What if W. Mitt Romney is nominated as the Republican presidential candidate in 2016? And what if Sarah Palin joins the race? What if Mittens chooses Palin as his running mate? I give you their chit-chat: Palin: Who hijacked the term 'Feminist'? A cackle of radicals who want to crucify other women with whom they disagree. M: I went to … Continue reading The Romney-Palin Ticket
Month: January 2015
Review: Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
This review appears in the latest issue of Crime Factory magazine--the excellent Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! by Douglas Lindsay. Enjoy, coffee drinkers and Beatles lovers! Before Douglas Lindsay’s Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! descends into nightmare, the narrative hints at a story about the ho-hum life: the humorous musings of a middle-aged man resigned to a tired … Continue reading Review: Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Review: Black River by S.M. Hulse
This brilliant debut was released January 21: Beneath the surface of Black River, the taut debut by S.M. Hulse, flows the grey enigma of ultimate justice. The narrative forces the reader to ask: Does a recidivist criminal capable of torture, yet claiming to have found Jesus, deserve parole? Or would such redemption be an injustice to the … Continue reading Review: Black River by S.M. Hulse
Freedom of Expression
I've wrestled with the awful massacre for more than a week now. Nine days ago I had my finger on the trigger to publish a simple image declaring "Je suis Charlie". But on reflection, the facile pronouncement didn't sit right with me. I chose self-restraint. I went to bed. I'm not going to write a complicated essay … Continue reading Freedom of Expression
Peace Corps Retrospective
A compilation of posts recalling my Peace Corps service in Malawi (1996-1998). Crossing Paths with Paul Theroux in Malawi I’ve always felt a strong connection Paul Theroux, due largely to our shared legacy as Peace Corps Volunteers in Malawi. When I expressed reluctance about taking an assignment teaching English there in the 90s, the recruiter suggested I read My Secret … Continue reading Peace Corps Retrospective
Review–Winterswim
The following was published January 6 at Atticus Review. REDEMPTION UNDER ICE: A REVIEW OF RYAN W. BRADLEY'S WINTERSWIM The prologue to Ryan W. Bradley’s Winterswim strikes quick and brutal: a violent pastor, a forced conversion to Christ, a victim on a frozen lake in the arctic night. The pastor murders his young female prey by pushing her … Continue reading Review–Winterswim
Crossing Paths with Paul Theroux in Malawi
I’ve always felt a strong connection to Paul Theroux, due largely to our shared legacy as Peace Corps Volunteers in Malawi. When I expressed reluctance about taking an assignment teaching English there in the '90s, the recruiter suggested I read My Secret History, part of which was inspired by Theroux’s experience teaching English in Malawi in the … Continue reading Crossing Paths with Paul Theroux in Malawi
Ben East Books 