Fiction, Writing

Exposition lesson, Part 1

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I filled up my car today for less than twenty bucks. (It should be noted that my car has a pretty small gas tank.) What a good feeling that was! That’s a genuine economic stimulus payment. I can’t help thinking that people all over this country are enjoying the feeling of extra weight left in their wallets, and are getting ready to do some spending they’ve been putting off.

I’m probably wrong, but it feels that way to me.



I’m reading another Dean Koontz novel (I’ve pretty much read all his books now). It’s one of his re-issued early works and, typically, shows numerous marks of artistic immaturity. Particularly notable are the lame jokes (his jokes tend to be a little lame even nowadays, but he’s made great progress).

But what really caught my attention was his problem with exposition, a problem I’ve discussed before in reference to other early efforts. I’m not going to excerpt any of his scenes here, but I’ll compose a Koontz-like chunk of dialogue. Continue reading Exposition lesson, Part 1 →

Uncategorized

I’m so proud

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Augsburg College, in Minneapolis, is my alma mater.

Founded in the 1870s, Augsburg was for most of its early history the center of Free Lutheranism, an effort to build a pietist Lutheran church movement exercising a congregational form of church government. These principles were abandoned entirely when the Lutheran Free Church entered a merger with other Lutheran bodies in 1962. The small rabble of churches who refused to go along with the merger began the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, for which I work.

The point of all this is that, in spite of its historical heritage, Augsburg today is just another mainline Lutheran school, indistinguishable, except by geography, from all the other mainline Lutheran schools.

Which explains this story, in which we see contemporary academic standards of tolerance and the free exercise of thought demonstrated for all.

Tip: Power Line.

Goofing

Public service announcement

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(The scene opens with a shot of an American suburban kitchen. AMANDA is seen standing at a counter with a cardboard box in her hand. Her daughter HEATHER enters and observes what she’s doing.)

HEATHER: Mom, what are you doing with that rat poison?

AMANDA: I’m going to put some out, honey. I saw a rat in the pantry, and I can’t stand rats.

HEATHER (putting her hands on her hips): Mom! You can’t do that!

AMANDA: Why not?

HEATHER: Don’t you listen to the news? They told us about it in school. You can’t poison rats. It’s against the law. Continue reading Public service announcement →

Fiction, Reviews

The Second Saladin, by Stephen Hunter

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It’s late in the day, but to all you veterans, thank you for your service. Slackers like me owe you big.

The Second Saladin, it appears to me, marks a milepost on author Stephen Hunter’s journey toward finding his niche as a novelist. Some of the elements that will make his Bob/Earl Swagger books so compelling are already there, but he hasn’t yet shaken off a tendency to demonstrate his realism through grim pessimism.

Nevertheless, I found it a compelling book. Though published in 1982 and set in that same time period, the centrality of Kurdistan to the plot makes the whole business remarkably relevant more than two decades later. Continue reading The Second Saladin, by Stephen Hunter →

Reading

The End of Anti-intellectualism?

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Thomas Sowell writes, “Intellectuals, according to Mr. Kristof, are people who are ‘interested in ideas and comfortable with complexity,’ people who “read the classics.’

It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry.”

Non-fiction

12-Year-Old Girl Caught Watching John Adams

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When I returned home on Thursday, frustrated by the voting behavior of my fellow Americans, I found my daughter watching the John Adams series created by HBO.

I concede my daughter, a mere 12 years old, may not be representative of the typical child of her age. I must also admit it makes me proud to be able to say she chose to watch John Adams rather than turn on some ridiculous cable program. While not all pre-teenagers would choose to watch a series chronicling centuries-old events, she gives me hope.

If my 12 year old can appreciate the lessons found in the history of John Adams and the other Founding Fathers than so can other 12 year olds. Read on . . .

The Press

A Cut Above

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I’ve always thought Brit Hume was a cut above the rest in the national press. Today, I learn he is moving on to other things. The news is a little old, but I just read it. In Reuters interview with Hume, he says, “I was kind of a nominal Christian for the longest time. When my son died (by suicide in 1998), I came to Christ in a way that was very meaningful to me. If a person is a Christian and tries to face up to the implications of what you say you believe, it’s a pretty big thing. If you do it part time, you’re not really living it.”

Goofing

Free at last!

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In 2009 this country will inaugurate as president a man whose election represents a major alteration in our society.

This president will be a representative of a minority group which has too long been banished to the periphery of society, subjected to ridicule and discrimination, and denied equal rights under the law.

I refer, of course, to smokers. Continue reading Free at last! →

Non-fiction

48 Liberals Lies About America

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I’ve known for a while that certain people credit Gorbachev with the fall of the Soviet Union, instead of Reagan, so I suppose the sting of that lie has worn off for me. But I was shocked to hear that history textbooks accuse Truman of droping the bomb on Japan in order to thump his chest at the Soviet Union. They call it “atomic diplomancy.” And they say FDR knew Pearl Harbor would be attacked but hushed it up in order to have a reason to go to war. Insanity. These are many more lies are discussed in Larry Schwelkart’s new book, 48 Liberal Lies About American History. Book TV has a video of Mr. Schwelkart’s presentation.

Book Reviews, Creative Culture