What Have You Read? (A place of discussion and hospitality)

[bell]

Oh, and for any of you who enjoy creative writing, here's his Creative Writing 101 list:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. No matter sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.


The greatest American short story writer of my generation was Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964). She broke practically every one of my rules but the first. Great writers tend to do that.

[Pogotheostrich]

For anyone who enjoys Vonnegut, I just finished Bagombo Snuff Box. Collection of various short stories, many done before he was a full-time writer. The only other book I've read of his is Breakfast of Champions, but I think I'll make Piano Player my next.

One of my favorite authors. Welcome to the Monkey House is also a great collection of Vonnegut short stories.

[denvermax]

my favorite book is Fantasy Baseball Forecaster 2004!


lol

[denvermax]

This one Joe DiMaggio biography i read a couple years back was really good.

Has anyone read A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn?

I want to.

[Brokentusks9]

The only book that one needs, The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks.

Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset—life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life.

[Absolutely Adequate]

This one Joe DiMaggio biography i read a couple years back was really good.

Has anyone read A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn?

I want to.

Zinn... He's quite something. I'm more liberal than the next guy but I strongly dislike Zinn. You'll notice, if you check out his endnotes, that many of his sources turn out to be ... Howard Zinn. Don't get me wrong. I think that he's right about a lot of the book, but I just hate his shoddy documentation.

[Absolutely Adequate]

Also, the greatest book that I got for Christmas...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

I won't tell you the name, only that you should read it. It will help you good-bye depression in no time at all.

[denvermax]

This one Joe DiMaggio biography i read a couple years back was really good.

Has anyone read A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn?

I want to.

Zinn... He's quite something. I'm more liberal than the next guy but I strongly dislike Zinn. You'll notice, if you check out his endnotes, that many of his sources turn out to be ... Howard Zinn. Don't get me wrong. I think that he's right about a lot of the book, but I just hate his shoddy documentation.

thanks for the info, i havent read anything from him before. i still might want to check it out sometime though.

[denvermax]

This one Joe DiMaggio biography i read a couple years back was really good.

Has anyone read A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn?

I want to.

Zinn... He's quite something. I'm more liberal than the next guy but I strongly dislike Zinn. You'll notice, if you check out his endnotes, that many of his sources turn out to be ... Howard Zinn. Don't get me wrong. I think that he's right about a lot of the book, but I just hate his shoddy documentation.

thanks for the info, i havent read anything from him before. i still might want to check it out sometime though.

[Transmogrifier]

Zinn is a worthwhile read. He's not always right, but he reminds us of a few things, such as our massacre of the Indians (handing smallpox infected blankets to Native Americans), the reason why we dropped the bomb, etc. It makes you think...

Anyway, anyone read Empire Falls? Stunning book. Not popular fiction, but literature.