The last episode....................of the year. Talking about the uproar in Peru over the pardon of Alberto Fujimori, recommending small press authors to the Tulsa County Library and the thought that I need to drastically improve my ability to speak Spanish.
Opening music: Alloy - Live To See The Day
Closing music: Levee Walkers - All Things Fade Away
Email: notmovingpictures@gmail.com Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com
Older episodes can be found at www.archive.org. Just search for notmovingpictures.
Written and Published by Don Leach.
May not be used without permission from the author.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Showing posts with label small press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small press. Show all posts
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Friday, August 14, 2015
My Review Of Reckless Traveler by Walter Rhein
For some reason it has taken me a great deal of time to post a review of Reckless Traveler by Walter Rhein. I mean, after all, I read it in a few days right after I received it. Sure a lot has been going on in my life creatively but this book was fun, so well written and...........why don't I just copy the review here so you can see for yourself?
I had stumbled across Walter Rhein’s blog, Streets Of Lima, several years ago in a search for something related to American expats living in Peru, which I wished could happen with me. Why? I am married to a Peruvian and although at the time I had only visited Peru once I was quite taken with the country and the people and I felt drawn there. Streets Of Lima was a fun and interesting destination for me where I could at least see someone living where and as I wished I could. My wife doesn’t wish to return to live in Peru or else I think it would have already happened. Fast forward a few years and now I find that Rhein has written a memoir of his time spent living in Peru.
The book is full of what I would expect would be normal experiences for a person living in not just a foreign country but also a foreign way of life. For Rhein it went beyond the normal way of learning a new culture, a new way of life, as he didn’t try to just live it. He attacked it recklessly, full speed ahead without giving thought to the consequences. With too much thought or planning I think he wouldn’t have actually been in the moment and experiencing life. I don’t know if I could have been as brave as he was given my penchant for sticking to the same old same old. Well, at least I used to be that way.
So what is Reckless Traveler about you may ask? If you want stories about embarrassing language gaffes you will find it in this book. If you want stories about being bullheaded about modern medicine and absolutely knowing that traditional ways are useless it’s in this book. If you want stories of devilishly allowing others believe you are a typical gringo who doesn’t even take the time to learn to speak the local language it’s in this book. If you want stories about letting go of the rigid way of thinking life is as you’ve learned and accepting another place based on what it is instead of what it isn’t you will find it in this book. If you want stories of reckless travel to see places and things of incredible beauty you will find it in this book. All told with great humor in a natural way that always left me wanting to read a few pages more, just a few more. That’s the sign of a great book to me.
I’m sure Walter Rhein could have told even more stories and this book could have swelled to two or three times its size but as it is it’s pretty perfect. It left me wanting more, just a little more. I even found myself seeking out my wife to read to her from the pages more than once and she enjoyed the stories as well. Perhaps in a few years there will be a sequel, a volume two. After all, the Walter Rhein still travels to Peru and I believe he is there now as I write this, lucky dog that he is. Books like this make life a lot more enjoyable for me and inspire me to make my dreams come true. Now if only I can figure out a way to make that happen. Buy this book, it’s worth the money, it’s worth the time spent reading it. It’s worth that and much more.
Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.
I had stumbled across Walter Rhein’s blog, Streets Of Lima, several years ago in a search for something related to American expats living in Peru, which I wished could happen with me. Why? I am married to a Peruvian and although at the time I had only visited Peru once I was quite taken with the country and the people and I felt drawn there. Streets Of Lima was a fun and interesting destination for me where I could at least see someone living where and as I wished I could. My wife doesn’t wish to return to live in Peru or else I think it would have already happened. Fast forward a few years and now I find that Rhein has written a memoir of his time spent living in Peru.
The book is full of what I would expect would be normal experiences for a person living in not just a foreign country but also a foreign way of life. For Rhein it went beyond the normal way of learning a new culture, a new way of life, as he didn’t try to just live it. He attacked it recklessly, full speed ahead without giving thought to the consequences. With too much thought or planning I think he wouldn’t have actually been in the moment and experiencing life. I don’t know if I could have been as brave as he was given my penchant for sticking to the same old same old. Well, at least I used to be that way.
So what is Reckless Traveler about you may ask? If you want stories about embarrassing language gaffes you will find it in this book. If you want stories about being bullheaded about modern medicine and absolutely knowing that traditional ways are useless it’s in this book. If you want stories of devilishly allowing others believe you are a typical gringo who doesn’t even take the time to learn to speak the local language it’s in this book. If you want stories about letting go of the rigid way of thinking life is as you’ve learned and accepting another place based on what it is instead of what it isn’t you will find it in this book. If you want stories of reckless travel to see places and things of incredible beauty you will find it in this book. All told with great humor in a natural way that always left me wanting to read a few pages more, just a few more. That’s the sign of a great book to me.
I’m sure Walter Rhein could have told even more stories and this book could have swelled to two or three times its size but as it is it’s pretty perfect. It left me wanting more, just a little more. I even found myself seeking out my wife to read to her from the pages more than once and she enjoyed the stories as well. Perhaps in a few years there will be a sequel, a volume two. After all, the Walter Rhein still travels to Peru and I believe he is there now as I write this, lucky dog that he is. Books like this make life a lot more enjoyable for me and inspire me to make my dreams come true. Now if only I can figure out a way to make that happen. Buy this book, it’s worth the money, it’s worth the time spent reading it. It’s worth that and much more.
Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Small Press Books To The Rescue
I haven't been writing very much lately, for the blog or otherwise, but I have been reading. My mind is full of ideas but sometimes the problem is getting them out of my brain. One thing that helps though are the very books that I've been reading. They have mostly been from small press companies but don't think for an instant that impacts the quality of the writing. The few remaining large companies for the most part won't touch these kind of authors. Instead of playing it safe with their content and writing style they carve out their own niche and usually when they make a fan it's someone who fiercely believes in the content they put out. I'm going to list three authors and the book I read from them and then talk about the overall impact it's had on me.
Sean Carswell - Barney's Crew (Gorsky Press)
John Sheppard - Small Town Punk (Ig Pub)
Kevin Sampsell - A Common Pornography (Harper Perennial)
All three writers have different styles of writing but all three made me re-think about the so called rules of writing. They tend to keep the chapters short and always end them in a way to make me want to read just a few pages more. Eventually when I come up for air those few pages more have easily turned into fifty or sixty. Sampsell in particular writes small vignettes that are sometimes less than a page in length. They all write about characters who are at their best flawed people. Some are drunks or always on the lookout to obtain drugs, just going from one high to another. Some refuse to look life realistically. Some are only fooling themselves.
None of this would hold my interest though if the quality of the writing wasn't so high. The stories drew me in and kept my attention. The resulting effect was that I started to rethink the so called rules of writing. About what was acceptable, what qualified and once I started down that path I found myself awash in new ideas, things I never before would have considered. Now that I have found the challenge the only thing holding me back (besides time) is me. I am my own worst critic. Sometimes the criticism is warranted, sometimes not. It's okay to question yourself if your intention is to do the best that you can do, to a degree that is.
Another thing I have discovered is that it's okay to be yourself and by that I mean accepting yourself flaws and all. Coincidentally that means you have to accept others as they are as well. No matter how well intentioned you may be you need to stop judging others for failing to live up to the lofty standards that you hold dear, no matter how much you want to see them succeed. In the end it is up to the individual. Positive criticism is so much harder to give then negative criticism isn't it? Stp trying to convince others that things would be better if they did it your way instead of theirs. They will either choose to do something or they won't. It's that simple.
Sean Carswell, John Sheppard and Kevin Sampsell have all inspired and in a way challenged me. The only thing I have to do is answer that challenge and meet their creativity in my own manner. I have the ideas, now I just need to tell the stories. Either I will or I won't. It's up to me and whatever the result it's all okay. I'm going to do the best that I can. How's that for an idea?
Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.
Sean Carswell - Barney's Crew (Gorsky Press)
John Sheppard - Small Town Punk (Ig Pub)
Kevin Sampsell - A Common Pornography (Harper Perennial)
All three writers have different styles of writing but all three made me re-think about the so called rules of writing. They tend to keep the chapters short and always end them in a way to make me want to read just a few pages more. Eventually when I come up for air those few pages more have easily turned into fifty or sixty. Sampsell in particular writes small vignettes that are sometimes less than a page in length. They all write about characters who are at their best flawed people. Some are drunks or always on the lookout to obtain drugs, just going from one high to another. Some refuse to look life realistically. Some are only fooling themselves.
None of this would hold my interest though if the quality of the writing wasn't so high. The stories drew me in and kept my attention. The resulting effect was that I started to rethink the so called rules of writing. About what was acceptable, what qualified and once I started down that path I found myself awash in new ideas, things I never before would have considered. Now that I have found the challenge the only thing holding me back (besides time) is me. I am my own worst critic. Sometimes the criticism is warranted, sometimes not. It's okay to question yourself if your intention is to do the best that you can do, to a degree that is.
Another thing I have discovered is that it's okay to be yourself and by that I mean accepting yourself flaws and all. Coincidentally that means you have to accept others as they are as well. No matter how well intentioned you may be you need to stop judging others for failing to live up to the lofty standards that you hold dear, no matter how much you want to see them succeed. In the end it is up to the individual. Positive criticism is so much harder to give then negative criticism isn't it? Stp trying to convince others that things would be better if they did it your way instead of theirs. They will either choose to do something or they won't. It's that simple.
Sean Carswell, John Sheppard and Kevin Sampsell have all inspired and in a way challenged me. The only thing I have to do is answer that challenge and meet their creativity in my own manner. I have the ideas, now I just need to tell the stories. Either I will or I won't. It's up to me and whatever the result it's all okay. I'm going to do the best that I can. How's that for an idea?
Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
