notanotherbookreview

Robin Hathaway was an original mystery writer. Her Doctor series was wryly funny and the Philly setting was used in very creative ways. Who knew in back of Jefferson Hospital there was an Indian burial ground?  Or that an herb garden in a hospital could have a nefarious purpose?  She was discovered in a St. Martin's contest, in her 60's, and had begun writing a decade before. Robin showed age is  irrelevant to writers and went on to develop another series. Here is a link to her obit. http://articles.philly.com/2013-02-21/news/37202639_1_mystery-author-mystery-writers-mystery-scene-magazine On a personal note, Robin was an inspiration to me. Through knowing her, I went on to finish writing I had lost confidence in,  respected my art work and became a better parent. Her message to me was have faith in yourself and move on.  I believe we are all in the process of becoming who we are. As people and our work, life seems to be about process. Success or failur...

This nonfiction work is a rare classic. There are lots of books on Communications, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Social Media, TV & Radio, Internet Marketing, Media strategy. But no other book I’ve seen looks at the permeable borders of these categories as they contribute to the big picture of political campaigns, national security—Strategic Communications.  In PERSUASION AND POWER (Georgetown University Press), James Farwell shows that skill in the use of images, words, and symbols, does not necessarily guarantee success. The end result often depends on the content of the message and its goal.  Deception is not as successful as truth, consistent, and persuasive. It also helps to remember that any success is within a specific time-frame.  With the speed and incessant change of the 24/7 news cycle, a permanent end result is a chimera. Yet this book analyzes the strategic communications embodied in our Declaration of Independence, a document of enormous i...

ARCADIA is a mish mash of yeanings, a misstopia In the utopian community in Lauren Goff’s novel, Arcadia, life is a mish mash of yearnings--for food and love, beauty and a human community perfect as nature. I take my utopias seriously and have some knowledge of religious communities, such as the Shakers and the Amish, as well as  ecstatic cults, like the one in Arcadia. Smartly, Goff gives them an Amish neighbor. This sober religious community helps their indulgent neighbors learn to farm so they don’t starve. And Arcadia returns the favor sending their midwives to aid the Amish, but the commonality is not just about mutual aid but love of the land and their people. Goff also shows in this story of a childhood on a commune, that sometimes there’s also a strong distaste of the same land and people.. The hero of Arcadia is Bit for Bit of a hippie, the miracle baby who survives, though born premature and weighing only three pounds. Through his eyes Arcadia is a physically b...