The family sports teams are: sons v dad. Two on one. We compete in soccer, kickball, football. I make the rules. The boys don’t know all the rules. I design the rules to keep the action going, the ball in play, the competition fierce. Among the rules known to the boys: In soccer, no boundaries. … Continue reading Winning
Football
I Pledge Allegiance to…
Pro footballers aren't the only ones questioning what it means to practice freedom of expression. Take this scene from Patchworks, released Thursday from Moonshine Cove Publishing, in which two federal bureaucrats dispute the meaning of loyalty. For the rakish Brad Harcourt it means standing beside his desk every day and pledging allegiance to the flag, … Continue reading I Pledge Allegiance to…
Billy Lynn’s Long Thanksgiving Slog
Thanksgiving. The most American day of the year. More American, perhaps, than the Fourth of July. Throw in a hyperbolically American venue---Texas stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys---and you've got Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (also now in theaters). For the heroes of Bravo squad, barnstorming the U.S. on a brief victory tour to rile up … Continue reading Billy Lynn’s Long Thanksgiving Slog
Review: The Brothers Connolly
Ted Prokash employs a rich, poetic voice to tell his story of middle America, giving The Brothers Connolly the quality of an epic. His narrator breaks this novel free of its small-town confines. The writing, here, is the main event. Prokash is skillful and convincing in his portrayal of life in Napawaupee, Wisconsin. He renders with equal … Continue reading Review: The Brothers Connolly
Heat Advisory: Interview with Preston Lang
I recently pretended to sit down with good friend and acclaimed crime writer Preston Lang to talk about a few things. We covered the emotional intelligence of peanut eaters, the role of fire hydrants in the government's summer emergency plans, and the collected work of Franklin W. Dixon, among other things. If you’re eager for more Preston Lang … Continue reading Heat Advisory: Interview with Preston Lang
Ben East Books 