The Buddhist concept of emptiness appears frequently in Victor Depta’s latest collection of poetry, When the Earth Was a Comfort (Blair Mountain Press 2025). The collection is divided into four parts, corresponding to the seasons. I related strongly to the title poem, which is placed first in the book. Depta references the floods, the heat, […]
“Good Eye, Bad Eye” by Jeanne Malmgren
May 14, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Readers of Jeanne Malmgren’s engaging memoir, Good Eye, Bad Eye, will find the universal themes and the clarity of her writing style appealing. From her personal story of trauma following a childhood eye injury, life truths emerge as Jeanne struggles to find her way in the world. This is not another poor-pitiful-me memoir. Instead, it […]
Donna Meredith interviews Sara Warner, author of “Horse People”
May 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Introduction: While I haven’t met Sara Warner in person that I can recall, she did live in Tallahassee for a time, as do I, so I have been aware of her as a writer. I recall meeting her husband Pete LeForge, who is also a writer, at an event sponsored years ago by the Leon […]
May 2025 Books of Note: Jim Melvin’s “Do You Believe in Magic?” and Jack Woodville London’s “Dangerous Latitudes”
May 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Do You Believe in Magic? (Green Bird Publishing 2025) by Jim Melvin is a highly imaginative fantasy novel starring three thirteen year olds who find themselves transformed from middle school outsiders into leaders with special powers when they travel through a portal into a parallel world. Billed as “Book One of the Dark Circle Trilogy,” […]
“Horse People” by Sara Warner
May 12, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Horse People (2025) by Sara Warner is absolutely everything a stellar book should be. At times it moved me to tears. Other times the actions of villainous characters left me nauseous. I am a dog person and don’t know horses, yet I fell in love with the horses in this novel. Sara Warner helped me […]
Read of the Month: “The Bright Years” by Sarah Damoff
April 30, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The Bright Years (Simon & Schuster 2025) by Sarah Damoff shimmers as an exquisite, poignant portrait of a family crumbling as their painful pasts push their way into the present. It is a story of addiction and recovery. Of love and loss. Of forgiveness and redemption. Set in Texas, The Bright Years takes readers on […]