Recently, I discovered something about myself that, quite honestly, I did not like. It has to do with a fictional character: Dirk Pitt, the ubiquitous creation of bestselling author Clive Cussler. For those unfamiliar with Pitt, he is the central character in about...
by mike | Apr 30, 2018 | Aging, Films About Writers, Humor, Life, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing |
In this, the era of #MeToo, when women are making it clear that they’re fed up with the bullshit to which they’ve been subjected from men since the days of the “goodwife,” the 2016 comedy-drama, Year by the Sea, is most timely. Based on a memoir by author Joan...
by mike | Apr 16, 2018 | California, Life, Travel, Uncategorized |
I arrived in California to stay about forty-five years ago. Jacqueline, my bride, did the same over three decades past. Yet neither of us, during all that time, set foot in Yosemite National Park, one of this country’s most memorable landmarks, and for sure the gem of...
by mike | Mar 26, 2018 | Books, Films About Writers, Guilty Pleasures, Humor, Life, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing |
It is hard to imagine any film starring Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite performers, bombing big-time. But if you go by the box office receipts of the 2012 comedy-drama, The Magic of Belle Isle, you’d have to wonder if anyone saw it. Add to that the film reviewers...
by mike | Feb 26, 2018 | Death, Life, Myths & Legends, Uncategorized |
Over the years I’ve written about many weird occurrences, but this particular one ranks way high on the Weird-O-Meter, I kid you not. It is called, among other names, the Dancing Plague of 1518. NOT EXACTLY A DISCO PARTY The incident took place in Strasbourg, which at...
by mike | Jan 29, 2018 | Books, Films About Writers, Humor, Life, Movies, Non-Fiction, Publishing, Romance, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing |
In 1996 Frances Mayes, a writer, book reviewer, teacher, and foodie extraordinaire, published a memoir—replete with recipes—called Under the Tuscan Sun. The book spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list, a remarkable achievement. A romantic...
